Pretty much everyone's had their say about NC Congressman Etheridge's outburst when some college kids tried to pin him down on the Øbama agenda. From the video (accessible from any of the links previous), he is shown to forcibly grab the young interviewer not once but twice, a simply unacceptable use of force in response to a simple question. He decided to get physical in response to a question he deemed unacceptable, and apparently forgot that this is 2010 where everyone and their brother has a video camera and a YouTube account.
What I want to know is, does this rise to the level of "breach of peace" required to make Etheridge eligible for arrest? Sitting representatives enjoy a higher threshold of immunity from petty crimes than the rest of us, on the theory that a President could theoretically order the whole lot thrown in jail. Congressman Jefferson in LA tried to claim immunity in the bribery scandal that eventually cost him his office. It's not clear if Etheridge's actions constitute enough of an assault to be a felony, and it's certainly not treason, so "Breach of Peace" may be the only charge serious enough to break the immunity.
And failing that, it's time to ressurect the tar and feathers. And possibly a rail to ride him out of town on.
That is all.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Based on the little reported results of the SC Senate primary It's looking more and more that the cure for this kind of behavior is coming in November.
Y'know, being the vindictive, venal son of a bitch that I am, I don't just want to see Etheridge defeated.
I want him perp-walked out of Congress. I want him leaving the building not just in shame but in irons.
Barring that, I want him sued back into the Stone Age such that every time he asks someone "Would you like fries with that", $0.25 on the dollar he makes goes to the young man he manhandled for daring to question him.
It's attitudes like his - "I have a right to know who you are" - that are bringing this country to a head. It's the elitist bullshit of the self-annointed ruling class that will force a civil war between those that wish to lead and those who wish to be left the hell alone.
And for all those out there who say, "How would you like it if someone came up to you on the street and shoved a microphone in your face?", it's very simple, really.
I'd love it - *if* I were a Congresscritter. That's what I'm supposed to do - answer to the people.
As a private citizen, not so much.
And as I've said in comments on other posts about this subject, I don't know if I would have had the restraint that young man had - when Etheridge grabbed his neck he'd have had every right in the world to kick Etheridge's balls up somewhere around his throat...
Not getting reelected isn't nearly enough in this case.
He needs to be treated AT LEAST as harshly as that student would have been had he assaulted Etheridge.
Make and example out of this arrogant, criminal SOB.
when Etheridge grabbed his neck he'd have had every right in the world to kick Etheridge's balls up somewhere around his throat...
He had the right to forcefully resist even before that point. You grab my arm and try to detain me on a public street because you don't like what I said to you are going to get hurt.
A mature, normal person simply says something to the effect of "no comment" and walks right on by. Etheridge reacted like a violent, raging lunatic. He's lucky he came away without any physical injuries. He's also lucky he didn't do this to some kid who's parents are rich and/or connected.
Honestly Jay, I almost wish It'd been a petite young woman, only because that would've made him look that much worse.
Of course I can think of a few women who would've put a KaBar in his hand/wrist the moment he did that and refused to let go.
Breda woulda shanked him like a prison bitch, that's for damned sure...
Like I've said, I might have let the wrist grab slide, given the way he was approached - though after at least the second (and possibly the first) request to let go he would have gotten some "encouragement" - but the neck grab would have resulted in pain and injury on his part.
The wrist grab could be seen as restraining someone while assessing the situation. The neck grab can only be seen as a likely attack, and responded to accordingly. Given his apparent age, broken bones are not something he should encourage.
I agree, Jay, that criminal charges are well-deserved. I'd like to see impeachment, too.
I'm with you all the way on this one. He assaulted dude, plain and simple. Felony or no, it's still assault.
I want to see justice served. That includes charges brought, conviction acquired, and forced removal from office.
I would also (metaphorically) like his head on a fucking pike to serve as a reminder to these assholes 1) who they work for and 2) they are NOT above the law.
Every time I see or hear about this I get seriously angry. Like throbbing vein in forehead angry. If there's no prosecution here, it sets a dangerous precedent - waaay beyond simple outrage.
tweaker
Breda woulda shanked him like a prison bitch, that's for damned sure...
When I first saw the video, my first thought was man, I wish that kid had a bit of self-defense training...
It would've brought a smile to my face to have seen Congresscritter Grabwrist on his knees, elbow bent the wrong way while the kid commanded him to get on the ground.
You know what would have been a hoot? Hearing this:
[kid whose wrist was being grabbed]"Congressman, I'm going to count to three, and if you haven't released my wrist by the time I get to three, I'm going to punch you square in the nose."
[kid whose wrist was being grabbed]"One"
[kid whose wrist was being grabbed]"Two"
[PUNCH]
Heh.
"Congressman, I'm going to count to three, and if you haven't released my wrist by the time I get to three, I'm going to punch you square in the nose."
When I read the last part, I heard it in William F. Buckley's voice. "And you'll STAY plastered!"
Post a Comment