Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Legislature Jail Time Added to Anti-Occupy Nashville Bill; 'You Need to be Peed On,' Lawmaker Tells Protesters
Posted by Jeff Woods on Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 12:34 PM
That change in the bill drew a furious round of downcast wiggly fingers from occupiers in the hearing room. Shouting their outrage, a couple of protesters stalked out just ahead of the House sergeant at arms.
“It strikes me as an extraordinary penalty for people putting up a tent,” said Rep. Mike Stewart, D-Nashville, the only lawmaker to speak out for Occupy Nashville during the hearing. “What’s the justification for that level of penalty?”
“It sounds like what we’ve got is a specific law designed to criminalize speech by a particular group of people right here in the United States of America. We’re going down the wrong road here. The tradition of free speech is probably the greatest gift that our country has bestowed upon the world. We can say what we want about this bill but the effect of this bill is to take a peaceful protest and make it a criminal act.”
No debate of this issue seems complete without a hissy fit from the bill’s sponsor—the committee’s chairman, Eric Watson, R-Cleveland. As he did last week when the bill sailed out of a subcommittee, Watson tarred the protesters as a gang of stoners and meth heads. He is especially incensed because someone took a leak on the head of a legislator's secretary as she smoked a cigarette in an alcove below the plaza last year.
“The most sickening part is one of our employees here at the plaza was peed on!” Watson scolded the protesters in the room. “You ought to be ashamed of yourselves! If you approve of that and you think that’s peaceable assembly, you need to be peed on. See how you like it.”
Let's go to the video:
Update: You might recall the last time Watson so dazzled the world with his intellectual acuity. During a rancorous 2009 debate over whether the legislature should officially regret slavery, he referenced the Hispaniel, a previously unknown species of human, as well as the then-largely forgotten Yellow Man.
Update II: The Senate Judiciary Committee also approved the bill today. It could come up on the House and Senate floors next week.
Readers also liked…
-
Occupy Nashville: the Little Encampment That Could
- Nov 30, 2011
-
Proposed legislation would create a protected class in the workplace — gun owners
Have Gun, Will Litigate
- Apr 26, 2012
Comments (37)
Showing 1-37 of 37
This is what happens when the right-wing lunatics take over.
like
dislike
"Now if you’re caught in a tent on the Legislative Plaza or under a bridge or anywhere else on public property where camping isn’t permitted in Tennessee, you could go to jail for 11 months and 29 days and pay a $2,500 fine."
An interesting bonus swipe at the homeless, as well.
Scofflaws will no doubt protest. They don't give a crap about anyone else other than themselves.
Yeah, those homeless and unemployed folks need to avail them selves of the opportunity of living at the mission or they can enter the prison/industrial complex.
And if any so-called citizens seek to actually use any of the rights guaranteed by the bill of rights, then they need to get a permit and an appointment and pay for the privilege After all our rulers can't be distracted from the important tasks of protecting our children from the evils of evolution and homosexuality..
Maybe we should vote them ALL out of office. Oh wait, we can't as long as they hold the keys to the magic black boxes that count/eat our votes.
They should remember that old canard about those who make peaceful protest impossible make violent protest inevitable.
While I would prefer to use ballots to bullets it's really their call.
I guess the Arab Spring has now morphed into the Tennessee Fascist Spring.
Ok, Occupy! Don't be intimidated! Resist the effort to be moved. Lock arms and sing together, "I shall not be, I shall not be moved, I shall not be, I shall not be moved." Wiggle your little fingers in a message of consensus to not be moved. You can continue your occupation in jail for up to one year! Do it! Don't fade away! Show 'em what your made of. Occupy the jail! Occupy the jail!
Wow, could this Watson guy possibly be more of a hillbilly idiot? I cringed just hearing him speak. Take some remedial speaking courses, you half-wit.
Hey Disgruntled, watch the PBS documentary tonight on the freedom riders. Continuing their protest in prison for up to a year was just the strategy the riders followed in their battle with the State of Mississippi.
Mississippi lost.
This is going to be hilarious, the Occupiers couldn't gin up this kind of publicity if they self immolated. Republicans "is a bunch o' stupids."
TNGA Rep. Eric Watson has purchased two bogus degrees from the same mail-order store that Tennessee Regulatory Authority Chairman Kenneth C. Hill purchased his "doctorate" degree: Andersonville Theological Seminary
Rep. Eric Watson
Andersonville Theological Seminary, Camilla, GA., Masters Degree, Summa Cum Laude
Andersonville Theological Seminary, Camilla, GA., Bachelor of Education, Summa Cum Laude
TRA Chairman Hill purchased his doctorate mail order degree in Doctor of Religious Education from Andersonville Baptist Seminary for approximately $750 dollars. Andersonville Baptist Seminary (now d.b.a. Andersonville Theological Seminary) was listed as a non-accredited institute of higher learning by the federal government and operates (i.e. selling ATS books and materials) out of a small, commercial, store front building in Camilla, Georgia:
http://tinyurl.com/8a5g6fg
Andersonville Theological Seminary
http://www.andersonvilleseminary.com/
ANDERSONVILLE BAPTIST SEMINARY INC 2010 Form 990 Return of Organnization Exempt From Income Tax
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2010…
ANDERSONVILLE BAPTIST SEMINARY INC (Mitchell County, Georgia)
Physical Address:
54 S Butler Street
Camilla , GA 31730
Telephone:
229-336-5550
Statement of Disclosure of Interests (ss-8004) Eric Watson
https://apps.tn.gov/conflict-app/view_form…
Date of Filing
2011-03-10
Filer Contact Information
Eric Watson
Representative
605 Ocoee Hills Circle,
Cleveland, Tennessee 37323
Email: rep.eric.watson@capitol.tn.gov
While some may be creating a public nuisance, probably more easily attributed to transient homeless taking advantage of the gathering, I suspect the majority are guiltless, and merely exercising their rights. What is notable for me is the utterance by an elected official that the occupiers should be 'peed on.' A truly class act. I'm sure the folks back home are proud.
If the state carries through with evicting the citizens, they will demonstrate an intolerance for public protests, not a great action in an election year. Additionally, I'm almost certain some lawyer is salivating uncontrollably at the prospect of making a federal case of the 11 months, 29 days in jail and $2,500.00 fine. That should really generate press for Tennessee. What type of press remains to be seen, however.
County Number: 006
County Name: BRADLEY
Tax Year: 2012
http://tnmap.state.tn.us/assessment/map.as…
Property Owner and Mailing Address
Jan 1 Owner:
WATSON THOMAS ERIC
605 OCOEE HILLS CIR NE
CLEVELAND, TN 37323
USA
Property Location
Address: OCOEE HILLS CIR NE 605
Map:
060N Grp: C Ctrl Map: 060N Parcel: 016.00 PI: S/I: 000
Value Information
Reappraisal Year: 2009
Land Mkt Value: $15,700
Improvement Value: $221,900
Total Market Appraisal: $237,600
Assessment %: 25
Assessment: $59,400
http://tinyurl.com/6qwxlg7
Property Owner and Mailing Address
Jan 1 Owner:
WATSON ERIC
605 OCOEE HILLS CIR
CLEVELAND, TN 37323
USA
Property Location
Address: OCOEE HILLS CIR NE 595
Map:
060N Grp: C Ctrl Map: 060N Parcel: 017.00 PI: S/I: 000
Value Information
Reappraisal Year: 2009
Land Mkt Value: $15,700
Improvement Value: $0
Total Market Appraisal: $15,700
Assessment %: 25
Assessment: $3,925
while i generally agree with you ask01 and wholeheartedly support the sentiment of ON, there is a concern that the self-policing nature of the group needs to be enhanced. if the peeing incident is true, sorry....but that's no way to make a point. i myself, on the way back to my car from TRT, saw a nasty verbal barrage from one of the folk there followed by a bottle being thrown by this same individual at one of the tents. imo, the "leaders" there need to get a handle on this or negative PR will start kicking their butts. just sayin.....
Totally agree, brian. Intentionally urinating on someone is inappropriate and does not help the point ON wishes to present. Granted, there are some people I know whom I would wish this on, but that is another rant. The organizers need to get a handle on their people and those who will not conform to basic standards need to be reported to police. I know, some believe the entire group should be arrested, but those individuals need to remember when rights for one group are curtailed or limited, we start down a slippery slope in which we are all in danger of losing rights.
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey's most recently released comments on the "occupation" highlight fairly well many of the problems with allowing such encampment. In the end, the encampment has created on public property an unfair situation and nuisance for the rest of the public and should be removed and banned.
We can't do absolutely anything we want to do in this country. Others must always be considered.
If you sympathize with this occupation, you who live or do business on heavily traveled streets should invite the occupiers to set up camp in your front yards. If your neighbors and homeowners' agreements allow it. Don't count on that.
As for the aims of the occupation, a heating and air conditioning guy was at my house the other day, saw a headline on a newspaper on the kitchen counter, and said, "What the heck is that thing all about anyway? I've watched the news about it and still don't know what they're protesting."
Well I'll be damn! Who is this Watson. I think that it is about time for us to clean House at the Capitol. When is the next election? There is something comng out of the Chambers every day. The bills just keep getting sillier and sillier.
So from what I am reading here, this Watson is a grandstanding hillbilly moron, with fake college degrees, and real toilet issues?
The only actions thus far from our local group has been to disrupt and agitate
Republicans where ever they can find them! A guess might be it's whatever
agenda the "Nashville Peace and Justice Center" finds for them on a given day!
I suggest that anyone critical of this legislation, take a break from humiliating oneself long enough to head on down to Legislative Plaza for a well deserved getting'-peed-on, maybe grab some drugs (for sale in the open) or engage in some open public sex. That would be less embarrassing than the nonsense being displayed here.
YES. By all means, have as many "occupee-ers" to your place as you can stand. Put up. Or shut up.
Where's the police report? I mean, if someone had pissed on me, I would have filed a complaint.
BTW, this kind of intolerance for protesting and political opposition is killing people in Syria. I'd be very, very careful, if I was the General Assembly.
Min's attempts to place this sorry situation with the Arab Spring is very telling!
It is natural for liberals to defend the OWS folk for pissing on others. Liberals have been pissing on the truth and freedom for a long time.
The right's refusal to acknowledge the reasons why they're protesting is gonna bite them so hard in the ass in the next election. They're too busy worrying about where transvestites relieve themselves to see it coming.
The Occupiers' fight for social justice and against corporate greed, power and control of OUR elected officials is not going end here, with the issue of having a tent or a vigil to illuminate the problems we face. Do they think the homeless will just disappear from our streets when they try to shut down the Occupy movement? This is their fight too, and we as good citizens should be willing to help these unfortunate people, not ridicule them or treat them with disgust! Sure, its easier to let them sleep under a bridge and forget about them, when they lose their jobs or health, and are unable to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Sure, it is an embarrassment, when the uninsured in desperate need of mental and physical health care pee on someone, or make a scene. This is not the purpose of the Occupy Movement, however, and we are from All Walks of Life, we are the 99% and most of America knows that this is their fight too! It is time for change, and it is coming.
Search the Online Campaign Finance Database
WATSON, ERIC 605 OCOEE HILLS CIRCLE
CLEVELAND TN, 37323
(423)339-0939
tericwatson2000@yahoo.com
Reports for WATSON, ERIC
https://apps.tn.gov/tncamp-app/public/repl…
I am now kind of curious as to how Rep. Eric Watson during 2008 purchased his quarter-of-a-million dollar house (plus in adjoining parcel of land, $7,800) on his legislative salary from the Tennessee General Assembly:
Statement of Disclosure of Interests (ss-8004) - TNGA Rep. Eric Watson (2008)
https://apps.tn.gov/conflict-app/view_form…
Tennessee Property Viewer
County: Bradley
Owner: WATSON THOMAS ERIC
Owner 2:
Address: OCOEE HILLS CIR NE 605
http://tnmap.state.tn.us/assessment/map.as…
Yes grits_girl, there are in fact some interesting people involved with this movement:
http://azu-info.blogspot.com/2007/01/rookiee-determinedpj.html
You should do some research on the people you get your information from before you go jumping on the bandwagon with them. It may just be headed for a cliff.
Just like laws were enacted to muzzle the Westboro Baptist folks, the Squatter Filth are going to suffer the same fate from legislative bodies everywhere in the coming months.
Take out the trash......
The occupiers and supporters are blaming the wrong source for their troubles and trying to change the greatest country in the world into something resembling European countries where far greater problems exist, such as 24% unemployment, riots because government benefits must be cut and workers can't retire in their early fifties and food and fuel cost far more. Occupiers are a bunch of smelly fools and freedom of expression was never meant to include peeing in a public square.
What if quelling a group of concerned citizenry leads to a boycott? If the leader of a city or state tried to curtail their right to assemble, or to petition the government for a redress of grievances I would not want to go to that place, unless it was to help them support the constitution of the United States of America.
and fascism comes goosestepping right on it. It's not enough to evict them but to jail them and apparently pee on them? Watson, you need help, buddy, for this golden shower fetish of yours.
Same goes with grits_girl with her bogus libelous site that tries to ruin people's lives because they don't agree with them. Cowardly and pathetic.
http://azu-info.blogspot.com/2007/01/rookiee-determinedpj.html
