Thread: TX: Man Ticketed Over Obama Joker Posters

Man Ticketed Over Obama Posters

POSTED: Wednesday, September 16, 2009
UPDATED: 6:41 pm CDT September 16, 2009

HOUSTON -- A Houston man said police were called and citations were issued because of his posters of President Barack Obama, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.

WATCH IT: Police Issue Citations Over Posters . Video

Mark Fuhre, 21, admits to hanging the controversial signs which prompted concern for different reasons from neighbors, police and political party leaders.

Fuhre said he was detained by police after posting the signs around his Kingwood neighborhood. The signs depict the president with his face painted like the Joker from Batman.

As he posted nearly 20 signs near Kingwood and Forest Gardens, he said he got a wide range of reactions from drivers.

"Words of encouragement. We got a few people coming by screaming ridiculous things such as 'Racist.' It has nothing to do with racism," Fuhre said.

Fuhre said one man who saw what he was doing voiced his anger and called the police. Fuhre alleged that once he arrived at his home, he was met by seven officers.

"They slammed me against the hood of my car, cuffed me, threw me in the back of the car. I'm in my own driveway at this point and time," he said.

He was not arrested, but said he and his friend received tickets for criminal mischief and vandalism.

Now, he said he believes his right to free speech was violated.

"It's the constitution of the United States, which is being forgotten," Fuhre said. "Everyone should have their liberties."

Kim Hammond, a member of the Kingwood democrats, lives in the area where Fuhre was posting the signs. She said she spent time taking them down.

"This is graffiti. This is vandalism," Hammond said.

Hammond said it is not the message, but the hazard that some of the signs were creating.

"It is very hard to find somebody who is pro-Obama in this neighborhood. I think they were targeted because they were involved in criminal mischief," Hammond said.

Fuhre said he was posting the signs with his friends to win a cash prize in a video contest sponsored by an anti-socialism Web site.

Fuhre said neither he nor his friends have filed a formal complaint against the officers. Police said they could not confirm or deny Fuhre's claims.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/20950 ... 7882#story

The man can legally wear a t- shirt and/or leave flyers and posters, put posters in and/or on his property and or put the signs up in non-gov't public places and/or have it on their vehicles but they can not put posters on gov't owned property.............unless of course, you are a Facist Obama supporter and then it seems this law is not enforced.

Hammond said it is not the message, but the hazard that some of the signs were creating





And just what hazard would that be?

The "hazard" of the truth being told?

"Now, he said he believes his right to free speech was violated."

Um, it WAS... lawsuit????????????

Really makes you want to go to Kingwood and express your freedom of speech. Thanks Hustler Magazine!

In Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell, 485 U.S. 46 (198, the United States Supreme Court held, in a unanimous 8-0 decision (Justice Kennedy took no part in the consideration or decision of the case), that the First Amendment's free-speech guarantee prohibits awarding damages to public figures to compensate for emotional distress intentionally inflicted upon them.

Thus, Hustler magazine's parody(with picture) of Jerry Falwell was deemed to be within the law, leading to a reversal of the jury verdict in favor of Falwell, who had previously been awarded $200,000 in damages by a lower court.

Stupid Liberals don't even understand the court cases they won.

There are a few more of these cases and basically, public figures can be publicly talked about and images were deemed by the courts to received similar protections as speech.

Dixie

They will probably say that he was inciting a riot........interesting that pro-Facist obama stuff never incites riots.