# Man tells Cheney "Your policies in Iraq are reprehensible." SS arrests him. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 7, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568 "2006-10-07T00:21:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/61 "2006-10-07T22:31:11Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] **NOVELS DON’T COUNT!** So there. [/QUOTE] It’s not just the novels-that was LUCAS’S OWN BACKSTORY FOR HIM, in “Behind the Scenes” type memos. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/62 "2006-10-08T03:00:11Z")
[QUOTE=Evil Captor] How does that guy Colmes look himself in the mirror in the morning? He’s being used like a prison bitch being swapped around for cigarettes. [/QUOTE] He reminds me of Ted the lawyer from **Scrubs**. “Please sir, just fire me!” ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/63 "2006-10-08T03:55:01Z")
[QUOTE=Steve MB] Like this? [/QUOTE] “Clinton’s Brand of Jackboot Liberalism,” eh? My god, I had no idea Clinton was such a monster. Thank you, Cato Institute! ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/64 "2006-10-08T04:17:58Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] I don’t believe the boards existed then. If you know a way to post a rant to a non-existant board, please, let us know. :dubious: [/QUOTE] :dubious: yerself, young’un. Yes, the SDMB did exist then, and it was hosted by AOL. Of the old AOL crew left, the only I can think of offhand are myself, Opal (hi, Opal!), Ed, Lynn, and The Master (Hisself Hisself!). I was new, and don’t claim to accurately remember everyone from the AOL board, but UncleBeer and tomndeb may very well have been there, too. And yes, I do recall plenty of threads criticizing Pres. C back when. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/65 "2006-10-08T04:38:06Z")
To Whom It May Concern: I find Vice President Cheney to be very threatening and many of my friends do also. How do we go about getting him arrested? ---
**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:** [October 8, 2006, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/66 "2006-10-08T06:01:29Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] To Whom It May Concern: I find Vice President Cheney to be very threatening and many of my friends do also. How do we go about getting him arrested? [/QUOTE] File a report with a police department. Or be someone who has a U.S. Secret Service detail. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/67 "2006-10-08T18:39:47Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Who wants to dress up as Native Americans and throw some Dibold voting machines in the bay? [/QUOTE] Terrorism before Tyranny! ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/68 "2006-10-08T20:03:48Z")
And here’s another example of meanie-Cheney’s sphincter-jerk reaction to criticism: This morning on _Meet the Press_ Bob Woodword told of a phone conversation with the honorable creep Veep that ended with The Dick shrieking “Bull\*\*\*\*!” and hanging up on our intrepid reporter. Not quite in the same league as the time he urged a congresscritter to attempt monogenesis, but indicative that the guy simply can’t stand for someone suggesting he is wrong about something. ---
**Author:** ![Mellivora\_capensis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mellivora\_capensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mellivora_capensis)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/69 "2006-10-09T14:12:23Z")
[QUOTE=Jakonovski] They were probably worried that the guy had gotten his hands on Cheney’s phylactery. [/QUOTE] What the phuck is a phylactery? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/70 "2006-10-09T14:53:54Z")
See [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lich_%28Dungeons_%26_Dragons%29) for an example. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/71 "2006-10-09T15:10:23Z")
Okay, everybody take a deep breath and calm down. There ain’t no Nazis. There ain’t no collapse of civilization. There ain’t no onslaught on the Constitution. Chill, people. What you have here is a perfect example that our system is working very nicely. A Secret Service agent screwed up. The legal system showed that and the victim was released. He is now seeking redress in the courts and I’m quite sure that he will get a nice chunk of money, and that there will be a Secret Service agent in very deep kimchee. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/72 "2006-10-09T15:13:45Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] Can one sue for wrongful arrest without having the charges pressed? [/QUOTE] I don’t see anything in the article indicating that he is suing for false arrest (which would be a claim under state law). He’s suing under _federal_ law for violation of his civil rights (specifically his constitutional right to free speech). The federal statute at [42 U.S.C. § 1983](http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode42/usc_sec_42_00001983----000-.html) creates this cause of action: > [@](#): > > Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except that in any action brought against a judicial officer for an act or omission taken in such officer’s judicial capacity, injunctive relief shall not be granted unless a declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was unavailable. For the purposes of this section, any Act of Congress applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia shall be considered to be a statute of the District of Columbia. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/73 "2006-10-09T15:20:42Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] I don’t see anything in the article indicating that he is suing for false arrest (which would be a claim under state law). He’s suing under _federal_ law for violation of his civil rights (specifically his constitutional right to free speech). The federal statute at [42 U.S.C. § 1983](http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode42/usc_sec_42_00001983----000-.html) creates this cause of action: [/QUOTE] For the record, this is the same federal statute that was used to prosecute the Rodney King cops. It’s basically an abuse of authority claim. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/74 "2006-10-09T15:34:11Z")
Actually, I take it back. It may not be a § 1983 claim, since we are talking about a federal agent, and not a state agent. Normally, § 1983 creates a cause of action against state and local agents (such as local cops) who violate civil rights. (However, if the federal agent in the case at hand was pressing a state-law assault claim, § 1983 could still apply.) I’m sure there is an analogous remedy for claims against federal actors for violation of civil rights, but I don’t know the details off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/75 "2006-10-09T15:49:40Z")
Apparently there exists a right to sue federal agents for violations of civil rights, without the requirement of a specific statute creating the right to sue. Here’s an analogous Supreme Court case involving violation of 4th Amendment rights: [Bivens v. Six Unknown Fed. Narcotics Agents](http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=403&invol=388), 403 U.S. 388 (1971). > [@](#): > > That damages may be obtained for injuries consequent upon a violation of the Fourth Amendment by federal officials should hardly seem a surprising proposition. Historically, damages have been regarded as the ordinary remedy for an invasion of personal interests in liberty. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/76 "2006-10-09T16:00:09Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] When did it become a crime to walk up to someone close enough to speak to them? [/QUOTE] I don’t think you can get that close to the VP, by law, unless you’re waving a campaign contribution. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/77 "2006-10-09T16:12:39Z")
[QUOTE=ExTank] Yes, the SDMB did exist then, and it was hosted by AOL. Of the old AOL crew left, the only I can think of offhand are myself, Opal (hi, Opal!), Ed, Lynn, and The Master (Hisself Hisself!). I was new, and don’t claim to accurately remember everyone from the AOL board, but UncleBeer and tomndeb may very well have been there, too. [/QUOTE] _ahem_ ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/78 "2006-10-09T16:21:03Z")
[QUOTE=ExTank] Yes, the SDMB did exist then, and it was hosted by AOL. Of the old AOL crew left, the only I can think of offhand are myself, Opal (hi, Opal!), Ed, Lynn, and The Master (Hisself Hisself!). I was new, and don’t claim to accurately remember everyone from the AOL board, but UncleBeer and tomndeb may very well have been there, too. [/QUOTE] _ahem_ ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/79 "2006-10-09T21:42:15Z")
[QUOTE=Weirddave] _ahem_ [/QUOTE] That’s a right nasty frog in your throat you got there. May I offer you a horehound drop? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568/80 "2006-10-09T21:55:37Z")
[QUOTE=drm] If they had arrested him as he was saying it, I would probably defend the SS but the fact that they arrested him 10 minutes after he said it, with his 8 year old son no less, looks pretty darn bad. [/QUOTE] The fact that someone would be arrested at all ever for saying in a calm tone of voice “your policies in Iraq are reprehensible” is light years beyond “pretty darn bad.” The fact that you would find said actions defensible under any circumstances is even further beyond bad, blowing right past “horrifying” territory and winding up smack in the middle of Dumbassville, population you. No idea if you’re an American or not since you don’t list your location, but on the off chance you’re not, please familiarize yourself with [this](http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am1). And if you are an American and you think the SS’s actions are in any way reasonable or justifiable based on the story as presented, then you’re pathetic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-tells-cheney-your-policies-in-iraq-are-reprehensible-ss-arrests-him/375568.md?page=5)