Comments on: Sentinel Reports on Topless Arrest – Curiously Restricts Access to Story

By: Gary

Gary — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:39:26 +0000

I admire Cassidy for knowing her rights and sticking to them. Bennington, VT allows what she did, even in NYC. It will not be long before that is commonplace. She is 19 and in this State of Live Free or Die, she exercised her Freedom. Good for her.

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:05:37 +0000

…police answered multiple complaint calls about a topless girl walking through downtown Keene with a group of armed protesters affiliated with the Free State Project…

Hmmm. How could the complainants have known these people were part of the free state project? (In fact, were they all?) There were no shirts with logos, so they couldn't have seen anything identifying the FSP. We were not protesting – no signs, no flyers, no bullhorn, no protests – we were just walking around town. If this information came from the police (that the complainants reported free staters protesting) it seems to me to be a set-up directly targeted at people they already knew were free staters.

By: kalmia

kalmia — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:59:07 +0000

JITGOS, 'girl' isn't necessarily offensive. I hear many adult women use it to refer to themselves.

JUSTIN, it's more about obedience for the sake of obedience. They do it to uphold the system.

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:09:23 +0000

"“We explained to her that the crime didn’t warrant her being held on bail,” Cemorelis said. “But if she didn’t provide us with identifying information, we’d more likely than not have to hold her until she could see the judge (Monday) morning.”"

In other words: The cops don't think people should be imprisoned for this either, but they "have to hold her" if she doesn't comply with the arresting procedure for the offense she shouldn't be imprisoned for…

Sounds like another Keene Police agent is starting to see the contradictions in the system's process. But really – if she shouldn't be imprisoned, why did he arrest her? Did he just acknowledge that he is following orders that he finds morally objectionable? Isn't that what all brownshirts do?

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:03:52 +0000

"“In an effort to be reasonable, we asked her many times to put her shirt on and be on her way,” Cemorelis said. “She absolutely refused to do so.”

Nicosia eventually agrees to put on a top, but only after she is arrested."

If you watched the video you know that they threatened her: either put on the shirt or be imprisoned; they did not "ask" her to do anything.

Further, she only put on the top after being arrested because the protest was over – and for comfort, she didn't want to stick to the cruiser's seats.

Its heartening to see that this received some press, but "with friends like these…"

By: Lpviper

Lpviper — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:51:49 +0000

I see where you're coming from, jitgos, but I also see how many, many common words could be used to turn people against one another because of perceived, though not always real, insult. 'Sensitivity' to this personalization of words is likely to make the problem worse instead of better

By: Jitgos

Jitgos — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:33:57 +0000

Good to see the fair report and the activism still getting good coverage. I do agree with LIBERTYTIGER's point though. Also, Mr. Blantz should be careful using the word girl to describe a woman. That's a slur about the same as calling a black man a boy. http://www.answers.com/girl I don't think it's anything intentional, but to some that is very offensive language.

By: LibertyTiger

LibertyTiger — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:22:07 +0000

It's always good to seek Keeniacs getting exposure in the press. But seriously, "teenage"? To me that's a word that describes a high school student or other minor, not an adult woman capable of making her own decisions. I feel the word "teenage" is often used to marginalize the thoughts and opinions of young adults.