# Cindy Sheehan is a toolbag. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 1, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454 "2006-02-01T02:24:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/1 "2006-02-01T02:24:44Z")
You know, I really wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but not now. [Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan, a guest of Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-California, was arrested by Capitol Police when she unfolded an anti-war banner. A senior House official said Sheehan was seated in the House chamber. The official said she was taken for questioning for about an hour in a separate area of the House. No other details were immediately available.](http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/31/bush.sotu/index.html?section=cnn_topstories) No matter how much they hate each other, the Democrats at least allow the President to speak without much interruption or ado. They are respectful of the significance of the Address. Mrs. Sheehan, alas, cannot. She is not part of the show. She was invited, probably to force Bush to look at her, but that wasn’t good enough. No, she had to try to grandstand and disrupt an important part of our government. Well, that’s not kosher with me. She’s a toolbag, and no matter how noble or worthwhile her cause may be, she is doing it a disservice by actions like these. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/2 "2006-02-01T02:27:51Z")
Fairly low class, but I’m left wondering what specific law she broke that required her arrest. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/3 "2006-02-01T02:30:52Z")
> [@Waverly](#): > > Fairly low class, but I’m left wondering what specific law she broke that required her arrest. I don’t know either. But I’ve been to the Capitol many times and there are very strict rules in certain areas about where you can go, what you’re allowed to do when you are there, and certain types of decorum issues come up that don’t come up say, when you are standing on a street corner. Inside the actual capitol building the capitol police are pretty much allowed to remove anyone they want who isn’t a member of congress. ---
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/4 "2006-02-01T02:30:54Z")
> [@Waverly](#): > > Fairly low class, but I’m left wondering what specific law she broke that required her arrest. Agreed. Why not just take the banner, and instruct her to sit quietly or be removed? ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/5 "2006-02-01T02:33:22Z")
> [@Leviosaurus](#): > > Agreed. Why not just take the banner, and instruct her to sit quietly or be removed? What are they gonna do, put a goon squad on her or something? She tried to disrupt the Address once, why would anybody in their right mind give her a second chance? ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/6 "2006-02-01T02:33:41Z")
> [@Leviosaurus](#): > > Agreed. Why not just take the banner, and instruct her to sit quietly or be removed? Well once they found the the banner they couldn’t allow her to stay, too big a risk that if she’s willing to bring a banner she may start shouting insanities at the rostrum during the speech. There are rules of procedure and decorum in the House chamber, when someone is speaking you aren’t allowed to just stand up and start problems, most especially when you’re not a member of congress. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/7 "2006-02-01T02:35:28Z")
> [@Leviosaurus](#): > > Agreed. Why not just take the banner, and instruct her to sit quietly or be removed? Just a guess, but there’s no guarantee that she would sit quietly and it would be more of a spectacle to remove her during the address than before it? I’m certainly no fan of Dubya but this is an occasion when it’s only proper to let him speak without interruption. Afterwards of course, anything goes. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/8 "2006-02-01T02:37:34Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > What are they gonna do, put a goon squad on her or something? > > She tried to disrupt the Address once, why would anybody in their right mind give her a second chance? That isn’t the point. If she was arrested, as reported, it should have been for a specific crime. Not because she has bad manners. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/9 "2006-02-01T02:38:40Z")
> [@Martin Hyde](#): > > There are rules of procedure and decorum in the House chamber, when someone is speaking you aren’t allowed to just stand up and start problems, most especially when you’re not a member of congress. Agreed. This would lead, I believe, to removal and not necessarily arrest. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/10 "2006-02-01T02:39:20Z")
Boy, you want to talk about someone who started to believe her own press. Look, her bit in August about requesting a meeting with the President and camping outside his ranch was BRILLIANT political theater. Looked good, set up the right vibes, won a LOT of sympathy points. But since then she’s been taking it too seriously. And it’s backfiring on her and her issues. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/11 "2006-02-01T02:39:35Z")
> [@Waverly](#): > > That isn’t the point. If she was arrested, as reported, it should have been for a specific crime. Not because she has bad manners. How about disturbing the peace? That’s as good as any to get her the hell out of the rostrum. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/12 "2006-02-01T02:39:43Z")
> [@Waverly](#): > > That isn’t the point. If she was arrested, as reported, it should have been for a specific crime. Not because she has bad manners. It’s possible she wasn’t arrested as in charged with a crime, but just detained by the police. In most places you can be detained briefly without being charged. ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/13 "2006-02-01T02:40:15Z")
Right. Politeness and decorum are social understandings and norms, not _law_. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/14 "2006-02-01T02:40:54Z")
> [@Martin Hyde](#): > > It’s possible she wasn’t arrested as in charged with a crime, but just detained by the police. In most places you can be detained briefly without being charged. That’s how it was reported on Fox. ---
**Author:** ![CoffeeHound](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CoffeeHound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoffeeHound)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/15 "2006-02-01T02:40:54Z")
> [@Leviosaurus](#): > > Agreed. Why not just take the banner, and instruct her to sit quietly or be removed? In addition to the above, if they allow her this quite demonstration, than they’ll have to tell the next guy to pull his pants up, sit quietly or be removed. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/16 "2006-02-01T02:41:46Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > She tried to **disrupt the Address** once, why would anybody in their right mind give her a second chance? Disrupt the address? Why would that be a problem? The moronic sycophants in Congress disrupt it dozens of times with ridiculous applause. Personally, i think they should sit down and shut up and let the President get though the address. The applause is as annoying as a laugh track on a comedy show, and designed for the same purpose—to let the hoi polloi know what to think. This is a non-partisan issue for me. The same rule should apply no matter who is President, and no matter who controls Congress. Just shut the fuck up. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/17 "2006-02-01T02:45:01Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Disrupt the address? > > Why would that be a problem? The moronic sycophants in Congress disrupt it dozens of times with ridiculous applause. > > Personally, i think they should sit down and shut up and let the President get though the address. The applause is as annoying as a laugh track on a comedy show, and designed for the same purpose—to let the hoi polloi know what to think. > > This is a non-partisan issue for me. The same rule should apply no matter who is President, and no matter who controls Congress. Just shut the fuck up. Applause-fest does get pretty lame after minute 4 or 5. However again, the State of the Union has to be preserved to a certain degree as an incident where there is some decorum and order, can’t have protestors inside the capitol interrupting it. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/18 "2006-02-01T02:56:10Z")
[This](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060201/ap_on_go_pr_wh/state_of_the_union_sheehan) link says she was arrested for demonstrating in the Capitol building – a misdemeanor. It was not a banner, but a tshirt that she was wearing. Sounds like she was asked to stop and refused. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/19 "2006-02-01T02:57:17Z")
Ah, hell. Just take her out back and beat the shit out of her with rubber hoses. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454/20 "2006-02-01T02:58:29Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Ah, hell. Just take her out back and beat the shit out of her with rubber hoses. It puts the banner back or it gets the hose again. . . [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cindy-sheehan-is-a-toolbag/342454.md?page=2)