RIP Free Speech: Watch This Cop Give a Ticket for OFFENDING Someone with… Words

Editor’s Note: It’s like a large segment of the young people on today’s college campuses have been brainwashed. Or lobotomized. Can’t decide which. Maybe it’s both. Apparently that’s cops included.

(This post originally appeared at Watchmen News.)

A  Campus Ministry USA intern preacher, Joshua, was given a citation for disorderly conduct because someone claimed to be “verbally harassed” by the intern-preacher.

According to The Daily Caller:

“The University of Texas at Austin police department issued a disorderly conduct citation to an outdoor preacher on Tuesday after students complained that his message had offended them. The preacher, who was standing just off campus, recorded his interaction with several university police officers, who explained that it was illegal for him to offend the students.”

Goodness gracious, me oh my, sweetie pie! It’s such a good thing the University of Texas at Austin PD was there to right this terrible wrong! When the highly sensitive and easily offended youth cannot walk about without fear of a microaggression or a big, bad word attacking them, this world is indeed a dark and troubling place.

The officer actually said someone was offended and that these were real students walking about. He wrote a citation for disorderly conduct for offending someone. The words that were apparently offensive were, “anus” and “penis.” Apparently college students cannot hear those words. Wonder what they call those things in biology and health classes? The offending person asked if his words were protected by freedom of speech. The officer replied, “It does not matter freedom of speech. Someone was offended. That is against the law.” The officer said the offender could go to jail for offending someone.

“After a lawyer representing Joshua called the chief of police, the chief called Joshua and apologized. The citation was withdrawn.” Brother Jed told TheDC. A university spokesperson confirmed that the citation was later “voided,” adding that the officer who originally responded to the complaint is currently in the training process.”

“Ari Cohn, a lawyer with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) told TheDC that he found the video “deeply disturbing.” “Speech that simply offends others is protected by the First Amendment, and contrary to the officer’s statements, it is not the job of police to ‘do something’ about it. Issuing a disorderly conduct citation based on the content of speech violates decades of clear Supreme Court precedent,” Cohn said.”

“Even worse is that while Brother Jed is not a campus community member, and was not even on campus property, the officer justified his decision with the fact that students on campus across the way were offended. The implications for campus expression are dire,” Cohn went on to say. “If offending someone on campus is now grounds for criminal citations, students wishing to express themselves will much more likely censor themselves, or simply refrain from speaking at all. Such a result is unacceptable, legally and morally, at a state university bound by the First Amendment.” – The Daily Caller

Young people seriously need to start studying history and learn how vital it is to protect the few freedoms we have left.

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