Picketers from Massachusetts at the cathedral in Manchester, New Hampshire, are complaining about the rules laid down by the police there. They’re peeved that they can’t be their usual obnoxious, offensive selves.
But the demonstrators say their rights have been curtailed, with Manchester Police banning them from using bullhorns, carrying signs saying “honk for McCormack to resign” and even pulling over drivers who hit their horns in support without being asked.
“They’re constantly saying, ‘Keep walking. Don’t stand there. Don’t stand in the snow.’ They have more rules than Carter has liver pills,” said Joe Gallagher of the Coalition of Catholics and Survivors, who said the protesters have not faced those restrictions elsewhere.
Who says “more ... than Carter has liver pills” any more? How old is that guy? In any case, what these people are really saying is, “How dare the people of Manchester enact laws to provide a certain quality of life for their city when it inconveniences us.” This is the reason why so many native New “Hamsters” don’t like their southern neighbors. I tell you one thing, I cried no tears upon hearing Rick Webb was arrested. I’ve been told he’s among the most obnoxious of protesters outside Boston’s cathedral.
- “A person’s not allowed to encumber a sidewalk,” said police spokesman Capt. Gerald Lessard, who added that ordinances also prohibited excessive noisemaking, especially in residential neighborhoods where the protests have been held. “We don’t take sides, but we certainly enforce the law,” he said.
Here’s a clue for the protesters: You have a right to free speech, but the Supreme Court has long established a right of the community to enforce certain standards on the exercise of that speech.
