# Malia Obama at Lollapalooza **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 11, 2016, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406 "2016-08-11T02:10:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/21 "2016-08-11T05:36:43Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > That brings up an interesting question: What if she did something that warranted arrest and resisted or worse, resisted violently enough that an LEO drew his weapon. Would SS step in? Ignoring size difference between her and just about any officer as well as racial tensions going on at the moment, if an officer tried to arrest me and I started punching him, I’d probably have a gun pointed at me . . . Ah, America. Don’cha just love it? OK. SOP for breaking up an escalating physical conflict is to separate the parties _by removing the less threatening/aggressive/dangerous one_. This is not a judgment about who is at fault/who deserves to be sanctioned; it’s a judgment about what action will most effectively and most rapidly de-escalate the situation. So if Malia throws a punch an an LEO who responds in the time-honoured American fashion by pulling out a piece, the SS don’t intercept the LEO; they intercept Malia and drag her away. It doesn’t have to be very far away. This defuses the situation; the LEO can then holster his gun, and usually will, since he’s no longer under the threat of even a girly punch. He can carry on with the task in hand, which is writing out a citation/effecting an arrest/whatever. The SS won’t stop him from arresting Malia, if he’s determined on it, but they will make sure that the arrest is effected in a way that doesn’t expose her to threats to her life or safety. You’ve seen footage, no doubt, of protection subjects being strong-armed out of danger by their own security details, so this is a drill they’re well used to. It would be no different here. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/22 "2016-08-11T05:43:34Z")
This raises some interesting questions. Suppose someone under SS protection is arrested. Do SS agents accompany him or her to the police station? Can they insist on a private cell and to be stationed outside of that cell? For that matter, could the President then preemptively pardon that person? Ford pardoned Nixon before there were even criminal charges. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/23 "2016-08-11T06:14:57Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > They’re not childminders. Yes, they are. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/24 "2016-08-11T06:21:19Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > This raises some interesting questions. Suppose someone under SS protection is arrested. Do SS agents accompany him or her to the police station? Yes, I’d expect so. > [@davidm](#): > > Can they insist on a private cell and to be stationed outside of that cell? They can certainly ask for that, and I imagine they’d get it. > [@davidm](#): > > For that matter, could the President then preemptively pardon that person? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/25 "2016-08-11T08:36:07Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > For that matter, could the President then preemptively pardon that person? It would only be effective if they’d been arrested for a _federal_ crime. The vast majority of prosecutions are under state law. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/26 "2016-08-11T08:45:19Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > As to the video, it’s hard to tell, but I think I see a filter on that thing. I call cigarette. Yeah, there’s that golden part, she’s just burning it to the end, which may also mean she bummed it from someone else (aaah, memories of my friends asking to bum a cig from a guy “and, you know, just so I’m not providing everything myself, you won’t happen to have a light as well?”). ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/27 "2016-08-11T11:19:36Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > As to the video, it’s hard to tell, but I think I see a filter on that thing. I call cigarette. Yeah, she’s holding it wrong if it’s a joint. Dad smokes, so it’s reasonable for her to smoke socially as well. I also call cigarette. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/28 "2016-08-11T12:49:15Z")
And even if it IS a joint… …ehrmrgerd! An 18-year-old dancing and smoking a spliff at a concert! The world’s gonna END! Seriously, the finger-waggers and pearl-clutchers on this one need to get the sticks out of their butts. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/29 "2016-08-11T13:13:19Z")
She’s 18, she’s an adult. End of story. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/30 "2016-08-11T13:27:30Z")
Caption should read: 18 year old girl is at concert, tries to hide that she smokes a cigarette. Why is this news? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/31 "2016-08-11T13:47:55Z")
> [@Pai325](#): > > If a Chicago cop in uniform decided to write her a citation, how close would he be allowed to get before the Secret Service sent him away? > [@davidm](#): > > This raises some interesting questions. Suppose someone under SS protection is arrested. > . > . > . > For that matter, could the President then preemptively pardon that person? > [@UDS](#): > > Yes. No. As noted above: the President’s pardon power extends to crimes against the United States. The governor of Illinois could pardon young Ms. Obama from an offense cited by a Chicago cop; the President has no power to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/32 "2016-08-11T14:07:27Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > And even if it IS a joint… > …ehrmrgerd! An 18-year-old dancing and smoking a spliff at a concert! The world’s gonna END! > > Seriously, the finger-waggers and pearl-clutchers on this one need to get the sticks out of their butts. Because it’s illegal. It has nothing to do with whether you _feel_ it should be legal or not, or any of the other million arguments about it…the simple fact is it’s illegal and therefore shouldn’t be done. Finger-waggers and pearl-clutchers shouldn’t matter in this situation, nor should society’s overall thoughts. Jury is still out whether it’s a joint or a cig. But if it was a joint then she should be punished accordingly. I don’t care if it’s the prez’s daughter, your daughter, Putin’s daughter or my daughter. She was caught doing an illegal act and deserves to be punished accordingly. End of story. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/33 "2016-08-11T14:09:41Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Because it’s illegal. > > It has nothing to do with whether you _feel_ it should be legal or not, or any of the other million arguments about it…the simple fact is it’s illegal and therefore shouldn’t be done. > > Finger-waggers and pearl-clutchers shouldn’t matter in this situation, nor should society’s overall thoughts. > > Jury is still out whether it’s a joint or a cig. But if it was a joint then she should be punished accordingly. I don’t care if it’s the prez’s daughter, your daughter, Putin’s daughter or my daughter. She was caught doing an illegal act and deserves to be punished accordingly. End of story. So the police should have pulled in just Malia, or everybody at that event who may have been doing something illegal? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/34 "2016-08-11T14:21:43Z")
It must suck to be the president’s kid. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/35 "2016-08-11T14:28:35Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > It must suck to be the president’s kid. Seriously. It depends on the age of the kid, but it’s gotta be a real pain to be a teenager in the White House. And that’s why the media should stay away from minor incidents like this, especially since we don’t know any crime had been committed. It won’t happen, but it should. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/36 "2016-08-11T14:50:59Z")
There have been teenagers in the White House before and generally speaking they’ve been treated pretty well. Chelsea Clinton was insulted by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, but the media, for the most part, seemed to stay the hell out of her face, and if you think about it most kids whose fathers were President have turned out okay. Chelsea Clinton did okay. Obama’s kids have been treated well. Amy Carter would have been 13 when his term ended but I don’t think she had a rough time. As to what the Secret Service should or shouldn’t do, here’s the thing; their job is to keep the person alive. To maximize their chances of doing their job, they need the trust and cooperation of the protected person. If they start getting in Malia Obama’s face every timer she bums a smoke or kisses a boy - or wants to have sex with someone, and as she’s 18 there’s a better than even chance she’s done that - she will resent their presence and make an effort to NOT cooperate with them. I am totally confident the Secret Service is very tactful in how they handle kids to ensure that does not happen. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/37 "2016-08-11T15:16:41Z")
It’s not like the subjects of SS protection are always cooperative even if they are adults - President Carter snuck away from his detail at least a few times, which really pissed off the Service. It can’t be that easy a job even on the best days, much less when the person you’re protecting is resenting your presence. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/38 "2016-08-11T15:19:44Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > So the police should have pulled in just Malia, or everybody at that event who may have been doing something illegal? Right, if everyone who was doing drugs at Lollapalooza was arrested, there would be a whole lot of arrests happening. Including a lot of arrests of performers. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/39 "2016-08-11T15:55:19Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > So the police should have pulled in just Malia, or everybody at that event who may have been doing something illegal? No not at all. I’m really only arguing that she doesn’t get a reprieve just because of who she is or the fact that is was “only weed”. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406/40 "2016-08-11T16:30:03Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > No not at all. I’m really only arguing that she doesn’t get a reprieve just because of who she is or the fact that is was “only weed”. Ok, I agree. She should be treated just like anyone else, and that includes the risk of getting caught. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malia-obama-at-lollapalooza/762406.md?page=3)