Dec
16Can they really charge the White House heckler with a crime?
Filed Under (China) by admin on 16-12-2007
Tagged Under : Appearance, China, Demonstration, Extra Step, Heckler, Hu Jintao, Hu Protester, News Yahoo, Nuts, Politician, President Hu Jintao, Prosecution, Wh, White House, Yahoo, Ylt
She heckled President Hu Jintao during a White House appearance this week. The below article says she was charged with willfully intimidating, coercing threatening and harassing a foreign official.
Is it just me or does that sound like something China would do? I think W was doing it to show China we’re on their side, and I think that’s nuts. No, scary.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060421/ap_on_go_pr_wh/hu_protester_22;_ylt=AnVyFiD9PKmt5dBXMQC6zJhPzWQA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
For the responses supporting the prosecution in the name of law & order, I’d be interested in hearing why simply removing her wasn’t enough, that it is right for the administration to go the extra step and actually prosecute her.
It’s that extra step — actually prosecuting her for offending or interrupting a politician — that I find indefensible. Sure, the President has got to be able to take her away, you’ve got to have some order. But once she has been taken away, you’ve already solved the problem. So what is to be gained by taking that extra step? The only purposes I can think of are (i) to make a point (show China we won’t stand for this kind of demonstration when they come to the White House) or (ii) make an example of her so noone else tries the same thing. Either purpose is, in my opinion, indefensible when all you have to do is remove the heckler.
