My fear brothers and sisters is that Senate Bill 13 has been reduced to the hoodie bill as if this is an attack on fashion. In the grand scheme of things its not just about a hoodie. Let me tell you what this bill actually says: It shall be unlawful for any person in this state to (Section B) intentionally conceal his or her identity in a public place by means of a robe, mask, or other disguise: (Section 2) It being IMMEDIATELY NECESSARY for the PRESERVATION OF THE PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH AND SAFETY, an EMERGENCY is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval. I didnt know that we had an epidemic of mask and hoodie wearers in Oklahoma. Next, the phrase for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety is reminiscent of the law and order language of the Nixon Administration, who wanted those in dissent to sit down, shut up and/or go away. And anyone that would not go away was locked away. As I have said before, there are already state statues that punish those who conceal their faces in the commission of crimes. We are not arguing that. What we are arguing is that this provision goes directly at the heart of the people in the Occupy Movement (with the Guy Fawkes masks) and the Hoodie, that has become a symbol of those protesting police misconduct in the Black Lives Matter/All Lives Matter Movement. If we are protesting police misconduct, the very agency that we are seeking dialogue with gets to decide exactly who is breaking the law. Additionally, you and I can be arrested at the same event by the same officers and because of prosecutorial discretion and perhaps more importantly, judicial discretion, one of us can be given probation and the other prison. It happens daily.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 03:05:53 +0000
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