Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Do You Have the Right to Flip Off a Cop?

Do You Have the Right to Flip Off a Cop?

25 comments:

Blastoise said...

Well this was very interesting in the fact that i had no idea you could do this but aren't supposed to get in trouble.This is pretty amazing that so few police officers know that they can't give them a ticket for such obscenities. The thing i think is that the police officers should reciee new training instead of thinking its wrong only because they are upset. By changing the training of the individual then all of this hassle wouldn't happen and everything would still run a lot smoother.

Jane Austen said...

That was certainly interesting and it's a situation we're all familiar with. It kinda goes to show look before you leap. People get so caught up in their anger, they pretty much just yell the first thing that comes out of their mouths. It's a skill one has to learn;controlling one's temper, but it's a vital one for situtaions.

Marmaduke Maximillian Winchester III said...

I don't really think that the guy should have been arrested. Sure he probably shouldn't of done it to the cop but did it really hurt anyone? Also later on in the article it shows a US district judge say that the law is unconnstitutional.
As long as they weren't making a scene about it, like getting out of their car and yelling and stomping, I don't really think there should be a problem.

These kinds of things happen all the time and like the article said, "police officers regularly misapply the law to punish people who offend them."

PrivateSnowball said...

I think you do have the right to flip off a cop. People get flipped off everyday. It's out of anger and impulse. Should you get cited for doing something that harms no one, damages nothing, and is protected under the first amendment of the constitution, just because some cop doesn't like that the finger was directed at him? I don't think so.

Hulk Hogan said...

It seems to me that in this situation, the police officer was offended by receiving "the finger". Because he is an officer, he took out his anger by righting a ticket (a little bit eager to use that power maybe?). I really don't think it's necessary to go about training everyone differently seeing as there is only a dozen cases a year. It would be annoying to have to go through all of that just to prove your constitutional rights.

Charizard said...

There has been times where people want to flip off cops. Sometimes cops misuse there power and act like jerks. I think flipping off is a symbol of speech. In the country we live in, freedom of speech is our right. I also think people need to avoid trouble and respect the police officers though.

Colonel Mustard said...

The issue we are dealing with right here is respect. Everyone wants it, feels they deserve it, and often don't give it. As I understood the article, you have the right to flip off anyone. Just that expression of yourself might lead you into trouble with the cops or others that are offended. These gestures aren't considered obsene but merely words or actions that discribe your feelings at the moment. This has happened multiple times, where a cop pulls someone over for things like this, and everytime they are wrong. Any citizen of the United States has the right to say or wear what they want, and this is because of the first amendment.

pp-r-us915 said...

This rticle was very interesting people are disrespecting the security of our nation. Police officers risk their lives every day to protect us and flipping them off is down right ignorant. It dosent matter it's a common courtesy to respect especially those so essiential to our society

Germ-x said...

I think you deffinatly have the right to do this just the problem comes where its not right. You are supposed to respect the authority and giving them rude gestures isn't necessarily this. But cops shouldn't be able to ticket you or prosecute you because you do it. I think the the reason that they do ticket you is because they think just cause they are the law they can do it. They need to realize that its actually going against the first ammendment and the police officers could actually get in trouble for prosecuting you.

typhoid penny said...

I totally believe that you should have to the right to free speech; so you can have the right to flip off a cop. This doesn't mean that you should though. People should have the control and decency to not use this gesture. I have never flipped someone off, so obviously it is avoidable.

upright funk said...

I think its freedom of speech. Its not that big a deal. Police abuse their power on a daily basis, and some people just need to show their opinion of these authority figures. Flipping off a cop is the safest and least harmful way to do it.

Mudkipz! said...

Is it that police officers don't know they can't cite disorderly conduct for this, or that they know, but feel they have the right to do it anyways? Because if it's a training issue, training should be amended, for the sake of the First Amendment.. And, if it's the other, police officers should probably face some sort of citation for knowingly going against established law.

Got poptarts? said...

I honestly found this article really funny. I think it's awesome that people are being able to win in court cases against police officers for offending them. But in the end, it is their constitutional rights.

Mr. Tomoskowitz said...

This issue is plain and simple. The First Amendment protects every citizen's right to freedom of speech in public. I do not think the cop had any lawful reason to give this guy a citation besides his own anger. On the other hand, I don't think that was the best way to handle his anger. If you are getting mad enough to flip off a cop for not getting a parking spot, you already have your own set of problems that need to be handled.

MachV said...

The guy obviously felt some remorse at flipping off the cop. In that case, it simply comes down to respecting law-enforcement and other officials. As far as this situation applies to the general public, such displays should be allowed within the laws. This doesn't mean that everyone will start swearing or making rude gestures, because the choice lies with each individual. In fact, the pros to use of obscenities often include a release of anger or stress that may be applied negatively in other situations. The only real problem arises when another individual responds with anger towards you because of you obscenity.

The Capitalist said...

Absolutely. Although it isn't particularly nice, it should under no circumstances be criminal. People have the right to make a statement even if it makes them look bad.

Meatloaf said...

I think that you have the right to flip off a cop, but that doesn't mean you should. Some people have anger issues and that is what helps to remove the stress/anger towards the cop. Fliping them off is better than cussing them out.

Cardinalsfreak said...

Well, my opinion is that you shouldn't be so disrespectful. Yes, its within your rights, but is it really needed? Especially when it was just over a parking spot. So the point is just don't abuse your rights.

waffle crisp said...

Obviously it isn't illegal to flip someone off or call them a name. I think even police officers know that. What it comes down to is an issue of respect and the lack there of. Everyone gets tired of being haranged, if you could do something to the jerk who puts you down wouldn't you? The police have this power so the temptation to abuse it is there.

Mr. A-Z said...

I thought that this post was interesting, because knowing that usaully police officers hand out citations based off of what they believe is wrong. The fact that the man flipped off the officer, although looked down upon, but it's not illegal. It seems a little silly on both ends. Yes, the man should have controlled his temper, but no need to be cited for disorderly conduct. The lesson here kids is to think before you act, and to be aware of your surroundings.

Reaper said...

First off personally I don't think that flipping off a cop is the best way to excersise your right to freedom of speech but despite that I do admit that flipping someone off is protected by the 1st Amendment. My way of seeing things though is that the cops, despite contientiously putting themselves in a potential dangerous position, have a job to do and this job involves putting up with people they find annoying. A cop therefore whould not be able to give a person a citation just because they are disrespectable to them. It is no different than someone trying to call 911 on their neighbor because they are giving them the figger. Everyone else must put up with disrespect no matter what the circumstance. This is just an unfortunate consequence of freedom of speech.

iambroken said...

Flipping off someone is not illegal. Flipping off a cop is not illegal. A cop is a human being therefore it's not against the law to flip off a cop. The cop was just wrote the guy a ticket out of anger. Nothing else. He probably felt disrespected because he is superior to the regular civilian. This cop took advantage of his powers and gave the person a ticket just for doing something he didnt appreciate. The guy did nothing wrong, he only expressed himself because he has the right to do that. As it states in the first Amendment.

You said...

Although it's a very nasty gesture, it isn't illegal so nothing can be done about it. It's essentially a visual swear word, which are never used in a positive fashion, but having first amendment rights gives us the ability to do so. It's unfortunate when events like this happen, but giving someone "the finger" just makes yourself look immature, and retailating towards it looks even worse. By not responding to the insult/taunt at all, you can effectively make the user look completely uncivilized, because a reaction is what they are hoping for.

In my opinion, it should definately count as a secondary charge under disrespecting an officer. However, a primary charge for something like this is just unnececssary.

itsme said...

personally I believe that you do have the right, but with that said you should not do it because they can arrest you or give you a ticket for such things as terroristic threats. It is that way because flipping someone off pretty much means i hate you go die. That is my opinion

Madonna Wayne Gacy said...

The guy was angry. So he gave someone the finger. So what? It's not very nice, but at the same time "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." There we go. Don't let things offend you that are just words.

But on the same note, they upheld the right to say, because I'm trying to save you here Keller I'll censor myself, "F___ the draft" in a public setting department.

School is a public department. For what reason does that freedom of speech not extend to us? We wear a shirt that has ANY use of language and we're told to remove it. Oh, ok. That makes sense.

NO!! Freedom of speech should be extended to students.