Driving while IVAW
I found this hilarious post by Catherine Bleish on her blog about IVAW member Will Stewart-Starks who was pulled over by the cops in Round Rock, TX, supposedly because he and his companion had an IVAW bumpersticker on their car, oh, and they were speeding.
A New York State trooper once told me that cops give you a 10% leeway on the speed limit. So if they were going 6 miles per hour over the speed limit and the speed limit was 30, the cops would have forgiven 33 mph but not 36. So pulling them over for speeding was pretty standard. There’s a reason they call it a speed LIMIT.
But anyway, Stewart got mouthy with the cop and now wants legal help to sue the Rolling Rock police department for violations of his civil rights (and wants contact information for the ACLU)
I refused to tell specifically where we were going and pointed out my right to do so and its irrelevance to a routine moving violation stop. Upset he warned me, “if I was prepared to take this to the next level” and was soon told to step outside the vehicle. Another officer, Sergeant Eric Mount had already approached the scene and remained with the driver. Upon exiting the vehicle I took the keys from the ignition, rolled up my window, and locked my door. Standing outside I began to put the keys into my pocket when I was yelled at not to. I was immediately told to stand in front of the passenger door, forced around, arms pulled behind my back, fingers spread, interlocked, and squeezed against the keys in my hand. Later my left arm would ache from being jerked back.
So because Stewart was such a whiny little brat, the cops searched the car and brought in the dogs, found nothing and released the duo. Stewart was afraid they’d “plant” evidence – it didn’t happen, but I’m sure it gave him PTSD worrying about it.
Of course, because Stewart is a whiny brat he’s not willing to let it go;
I have attempted to contact ACLU in Texas with no success, YAL, C4L, and representatives Lynn Jenkins, Dennis Moore, and TX rep. Lloyd Doggert. I have yet to hear back.
Maybe you’re not having any success because even the ACLU recognizes a drama queen and a standard traffic stop when they see one.
Getting pulled over for speeding and getting searched because you’re a mouthy little brat isn’t a violation of your civil rights, dumbass. It’s happened to all of us, but we usually don’t act like a spoiled two-year-old.
Category: Iraq Veterans Against the War
Jack,
I’m confused. How am I removing a valuable tool from you if you’re not going to find anything in my car? All’s I’m doing is protecting my privacy, and NOT wasting both of our time.
Sorry Brother, You want to go fishing buy a pole and a can of worms.
You are right about one thing… it’s probably a moot point. 🙂
AS, thanks.
Still never saw an IVAW sticker and never heard of the org until I found this site. Maybe the DC chapter needs to step it up.
Over four years on Fort McNair with near daily runs past the Capitol and White House and hundreds of funerals in ANC and I missed the existence of any of the anti-war organizations, outside of the occasional mention of possible unnamed demonstrations. I guess the recruiting offices were easier targets than a gated base with armed MPs and a company of Infantrymen. Or maybe the people that enjoyed protesting and vandalizing recruiter offices were too scared to come into the SW DC neighborhood McNair is located in. Might be different now, since the Nationals stadium was built the neighborhood has been cleaned up.
Um Jack? No. Protecting the rule of law, and Constitutional freedoms is more important than making your job easier for you. I don’t mean any disrespect, but the statement you made above is extreemly misguided.