Quote:It is hard to believe this is happening, but it’s real: The US Department of Justice is literally prosecuting a woman for laughing at now–Attorney General Jeff Sessions during his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this year.
According to Ryan Reilly at HuffPost, Code Pink activist Desiree Fairooz was arrested in January after she laughed at a claim from Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) that Sessions’s history of “treating all Americans equally under the law is clear and well-documented.”
Sessions, in fact, has a long history of opposing the equal treatment of all Americans under the law. He has repeatedly criticized the historic Voting Rights Act. He voted against hate crime legislation that protected LGBTQ people, arguing,
“Today, I'm not sure women or people with different sexual orientations face that kind of discrimination. I just don't see it.”
And his nomination for a position as a federal judge was rejected in the 1980s after he was accused of making racist remarks, including a supposed joke that he thought the Ku Klux Klan “was okay until I found out they smoked pot.”
Given this history, Fairooz laughed at Shelby’s claim.
@ryanjreilly
Another protester escorted out of Sessions hearing. Her original offense appeared to be simply laughing. 10:12 AM - 10 Jan 2017
But federal prosecutors have pushed forward with the case against Fairooz. As Reilly reported, prosecutors argue that “the laugh amounted to willful ‘disorderly and disruptive conduct’ intended to ‘impede, disrupt, and disturb the orderly conduct’ of congressional proceedings.” In court, they have tried to emphasize that the laugh was extraordinarily disruptive, with a US Capitol Police officer claiming that Fairooz laughed “very loudly” and people in the hearings turned around when they heard it.
Fairooz’s defense, meanwhile, has argued that her laughter was a reflex and not meant to disrupt the hearings. Fairooz was also in the back of the room, and her laughter had no noticeable impact, based on video of the hearings, on Shelby’s introductory speech for Sessions.
The trial will continue at the Superior Court in DC this week. If convicted, Fairooz faces a fine up to $500 and up to six months’ imprisonment for the laugh-related charge. She is also charged with another misdemeanor for “allegedly parading, demonstrating or picketing within a Capitol, evidently for her actions after she was being escorted from the room,” Reilly reported.
Fairooz has a history of disruptive protests. During protests over the Iraq War, she put fake blood on her hands and confronted then–Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
This time, however, Fairooz claims she was not trying to be disruptive — but merely laughing.
These details are all salient for the legal case, but it’s important not to lose sight of the big picture here: The federal government is literally prosecuting someone for laughing. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the Justice Department — which Sessions now leads as attorney general — is doing the prosecuting when the laughter was directed at its leader. At the very least, it’s not a good look for the top law enforcement agency in the country.
Your anger and ego will always reveal your true self.
(05-03-2017, 12:06 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: A couple of things. First, Vox is the left's equivalent of World Net Dailey. Secondly, there is definitely more to this story than her laughing once.
Normally I'd agree with you; however, the Vox story does quote HuffPost so it's just unbiased reporting in this instance.
(05-03-2017, 12:14 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Normally I'd agree with you; however, the Vox story does quote HuffPost so it's just unbiased reporting in this instance.
Thank you, kind sir. Huffington Post is a much less partisan news source. Maybe more stories about denying white men the ability to vote to really even things out.
(05-03-2017, 12:06 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: A couple of things. First, Vox is the left's equivalent of World Net Dailey. Secondly, there is definitely more to this story than her laughing once.
Is the story true or not?
(05-03-2017, 12:14 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Normally I'd agree with you; however, the Vox story does quote HuffPost so it's just unbiased reporting in this instance.
Which also doesn't pass guilt or innocence on the accused. Merely points out she has done worse and not Sessions is in charge of the group charging her for laughing at him.
(05-03-2017, 12:16 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: Here's the accused "laughing" at Condaleeza Rice.
Ah...nice!
Oh, that was mentioned in the article which clearly explained she was a rebel rouser.
Also show: Something she did NOT do during the Sessions' hearing. Unless you think she should be charged for one because of the other?
(05-03-2017, 12:18 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: Thank you, kind sir. Huffington Post is a much less partisan news source. Maybe more stories about denying white men the ability to vote to really even things out.
Your anger and ego will always reveal your true self.
(05-03-2017, 09:13 AM)GMDino Wrote: Is the story true or not?
That depends. Do you think we got the whole story from HuffPo or Vox? In my post I stated doubt that either "news" source would be interested in reporting the whole story, for obvious partisan reasons. So, no, I do not take this story as reported as completely true.
Quote:Which also doesn't pass guilt or innocence on the accused. Merely points out she has done worse and not Sessions is in charge of the group charging her for laughing at him.
Again, assuming the story as reported is 100% true, which you clearly do and Bfine and I do not.
Quote:Ah...nice!
Oh, that was mentioned in the article which clearly explained she was a rebel rouser.
I believe the term you're attempting to use is rabble-rouser, as in someone who attempts to rouse a rabble.
Quote: Also show: Something she did NOT do during the Sessions' hearing. Unless you think she should be charged for one because of the other?
Nope, just showing past behavior on the part of the accused that would lead more objective people to conclude that their might be more to this story, and her arrest, then her merely laughing at a normal volume.
Quote:
Yes, we know you support blatant racism, you've made that clear in the past. You'll please excuse my pointing out to others who might be reading this that one of your sources published one of the most blatantly racist articles seen outside of stormfront. It goes to the credibility of your source. You'll recall I once pointed out that HuffPo and Breitbart were essentially the same but from different ends of the political spectrum? It didn't take long for HuffPo to prove me correct without my having to do a thing.
If I where a far left leaning person I'd accuse you of racism. Instead I'll just feel sorry for you.
Let's allow Ms. Farooz to speak for herself shall we? This is from your original source.
Quote:“I felt it was my responsibility as a citizen to dissent at the confirmation hearing of Senator Jeff Sessions, a man who professes anti-immigrant, anti-LGBT policies, who has voted against several civil rights measures and who jokes about the white supremacist terrorist group the Ku Klux Klan.”
Kind of lessons the credibility of a defense that she was not disruptive when her stated intention was to be disruptive. Please note she is also charged with other crimes related to her behavior after she was escorted from the hearing. So, as expected, there is more to this prosecution then her merely "laughing" at a normal volume.
Quote:Desiree Fairooz, 61, a long-time member of activist group Code Pink, was arrested on January 10 during the hearing's opening statements. Tighe Barry and Lenny Bianchi, also members of Code Pink — who were dressed as members of the Ku Klux Klan as commentary on what Code Pink describes as Sessions' racist past — were also arrested for causing a disruption.
They clearly came there to disrupt, did, and are facing the consequences. Sounds pretty open-and-shut. You can't disrupt Congress.
If she has a history of this sort of thing, then this may just be the time where they said enough is enough.
“History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure.”-Thurgood Marshall
So, let's restate for your benefit, she wasn't convicted for laughing.
Yeah, because Sessions is the one who ordered her removed.
So it's like when the police arrest someone who might be innocent and they make a fuss so they add the charge of "resisting arrest"? Got it.
Oh and the department that Sessions heads is the one that charged and convicted her. I didn't say Sessions did it personally. I just assume a good southern gentleman like Sessions knows a woman should know their place.
And I do wonder how often this gets to the put of convictioniton. Odd that your response is a complete non-sequitur.
The rest of your post is (another)personal attack. Have a nice day.
Your anger and ego will always reveal your true self.
(05-04-2017, 11:14 AM)GMDino Wrote: So it's like when the police arrest someone who might be innocent and they make a fuss so they add the charge of "resisting arrest"? Got it.
Everyone a police officer arrests might be innocent. See, we have this concept in our criminal justice system called presumption of innocence. When you are arrested, even if you are proven innocent (btw not the same as not guilty) yet you resisted arrest you can still be convicted of resisting arrest. Guess why this is, because it's against the law to resist arrest. Like I said in the post you just quoted, you demonstrate utter ignorance of the criminal justice system every time you try and discuss it.
Quote:Oh and the department that Sessions heads is the one that charged and convicted her. I didn't say Sessions did it personally. I just assume a good southern gentleman like Sessions knows a woman should know their place.
Like I said, hyperbole. Omit it and your post count would be cut to about 1/20th.
Quote:And I do wonder how often this gets to the put of convictioniton. Odd that your response is a complete non-sequitur.
I was just trying to be like the cool kids and respond with inane jpg's. Odd that this would bother you.
Quote:The rest of your post is (another)personal attack. Have a nice day.
Pointing out your penchant for hyperbole is a statement of fact. Keep pushing that victim agenda though, it hasn't worked the last thousand times you tried it but I admire your stick -to-it-tiveness.
(05-04-2017, 11:14 AM)GMDino Wrote: I just assume a good southern gentleman like Sessions knows a woman should know their place.
And this in a nutshell explains why you're such a silly silly person. You get outraged over assumed slights.
"I assume she got arrested because I assume Sessions is a misogynist."
Never mind the fact that she got arrested for disrupting congress and a jury said it wasn't for the laugh, but for the disruption afterwards. It must be Sessions' fault for being such a misogynist. This woman is clearly innocent. F personal responsibility! It's someone else's fault I went there with the intention to disrupt Congress, because they're a big meanie!
You might want to make a club with xxlt's NFL = Slavery thread, because you both are both starting to jump the shark pretty hard here. Worse than normal.
(05-04-2017, 05:30 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: And this in a nutshell explains why you're such a silly silly person. You get outraged over assumed slights.
"I assume she got arrested because I assume Sessions is a misogynist."
Never mind the fact that she got arrested for disrupting congress and a jury said it wasn't for the laugh, but for the disruption afterwards. It must be Sessions' fault for being such a misogynist. This woman is clearly innocent. F personal responsibility! It's someone else's fault I went there with the intention to disrupt Congress, because they're a big meanie!
You might want to make a club with xxlt's NFL = Slavery thread, because you both are both starting to jump the shark pretty hard here. Worse than normal.
You won't see him in this thread again because his narrative has been flushed down the toilet. I recall xxlt responding with extreme vitriol to a fairly innocuous post of mine some time ago. It was the first instance of his newly exhibited rage. GMDino jumped the shark years ago at the old board in the , "I don't see in this video what literally everyone else does because I hate cops" thread. You'll notice I called him out on his ignorance of the criminal justice system and in literally the next post he provides a prime example.
(05-05-2017, 11:37 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: You won't see him in this thread again because his narrative has been flushed down the toilet.
(05-05-2017, 11:37 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: I recall xxlt responding with extreme vitriol to a fairly innocuous post of mine some time ago. It was the first instance of his newly exhibited rage.
(05-05-2017, 11:37 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: GMDino jumped the shark years ago at the old board in the , "I don't see in this video what literally everyone else does because I hate cops" thread.
(05-05-2017, 11:37 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: You'll notice I called him out on his ignorance of the criminal justice system and in literally the next post he provides a prime example.
So as to the topic f the thread: If we can convict people for what they did before...not what they are accused of now...that's bad to me.
If we can say she made a scene while being carried out of a room for doing nothing more than laughing...then I suppose she was guilty.
I'll stand by my belief that folks like Sessions who have shown in the pase a discomfort with things not male and white deserved to be laughed at and is thin skinned enough to continue with the prosecution.
I'm also sure I believe that any second now all the same people who decried the death of "free speech" when two people cancelled their appearances at Berkley due to public protests will be in here standing up for the accused.
Any second now.
Yep.
Your anger and ego will always reveal your true self.
(05-05-2017, 11:48 AM)GMDino Wrote: So as to the topic f the thread: If we can convict people for what they did before...not what they are accused of now...that's bad to me.
You'll be relieved to hear then that that isn't what happened.
Quote:If we can say she made a scene while being carried out of a room for doing nothing more than laughing...then I suppose she was guilty.
We can say that as it was proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Quote:I'll stand by my belief that folks like Sessions who have shown in the pase a discomfort with things not male and white deserved to be laughed at and is thin skinned enough to continue with the prosecution.
Yes Dabo, everyone on the side opposite you are racist misogynists.
Quote:I'm also sure I believe that any second now all the same people who decried the death of "free speech" when two people cancelled their appearances at Berkley due to public protests will be in here standing up for the accused.
Lets see, disrupting a session of Congress is on par with being able to speak in an auditorium at an event that was specifically set up for you to speak in that auditorium? Hmmm, yes, those seem equatable to me.
Quote:Any second now.
Yep.
Do you have to change your pants now? Thanks for swallowing the hook whole though, it provided me with some entertainment.
Ryan J. Reilly
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