Baseball fan Brad Campeau-Laurion says a uniformed police officer (perhaps off-duty but working security for overtime) forcibly ejected him from the stadium last night during the Yankees-Red Sox game. Why? He says all he did was try to go to the bathroom while “God Bless America” was played during the 7th inning stretch. “I attempted to get up to use the restroom, rather urgently, during the 7th inning stretch as God Bless America was beginning. As I attempted to walk down the aisle and exit my section into the tunnel, I was stopped by a police officer. He informed me that I had to wait until the song was over. I responded that I had to use the restroom and that I did not care about God Bless America.
“As soon as the latter came out of my mouth, my right arm was twisted violently behind my back and I was informed that I was being escorted out of the stadium. A second officer then joined in and twisted my left arm, also in an excessively forceful manner, behind my back. I informed them they were violating my First Amendment rights and that I had done nothing wrong, with no response from them.
“I was sitting in the Tier Level, and of course this is the highest level of the stadium and I was escorted in this painful manner down the entire length of the stadium. About halfway down, I informed them that they were hurting me, repeated that I had done nothing wrong, and that I was not resisting nor talking back to them. One of them said something to the effect that if I continued to speak, he would find a way to hurt me more. “When we reached the exit of the stadium, they confiscated my ticket and the first officer shoved me through the turnstiles, saying ‘Get the hell out of my country if you don’t like it.’
It’s probably because he was a Red Sox fan. See the whole comic
here.
When you gotta’ go, YOU GOTTA’ GO!!
He violated the Patriot act?
Soon to be a very wealthy man…very.
I’m so glad I’m Canadian some days.
Is there a more appropriate time?
Liberty lives in the hearts of men and women.
When it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can defend it.
Personal freedom was the reason the founders founded this country.
Personal freedom is not here for some mofo government workers to take away.
It seems funny and crazy now but that’s the path we’re heading.
And I quote Thomas Jefferson ”
A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.
That’s why it’s time to rid ourselves of the Republican fascist party before it’s too late.
The Democrats are the true heirs of fascism. The term liberal fascism was coined by HG Wells.
If only there were a few more CCTV cameras watching!
It sounds like they forgot to interrogate him first!
I guess the whining little dipshit should have kept his mouth shut and waited.
Lots of objective terms…excessive force. Who says? The little shit got what he deserved.
Thank God for Canada.
A democracy is two wolves and one sheep deciding what’s for dinner.
The post and the comments demonstrate so well why the Bill of Rights is so important.
Basically, people are insulted when other people are allowed to be free. Its called expanding your awareness beyond your own emotional orientation to immediate stimuli.
Silly Hoomans.
Sounds like another BS story that will unravel once the truth comes out in the courtroom.
#11
Why, because he didn’t want to stand around and listen to some gay song? Your a sad lot.
Are the players also required to stand to attention while the music is played?
Or the beer vendors?
Sad to say, Yankee Stadium security has become rather obsessive and arbitrary in recent times. You don’t just go through a turnstile anymore, you have to pass a security check. Backpacks are not allowed under any circumstances, but large purses are ok. They won’t check your bag–for that you need to get out of line and walk a block or two away and take your chances with a private bag check. Kids backpacks are ok. When I was there in May they interrogated my 7 and 9 year olds to make sure their backpacks were actually their own. Contents? Clothes. It’s not a NYC thing–by all accounts Shea Stadium across town doesn’t create the same hassles. It’s a Yankee thing.
This cannot be true because nobody can be that stupid to refuse someone to use the bathroom because of a song. Nobody can be that stupid!
If it is true, I fear the path your government has taken you in the past few years has totally destroyed any credibility, honour and sensibility there was available for distribution. In simple terms, you’re one lost country with no refunds allowed. This is very sad because I know so many nice Americans who think the same as I do about this.
#12 In Canada you get thrown out of hockey games for not buying beer
#13 – should at least credit Boortz on that.
And of course I didn’t backtalk…I just told the pigs that they were violating my 1st amendment rights and I’m sure i did it in a respectful way, they were hurting me, it was hurtful, I’m scarred for life….Mommy…….
I’m calling bullshit on this. I’m sure there is much more to the story.
“Most people would have told their friends what happened. Brad told the New York City news outlets, and the ACLU, and the NYPD civilian complaint board.”
I’m so glad that Brad is protecting our national civil liberties by beating up on that baddy waddy security guy! I’m so grateful that Heroic Brad is using up all sorts of other people’s time and money because Brad’s itty bitty feelings got hurt!
Which is the reason I don’t go to major league games anymore. 90% of the players aren’t even Americans. They are over paid cry babies and the games are just too damn expensive. When I want to see a game, I go to my local single A park. Its close, clean, cheap and safe!
#24 gquaglia. I couldn’t agree more. Going to a single A game with the family and a picnic basket is one of life’s simple pleasures.
#24 & #25
You betcha. Single A is real baseball. Summer evenings, kids running everywhere, hot dogs and bologna sandwiches, beer, and close to the the game.
One of my fantasies is to drive all over the US (and parts of Canada) one summer with the goal of seeing as many minor league games as possible.
I’d have thought they’d have TASERED him a couple dozen times!
I went to a game a Yankee Stadium and they were taking sun screen from families. Said you couldn’t bring it in. It was a day game and it was 95 degrees and about 80% humidity. Stupid not to allow sunscreen. The security check was almost militant.
Our civil liberties are in trouble. Just look at how the police treated protestors last week in Denver and in Minneapolis/St. Paul this week. They don’t care and are working on limiting free speech. (I am not talking about the protestors destroying the city, no constitution should protect that.)
The Democrats were the worst, hiring people to scrub the sidewalks where people had wrote protest messages in chalk.
We need to stand-up and ensure our rights are protected.
Welcome to John McCain’s America.
#29
It’s still Dick Cheney’s America.