A recent story in the Las Vegas Sun, among others, cited four 'graffiti vandals' arrested and charged with a felony for writing criticism of the police on the sidewalk outside the police department. I found a story on this here:
4 face charges for sidewalk chalk protest in Vegas - Las Vegas Sun News
Fine them for graffiti, okay, because it was graffiti which is specifically addressed by Las Vegas city ordinances. Or better, just put them to work to clean up the sidewalk.
But these four could be jailed for up to a year. For writing uncomplimentary stuff about the local police on a public sidewalk. They used a child's washable chalk to do it.
I wonder if there would have been arrests if the comments had been complimentary about the police? I wonder if the police now plan to go after kids who chalk a hopscotch grid onto the sidewalk?
I found out about this at the Heritage Foundation site not really known for their excusing or condoning the handiwork of graffiti vandals.
They deplore the overreach by the police in this case though. A short but interesting read:
Hard Time for Chalk Crime | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation
And, they are right. This is gross overreach in application of the law.
Maybe this thread could be devoted to such absurdities as they become more and more commonplace in our modern times?
4 face charges for sidewalk chalk protest in Vegas - Las Vegas Sun News
Fine them for graffiti, okay, because it was graffiti which is specifically addressed by Las Vegas city ordinances. Or better, just put them to work to clean up the sidewalk.
But these four could be jailed for up to a year. For writing uncomplimentary stuff about the local police on a public sidewalk. They used a child's washable chalk to do it.
I wonder if there would have been arrests if the comments had been complimentary about the police? I wonder if the police now plan to go after kids who chalk a hopscotch grid onto the sidewalk?
I found out about this at the Heritage Foundation site not really known for their excusing or condoning the handiwork of graffiti vandals.
Hard Time for Chalk Crime | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation
And, they are right. This is gross overreach in application of the law.
Maybe this thread could be devoted to such absurdities as they become more and more commonplace in our modern times?
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