Police Officer Stands by While Portland State University College Republicans Event Is Shouted (and Cowbelled) Down

Campus Reform (Celine Ryan) has the details, with video and with a statement from the university acknowledging that this happened:

Due to the nature of the event advocating gun rights, a Campus Public Safety officer monitored the event to ensure the safety of participants. When an individual disrupted the event by ringing a cowbell, the officer used his professional judgment and determined not to threaten or restrain the individual so as not to escalate a potentially unsafe situation. After the disruption, the meeting continued, and PSU facilities management allowed College Republicans to extend their meeting beyond the scheduled end time that night because of the disruption delay.

The event "continued" but only after over an hour of delay, according to the Campus Reform story.

UPDATE: I originally used the generic "shouted down" in the headline, but I decided to change it to "shouted (and cowbelled) down," partly to be more precise, and partly because I like the phrase "cowbelled down."

Comments

[Eddy]

Why are you nipping at the heels of our fine liberal/libertarian institutions such as...let's check the headline...Portland State University? I mean...Portland State University!

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Because he doesn't want to acknowledge or address the more common and serious problem of censorship, authoritarianism, nonsense, and backwardness on conservative-controlled campuses.

This is a movement conservative blog with an academic veneer, designed to try to make the Republican platform more palatable in broader society by dressing the stale thinking in libertarian drag and aiming cherry-picked swipes at the liberal-libertarian mainstream.

It seems hopeless, but it only takes a few Allison Rouses to make it profitable.

[Eddy]

Despite your superior intellect, you don't seem to be able to tell when you're being mocked.

[TimothyJDugan]

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[David Welker]

"conservative-controlled campuses" where, in cases of private religiously-affiliated schools, the First Amendment does not apply.

I am not sure what sort of censorship is more serious. Private institution or not, I do not support censorship or the suppression of ideas. If students don't have any remedies at private institutions when they are suppressed, I think that is unfortunate.

But here is a thought. It is easy to see censorship of groups or causes we do not like as more serious. And that is a bias to be avoided at all costs.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Hold that thought for the next time the Volokh Conspiracy aims its cherry-picking ankle-biter at a private school.

[NToJ]

Why would it? Free speech and association requires that private organizations be entitled to discriminate.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

The Volokh Conspiracy, the Foundation For Individual Rights In Education, and most right-wingers divide the educational world three ways -- public schools, private schools in the liberal-libertarian mainstream, and private schools operated by and for conservatives -- and issue a pass on censorship to precisely one of those groups.

[NToJ]

Which private schools in the liberal-libertarian mainstream does Volokh give a free pass? I know FIRE judges private schools that voluntarily adopt free speech (but fail to comply with their own rules) more harshly than private religious schools that don't. But why would that be surprising, or reveal a hidden political motivation?

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Which private schools in the liberal-libertarian mainstream does Volokh give a free pass?

None. That's the "precisely one" part.

[TwelveInchPianist]

"...and issue a pass on censorship to precisely one of those groups."

What on earth are you talking about? How can FIRE "issue a pass on censorship"? Where would they get such authority? You're talking gibberish, dude.

[I Callahan]

The other day, you listed a bunch of conservative colleges. None of which have anyone shouting down anyone saying things that the shouter (or college) doesn't like.

I'm beginning to think you're just a blatant liar, in addition to being an asshole.

[James Pollock]

" None of which have anyone shouting down anyone saying things that the shouter (or college) doesn't like."

Because nobody who had opinions that the college didn't like was admitted, or because they didn't even seek admittance? (Neither one suggests the college is free.)

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Conservative schools tend not to have much shouting on campus, not because dissenting viewpoints are welcomed or tolerated but because they are systematically excluded from campus.

Are you genuinely this uninformed?

(If you rely solely on The Volokh Conspiracy for expression-related news, the ignorance is understandable.)

[Brightly]

Your level of ignorance is on the other hand, incomprehensible.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Get an education, Brightly. Start with standard English, focusing on punctuation.

[Longtobefree]

Wait. A cowbell was shouting?
I get so confused lately - - - -

[Last of the Shitlords]

Portland Oregon should be under martial law.

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

Oregon is an open carry state. They have the necessary tools to fight such government tyranny.

[James Pollock]

The "tyranny" of cops not doing anything?

[Krayt]

Well...if government isn't going to do its primary job of protecting and securing your rights...

[Patrick Henry, the 2nd]

And that is exactly the problem with the police doing nothing. People will start taking things into their own hands.

This is why we have police and a justice system. To prevent vigilantism. If that system fails to do its job, we are worse off for it.

[James Pollock]

"Well...if government isn't going to do its primary job of protecting and securing your rights."

Lazy bastard. Protecting and securing your rights is YOUR job, not somebody else's.

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

I was being ironical.

[croaker]

When Trump federalizes the National Guard for duty on college campuses, campus police will only have themselves to blame.

[ME2R]

And ya wonder why Trump is dealing putting pen to paper. Time to defund higher indoctrination universities.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Why would right-wing yahoos want to attack every conservative-controlled campus in America?

[Patrick Henry, the 2nd]

Since there are very little conservative-controlled campuses in America, I don't get your point.

[I Callahan]

Artie has been putting that BS point out for so long, that despite the evidence that there is no truth to it, he's come to believe it without question. It's basically a mantra.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Since there are very little conservative-controlled campuses in America

"Few," not "little," you half-educated right-wing rube.

(Unless you were referring to right-wing school with extremely small enrollments or campusus, in which case your usage was correct but your point was inane.)

Which of the hundreds of third-tier, fourth-tier, or unranked conservative-controlled schools gets credit for your familiarity with standard English?

[ActualRightWingPatriot]

Sooner or later, liberals are going to realize that we're angry enough at them to shoot them. Fortunately, 5.56 rounds work very well to splatter liberal brain (what little they have) all over the place.

[santamonica811]

Have there been a lot of examples of right wing loons (or right wing non-loons, for that matter) shooting liberals in the head? Seems more like a scary story told to (liberal??) children at night.

So, when will liberals realize the seriousness of your threat? Not, I suspect, until after there are several examples of violence actually occurring. Not many liberals will be nervous about the rantings of a man who is clearly compensating for some, um, shortcomings on his part. But please, don't let my opinion dissuade you from telling us exactly how huge and powerful your gun is.

[Brett Bellmore]

You know, telling people, "Nobody on my side is going to take the threat of violent retaliation seriously until you do it. We're just going to keep abusing you as long as you remain civil about it." might not be the smartest position to take.

Just saying.

[Mr. Hook]

Clearly, the person to reprimand in that exchange isn't the one threatening murder but the one calling him out on it.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Fortunately, most right-wingers are all-talk yahoos who mutter bitterly and rant but don't do much beyond lose the culture war and wallow in political irrelevance. They've never done, accomplished, or stuck with much of anything in life -- why expect them to start now?

[Patrick Henry, the 2nd]

Most right-wingers are loath to fight back physically. We know where that leads. We want to avoid that at all costs. That's why we are raising the alarm.

But just like the rattlesnake, after rattling and still being pushed and pushed and pushed, we will strike.

Ignore it at your peril.

[James Pollock]

"But just like the rattlesnake, after rattling and still being pushed and pushed and pushed, we will strike.
Ignore it at your peril."

It's impossible to take you seriously when you write shit like this.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Open wider, Patrick. Your betters have more progress to shove down your throat. And if you do not become nicer about it they might start positioning that progress sideways.

Thank you for losing the culture war and for your consequent obsequious daily compliance with the preferences of America's liberal-libertarian alliance.

And keep talking -- you are free to mutter bitterly and inconsequentially about all of this damned progress as much as you wish.

[PaulTheBeav]

99% chance that the guy threatening murder is a Democrat trying to make Libertarians look bad.

[NToJ]

Is this the position you took when newspapers refused to publish pictures of Mohammed? Don't project your selective cowardice on the rest of us.

[santamonica811]

NToJ,
Remember (due to Reason's crappy formatting) to make it clear to whom you're responding. In your case, I unfortunately have no idea, since you forgot to put someone's username or a small blockquote of what they said.

[NToJ]

It is Brett. I don't know how to blockquote.

[ActualRightWingPatriot]

I'm not threatening anything. But every one has a point at which they won't be pushed any further, and liberals seem to be just itching to see what that point is for conservatives.

[Mr. Hook]

Poor little snowflake, hurt by words. Have a big ol' manly reassurance hug from me and think about it every time some liberal makes you feel scared.

[JesseAz]

I'm more concerned with the bike locks, pepper spray, mortars, knives, etc that Antifa is using.

[NToJ]

No, ARWP's keyboard is way more dangerous. You better stop pushing him or else.

[James Pollock]

"I'm more concerned with the bike locks, pepper spray, mortars, knives, etc that Antifa is using."

So the rule is that as long as it's YOUR guys doing the violence, it's OK?

[James Pollock]

"I'm not threatening"

Not in the slightest.

[bernard11]

Have there been a lot of examples of right wing loons (or right wing non-loons, for that matter) shooting liberals in the head?

Yes.

[Patrick Henry, the 2nd]

Citation needed.

[James Pollock]

Charlie Hebdo?

[I Callahan]

Yes.

Wrong.

[apedad]

Oh please...you're going to die (natural, accident, disease) before you shoot at anyone.

Meanwhile your little rants and pouting will go unnoticed while the rest of us proceed along quite nicely.

How does it feel to be useless?

[Patrick Henry, the 2nd]

That is of course why he is raising the alarm - to he doesn't have to shoot anybody.

But ignore his rants and fix nothing at your own peril.

[NToJ]

Right. For the first time in human history, if we don't timidly surrender to pathetic, marginalized losers, they're going to make us pay, this time.

Do you not see that the reason ARWP and you are ignored--have been ignored, perpetually, throughout the entire history of mankind--is because your views are trivial and silly, you aren't serious people, and nobody cares what you think?

[bernard11]

You're already shooting. And driving cars into crowds, etc.

Actual right wing violence is a problem.

[JesseAz]

Is there where liberals falsely claim every single act of violence against the left is right wing even for unaffiliated actors (your car mention). Can I do this with liberals? Every Muslim car or knifing attack is the violence of the left? We see who the pro-arab PACs all support, and it isn't Republicans.

Apparently Scalise never happened in your world? Chick-Fil-A and the FRC shootings never happened? Antifa doesn't have multiple felonious assaults with bike locks, knives, and pepper spray? Those were actual people with actual leftist involvement and discussions of politics. Yet you keep pointing to pretty much apolitical people and associating them to the right like the idiot you are. Whatever makes you feel better at night.

[James Pollock]

" Can I do this with liberals? Every Muslim car or knifing attack is the violence of the left?"

If you can find some leftist Muslims, sure, why not?

[TwelveInchPianist]

"If you can find some leftist Muslims, sure, why not?"

Betchya I can find at least one...

[TwelveInchPianist]

Two, actually...

[NashTiger]

---- In the House Democrat Freshman Class alone

[Sarcastr0]

Tolerant of gays even.

Must be taqiyya as they wait for critical mass and take over.

[James Pollock]

I've been away from my desk... when were the two leftist Muslim murderers murdering, and who?

[David Welker]

I understand your frustration. But recall, particular instances of bad behavior by particular liberals/ conservatives/ libertarians/ socialists/ whatevers do not reflect on the whole group. If you are getting mad at "liberals" in general because of the actions of one jerk, you might want to reconsider.

[TwelveInchPianist]

Hmmm. Would a student be allowed to disrupt a class like that? Other school functions? Does the school have a policy on when students are allowed to disrupt events in that manner, or is it left to the discretion of the police?

My understanding is that policies that subject freedom of speech to excessive discretion from officials are unconstitutional.

[loveconstitution1789]

The 1st Amendment does not protect unpeaceaful assembly.

[David Welker]

This position does not make sense.

If you have many people, the chances of some members of the crowd acting out increases. This surely does not void the First Amendment rights of everyone else who have come to assemble and express themselves.

[James Pollock]

"If you have many people, the chances of some members of the crowd acting out increases. This surely does not void the First Amendment rights of everyone else who have come to assemble and express themselves."

Ah. "I came to the riot to express myself peacefully..."

[bernard11]

Shouted down?

That's a rather deceptive headline, isn't it?

OK, the guy shouldn't have rung a cowbell, but it does sound as if no real damage was done to the proceedings.

Regardless, another item on the list of EV"s highly selective 1A concerns.

[KevinP]

Other than preventing the speaker from being heard over the noise of the cowbell, no real damage was done to the proceedings.

/ProgressiveTolerance

[TwelveInchPianist]

+1.

[Eddy]

This could be a good technique to induce stupid people to confess:

"You killed the deceased with a box-cutter."

"No, it was a kitchen knife, can I go now?"

[JesseAz]

He also stood in front of the projector then continued to ring the bell when the speech went to live stream. He followed around the speaker, harassing him non stop.

Didnt you assholes just attack a bunch of 16 year old for doing less?

[Eddy]

less as in nothing at all

[JesseAz]

Even when they thought it was "more" cause of their bias, it was still less than this bell guy.

[Brett Bellmore]

I think no real damage would have been done if the guy had been doused in essence of skunk, either.

When leftists 'nonviolently' disrupt right-wing events, we really need some equivalent 'nonviolent' response that's effective. They're counting on being permitted to do what they want without the local authorities intervening unless somebody tries to stop them.

[jph12]

"but it does sound as if no real damage was done to the proceedings."

There it is, the stupidest thing I'll read all day. Nice to get it out of the way first thing in the morning.

[bernard11]

Having read the linked article, I have to concede that my comment was dumb.

I got the impression from the OP that the cowbell was rung only once, not repeatedly.

[jph12]

I suspect that's the impression that the University's carefully crafted statement was designed to leave.

[KevinP]

Thanks for acknowledging this. This was a heckler's veto.

Heckler's vetoes don't end well, for the heckler and everyone else.

[James Pollock]

"Thanks for acknowledging this. This was a heckler's veto."

The CR chose not to put him out. That suggests he was part of the show.

[David Welker]

Delaying an event by a whole hour, if that is what happened, sounds like real damage to me.

Also, let us say that EV was highly selective in his 1A concerns (I don't happen to think that is true, but lets suppose). That does not invalidate those concerns.

[James Pollock]

"Delaying an event by a whole hour, if that is what happened, sounds like real damage to me."

That's a pretty low bar. You get more than an hour's delay in cases where three snowflakes are seen in the air at the same time... the entire city panics and everyone leaves work to rush home before a half-inch of snow accumulates, littering the freeways with abandoned cars.

[Patrick Henry, the 2nd]

Progressive tolerance: it was only an hour!

[I Callahan]

Where is your line, James? 2 hours? 3 hours? Tell us, objectively, what constitutes damage caused by a heckler's delay.

[James Pollock]

"damage" and "delay" are different animals.

You get into the "damage" zone when the jackhole uses up all the time allocated, and then the administrators in charge of the venue push everybody out. You get "damage" when the time in the facility has been been paid for (at market rates).

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

Listening to one idiot ring a cowbell for an hour must have been a lot of fun. At a gun rights event, no less. Good thing Portland State campus is a gun-free zone. Good thing for the idiot, I mean.

[Jimmy the Dane]

Maybe the student had a fever and the only answer was more cow bell...

[DodgerBobH]

Occam's razor.

[ToddR]

I was working on a comment like this one.

[Eddy]

Under what circumstances would the policeman have intervened?

Presumably if anybody laid a hand on the cowbell guy.

Or if cowbell-boy had started chanting "cops and Klan go hand in hand," or "ban donuts!"

[gormadoc]

Portland police do not interfere anymore with liberal activists. They got thrown under the bus hard by the city government.

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

I don't think this was Portland police, I think it was Portland St. campus police.

[James Pollock]

PSU campus security are licensed by the state board that certifies sworn officers, but they are unarmed and few in number.

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

Or "Cows will not replace us."

[jslinner]

and? eugene the big free speech champion is upset he didnt get tackled for ringing a bell? shot?

seriously, this is like sending the 1st amendment to the gas chambers. the fact that a person would be ALLOWED to make noise like this is unacceptable in a free society. worse than slavery. honestly.

[Kazinski]

There is no free speech right to disrupt a meeting, and prevent anyone from being heard.

And the fact that the police were there and did nothing is what will eventually cause violence. When people can't depend on civil authorities to enforce the law they eventually start to enforce it themselves.

[ActualRightWingPatriot]

Which is why it was an outrage that the jury convicted the guy who ran down that liberal bitch in Charlottesville.

[Patrick Henry, the 2nd]

NOPE. Unrelated.

[damikesc]

I've said that for years. If you don't have "respectable" ways to address grievances, you pursue far less "respectable" ways. If the cops won't do their job, I have difficulty opposing vigilante justice.

[loveconstitution1789]

That is what these stupid kids don't even understand.

The non-Lefties that people like this are protesting are the only people keeping the 1A constitutional rights alive.

If Socialists had their way, there would be no Constitution and no civil rights to protect this kid from the biggest beatdown of his young life.

[ActualRightWingPatriot]

But hey, it would be legal to kill third trimester babies and ejaculate (as an HIV+ man) into another man's anus. What else is there?

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

These are your peeps, Conspirators.

Still wondering why good schools don't want to hire more movement conservatives?

[ActualRightWingPatriot]

Why are you on board with baby murder and sexual deviance?

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

Why won't you admit you're putting us on, fake righty?

[Sarcastr0]

Maybe he isn't - both sides have angry loons.

Though even if he's just uncommonly committed to his bit, there is the .

[James Pollock]

" it would be legal to kill third trimester babies and ejaculate (as an HIV+ man) into another man's anus. What else is there?"

Presumably, you prefer to have HIV+ men ejaculating into third-trimester fetuses.

[Sarcastr0]

If Socialists had their way, there would be no Constitution and no civil rights to protect this kid from the biggest beatdown of his young life.

So are liberal violent monsters or provoking soon-to-be victims?

[James Pollock]

Some of each.

[Eddy]

So now that the university recognizes a heckler's veto over campus events, I presume that it's OK to disrupt this event:

"In The Next Room or the vibrator play...

"It's the late 1860s and a new invention has electrified the Victorian home of Dr. and Mrs. Catherine Givings. As the doctor administers a new treatment for "female hysteria" from his in-home practice, Catherine is intrigued by the sounds emanating from the next room. When the arrival of a wet nurse for the Givings' baby, an anxious patient, and a free-thinking artist upends their seemingly serene life, Catherine and her husband are forced to examine the nature of their marriage without mechanical assistance. Don't miss this ebullient, provocative comedy from Sarah Ruhl about electricity, pleasure, and true intimacy."

https://bit.ly/2tXbs4X

[Eddy]

This snoozefest is crying out for more cowbell:

"Relating to Opera is a series of talks designed to engage those who are curious about opera and want to learn more, as well as passionate operalovers. We will explore the rich history of the art form, while attempting to answer the question, "What makes opera relevant today?""

https://bit.ly/2tVfyKO

[Eddy]

Seriously, which would you rather listen to - a cowbell, or this dreck:

"Decolonizing Sustainability...

"Join Indigenous scientist and educator, Gabe Sheoships, who will discuss Indigenous resilience, traditional knowledge systems, and values."

https://bit.ly/2XJe9Vo

[Eddy]

And one more:

"Community organization leaders as well as faculty, staff, and students with an interest in community-based learning are invited to attend the second annual Toward Pedagogies of Critical Community-Based Learning Symposium hosted by Portland State University.
?
"Tailored to all levels of proficiency, the primary purpose of the symposium is to illuminate the power inequalities that undergird community-based learning and promote community engagement pedagogies that are rooted in social justice ideals and values. By integrating community engagement experiences with thoughtful introduction, analysis, and discussion of issues important to understanding social justice, critical community-based learning pedagogies strive to promote positive social change, examine the distribution of power in society, and to focus on developing authentic, synergistic relationships between higher education institutions and the communities they engage."

https://bit.ly/2TDD8KA

[Eddy]

...but in all seriousness, I wouldn't recommend trying to disrupt a seminar called "decolonizing sustainability," or something called "the vibrator play"...such events are too important to disrupt, and the police might actually try to arrest hecklers.

Your best bet would be to disrupt the Relating to Opera event, saying that opera is too European and white.

And be sure to mention that you're offended.

[Eddy]

Also, don't forget the link between classical music and violence -

"The point of recapitulation in the first movement of the Ninth is one of the most horrifying moments in music, as the carefully prepared cadence is frustrated, damming up energy which finally explodes in the throttling murderous rage of a rapist incapable of attaining release."

[loveconstitution1789]

Since police will not prevent the Heckler's veto and unpeaceful assemblies are NOT protected by the 1st Amendment, I think the best solution is to bar public money being used by public colleges to hold any events on their property.

All events and speaking engagements need to be held at local private forums. This way any people disrupting the peaceful people trying to speak, can be ejected. The private forums can then decide if these protesters are even allowed at future events.

If we cannot even listen to speakers speak and then discuss topics like adults, then what is the point really. These stupid kids without guns will be picking fights with people who have lots of guns.

[ActualRightWingPatriot]

And who would be thrilled to use them.

[James Pollock]

You might be surprised to learn just who's packing in this discussion.
A while back, a guy left one of those right-wing gatherings and murdered a couple of people (with a knife) on the transit train not long after.

[Patrick Henry, the 2nd]

NOPE

[James Pollock]

Denying reality has no known effect on reality.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

The bell-ringer sounds like a jerk. I hope this school has learned from the experience and is better prepared to address another problem.

College Republicans seem to enjoy bringing provocative extremists to mainstream campuses. They can't persuade most young people to sign up for a platform of backwardness and intolerance, but they are entitled to try. Fledgling bigots have rights, too.

[ActualRightWingPatriot]

And by provocative extremists, you mean anyone who is not on the far left. You people won't be satisfied until every straight man is forced at gunpoint to perform fellatio on black HIV+ men.

[James Pollock]

No, Portland has been troubled by violence between political factions, including murders. What did the (white, Portland is VERY white) guys do to get murdered? They told a guy who was entertaining himself by ranting at a teenage girl on the transit train to pipe down.

[David Welker]

Subtract the obligatory attacks on conservatives as bigots, backwards, and intolerant, and I endorse your viewpoint.

All people must be treated fairly under the First Amendment, regardless of their views, for it to have any meaning.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

The bell-ringer sounds like a jerk. I hope this school has learned from the experience and is better prepared to address another problem.

College Republicans seem to enjoy bringing provocative extremists to mainstream campuses. They can't persuade most young people to sign up for a platform of backwardness and intolerance, but they are entitled to try. Fledgling bigots have rights, too.

[Eddy]

If by "jerk" you mean someone who violates school rules and criminal laws, then college already have plenty of experience dealing with jerks. They simply need to use the experience they've gained over a few centuries and throw out the jerks and/or hand them over to the real-world police for prosecution.

[James Pollock]

Which school rules and criminal laws are you talking about?

[Eddy]

The ones mentioned in the article.

[Eddy]

And here is the contact information for the reporter if you think she was wrong about the school rules or the law:

https://bit.ly/2TDUeYF

I hope that was of assistance.

[James Pollock]

The article lists exactly 0 instances of college policy and the law.

[Eddy]

I gave you the author's contact page, tell *her.*

[James Pollock]

You think Eugene is a girl's name?

[Eddy]

You're saying his post was an entire article?

Or are you simply acting stupid - if so, your acting skills are Gielgud level.

By now you are aware you messed up royally by questioning whether there were rules and laws against cowbell-boy.

The best you can do is drag a red herring across the trail by confusing an article with a post.

[James Pollock]

"By now you are aware you messed up royally by questioning whether there were rules and laws against cowbell-boy."

In the sense that watching you thrash around is amusing? Yes, yes. What a royally mess-up THAT was.

It's like you've never even HEARD of the first amendment.

[Eddy]

Did you strain any muscles moving those goalposts? Because you started by questioning whether there were any laws or school rules against cowbell-boy's behavior.

Then you moved on to saying that a post of several sentences in length was actually an article.

Now you've implicitly acknowledged that there are laws and school rules against cowbell-boy's behavior, and you've moved on to suggesting First Amendment problems with those rules.

[MKE]

Was this Christopher Walken?

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

I think it was actually Will Ferrell ringing the cowbell.

[damikesc]

So, it seems the only plausible way to end this nonsense is for conservative students to do this with a wide array of events. One-way heckler's veto is an idiotic idea.

[Eddy]

The difficulty is that the police actually *will* arrest people who try to disrupt "the vibrator play" or a speech on "decolonizing sustainability" (see above).

There ought to be a way for the courts to enforce the "protection" part of "equal protection" - after all, offering robust police protection to lefty events but not to "right-wing" events would seem like discrimination based on political viewpoint.

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

I'm curious what you are implying by putting right-wing in quotes.

[Eddy]

Because I don't know what kind of Republicans the campus Republicans are, or if they're right-wing by real-world standards as opposed to right wing in the campus sense.

[Krayt]

"Right wing" on college campuses involves not attending cocktail parties where you wax glowingly about the government of Venezuela in between sips of wine and sniffs of each other's gas.

[DjDiverDan]

I guess we finally know the answerto the eternal question, "Who doesn't like more cowbell?"

[David Welker]

I endorse this comment.

[James Pollock]

The problem being... does a person with a cowbell have a right to be an annoying jackhole in a public place? If so, is that right equal to, or not equal to, the right of the College Republicans to do whatever they hell they do in a meeting?

Police are to prevent illegal things from happening, and respond to them if they do. What is the illegal thing they should have responded to? Cowbell possession in the first degree? Jackholery?

[Eddy]

You should read the article and correct any errors you find about college policy and the law.

https://bit.ly/2TC0kJc

[James Pollock]

What with there being no discussion of college policy and the law in the article, that won't take long.

[Eddy]

The article, genius, not the post.

https://wwwt2.campusreform.org/?ID=11953

[Eddy]

Here's how you can contact the author to point out the errors you claim exist in her article..

I even gave you links to the policies mentioned in the article.

[James Pollock]

There still aren't any policies mentioned in the article.

[Eddy]

That's because you want the reader to take you seriously when you refer to Eugene Volokh's post as an "article."

The fact is I showed you the policies and laws against cowbell-boy's behavior.

[James Pollock]

Or not. One or the other is DEFINITELY true.

[Eddy]

You want me to hold you by your little hand and walk you through this?

Here it is, once again.

This is not the first opportunity you've had to see the rule against "Noise that is disturbing to others" -

It's not the first opportunity you've had to see the law that "A person commits the crime of disorderly conduct in the second degree if, with intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, the person:...Disturbs any lawful assembly of persons without lawful authority."

Indeed, the article itself (the article whose author's contact information I supplied you with) mentions these laws and rules.

You seem to have belatedly become aware of these laws and rules, because you've moved the goalposts (see above) from questioning whether these laws and rules exist to asserting that they're unconstitutional.

[Malvolio]

Bruce Dickinson approves.

[ReaderY]

One doesn't go in immediately and make arrests every time someone gets heckled. Hecklers get to disrupt a little bit, but not too much. How much is too much?

One hour might be too much. But it doesn't seem to me to be as absolutely 100% clear as the post seems to be implying.

Treating hecklers as an immediate threat and going in with force has costs that have to be weighed against the benefits. And a cowbell, while disruptive, isn't nearly as threatening, and doesn't deserve as forceful a response, as if the event were being disrupted violently.

The internet tends to favor memes that get people upset and induce immediate responses. But sometimes it's best, to preserve the public peace, not to respond immediately to everything. Waiting a bit and using gentler tactics might have been the best available course here.

[majil]

All cops deserve it when they are shot in the face

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

That is an evil and despicable thing to write.

[James Pollock]

The Republican Party of Oregon has been in considerable disarray for at least a decade-and-a-half. They reached the point where strong candidates for statewide office would pass on running as Republicans. The peak point of disarray? Hard to tell. The nomination of the least-popular public figure available at the time (Bill Sizemore)? Or the time when the winner of the Democratic primary for Attorney General ALSO won the Republican primary, without actually entering it? Of their recent candidates for governor, the one who came closest to winning was the guy who used to be a pro basketball player on the local team, with no prior history of politics and who left the state immediately after not winning.

In he 1980's, both U.S. Senators from Oregon were Republicans... but one of them was Packwood. The last Republican Senator from Oregon sealed his fate by spending a couple of million dollars on some antique golf clubs... absolutely his right, it was his money... but not the sort of thing you do if you want a "man of the people" vibe around election time. They offered a straight-up libertarian as a sacrificial lamb, and then tried a pediatric brain surgeon with no political experience, without doing enough vetting of her history wrt stalking of ex-boyfriends.

Around 33 of Oregon's 36 counties are majority Republican. But among the ones that aren't are the one with all the people (Multnomah) and the one with all the money (Washington).

[Jimmy the Dane]

It should be legal to punch people like the cowbell protester in the face. Problem solved. No need to for police offers.

[James Pollock]

It IS legal to eject them from private meetings, using force proportional to complete the task.

[Krayt]

In tonight's Supergirl, some politician is stirring things up against aliens, "Us or them!" Supergirl leads a marching contingent that invades his speech space inside a building. Shouting occurs, then Supergirl's sister, the government employee charged with the speaker's safety, declares the speaker is the problem, wrenches his arm, and drags him away.

Heckler's veto activated.

Then some bad guy attacked so they could set up the listeners as thankful to the aliens.

[Eddy]

Was Supergirl wearing her Super Daisy Dukes?

[James Pollock]

No, silly, Supergirl wears a skirt. It's more ladylike.

[Eddy]

When Mars sends us their flying saucers, they're not sending us their best. They're sending us their pervy probers, their cow-kidnappers. And some of them, I suppose, come in peace.

[Krayt]

People who can read minds -- trust them, not working for a dictator.

[Dan S.]

In all fairness, that "politician" was a terrorist who had been in federal prison for attacking aliens with (IIRC) bombs. Then the President pardoned him, saying he thought the law he was convicted under only protected humans, and appointed him director of "Alien Affairs". Perhaps that would be a good time for the state where the attacks happened to play the "dual sovereignty" card and bring State charges against him. Of course, they might have the same rule as New York does against doing so. And more importantly, such a plot could require naming the state, which is something the show carefully avoids doing.

[James Pollock]

"such a plot could require naming the state, which is something the show carefully avoids doing."

Kara lives in Capitol City, so... probably not in a state.

Gotham City is in Gotham State, which lies between NY and NJ. Central City is on the Mississippi river (on TV, it's played by Portland, OR in aerial shots, and Vancouver, BC in street-level shots... and back in season 1 of the Flash, Central City is revealed to have a seacoast.) Metropolis is also an eastern seacoast city.

The DC TV universe is part of a multiverse, with multiple alternate realities.

[BrotherMovesOn]

And, J.P., according to The Simpsons season 28 episode "The Town", Springfield is "a thousand miles" away from Boston. The clues are adding up...