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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 11138
[Civil]
Date Posted:
10/1/2004
7:48:00 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 11,893
RSS: 0
Comments: 8
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ACLU Neb. Chapter Head Claims Harassment
Author: Scott Bauer, Associated Press Source: The Tallahassee Democrat
Title: ACLU NEB. CHAPTER HEAD CLAIMS HARASSMENT
The head of the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said Friday that two Nebraska state troopers tried to intimidate him after he screened a documentary film critical of the federal Patriot Act.
Tim Butz, who filed a complaint Wednesday with State Patrol chief Col. Tom Nesbitt, alleged the troopers approached him after he screened the documentary film "Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties" at a community college in North Platte on Sept. 22.
Butz said troopers Greg Vandenberg and Norb Liebig, who are based in North Platte, were among about 75 people who attended the film's screening at Mid-Plains Community College.
Butz alleges that afterward, Vandenberg identified himself as an FBI agent and said Liebig accused him of lying "and that I 'shouldn't come out to these small towns and scare people and stir things up.'"
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Community Thoughts: There are 8 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Okay... | Oct 3rd. at 8:13:26 am EDT |
by nesha (okc) - wc_xemail
The moment I saw ACLU in the headline I immediately knew that this would be about someone getting either discriminated against or "picked on" over some percieved slight. Why is it that everytime some whiny liberal gets criticized, it's always considered "harassment"? They can sure dish it out, but the second they're put in a position to take it, it becomes "harassment" & the ACLU gets involved. What a colossal crybaby! Just because someone disagrees with you & VOICES their disagreement does not equate to harassment. Grow up & learn to take criticism if you're gonna put yourself in a place where you might receive it.
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| I'm Entirely Not Surprised | Oct 2nd. at 4:20:22 pm EDT |
by Ms. Sage (Va., formerly of North Platte, NE) - wc_xemail
As I stated the last time North Platte was in the news on this site (less than a month ago) , it's a hellhole.
I know the state troopers in question; I went to school with one the troopers' kids. They are a**holes of the first degree, like the rest of the law enforcement personelle in North Platte. (Just a few facts about other North Platte police officers: three of them were recently killed after they all went out into the hills ON DUTY, got blazing drunk, then crashed during the drive back to town.)
I hope they get fired.
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| I Live In Nebraska | Oct 2nd. at 1:41:27 pm EDT |
by Magdaléna (Hartington, Nebraska) - wc_xemail
And I hate it. There's this girl in my class, and her dad's a state trooper. If anyone pisses her off or anything like that, she goes and tells her daddy and then he goes and pulls that person over and gives 'em a ticket for no real good reason. One time he pulled over this guy I knew and said one of his tail lights was out, and the guy said 'No it isn't, I check 'em all the time.' And the trooper wrote him up for arguing with him.
I can't wait to move the hell away from here.
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| Welcome To The Good Ol Boy System | Oct 2nd. at 12:55:11 pm EDT |
by r (Indianapolis, In) - wc_xemail
IT sounds like the "authorities" had some say in the newspaper article as well, Knowing ACLU members they are very unlikely to leave out any details, and that leaves...
It wouldn't be the First time, Nor will it be the Last that some law enforcement officals hand out some "JUST US" which has nothing to do with Justice. Personally I think everyone should have a local news Crew on Speedial on the cellphone. The only way to stop this type thing is to catch the Jerks on Tape. otherwise you have no hope.
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| Lets See | Oct 2nd. at 11:41:30 am EDT |
by Silver Faery (New York) - wc_xemail - Web
I have lived in Kansas for the last 3 almost four years. And here is the facts on the state and local police forces out there.
If you are not one of the founding families out there, or have lots of money you are screwed. If you fall into the highschool or college age group you are screwed, if you are not christian and they know it you are really screwed.
And they like keeping people uninformed of things and new groups there.
I being the wrong in ALL of those have been harrassed, threatened and many other things.
My two favorite examples:
My brother's landlord kept calling my mom (up to 5 times a day) , they went in to get a restraining order. They were told that they were not allowed to get one against the man, becuase he was only calling about his money. Now my mom told them her name was NOT on the rent, and that she did not want him around her or her home ( this guy was known to break into his own tenats homes, and was a MAJOR drug dealer in town.) But he had the right so they let him be. Of course my brother started to cuss them out for this along the lines of this was F**king stupid. He did not know one was a judge, for the guy was in street cloths. Next thing my brother knew he was being hand cuffed and put in jail for contempt of court. Now mind you they were in the clerks office, where you file for small claims cases. he told the judge they were not in a court room, but the judged looked at him and stated whatever room he was in, was a court room. And if he fought it he would be in for more than one night. The officers grinned at him and happily took him away. Nice
My other one involved us at my apartment.
We had a buch of friends over and all of us were playing Menoply. No music was playing (one of the few times) , my daughter was in bed, so was my sisters...so we were being quiet. No one wanted to go out. We were about half was through when we all decided it was time for a smoke break, my sister was the first one heading to the door. We were right behind her when we heard a pounding on the door. It was two police officers that were there on a "noise" violation. My sister went into a rage (bad mistake) , her boyfriend pulled her aside. They asked for the lease holder, which was me. I step up, and ask them what was wrong. I was not yellinig, I apologized for my sister. Next thing I knew, I was told to shut the *** up, that they were officers and that I was being rude to them ( I was refering to them as "Sir", left over from military training. I went of at that point. The guys pulled me in, went out and pulled the officers aside. Both were not happy. They were both told that I was the one that started to yell at the officer, when the guys stated they heard the officers first, they were told ALL of us would end up in jail if they did not shut up.
THey told the officers that we had two babies in the apartment, and that they were sleeping (it was about 1 in the morning) and no one would watch them for us if that happened. They didn't care. They only knew there was noise, that they knew it wasn't us, but they went to talk to us anyway, for they saw us playing when they walked by our living room window. It did not matter we were near the bars and that there was a party going on two houses down they could hear, in fact they went right by it and went to the only building on the street that was quiet.
I was written down as the starter of the problem and they left with a warning that if there was any more "noise" they would come and arrest every single one of us in the place at the time.
It doesn't matter about if they are in uniform or not, they know they are the "Law-inforcers" and they can get away with murder if it comes to that.
So yes I can see police in this state being the same, in fact I have dealt with Nebraska police force for we were only 2 hours away from the border of that state.
I wish this guy good luck.
BB
Silver Faery
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| Need More Details | Oct 1st. at 8:55:58 pm EDT |
by Oakdancer (Tennessee) - wc_xemail
Wish the article had stated how he knew the two were state troopers. If they were in street clothes and voiced their opinions as private citizens, and Butz just happened to learn that they were troopers, that's not harassment.
If they were in uniform (or flashed their badges) then they could be considered to be speaking under color of authority, and were out of line.
In any event, if one did in fact misrepresent himself as an FBI agent, then I believe he may have committed a Federal crime, but I'd lay you odds that he'll never be prosecuted for it.
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| Busted! | Oct 1st. at 8:41:41 pm EDT |
by Steph (Midwest City OK) - wc_xemail
As someone who has also been harassed by local police in a different state, I can attest to how scary it is when that happens.
Its not funny.
It's not a joke any more than yelling fire.
These people hold positions of authority and power in our communities, and that can be quite intimidating without individuals acting like a horse's @ss.
And I have to say that the police officer did a lot to prove the ACLU's point about the patriot act.
So in that respect thanks !
And to all you Law enforcement types that don't act like agents of McCarthy, Keep up the good work. Without you, the world would be pretty bleak.
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| A Little Sensitive? | Oct 1st. at 8:21:05 pm EDT |
by Justin Smith (Roseville, CA) - wc_xemail
I read the article, and it doesn't seem to add up to harrassment to me.
Two gentlemen, who happened to be state troopers, attended a screening of a film that they felt impugned their profession and by extention themselves. They approached the filmmaker to tell him so, in a public place, where other moviegoers were also meeting the filmmaker.
Other than claiming to be an FBI agent, I don't see how disliking a movie can be construed as harassment. I would think that if they, for example, threatened Mr. Butz with arrest, surveilance, or in any way did more than simply express their dislike for his movie, it would have been mentioned in the article.
I think Mr. Butz and the ACLU, who are suing on his behaf, are being a tad too sensitive.
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