Obama T-shirt lands World War II veteran in jail

[jnelsoninjax]

HOUSTON?A trip to a Montgomery County community center landed a World War II veteran behind bars, in part because of the T-shirt he was wearing.

Emmitt Lewis, 86, is a regular at the Lone Star Community Center in the town of Montgomery. It?s a popular hangout for the small town?s senior citizens.

"Usually we go there we play dominos and eat lunch," Lewis said.

That?s what he and his son intended to do earlier this month. They had no idea that early voting was under way inside another room of the building.

Lewis was wearing a Barack Obama T-shirt, which violates polling-place rules. He was asked to change it.

"One man made the mistake of putting his hand on me and shook it," Lewis said.

Lewis wasn?t happy and someone called the police.

Officers arrested Lewis and his son, saying they were disruptive and refused to cooperate.

"If the police department or any police agency arrives at a call for a disturbance, the disturbance is ongoing you?re going to have to take the necessary steps to ensure that it stops," said Montgomery Police Chief Royce Goodson.

Lewis? attorney believes the cops overreacted.

"I think the law enforcement officers that responded to this scene did not exercise discretion to treat him with the dignity and patience that someone of his age deserves," Katherine Shipman said.

Lewis and his son have been banned from the community center, but Shipman hopes to change that. She said he will plead not guilty to the charge against him.

Source+Video

[DocM]

Depending on the state you can't campaign, or display political signage etc., within at least 100 feet of a polling place.

His profession of ignorance also doesn't wash because by law polling stations are clearly signed as such- including the precinct number - and activists are pushing their materials right up to the edge of the distance limit.

It's also not a good idea to give attitude after the cops arrive.

[qdave]

So much for freedom of expression. Its just a bloody t-shirt! And how can people say that USA is a civilized country? it obviously isnt!

[Stetson]

So much for freedom of expression. Its just a bloody t-shirt! And how can people say that USA is a civilized country? it obviously isnt!

I would actually call keeping political materials out of voting areas more civilized than the alternative.

[xendrome]

Well the rules apply about wearing the political t-shirt at a polling station for a reason. However I suspect the truth is he got out of control once he was asked to remove/change it and hey had to call the cops. It could have been any type of political t-shirt and the same thing would have happened. But it's nice for the news media to make it an Obama thing and then you get comments like mine above that because of this the US isn't a "civilized country" and "freedom of expression".

It's obvious we have rules for a reason, to keep things civilized, and it's not fair to yourself to open your mouth and comment on "freedom of expression" when you don't understand what it is.

[DocM]

So much for freedom of expression. Its just a bloody t-shirt! And how can people say that USA is a civilized country? it obviously isnt!

/polling station volunteer hat on

The idea is to make the polling station a place of neutrality. Otherwise I can easily foresee them looking like a soccer stadium with hardcore partisans squaring off and disripting the vote.

/hat off

[qdave]

The idea is to make the polling station a place of neutrality. Otherwise I can easily foresee them looking like a soccer stadium with hardcore partisans squaring off and disripting the vote.

Sorry i completely forgot that politics in usa is like second (or first?) religion.

[DocM]

Sorry i completely forgot that politics in usa is like second (or first?) religion.

More like a contact sport, which needs a referee and rules. This is one of those rules.

I see Canada mentioned in your location, so you might find this interesting;

From Elections Canada -

>

Prohibition ? use of loudspeakers on polling day

165. No person shall use a loudspeaking device within hearing distance of a polling station on polling day for the purpose of promoting or opposing a political party that is listed on the ballot under the name of a candidate or the election of a candidate.

S.C. 2001, c. 21, s. 13.

Prohibitions ? emblems, etc., in polling station

166. (1) No person shall

a) post or display in, or on the exterior surface of, a polling place any campaign literature or other material that could be taken as an indication of support for or opposition to a political party that is listed on the ballot under the name of a candidate, or the election of a candidate;

b) while in a polling station, wear any emblem, flag, banner or other thing that indicates that the person supports or opposes any candidate or political party that is listed on the ballot under the name of a candidate, or the political or other opinions entertained, or supposed to be entertained, by the candidate or party; and

c) in a polling station or in any place where voting at an election is taking place, influence electors to vote or refrain from voting or vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate.