Comments on: Jefferson Dance Party Article at the American Spectator http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/ It rankles me when somebody tries to tell somebody what to do. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:30:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Brian http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/comment-page-1/#comment-86649 Brian Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:09:32 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/#comment-86649 JJH2: I'll guess you are not a football fan JJH2: I’ll guess you are not a football fan

]]> By: Ned Ludd http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/comment-page-1/#comment-86632 Ned Ludd Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:37:23 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/#comment-86632 For contrast, watch how the Seattle police (don't) react to a much more disruptive flash mob in one of the most crowded tourist/commercial markets in downtown Seattle: http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/feathery_guerilla_terrorism_at_pike_plac The feathers! The feathers! The U.S. Park Police are public servants trained to defuse situations, not escalate them. They could have asked one of the dancers to explain what was going on. Then, they could have: 1. Left them alone since they weren't being disruptive. 2. Told the dancers that it was okay to continue, but not to disrupt the other patrons, or they would be asked to leave. 3. Asked the dancers to move to someplace not disruptive to the other patrons. At one point, the cameraman asked, "Could we dance down here? Would that be okay, if we danced down here, instead? What's that? But could we dance down there? Alright? It's their call then? Alright sir. Okay." 4. Told them that they needed a permit to gather/dance at the Memorial. I'm sure a spirited discussion would have followed, especially since <a href='http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=13056' rel="nofollow">the article</a> says that a permit in fact wasn't required. Regardless, being a cop means being able to show some patience was confronted by <em>argumentative libertarians!</em> I mean, were they afraid someone was going to pull out a concealed copy of <em>Atlas Shrugged</em>? If you don't have the skills to peacefully disperse (or ignore) a group of quietly dancing libertarians, you really shouldn't be a police officer. For contrast, watch how the Seattle police (don’t) react to a much more disruptive flash mob in one of the most crowded tourist/commercial markets in downtown Seattle:

http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/feathery_guerilla_terrorism_at_pike_plac

The feathers! The feathers!

The U.S. Park Police are public servants trained to defuse situations, not escalate them. They could have asked one of the dancers to explain what was going on. Then, they could have:

1. Left them alone since they weren’t being disruptive.

2. Told the dancers that it was okay to continue, but not to disrupt the other patrons, or they would be asked to leave.

3. Asked the dancers to move to someplace not disruptive to the other patrons. At one point, the cameraman asked, “Could we dance down here? Would that be okay, if we danced down here, instead? What’s that? But could we dance down there? Alright? It’s their call then? Alright sir. Okay.”

4. Told them that they needed a permit to gather/dance at the Memorial. I’m sure a spirited discussion would have followed, especially since the article says that a permit in fact wasn’t required. Regardless, being a cop means being able to show some patience was confronted by argumentative libertarians! I mean, were they afraid someone was going to pull out a concealed copy of Atlas Shrugged?

If you don’t have the skills to peacefully disperse (or ignore) a group of quietly dancing libertarians, you really shouldn’t be a police officer.

]]> By: Against Stupidity http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/comment-page-1/#comment-86615 Against Stupidity Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:14:05 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/#comment-86615 Oops that was supposed to read, Did somebody forget to use their <ironic> tags. Oops that was supposed to read,
Did somebody forget to use their <ironic> tags.

]]> By: Against Stupidity http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/comment-page-1/#comment-86613 Against Stupidity Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:10:25 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/#comment-86613 Did somebody forget to use their tags. Did somebody forget to use their tags.

]]> By: Against Stupidity http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/comment-page-1/#comment-86612 Against Stupidity Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:08:36 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/#comment-86612 All vaguely written laws, disorderly conduct, "interfering with an agency function", acting in a manner unbecoming of a law abiding citizen... should be promptly stricken from the books and the law makers who wrote them should get a week in the stocks. What, we don't use stocks anymore? I think this justifies bringing them back. Punishment for legislators that foist such laws on their constituents. All vaguely written laws, disorderly conduct, “interfering with an agency function”, acting in a manner unbecoming of a law abiding citizen… should be promptly stricken from the books and the law makers who wrote them should get a week in the stocks.

What, we don’t use stocks anymore? I think this justifies bringing them back. Punishment for legislators that foist such laws on their constituents.

]]> By: Robert S. Porter http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/comment-page-1/#comment-86610 Robert S. Porter Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:03:14 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/#comment-86610 How exactly was "the camera man...more confrontational than he should have been"? I'd argue he wasn't confrontational enough. It's a clear, egregious violation of justice and liberty. Just like in the Baltimore cop video, citizens have no reason to be polite to the police if they don't deserve it. How exactly was “the camera man…more confrontational than he should have been”? I’d argue he wasn’t confrontational enough. It’s a clear, egregious violation of justice and liberty. Just like in the Baltimore cop video, citizens have no reason to be polite to the police if they don’t deserve it.

]]> By: Danno49 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/comment-page-1/#comment-86607 Danno49 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:47:35 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/#comment-86607 I'm pretty sure "Roger's" comment was intended as a joke. I’m pretty sure “Roger’s” comment was intended as a joke.

]]> By: JJH2 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/comment-page-1/#comment-86601 JJH2 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:18:17 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/#comment-86601 How delightfully Stalinist - advocating the destruction of documentary evidence because you don't like what it shows. "They" destroy evidence to reshape reality to fit their ideological message. I would prefer not to. How delightfully Stalinist – advocating the destruction of documentary evidence because you don’t like what it shows. “They” destroy evidence to reshape reality to fit their ideological message. I would prefer not to.

]]> By: JPB http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/comment-page-1/#comment-86591 JPB Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:21:18 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/#comment-86591 People immediately began to speculate that she was drunk or argumentative or looking for it. But Brooke is not any of those things, and the evidence that she was not, indeed, "disorderly" is certainly backed up by the video. Any opinions on the behavior of the cameraman are quite irrelevant as applied to Brooke. People immediately began to speculate that she was drunk or argumentative or looking for it. But Brooke is not any of those things, and the evidence that she was not, indeed, “disorderly” is certainly backed up by the video.

Any opinions on the behavior of the cameraman are quite irrelevant as applied to Brooke.

]]> By: Roger Goodell http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/comment-page-1/#comment-86552 Roger Goodell Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:43:50 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/#comment-86552 I concur with Alex. Those videos should be destroyed. I concur with Alex. Those videos should be destroyed.

]]> By: Alex http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/comment-page-1/#comment-86541 Alex Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:16:59 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/#comment-86541 Radley, those videos should have been destroyed. I believe you that she's a reasonable woman who asked reasonable questions, but that cameraman is so damning. Radley, those videos should have been destroyed. I believe you that she’s a reasonable woman who asked reasonable questions, but that cameraman is so damning.

]]> By: Robert http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/comment-page-1/#comment-86529 Robert Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:27:59 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/04/15/jefferson-dance-party-article-at-the-american-spectator/#comment-86529 I thought the camera operator acted like a wimp. There's not much chance that I wouldn't have been arrested in those circumstances. I never once heard him call the cops fascists or jack booted thugs. Those are the nice things I'd have been yelling at them. I thought the camera operator acted like a wimp. There’s not much chance that I wouldn’t have been arrested in those circumstances.

I never once heard him call the cops fascists or jack booted thugs. Those are the nice things I’d have been yelling at them.

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