Tennessee Apparently Passes Law Allowing Drivers To Run Over Protesters

[Book of Jeremiah]

This is a very misleading article title. The bill basically says that if someone is following the rules of the road and hits someone because that person is protesting in a public roadway, without intent, they are not civilly liable. Here's the actual text, as provided by the second link in the OP:

(a) A person driving an automobile who is exercising due care and injures another person who is participating in a protest or demonstration and is blocking traffic in a public right-of-way is immune from civil liability for such injury.
(b) A person shall not be immune from civil liability if the actions leading to the injury were willful or wanton.

This isn't saying a driver is allowed to simply run over anyone who is blocking the road during a protest.

http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/110/Bill/SB0944.pdf

EDIT: I will say that I could see this being used by a driver to intentionally run over protesters, if that driver feels they can do it without someone proving it was willful. That might make it a dangerous bill, but the intent doesn't seem to be to allow someone to intentionally hit a protester with their car.

Why would any driver intentionally run over someone unless street protesters were blocking their car and the driver felt his life was in danger? In that case, he has every right to do whatever he must do to get out of that situation. The days of blocking cars and dragging the driver out from behind the wheel of his car are over with. This law is going to protect them from civil suits. The right to protect yourself and your family (inside the car) from bodily harm is a given. Not even a question.

If it was me, I would just stop a mile or so away, call the cops-911- and ask their advice.

If it were you? Didn't you claim to be a police officer on another USMB thread yesterday? Maybe someone needs to run your IP address and track down which department you work for. When they see what you are advocating online you'll be on a brand new line..........the unemployment line.

I am retired and never had to fire my weapon at a suspect or anyone else.. i would never have
done so without a real good reason. Running over people on purpose is murder,even if they are standing in the middle of a roadway protesting. Just because a state sanctions it doesn't make it right. And the right to peaceful assembly doesn't prohibit roadways as assembly points.
A vehicle can be a deadly weapon and if used as such, deadly force can be used against the driver of such a conveyance. Let the courts decide.

So you are a retired police officer? The only thing I can say to that is..... Thank God! Are you a liberal by any chance?

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Oh I do not think that there is anything wrong with the gene pool. You'll be amazed how quickly they wise up and get out of the road once the stories begin to roll in about street protesters being run over. The problem will disappear overnight. Count on it.

And once stories begin to circulate that road warriors are being shot in self defense...makeshift detours will abound.

There are no grounds for self defense. You shoot at a moving car and your going to prison for attempted murder. Republican House / Republican Senate /Republican White House / Republican Judges...... expect to spend some serious time in prison. Obama is gone and the party is over. It's time you wake you.

If a car barreled towards a crowd of people with an obvious intent to injure or kill shoot first and ask questions later just like a cop would do. Let the courts decide, all the way up to the US Supreme Court if necessary.

That isn't the scenario. Reverse it. If a crowd of people come barreling toward your car with the obvious intent to injure or kill put your hand on the horn, your foot on the pedal and drive with both hands on the wheel.

I see no problem with that if you have no reverse gears or cannot turn around.

When you are in a mob scene the car is surrounded. As a police officer (retired) you should know this. Something tells me you are not being honest.

 

[Montrovant]

If you're stupid enough to try and block traffic you deserve to get ran over.

Here's a newsflash for the snowflakes, the world doesn't revolve around you and people have actual lives they live.

I don't condone blocking highways in protests unless the roadway is part of the site being protested. That being said, should a driver see a crowd standing on the roadway and intently uses his vehicle as a deadly weapon, the protestors would be wise to get out of the way and let him pass while firing rifes and shotguns point blank at his ass as he passes!

You're kidding right? The ones "protesting" are leftist loons that faint at the site of a poptart gun

Not all people on the left and not all protesters are anti-gun.

You're severely outnumbered snowflake...and would be wise to remember that

I'm outnumbered by what? I get the feeling you are making assumptions about me that you have no good reason to.

 

[Fenton Lum]

I couldn't quite find the page where I was reading about North Dakota but did find this page from a few weeks ago:

Republican Lawmakers in Five States Propose Bills to Criminalize Peaceful Protest

>> “This trend of anti-protest legislation dressed up as ‘obstruction’ bills is deeply troubling,” said Lee Rowland, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, who views such bills as violations of the First Amendment. “A law that would allow the state to charge a protester $10,000 for stepping in the wrong place, or encourage a driver to get away with manslaughter because the victim was protesting, is about one thing: chilling protest.” <<

Interestingly Tennessee is not one of the five states cited, so this makes SIX.

Criminalizing dissent is on the menu as this power structure continues to lose all pretenses of legitimacy; the corporate state will revert to force. That’s why police depts have been militarized and why corporate finance sees “opportunity” in for profit prisons.

 

[Montrovant]

There are plenty of ways to protest without blocking the road. People who do that are being EXTREMELY obnoxious and selfish.

Stop right there, because that ain't the issue at all.

The issue is whether you can kill them for doing so via assault with a motor vehicle. I asked why you like that idea. I got no answer.

If someone is dumb enough to stand in traffic to protest, I'd rather see them weeded out of the gene pool. I must have missed your question, because that's a rather easy answer to give.

While that's my opinion, the article specified that motorists should exercise due caution, and I pointed out that you can apparently still face criminal charges. Considering the last bit, I don't think people will be speeding their vehicle through groups of protestors.

You can still face civil charges, as well. The bill only covers drivers who unintentionally hit protesters blocking the road.

Of course it was unintentional! They jumped out in front of the car in the middle of a street where they didn't belong! They were trying to stop a moving vehicle. Are you serious? They will be laughed out of the courtroom. Here is some good advice for you and your friends. STAY OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. YOU COULD BE KILLED.

Who "jumped out in front of the car?" This isn't a bill about a specific incident. It says nothing about jumping in front of cars.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

This is the answer to the windows above that bumper:

I can shoot left handed.......while driving. Oh and be sure to stand your ground,I love a stationary target.

 

[Pogo]

Stop right there, because that ain't the issue at all.

The issue is whether you can kill them for doing so via assault with a motor vehicle. I asked why you like that idea. I got no answer.

If someone is dumb enough to stand in traffic to protest, I'd rather see them weeded out of the gene pool. I must have missed your question, because that's a rather easy answer to give.

Again, nowhere in the Constitution is awarded the right to "weed out the gene pool because the weed is 'dumb'".

THINK about it.

I am thinking about it, and that's why I'm totally fine with protestors accidentally being killed. Though, since you missed my edit due to your speedy reply, I also elaborated that the law still means that if you kill someone, you'll face criminal charges, and you're supposed to "exercise due caution". I'd be fine with them being killed, but the killer will still face charges. You just can't be sued.

I'm not anywhere NEAR as concerned with what the law does or doesn't provide as I am with you and others proclaiming it's perfectly OK to run people down with a car because you in the court of your own head have adjudged them "dumb".

Shouldn't have been protesting in the road. For every action, there are consequences, and if someone chooses to stand in the road to protest, they're accepting all consequences for those actions, ESPECIALLY after this law has been passed. If someone stands on train tracks, they know a train could come through there. If someone stands in the road, they know cars could come through there. Knowing that, I wouldn't mind one bit if they were run over for their stupidity.

Thanks --- you just re-confirmed the same problem I pointed out.

Post 66 directly above appears to be joining you in the same sentiment, which is, again to state it bluntly, advocating terrorism.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

If you're stupid enough to try and block traffic you deserve to get ran over.

Here's a newsflash for the snowflakes, the world doesn't revolve around you and people have actual lives they live.

I don't condone blocking highways in protests unless the roadway is part of the site being protested. That being said, should a driver see a crowd standing on the roadway and intently uses his vehicle as a deadly weapon, the protestors would be wise to get out of the way and let him pass while firing rifes and shotguns point blank at his ass as he passes!

You're kidding right? The ones "protesting" are leftist loons that faint at the site of a poptart gun

Not all people on the left and not all protesters are anti-gun.

You're severely outnumbered snowflake...and would be wise to remember that

I'm outnumbered by what? I get the feeling you are making assumptions about me that you have no good reason to.

I've read your drivel...

 

[JQPublic1]

And once stories begin to circulate that road warriors are being shot in self defense...makeshift detours will abound.

There are no grounds for self defense. You shoot at a moving car and your going to prison for attempted murder. Republican House / Republican Senate /Republican White House / Republican Judges...... expect to spend some serious time in prison. Obama is gone and the party is over. It's time you wake you.

If a car barreled towards a crowd of people with an obvious intent to injure or kill shoot first and ask questions later just like a cop would do. Let the courts decide, all the way up to the US Supreme Court if necessary.

That isn't the scenario. Reverse it. If a crowd of people come barreling toward your car with the obvious intent to injure or kill put your hand on the horn, your foot on the pedal and drive with both hands on the wheel.

I see no problem with that if you have no reverse gears or cannot turn around.

When you are in a mob scene the car is surrounded. As a police officer (retired) you should know this. Something tells me you are not being honest.

Read the red highlighted text. It says nothing about being surrounded

 

[ThunderKiss1965]

I would never purposely run over someone else unless my life or a family members were in danger, if that's the case then I'm making a hole. Regardless blocking traffic is not free speech, it's stopping others from life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

 

[JQPublic1]

This is a very misleading article title. The bill basically says that if someone is following the rules of the road and hits someone because that person is protesting in a public roadway, without intent, they are not civilly liable. Here's the actual text, as provided by the second link in the OP:

(a) A person driving an automobile who is exercising due care and injures another person who is participating in a protest or demonstration and is blocking traffic in a public right-of-way is immune from civil liability for such injury.
(b) A person shall not be immune from civil liability if the actions leading to the injury were willful or wanton.

This isn't saying a driver is allowed to simply run over anyone who is blocking the road during a protest.

http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/110/Bill/SB0944.pdf

EDIT: I will say that I could see this being used by a driver to intentionally run over protesters, if that driver feels they can do it without someone proving it was willful. That might make it a dangerous bill, but the intent doesn't seem to be to allow someone to intentionally hit a protester with their car.

Why would any driver intentionally run over someone unless street protesters were blocking their car and the driver felt his life was in danger? In that case, he has every right to do whatever he must do to get out of that situation. The days of blocking cars and dragging the driver out from behind the wheel of his car are over with. This law is going to protect them from civil suits. The right to protect yourself and your family (inside the car) from bodily harm is a given. Not even a question.

If it was me, I would just stop a mile or so away, call the cops-911- and ask their advice.

If it were you? Didn't you claim to be a police officer on another USMB thread yesterday? Maybe someone needs to run your IP address and track down which department you work for. When they see what you are advocating online you'll be on a brand new line..........the unemployment line.

I am retired and never had to fire my weapon at a suspect or anyone else.. i would never have
done so without a real good reason. Running over people on purpose is murder,even if they are standing in the middle of a roadway protesting. Just because a state sanctions it doesn't make it right. And the right to peaceful assembly doesn't prohibit roadways as assembly points.
A vehicle can be a deadly weapon and if used as such, deadly force can be used against the driver of such a conveyance. Let the courts decide.

So you are a retired police officer? The only thing I can say to that is..... Thank God! Are you a liberal by any chance?

I am a conservative who is not only pro life concerning abortions but pro life when it comes to aborting people protesting in the middle of roadways.

 

[ThunderKiss1965]

I couldn't quite find the page where I was reading about North Dakota but did find this page from a few weeks ago:

Republican Lawmakers in Five States Propose Bills to Criminalize Peaceful Protest

>> “This trend of anti-protest legislation dressed up as ‘obstruction’ bills is deeply troubling,” said Lee Rowland, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, who views such bills as violations of the First Amendment. “A law that would allow the state to charge a protester $10,000 for stepping in the wrong place, or encourage a driver to get away with manslaughter because the victim was protesting, is about one thing: chilling protest.” <<

Interestingly Tennessee is not one of the five states cited, so this makes SIX.

Criminalizing dissent is on the menu as this power structure continues to lose all pretenses of legitimacy; the corporate state will revert to force. That’s why police depts have been militarized and why corporate finance sees “opportunity” in for profit prisons.

That's the problem it is criminal when you are stopping others from progressing.

 

[Fenton Lum]

I couldn't quite find the page where I was reading about North Dakota but did find this page from a few weeks ago:

Republican Lawmakers in Five States Propose Bills to Criminalize Peaceful Protest

>> “This trend of anti-protest legislation dressed up as ‘obstruction’ bills is deeply troubling,” said Lee Rowland, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, who views such bills as violations of the First Amendment. “A law that would allow the state to charge a protester $10,000 for stepping in the wrong place, or encourage a driver to get away with manslaughter because the victim was protesting, is about one thing: chilling protest.” <<

Interestingly Tennessee is not one of the five states cited, so this makes SIX.

Criminalizing dissent is on the menu as this power structure continues to lose all pretenses of legitimacy; the corporate state will revert to force. That’s why police depts have been militarized and why corporate finance sees “opportunity” in for profit prisons.

That's the problem it is criminal when you are stopping other from progressing.

Not really, in this society, it depends upon who is doing it. And every power structure that has ever existed has attempted to shut down questioning. Ours is no different than the others it has endlessly warned you of.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6. If I have my grandchildren in the car with me and a mob of protesters descend upon my car in an attempt to stop my vehicle and keep me from escaping? You've got another thing coming. I've got my hand on that horn with one hand and the other one driving with my foot on the pedal and I'm not letting up. If you are stupid enough to not get out of the way, that isn't my problem.

I don't own a cell phone so there will be no calling 911. Although you may need one if you find yourself in front of my car and unwilling to get out of my way.

p.s. I drive a Mercedes TE 300 station wagon and it weighs over 4,000 lbs. It's a crusher.

 

[Fenton Lum]

I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6. If I have my grandchildren in the car with me and a mob of protesters descend upon my car in an attempt to stop my vehicle and keep me from escaping? You've got another thing coming. I've got my hand on that horn with one hand and the other one driving with my foot on the pedal and I'm not letting up. If you are stupid enough to not get out of the way, that isn't
my problem.

I don't own a cell phone so there will be no calling 911. Although you may need to if you find yourself in front of my car and unwilling to get out of my way.

Great, fine, mow 'em down.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6. If I have my grandchildren in the car with me and a mob of protesters descend upon my car in an attempt to stop my vehicle and keep me from escaping? You've got another thing coming. I've got my hand on that horn with one hand and the other one driving with my foot on the pedal and I'm not letting up. If you are stupid enough to not get out of the way, that isn't
my problem.

I don't own a cell phone so there will be no calling 911. Although you may need to if you find yourself in front of my car and unwilling to get out of my way.

Yeah, if our children were involved some left loon protester is going to wish he/she had protested elsewhere.

 

[Fenton Lum]

I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6. If I have my grandchildren in the car with me and a mob of protesters descend upon my car in an attempt to stop my vehicle and keep me from escaping? You've got another thing coming. I've got my hand on that horn with one hand and the other one driving with my foot on the pedal and I'm not letting up. If you are stupid enough to not get out of the way, that isn't
my problem.

I don't own a cell phone so there will be no calling 911. Although you may need to if you find yourself in front of my car and unwilling to get out of my way.

Yeah, if our children were involved some left loon protester is going to wish he/she had protested elsewhere.

Yeah by golly, you're a gonna run over somebody ain'thca hon.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I can shoot left handed.......while driving. Oh and be sure to stand your ground,I love a stationary target.

Oh this jackass again on an anonymous chat board fecklessly threatening to shoot folks with his little gun, Jesus. Once a day isn't enough.

So JQPubic gets a pass huh?
Eat a bag of dicks snowflake.

Did he threaten to shoot you hon? Haven't been here with you for the whole thread and given the nature of what I've seen, it's not worth the time to go through. Still, if al you have is "bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbut he did it too!", that doesn't account for this shit being your standard MO.

Can you read cock breath?

Can you write something worthy of reading? Please?

So let me get this straight.
JQPubic endorses standing in the middle of the road with a handgun and trying to stop traffic..and you agree with him.

That'll damn sure guarantee you'll get your dumbass run over.
Go play on the highway.....please,and be sure and carry a gun.

 

[ThunderKiss1965]

I couldn't quite find the page where I was reading about North Dakota but did find this page from a few weeks ago:

Republican Lawmakers in Five States Propose Bills to Criminalize Peaceful Protest

>> “This trend of anti-protest legislation dressed up as ‘obstruction’ bills is deeply troubling,” said Lee Rowland, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, who views such bills as violations of the First Amendment. “A law that would allow the state to charge a protester $10,000 for stepping in the wrong place, or encourage a driver to get away with manslaughter because the victim was protesting, is about one thing: chilling protest.” <<

Interestingly Tennessee is not one of the five states cited, so this makes SIX.

Criminalizing dissent is on the menu as this power structure continues to lose all pretenses of legitimacy; the corporate state will revert to force. That’s why police depts have been militarized and why corporate finance sees “opportunity” in for profit prisons.

That's the problem it is criminal when you are stopping other from progressing.

Not really, in this society, it depends upon who is doing it. And every power structure that has ever existed has attempted to shut down questioning. Ours is no different than the others it has endlessly warned you of.

It does not matter who is doing it its taking the rights from others. I would be all over a group of Conservatives if they ever did this sort of thing, the thing is true Cons believe in others rights even if they don't agree with the message.

 

[Uncensored2008]

If you're stupid enough to try and block traffic you deserve to get ran over.

Here's a newsflash for the snowflakes, the world doesn't revolve around you and people have actual lives they live.

I don't condone blocking highways in protests unless the roadway is part of the site being protested. That being said, should a driver see a crowd standing on the roadway and intently uses his vehicle as a deadly weapon, the protestors would be wise to get out of the way and let him pass while firing rifes and shotguns point blank at his ass as he passes!

I highly doubt Liberals would be carrying guns, they hate self defense.

They do have their BLM thugs to help out, though...