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Has HR 347 been discussed?

Do people agree with this?  It seems like an infringement on 1st Amendment.  Thoughts?

Interesting how this didn't get any media coverage either.

http://www.infowars.com/h-r-347-another-step-in-the-elimination-of-the-first-amendment/

It is fairly obvious Obama and Congress rushed through H.R. 347 in order to curtail demonstrations that will undoubtedly occur during both Democrat and Republican conventions this summer. Also known as the ?Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011,? the bill makes it a felony to disrupt or protest at any place or event attended by any person with secret service protection.

?Current law makes it illegal to enter or remain in an area where certain government officials (more particularly, those with Secret Service protection) will be visiting temporarily if and only if the person knows it?s illegal to enter the restricted area but does so anyway,? Michigan Rep. Justin Amash wrote on his Facebook page. ?[H.R. 347] expands current law to make it a crime to enter or remain in an area where an official is visiting even if the person does not know it?s illegal to be in that area and has no reason to suspect it?s illegal.?

Amash, Paul Broun, a Georgia Republican, and Ron Paul were the lone dissenting voices opposed to this bill, which is being called  the ?First Amendment Rights Eradication Act? designed specifically to counter the Occupy movement and other political groups opposed to the bankster regime in control of the Congress and the presidency. Democrats have characterized opposition to the bill as ?a whole lot of kerfuffle over nothing.?

Gene Howington, a guest blogger on law professor Jonathan Turley?s blog, contends that the government deliberately made the language of H.R. 347 vague and overly broad. Howington writes that ?it seems to be a trend that vague or overly broad language could be fairly described as being purposefully adopted allowing ?wiggle room? for Federal authorities to potentially abuse civil and human rights under the color of authority.?

While the recently enacted and also vaguely worded NDAA ?poses a threat to your 4th, 5th and 6th Amendment rights, the newest attack of vague language is aimed at your 1st Amendment rights of Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Assembly and Freedom to Petition,? Howington notes. ?As currently worded, it might as well have been called the ?Federal We?re Too Important To Be Annoyed By Your Protest Act of 2011' or (as described by Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), one of the few Representatives to vote against the bill) the ?First Amendment Rights Eradication Act? because it effectively outlaws protests near people who are ?authorized? to be protected by the Secret Service.?

In 1998, Bill Clinton signed Presidential Decision Directive 62 establishing the National Special Security Events, or NSSE, a directive making the Secret Service responsible for security at designated events, including presidential nominating conventions. Other events under NSEE include summits of world leaders, meetings of international organizations, and presidential inaugurations. In other words, with the passage of this bill, it will now be a felony to protest the G20 and globalist ?trade? summits and other neoliberal confabs where international banksters and their minions plot our future behind closed doors.

Such a draconian restriction of the First Amendment is another step in an effort to outlaw all protest against the government, especially at events where the controllers discuss and finalize their plans to implement world government and a centralized global banking system. The global elite have repeatedly demonstrated their animosity toward the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Taking down the First Amendment ? in addition to the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and most importantly the Second ? under the bogus and contrived aegis of a manufactured war on terror amply reveals what they have a mind: a gulag panopticon where resistance is not only futile, but illegal, and where the slaves are disarmed and powerless to effectuate change.

 

Re: Has HR 347 been discussed?

  • It's a felony to protest?
  • " Taking down the First Amendment ? in addition to the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and most importantly the Second ? under the bogus and contrived aegis of a manufactured war on terror amply reveals what they have a mind: a gulag panopticon where resistance is not only futile, but illegal, and where the slaves are disarmed and powerless to effectuate change."

     

    Yep.

    image
  • imageReturnOfKuus:

    " Taking down the First Amendment ? in addition to the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and most importantly the Second ? under the bogus and contrived aegis of a manufactured war on terror amply reveals what they have a mind: a gulag panopticon where resistance is not only futile, but illegal, and where the slaves are disarmed and powerless to effectuate change."

     

    Yep.

    Sad

  • It's like they looked at last year's unarmed protestors in Egypt, and thought "man, I wish our people could be that ineffectual".
    image
  • imageIAmMalcolmX:
    It's a felony to protest?

    Yes, thanks Obama

  • imageBlackStallion:

    imageIAmMalcolmX:
    It's a felony to protest?

    Yes, thanks Obama

    You realize that laws only get passed with Obama AND Congress, right?

  • I can't figure out if this makes my job better or worse. Either way this is crazy.
    Bazinga!
  • Here's a little bit of a more moderate take on it - by the ACLU.  Their take:  it's only an incremental change, and not a particularly disturbing one at that.  Douse the fire in your hair.

    (IMHO, the "incremental" change is no biggie. The former law included a requirement that people "know" that they were breaking the law. But that's generally not a requirement for criminal charges - - the axiom "ignorance of the law is no excuse" springs to mind.)

     

    How Big a Deal is H.R. 347, That ?Criminalizing Protest? Bill?

    Posted by Gabe Rottman, Washington Legislative Office at 11:56am

    Recent days have seen significant concern about an unassuming bill with an unassuming name: the "Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011." The bill, H.R. 347, has been variously described as making the First Amendment illegal or criminalizing the Occupy protests.

    The truth is more mundane, but the issues raised are still of major significance for the First Amendment.

    It's important to note ? contrary to some reports ? that H.R. 347 doesn't create any new crimes, or directly apply to the Occupy protests. The bill slightly rewrites a short trespass law, originally passed in 1971 and amended a couple of times since, that covers areas subject to heightened Secret Service security measures.

    These restricted areas include locations where individuals under Secret Service protection are temporarily located, and certain large special events like a presidential inauguration. They can also include large public events like the Super Bowl and the presidential nominating conventions (troublingly, the Department of Homeland Security has significant discretion in designating what qualifies as one of these special events).

    The original statute, unchanged by H.R. 347,made certain conduct with respect to these restricted areas a crime, including simple trespass, actions in or near the restricted area that would "disrupt the orderly conduct of Government," and blocking the entrance or exit to the restricted area.

    H.R. 347 did make one noteworthy change, which may make it easier for the Secret Service to overuse or misuse the statute to arrest lawful protesters.

    Without getting too much into the weeds, most crimes require the government to prove a certain state of mind. Under the original language of the law, you had to act "willfully and knowingly" when committing the crime. In short, you had to know your conduct was illegal. Under H.R. 347, you will simply need to act "knowingly," which here would mean that you know you're in a restricted area, but not necessarily that you're committing a crime.

    Any time the government lowers the intent requirement, it makes it easier for a prosecutor to prove her case, and it gives law enforcement more discretion when enforcing the law. To be sure, this is of concern to the ACLU. We will monitor the implementation of H.R. 347 for any abuse or misuse.

    Also, while H.R. 347, on its own, is only of incremental importance, it could be misused as part of a larger move by the Secret Service and others to suppress lawful protest by relegating it to particular locations at a public event. These "free speech zones" are frequently used to target certain viewpoints or to keep protesters away from the cameras. Although H.R. 347 doesn't directly address free speech zones, it is part of the set of laws that make this conduct possible, and should be seen in this context.

    Rest assured we'll be keeping an eye on how this law will be interpreted and used by law enforcement ? especially in light of the coming elections.

    UPDATE: The headline has been changed to provide some description of the bill.

    Learn more about free speech: Sign up for breaking news alerts, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.

    https://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/how-big-deal-hr-347-criminalizing-protest-bill

     

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  • taratrutaratru member
    imageLittleMoxie:
    imageBlackStallion:

    imageIAmMalcolmX:
    It's a felony to protest?

    Yes, thanks Obama

    You realize that laws only get passed with Obama AND Congress, right?

    They do?!??!  I can still blame Obama for gas prices, though, right?

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  • imagetaratru:
    imageLittleMoxie:
    imageBlackStallion:

    imageIAmMalcolmX:
    It's a felony to protest?

    Yes, thanks Obama

    You realize that laws only get passed with Obama AND Congress, right?

    They do?!??!  I can still blame Obama for gas prices, though, right?

    Always.

  • imageBlackStallion:

    imageIAmMalcolmX:
    It's a felony to protest?

    Yes, thanks Obama

    And by "Obama" I hope you mean the 224 Republicans and 164 Democrats who voted for it in the House. 
    image
  • imageLittleMoxie:
    imagetaratru:
    imageLittleMoxie:
    imageBlackStallion:

    imageIAmMalcolmX:
    It's a felony to protest?

    Yes, thanks Obama

    You realize that laws only get passed with Obama AND Congress, right?

    They do?!??!  I can still blame Obama for gas prices, though, right?

    Always.

    screw that...when in doubt, trot Bush out.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • imageBlackStallion:

    imageIAmMalcolmX:
    It's a felony to protest?

    Yes, thanks Obama

    On the contrary, the D's and R's finally have bi-partisan support for something.


    image
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