Man Pulled Over By Cops, Visited By Secret Service Over Anti-Obama Sign
Exercising First Amendment could be "construed as a threat"

Steve Watson
Infowars.net
Thursday, Feb 19th, 2009

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An Oklahoma City man was pulled over by police and later visited at home by the secret service for displaying an anti-Obama sign.

According to a report in The Oklahoman, the sign, which read "Abort Obama Not the Unborn," was seized from motorist Chip Harrison's car by police officers who cited it as a possible "threat against President Obama".

A lieutenant supervisor later called Mr Harrison to inform him that the Secret Service had been contacted on the matter.

When Mr Harrison returned home he found secret service agents waiting for him.

''When I was on my way there, the Secret Service called me and said they weren't going to ransack my house or anything ... they just wanted to (walk through the house) and make sure I wasn't a part of any hate groups." Harrison is quoted as saying.

The agents interviewed Mr Harrison for 30 minutes and then left, deeming him not to be a threat.

The police returned the sign to Mr Harrison and admitted that it was a violation of his constitutional rights to have taken it.

Mr Harrison has said he feels his First Amendment rights were violated and is taking legal advice on the matter.

Atleast the secret service acted intelligently in the matter. I think the cop who pulled the guy over just over reacted and the S.S. were like "oh ok, we will see whats going on but its prolly nothing because this happens ALL THE TIME"

Aborting a living person? According to many so called "conservatives" on these boards abortion is murder. Following that logic a sign calling for an abortion of Obama certainly would be a threat of violence right?

I can see where that might be construed as a threat.

Where were the posts when those who criticized Shrub were called un-American and who were herded into fenced designated protest zones? What about their free speech rights? I guess that was okay.

I think the sign is in bad taste but there have been similar signs for all sorts of people on both sides

Sign! Sign!
Everywhere a sign!
Blocking up the scenery!
Breaking my mind!

I agree with rose on this one, really bad taste but some have said worse. I also think it is good the secret service is doing their job. To be investigated surely would be an inconvenience but it turned out in his favor so all is well.

damnitscloudy seems quite lyrically inclined today!

Maybe...umm I better not say it I might get banned.

see???? we can agree on somethings and agree to disagree on others

I just wonder if the SS investigated all of these signs (even in the past)....how much work would that be on the SS? how much is protected under freedom of speech?

There is a fundamental difference between calling someone a name and calling for or threatening physical violence.

You can say Lynann I think you are an a$$hole all day long but the minute you threaten to do me harm or incite or induce someone else to do so you have crossed a legal line.

oh I agree that he crossed the line. I was just was asking where people draw the line

People, take this one instance, multiply x 100, and understand it is going to get much, much worse. Enjoy your freedom of speech (and use it) while you've still got it!

anything can be twisted into a threat...Fat people will die from hearattacks.....skinny people will die from malnutrition smokers will die from cancer all true but add a name and change a word and its a threat

How come you weren't saying this for the last 8 years when it was a regular thing for people to say kill bush? I mean, at least this guy is beating around the bush.

Same thing happened to some people with anti-bush stuff during his last election.

Some of the bumper stickers and t-shirts comparing him w/ King George.

Several people got questioned by Secret Service because they were viewing them as possible death threats. The stickers and shirts got got pulled off the website that was selling them.

So, what standard shall we apply today?

If you cannot understand the difference between threat and criticism you need to start with a dictionary.

Andrew? When was it a regular thing to say kill Bush? I don't like that rat bastard but I am not stupid enough to advocate or incite violence against the president or my neighbor. Both are crimes.

Hells bells I think George Wallace was a rat bastard but I damned sure didn't think he deserved to be shot.

Funny...you all are really funny. Free speech does not mean threatening or inciting violence.

You know this.

per the declaration of independence abortion is illegal

too incite violence is a threat no doubt

to say abort someone is in essence advocating terminating them

ter·mi·nate (tûrm-nt)
v. ter·mi·nat·ed, ter·mi·nat·ing, ter·mi·nates
v.tr.
1. To bring to an end or halt: "His action terminated the most hopeful period of reform in Prussian history" Gordon A. Craig.
2. To occur at or form the end of; conclude or finish: a display of fireworks that terminated the festivities.
3. To discontinue the employment of; dismiss: a company that terminated 300 workers.
v.intr.
1. To come to an end: The oil pipeline terminates at a shipping port. Negotiations terminated yesterday. See Synonyms at complete.
2. To have as an end or result: "The Peloponnesian war ... terminated in the ruin of the Athenian commonwealth" Alexander Hamilton.

ter·mi·nate (tûrm-nt)
v. ter·mi·nat·ed, ter·mi·nat·ing, ter·mi·nates
v.tr.
1. To bring to an end or halt: "His action terminated the most hopeful period of reform in Prussian history" Gordon A. Craig.
2. To occur at or form the end of; conclude or finish: a display of fireworks that terminated the festivities.
3. To discontinue the employment of; dismiss: a company that terminated 300 workers.
v.intr.
1. To come to an end: The oil pipeline terminates at a shipping port. Negotiations terminated yesterday. See Synonyms at complete.
2. To have as an end or result: "The Peloponnesian war ... terminated in the ruin of the Athenian commonwealth" Alexander Hamilton.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/terminate

........thus making an investigation justifiable..........

a·bort (-bôrt)
v. a·bort·ed, a·bort·ing, a·borts
v.intr.
1. To give birth prematurely or before term; miscarry.
2. To cease growth before full development or maturation.
3. To terminate an operation or procedure, as with a project, missile, airplane, or space vehicle, before completion.
v.tr.
1.
a. To cause to terminate (a pregnancy) prematurely, especially before the fetus is viable.
b. To cause the expulsion of (an embryo or fetus) before it is viable.
c. To give premature birth to (an embryo or fetus).
2. To interfere with the development of; conclude prematurely: abort plans for a corporate takeover.
3. To terminate before completion: abort a trip because of illness; abort a takeoff.
4. To stop the progress of (a disease, for example).
n.
1. The act of terminating an operation or procedure, as with a project, missile, airplane, or space vehicle, before completion.
2. Computer Science A procedure to terminate execution of a program when an unrecoverable error or malfunction occurs.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/abort

i myself feel the officer should not have taken action but called for a federal investigator to handle the issue, the officer taking action gave the threat time to be hid, if such a threat reallly existed

and the catch 22 is this

now if said officer here someone say "i am gonna kill you" or something similar, how can said officer justify not acting on said "threat"

just a thought

but hey

what do i know

I think the guy was within his rights but the Secret Service still had to check it out

they take the safety of the President VERY serious

it was just bad wording

but yes as long as no action to harm is performed then no crime was committed

if you threaten you open yourself up to be investigated

so I should keep my mouth shut huh????