If David Kelley is correct in his "Practice," then this is really scary

[question everything]

In tonight episode, a woman with a sign protesting a Bush policy (about the EPA) during his visit to Boston was ordered to move several miles away where protesters were allowed to gather, away from the motorcade route. Those holding signs in support were allowed to stay. Those were the instructions from the secret service.

This is not the first time, BTW, that the Practice takes aim at Ashcroft. It was there that I first heard about Ashcroft instructions for federal prosecutors to push for the death penalty especially in states, like MA, that do not have them.

[Eric J in MN]

1. The ACLU has a lawsuit over keeping protestors away (nt)

nt

[Selwynn]

5. You don't happen to have any info on the state of the case do you?

[Eric J in MN]

14. here is a link

This press release is over a year old, but it might be helpful:

http://www.aclu.org/FreeSpeech/FreeSpeech.cfm?ID=13694&c=86

[MnFats]

2. Minnesota has just such a case...

....i know i bit about it because I'm following it for a local paper....guy with a lengthy record robs a Brinks truck - about two years ago last thanksgiving....just walks up, shoots the guard, grabs the money valise and bolts....killed the guy, an upstanding family man with kids, without any conversation or demand.
it's a federal crime because it involved interstate commerce/banking etc.
Minnesota has not executed anyone since 1911, when a gruesome botched execution caused widespread revulsion.

Polls show minnesotans favor capital punishment, but support is paper-thin. A bill to put capitol punhishment on the ballot this fall has diedin the legislature.

Aschroft will decide whether the govt will pursue death penalty against defendant in this case.....it will be interesting, as the case hinges, at least in part, on the testimony of a jailhouse snitch. I think if it turns out that Mn. marches toward executing this guy, there will be a groundswell of opposition....
we'll see.

[neebob]

3. Yeah, it's correct.

Unfortunately, I'll bet a lot of people think it's made up.

[Disturbed]

6. Free Speech Zones

They have been around before Bushco. They started with the anti-Abortion protesters.

[TahitiNut]

13. Disinformation Alert!

The "Free Speech Zones" adjacent to Family Planning clinics are content neutral, i.e. both ProChoice and AntiChoice demonstrators are constrained in order to protect public access to the clinic without the intimidation of militant demonstrators, at the same time permitting political protest on or near private property.

The Busholini Fascists have bastardized this, overtly quelling political dissent only and on public property. Pro-regime demonstrators are unhindered. This is totally antithetical to any notion inherent to the clinic zones.

[rinsd]

15. Actually I think they go farther back then that....

I think they started with Carter(mayeb Ford) at least in the form of designated place etc., and became larger during Reagan.

The abortion buffer zones gave it rule of law when Supreme's said it wasn't interference with speech and they have been expanded during Bush.

For the life of me I can't figure why the DNC of all people may doing something similar in Boston. Hopefully, they change their minds.

[Selwynn]

4. Yeah - free speech zones are real.

[thebigidea]

7. Welcome to Freedomtown, USA

[tobius]

8. very scary

That night, as President Clinton arrived at the Westin Hotel, Schell and top police officials decided to impose 24-hour restrictions in a 25-block zone surrounding the convention center and delegates' hotels.
Police officers were told to let people into the zone to shop, work or do whatever seemed legitimate -- but to keep out protesters of all kinds, court documents say. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/159242_wto04.html

Since the stone-throwers and fence-climbers were confined to a small area, the police could easily have gone in and arrested only those who were breaking the law. Instead, the LAPD chose to do what the police did in Seattle during the protests against the World Trade Organization last November. They used the actions of a handful of people as an excuse to clear an entire area and violently attack a crowd of thousands whose only crime was failing to get out of the way in time. http://www.commondreams.org/views/081600-105.htm

The concert was scheduled to take place as President Clinton addressed the convention and after a march.........
But police are concerned that the free concert could draw a crowd that has no interest in political causes and may want to incite trouble during the convention, which begins Monday and ends Thursday. <snip>
The security precautions include a 12-foot-tall fence separating the official protest area from the convention hall. http://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/08/14/campaign.protest.01/

[countmyvote4real]

9. BTW, ABC has cancelled "The Practice."

Yes, the show jumped the shark, but this season has been brilliant. I guess they saw it coming and figured there wasn't anything to lose. Still, I'm surprised Disney would even let it go this far. I guess that's how they pretend to be "balanced."

It's really easy for me to boycot the network (and most mainstream media.) The Practice was the most original and thought provoking thing ABC had going for it.

Nightline should have been replaced by Letterman. Since he declined, Nightline has just become Bushline. If there was ever a network that was crying for an "extreme makeover," it's ABC.

[tishaLA]

11. It's being spun off though

Kelly decided to kill the show so he can make one centered from its inception around Spader. It's also goiong to have that Capshaw daughter--although for the life of me I don't know why, except so Kelly can stay in Steven Spielberg's good graces--and the receptionist who isn't Lucy.

[GiovanniC]

10. It Was a Fantastic Episode

The Practice has really kicked ass this season. I understand that they're planning a spin-off based on the Allan Shore character (w/ Bill Shatner?).

My mom called me last night almost wetting her pants, because I had explained the "Free Speech Zone" B.S. to her a couple weeks ago. She was like, "You could've WRITTEN that episode!" They even used a paraphrase of a line I said when I explained the FSZ to her... "It used to be that this whole COUNTRY was a Free Speech Zone."

[atre]

12. I think we should

all write ABC and ask them not to cancel the show.

The Allen Shore spinoff probably will not touch on such weighty topics, if only because of its context (larger firms ordinarily won't handle such matters because people in such situations cannot afford them).