About that shoe-thrower...

[mattkime]

>>W. did have decent reaction speed. maybe he has been in training for this maneuver?

I wonder if he's been hunting with cheney

[$tevie]

You do have to give Bush credit for fast reflexes.

Stolen from Karsen's thread:

[DharmaDog]

I don't find it hard to believe he was injured while committing this crime or being subdued. If that's the case, then I have no sympathy. Assault isn't freedom of speech.

In any case, this man should no longer be a reporter. Maybe he could write Opinion pieces, though.

[Mac1337]

How long do you get locked up for this "funny" act in this country? The media just had a ball with it. Almost wished they had thrown the shoes themselves.

[mattkime]

>>How long do you get locked up for this "funny" act in this country?

Depends upon which public official you embarrass and how insecure they are.

[Greg the dogsitter]

mattkime wrote:

(tu)

[Black Landlord]

$tevie wrote:
You do have to give Bush credit for fast reflexes.

Stolen from Karsen's thread:

Anyone with real reflexes would have hit the ground.
Watch the video again-- Bush was staring right at the guy as he wound up and threw the shoe.
His reaction suggests he gets things thrown at him on a fairly regular basis.

[davester]

DharmaDog wrote: Assault isn't freedom of speech.

Don't be absurd. Throwing shoes is not assault. In fact, if you had read anything about this you'd know that throwing shoes is a form of insult in muslim countries. You'd also know that Bush himself, in an unusually wise manner, laughed it off and said that freedom to perform such demonstrations was part of a free society.

To quote Bush directly:

Geedubya wrote:
"So what if the guy threw his shoe at me?" Bush told a reporter in response to a question about the incident. ... Let me talk about the guy throwing his shoe. It's one way to gain attention. It's like going to a political rally and having people yell at you. It's like driving down the street and having people not gesturing with all five fingers. ... These journalists here were very apologetic. They ... said this doesn't represent the Iraqi people, but that's what happens in free societies where people try to draw attention to themselves."

Of course, all this was said before the Iraqi officials had the !#$@ beaten out of the guy and had him up on charges that may get him imprisoned.

[davester]

double post

[Doc]

> Don't be absurd. Throwing shoes is not assault.

http://www.yourdictionary.com/assault

In criminal and tort law, an act, usually consisting of a threat or attempt to inflict bodily injury upon another person, coupled with the apparent present ability to succeed in carrying out the threat or the attempt if not prevented, that causes the person to have a reasonable fear or apprehension of immediate harmful or offensive contact. No intent to cause battery or the fear or apprehension is required so long as the victim is placed in reasonable apprehension or fear. No actual physical injury is needed to establish an assault, but if there is any physical contact, the act constitutes both an assault and a battery.

Sometimes, speech and criminal violence are one and the same.