Remember the confiscation of cameras and recording devices at Steve Chabot's town hall meeting in Ohio a few weeks ago? Well, a Federal Court has ruled that the confiscation violated First Amendment rights, and that people are allowed to film or record public officials while performing their duties in public, ie Republicans who hold public meetings.
http://www.politicususa.com/...
At the website above there is a link to the pdf document (court ruling.) Copy it and take it with you the next time you attend a political meeting where your recording device may be confiscated or barred. Here are a few of the pertinent paragraphs: Also notice that police officers can be filmed while performing their duties in public:
From the court ruling:
"the filming of government officials engaged in their duties in a public place, including police officers performing their responsibilities, fits comfortably within these principles. Gathering information about government officials in a form that can readily be disseminated to others serves a cardinal First Amendment interest in protecting and promoting “the free discussion of governmental affairs.” Mills v. Alabama, 384 U.S. 214, 218 (1966)."
Website commentary:
"The court found that people have the First Amendment right to film government officials in public while they are carrying out their duties. In fact, this right is necessary in our democracy to counteract attempts by those who have power to suppress the rights of citizens. The act of not allowing the public to film the carrying out of congressional duties in public is an act of First Amendment suppression.
These same members of the House who prided themselves on their knowledge of the Constitution, and made a show of beginning the new Congress with a reading of the Constitution is so willing to violate the First Amendment rights of their constituents. The House Republicans will look you in the eye and moan about “big government” and “loss of liberty” while they simultaneously violate your First Amendment rights."
The comments below the main post are interesting, as well.
6:15 PM PT: First time on rec list...thanks. It feels kinda goood.