Man Flips Off the Police Then Sues

[Xanadu84]

The guy was in his rights, legally, flipping the bird. That is not illegal, it's protected under the first amendment, and there's nothing the cop can do about it. However, speech INCLUDES taking responsibility for your speech. And a lot of stuff for cops comes down to there judgment. They are able to put there attention where they wish, as long as they are punishing people breaking the law. Flipping off a cop does not protect you against getting in trouble with the cops. As long as the tickets are valid, the cops set.

Also, just because flipping off a cop isn't illegal, doesn't mean you shouldn't get called out for being a dick.

 

[Koeryn]

I think this is one of those times where the punishment should fit the crime. Tickets? Like he's going to learn from that.

Surgically remove his middle fingers. It's not like they're actually needed to live a full life, and it allows everyone else around him to live without having their right's to a happyness disturbed.

 

[lacktheknack]

A: Tickets for what?

B: Ever consider multiple viewpoints?

C: Ever consider that maybe, in today's ridiculously anti-cop atmosphere, a policeman's work is DIFFICULT?!?

You're one of the ONLY ones "living in fear".

 

[niglett]

i saw that too. i think that the court is going to drop it for being ridiculous.
I've seen that guy in town too he dose the same crap every day.

 

[tmujir955]

Free Speech?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

*pant* That's the funniest joke I've heard in a while.

 

[ucciolord1]

Well, it's freedom of speech. Flipping someone off isn't talking.

 

[Strangerman518]

dumbass

 

[Firia]

the only reason you would be afraid of cops is if you are doing something illegal yourself, any sane person knows this.

While I agree with the spirit of what you're saying, there's more to this than meets the eye.

Society has, over time, gradually been revoking freedoms more and more. Older people, such as myself, have been seeing this happen steadily over time. More things are progressively becoming illegal, and freedoms are slowly being stripped away. The most recent and publicly known example I can think of were the Patriot Acts, that were enacted to fight "terrorism," but have been utilized against US citizens more than it's intended purpose. At it's core, the Act revokes several privacy right in exchange for (so-called) safety.

I don't agree with how this man delivered his message, but what he has to say is true enough. And maybe all he needed or wanted was the opportunity to deliver that message. How he decided to springboard this message is probably going to favor the officer, and defeat his ideals.

This case is interesting in that the big guy isn't looking for a cash value for his law suit. Instead the validation of these ideals which are the basis of the case. No one is being hurt by the case. So, it'll be interesting. If the judge is fair minded, that is.

 

[ioxles]

blah blah blah another blah blah blah hate democracy blah.

Jesus get the fuck over it and realise most of the people in the world are idiots or morons.

Everyone is retarded, everyone is stupid, everyone is ignorant.

All the advances of man come from a very few geniuses and hard working individuals who create the things everyone else uses and takes for granted.

There's no difference between most people and animals who just react to things.

Fuck it I'm going to make a new thread to discuss this.

 

[Iron Mal]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I always thought that freedom of speech was created to prevent totalitarian states and tyrants from silencing free thinkers and social/cultural innovators (rather than allowing any self-proclaimed 'patriotic' jackass the 'right' to posess self-inflicted tourettes without fear of consequence).

If you want to stand up to authority and expose an unjust system then you might want to try something more thoughtful and insightful than giving someone the finger (also, wouldn't he also be violating someone else's freedom of speech by expecting them to just ignore him? By his logic the police officer would be allowed to 'express' himself by casually walking up to him and giving him the finger without provocation).

 

[Hiphophippo]

Is this guy an American? Fucking Americans, giving me a bad rap.

 

[BonsaiK]

I live in Oregon and this came up last week or so. A guy named Robert Ekas flipped off a police officer three times while driving on the highway, so the police officer responded by giving Ekas two tickets.

There's more going on here. WHY he's flipping the cops off isn't even discussed properly. The guy is articulate and intelligent, yet doing something incredibly dumb. We don't have the full story on this.

 

[panagram]

He can totally be charged for that. They most definitely have a "being a jackass" law. A.K.A "Disorderly conduct". Deserved what he got.

 

[wwjdftw]

It's called "disturbing the peace" and that's what this guy did...he had no reason to give them the finger all willy nilly. I say he should have to pay for his stupidity.

no to mention reckless driving 10 and 2 people 10 and 2!

 

[G-Dragon]

well, if he feels like what he did was okay, then i feel like the news station should post his email address, and his home address so that people can send him email/mail which will be "protected under freedom of speech"

 

[Sneaklemming]

Wow that was their top story... thats sad.

 

[Keepitclean]

Why was he giving the finger to the cops anyway? It seems that he is just doing it when he sees cops because he doesn't like cops for being cops.

 

[Arsen]

I wish the cop would have tazed him for that obscene double chin he has laying under his first double chin.