Aug 29 2008
Arrested for Chalk?
On Wednesday, August 27, police officers brutally arrested two teenage girls, ages 15 and 17, near Senator Obama’s Denver hotel. The young women, Julia Giacopuzzi and Jayne White, were writing messages in sidewalk chalk on the public sidewalk when the police officers rushed in and violently arrested the girls without warning or provocation.
The girls are members of the pro-life youth organization Survivors, and were in Denver during the Democratic National Convention to call attention to Senator Barack Obama’s pro-abortion position as part of A Prayer for Change.
Throughout the DNC, the youth of Survivors were using sidewalk chalk throughout the city of Denver with the permission of City Attorney David Fine and Denver Deputy Chief of Police John Lamb. It was understood by the young women that sidewalk chalk was an accepted medium, and they were given no warning by the police before being cuffed and dragged away.
Jayne White, age 17, was rushed from behind by a police officer and pushed face-down on the ground. He slammed his knee into the back of the young woman’s neck as she lay on the concrete without resisting. The officer forcefully pulled her arms behind her back and cuffed her.
Miss White states, “I was peacefully sidewalk chalking when I was forcefully pushed to ground by a police officer from behind. As I was being cuffed on the ground, the police officer pushed his knee into the back of my neck. I was pulled roughly off the ground and taken away. I was given no warning to stop and was completely shocked when I was arrested. My back was throbbing from his knee.”
Julia Giacopuzzi, age 15, was surprised by a police officer twisting her arms behind her back and using them to lift her off the ground to be handcuffed.
Miss Giacopuzzi comments, “As I was sidewalk chalking, I was rushed by a police officer without warning and lifted up off the ground and was cuffed. I was then dragged by the police into the Westin Hotel.”
Read more here.
[From me]
I’m very pro-life but I’ve been critical of many of the protests I’ve seen. But I don’t get how you can be arrested when you got permission for writing on a sidewalk with chalk. My daughter writes on our driveway all of the time. When you have wackos out to assassinate Obama, why are the police concerned about a couple of girls writing in chalk? They look like real threats to national safety.
Also, why hasn’t the national media picked up on this? Where is the ACLU?
What do you think?
15 responses so far
The national media would have to get out of Barack’s bed to cover something other than the rock star future leader of the universe…I don’t see that happening!
M. Steve Heartsill’s last blog post..The BBQ Song
Eight years ago, I was a cub reporter with a small independent newspaper. A Republican activist gave me an invitation to attend the rally for George W. Bush at the Presidential debate at Wake Forest University here in North Carolina.
Long story short: not long after getting there I was found by police, threatened with arrest and then marched out at gunpoint and told that if I tried to go back through the fairgrounds in order to get to my car that I would be arrested.
This is what happened to another reporter and I, on direct orders from Bush (who referred to us as “a$$holes”), because he did not want journalists who weren’t with the big outfits (i.e. ones he could expect softball questions from) getting anywhere near him.
We weren’t doing anything wrong. Apart from Bush and his operatives being control freaks.
It was one of the things that most wakened me up to how corrupt and irredeemable our country’s political system has become. It was Bush then and today it’s Obama and no doubt McCain will do the same thing.
I don’t pray for our elected “leaders” anymore. Because they aren’t really, scripturally in anyway, our “leaders”. They are supposed to be our servants. The American people, per the Constitution, are their own leaders. And they’ve been slacking-off at the job.
I just pray that God’s will be done. Knowing that His will is perfect, but also knowing that He can’t affect free will (so it’s useless to vote to change the outcome of an election anyway). And I pray that whatever wisdom might be there for us, that we might accept it and pay heed to it.
But I doubt it. And we’re going to see more stuff like this as a result.
America is dying, if it’s not already dead and the corpse remains a bit warm.
And it’s past time we accepted that.
Chris Knight’s last blog post..The only commentary that I’m planning to make about the race between Obama and McCain
Wow Chris… I think you may need to go back and take a look at scripture and may I also recommend John Bevere’s book… Honor’s Reward. Praying for you, man.
Robert,
Just curious: why do you suggest I “go back and take a look at scripture”?
Chris Knight’s last blog post..The only commentary that I’m planning to make about the race between Obama and McCain
If what they say happened is what really happened, the ACLU will get involved, I guarantee it.
Texas in Africa’s last blog post..before its time
Chris, if God is sovereign, He has to be able to affect free will. That’s the whole point of the word sovereign. I don’t fully understand that concept because of my finite mind but God’s absolute sovereignty is 100% Biblical whether I understand it or not.
This is ridiculous, where are the parents and other adults?
President Bush has made great strides to put a stop to rabble rousers by giving them their own first amendment zones. The girls should have stayed in the first amendment zone.
“President Bush has made great strides to put a stop to rabble rousers by giving them their own first amendment zones. The girls should have stayed in the first amendment zone.”
Ummm… a LOT of people will argue, and I’m one of them, that a “First Amendment zone” is a violation of the First Amendment.
Chris Knight’s last blog post..The only commentary that I’m planning to make about the race between Obama and McCain
Hey Chris,
Just have a second… but here’s the first that comes to mind… Romans 13:1 “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
Did you notice the wording? “He who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted…” In other words they are rebelling against God by rejecting the authority He has established. Not a place you want to be… because it then says that they bring judgment on themselves.
Just a thought…
Kevin:
I am concerned that these two girls were treated so roughly, BUT…
I am not sure that it is wise to be protesting in the midst of an event where security is already on an extreme edge. I defend the rights of the girls to protest for the pro-life movement and I commend them for that, however, if they were my girls I would not want them to be anywhere near the Pepsi Center or Invesco Field and especially Barack Obama’s hotel.
We have police officers who are members of our fellowship. They are called to keep order when it is the most inconvenient time. Our Southern Baptist Convention has volunteers around the clock that have been busy during this event serving these police and security men hot meals, drinks and a place to unwind during the Democratic Convention. These volunteers have been sent to show these men that we care and display the love of Jesus. Some of these men are absolutely awed by the display of love and compassion of these volunteers who have worked tirelessly for the Glory of God.
I know you say that these girls were given permission by the city attorney… I am not sure that protesting in front of Barack Obama’s hotel is the wisest choice considering he is highly protecting by security and secret service agents.
BTW, I am very, very PRO-LIFE! I support and vote for only pro-life candidates.
Sorry I haven’t been around. I’ve been brewing coffee and making lattes.
If the girls were given permission to draw, they shouldn’t have been arrested period whether this was the RNC or DNC.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Jesus on a moth?
Forwarded to Malkin and Drudge, lets see what happens.
Robert- I think what Chris is trying to say is that it is getting pretty hard not to feel hopeless. America is not the place it used to be and I think we should get used to things like this happening more and more frequently. I also think some politicians use God and Christianity to get the Christian/evangelical vote when they clearly aren’t living as Christians.
I understand what the bible says in Romans 13:1, but do you think that there will ever be a time when we will have to rebel against the “authority?” Have you ever read, “The criminalization of Christianity” by Janet Folger? Scary stuff. I also feel the American dream drifting away and feel the need to pray for my children and grandchildren as they are the ones I really fear for…
rolanda’s last blog post..I think Em has issues with her brother
Wow. Perceived power in the hands of hard hearts.
When I saw this title on the facebook feed the other day, I had to chuckle. Today, I finally ready the article and watched the “rodney king” video. I’m very disappointed that these girls were arrested so harshly especially if they really had permission! I can see a warning about a protection zone, but a protest should be near the presidential hopeful to get more attention. For me it doesn’t matter if you agree or disagree with the protest, the craziness of the arrest and the silliness of how they were advertising should be having national attention.
I am posting this story to my college friends because we had to miss 90210 in college do so some chalk art our class had done!