Arrest shows Americans must protect their rights

Salem Statesman Journal
Feb. 05, 2006

If President Bush wonders why there is opposition to the extension of the Patriot Act and the practice of monitoring/eavesdropping on phone calls and e-mails, he need not look any further back in history than events prior to the State of the Union address. The actions of the Capitol police demonstrate why many individuals are concerned about the erosion of civil rights during his administration.

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, an invited guest of a member of the House of Representatives, was handcuffed and taken away prior to the president's speech for wearing a T-shirt that read "2245 dead. How many more?" in reference to the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq. Sheehan was charged with the misdemeanor offense of unlawful or disruptive conduct on the Capitol grounds. The charge was later dropped.

While wearing the politically motivated shirt may have been inappropriate, it was not a crime. As both Deputy House Sergeant-at-Arms Keri Hanley and Capitol police Chief Terrance Gainer conceded later, the simple act should not have been construed as protesting.

Events like this exemplify how quickly and easily our rights can be trampled and demonstrate why we must be vigilant in protecting these rights.