One Bereaved War Mother Arrested. How Many More?

Cindy Sheehan's arrest for wearing a t-shirt to the State of the Union Address is indefensible, regardless of which side of the aisle you're on. The Capitol Building rules are understandable and clear. The arrest plainly illustrates the degree to which civil and constitutional rights have been eroded. The plain letter of the law now takes a backseat to purely subjective enforcement. Sheehan was arrested because someone interpreted the words on the shirt, derived a meaning from it that he/she didn't approve of, and made a determination that the shirt violated the building code despite the fact that it made no argument or clear reference to a party, organization, or movement. Granted, that describes the process for any situation, but there's a problem with this specific situation. The problem is that the decision to move on Sheehan was purely arbitrary, based only on an implied meaning in the form of a question. If the shirt had read "2,245 Saved. How many more?" would Sheehan have been arrested for an implied message about the Christian Church, which is an organization (actually several)? A consistent application of the code would say yes, but what's becoming more apparent is that codes and laws mean nothing to those in power. The law becomes a moot point. Anyone who considers themselves a "true American" should consider this arrest as a slap in the face to the sacrifices made by Americans (both in the past and today) to protect the freedom our Constitution once provided. Their sacrifices will have been in vain if the current pattern of power abuse is allowed to continue. The State of the Union is shabby, indeed.