Art, let's just see how nit-picky we can get, is that the game? These and "other" rights? The ablility to communicate is so fundamental to the existence of any living creature (or life "happening") that it certainly falls under the "self-evident" label, does it not? And shall we quibble about the use of the word "freedom" and "right of" found in the First Amendment? I don't know about you but I was born with the inherent right to communicate at whatever level I was able to communicate. It is a very broad category and most sane, rational men would not quibble about it except they be legal, Constitutional scholars or Supreme Court Justices.

So, unless you are the latter, you are just being contentious. I must say, however that you are correct that neither Jefferson nor anyone else "gave" us these rights nor did they claim to "give" these rights. They "enumerated" these rights, right?

And, like anything else, rights can be abused which is why we have policemen, armies and a legal industry in this country. In the clip, the gentleman with the sign was not being abusive and I saw no one complaining to him or about him. I don't know, maybe they were all in on the joke. It doesn't matter. The only abuse I saw, ON THE CLIP, came from the private goon-squad. Had they ben given police-powers by the state? I don't know. Did they print limitations and restrictions on the tickets? I don't know. Were rules and regulations posted at the gate? How would I know? I know the guy told those human bowlingballs that he was engaged in free speech. Talk about an upfront warning ( you're gonna git sued!)!

It did look like a "set-up" and those lunkers rose to the bait, didn't they? At any rate, he made his point in spades and I would think that this little clip will be appearing in law school classes all around the country. It has certainly generated a good discussion here at the 'cat.