America: Land of the free...unless you're dancing

That's right folks...apparently America is the land of the free, unless of course you dance, sway or kiss in public...that shit is totally unacceptable here. This is from 2011 but I had never seen it before...freaking crazy how they treat these people

this is ridiculous and DISGUSTING!

Message edited 4/11/2013 9:11:37 PM.

America: Land of the free...unless you're dancing

I kind of get why they wouldn't want dancing, especially there. It is very close to the president and it could be a distraction for something bigger. I agree the police were a little rough but the group was warned and they pushed the envelope. The cops were looking at it as a much bigger picture than "just dancing"

Re: America: Land of the free...unless you're dancing

I think they were way overboard. I can understand your point about distraction. However, at first not everyone was dancing. It only escalated that way because of how they handled the situation. The officer couldn't even answer the question "what law is that?" If these officers don't fully know the laws they are enforcing and can't communicate that to the people they are arresting then they should not be officers. If they had maybe stated that the "distraction" could be considered a security issue...things may have gone differently.

Re: America: Land of the free...unless you're dancing

These kids were trying to prove a point..They were idiots for doing so. They just showed no respect for the police there. They deserved what they got. Why do they feel the need to do what they want and mock authority?

Re: America: Land of the free...unless you're dancing

Re: America: Land of the free...unless you're dancing

I just don't understand the force and the severity of needing to arrest someone and slam them on the ground like animals for dancing, or swaying or head bopping.

If this was considered an actual threat to security, especially of the president, there could have and would have been way more security than just "park officers" in shorts. KWIM? It seems like a waste of tax dollars to have officers enforcing stupid crap like this.

Do I think they were pushing it when they continued after warning? yeah, no doubt. They definitely were looking to make a point. But the whole thing seems silly from the start. They were causing no harm. It was a quiet and peaceful protest, if you can even call it a protest. (until it was escalated by officers arresting people)

they didn't have to slam them down or hold them by the throat. It's not like they were trying to run. (except that one kid that tried to lock arms and move on...not sure what he was thinking)

Re: America: Land of the free...unless you're dancing

Here is some additional background regarding this:

US District Judge John D Bates (who was appointed by George W. Bush) recently ruled that expressive dancing was in a category with picketing, speech making, and marching – a banned activity at national memorials. It stems from a woman who was doing silent expressive dancing inside the Jefferson Memorial and when officers told her to stop, she refused. The court affirmed the dismissal and held that appellant was lawfully arrested for violating the reasonable regulations that govern the Jefferson Memorial, a nonpublic forum reserved for the tranquil commemoration of Mr. Jefferson's legacy, and that the officer had probable cause to make the arrest and used reasonable force to subdue her without injury after she twice refused his lawful orders.

This is the reason why there is no dancing at national monuments. Not saying I agree with it, but just wanted to give some background information as to why this happened with these folks.