The D.C. Court of Appeals has upheld the convictions of some anti-DP protesters who held their protests on the Supreme Court grounds in violation of 40 U.S.C. ยง 6135. The Court has held that there is a First Amendment right to protest on the sidewalk by the Court building, but not on the grounds. See United States v. Grace, 461 U.S. 171, 181 (1983).
The protesters were holding a banner and also doing the Spoiled Children Cheer. You know the one. It goes "What do want? [whatever] When do we want it? Now!" Why anyone does this cheer any more is something of a mystery, given that the medium devalues the message. The [whatever] expresses an opinion, but the rest of the cheer informs hearers that the person expressing that opinion is a whiny, spoiled, obnoxious brat, thereby making the hearers less rather more likely to be persuaded of [whatever]. In this case, [whatever] was "Abolition."
The opinion is here. Mike Scarcella has this post at BLT with pictures.
The protesters were holding a banner and also doing the Spoiled Children Cheer. You know the one. It goes "What do want? [whatever] When do we want it? Now!" Why anyone does this cheer any more is something of a mystery, given that the medium devalues the message. The [whatever] expresses an opinion, but the rest of the cheer informs hearers that the person expressing that opinion is a whiny, spoiled, obnoxious brat, thereby making the hearers less rather more likely to be persuaded of [whatever]. In this case, [whatever] was "Abolition."
The opinion is here. Mike Scarcella has this post at BLT with pictures.
I couldn't agree more that that particular cheer is completely outdated and obnoxious, and whenever I hear it it sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard. I'd like to propose an alternative to the anti-DP throngs:
"Two - four - six - eight!
Who do we excoriate?
Scalia! Scalia!
Yaaaayyyyy Rheinhardt!"
(Okay, so it's equally as juvenile as the Spoiled Children Cheer, but at least it's different.)
Gee, I dunno, notablogger. Sounds good to me. The concept of "too juvenile" went by the boards a long time ago when my generation refused to grow up. Too bad I'm not doing appeals for DOJ anymore so I could belt out your cheer for Reinhardt in person.
Bill, I'd actually pay good money to see you do that. A foam finger would be a nice touch as well.