My HERO!

I think it is a bad idea to shoot the finger to anybody while driving, much less the cops. It is too easy for the cops to find "something" you are doing wrong. And its all legit. The guy is asking for trouble. Yea, it may be your First Amendment right, but you don't piss in the face of cops anywhere, anytime. Its being stupid.

I know a dancer who shot the vice cops a finger as they were raiding the club and rounding up the girls. She wasn't on the original list to be picked up, but because she shot them the finger, she was arrested along with the other of the dancers.

Charges were later dropped, but she spent the night in jail for her First Amendment expression.

God Bless America! pablo does make some good points though...try not to piss cops off or they will find something to write a ticket about.

There was a case about 20 years ago where a guy was fighting a ticket for flipping off an officer. In court, the judge ruled it was protected speech and not not obscene and ruled against the officer.

The officer and his buddies then flipped off the judge when leaving the courtroom.

personally i think this ekas dude is looking for trouble. ok, he expressed his right but it will come back and bite him in the ass somewhere down the road. if the cops want to get you they will and i guarantee ekas is high on their shitlist.

btw, when i was 16yrs old i was driving past the entrance/exit of the local police station. i was going west and a cop pulled out in front of me to go east. i had to hit my brakes to keep from hitting him and as we passed each other in opposite directions i looked over at him. he looked at me with a big grin and that pissed me off more and i flipped him the finger. his expression changed real fast but he kept on driving east and i basically dodged a proverbial bullet. that was the only time i ever gave a cop the finger to his face. i grew up and learned better, ekas still has some growing up and learning to do imo.

Seeing as how budget cuts will soon hit with greater force, what's the liklihood the steps of the county courthouse (traditional protest locale) get abreak as the officers gather on the street outside Mr. Ekas' domain? At 2 am and seek to exercise their right to free speech? On multiple nights?

If the cops do target him without an open and shut case, they're just giving more fuel for more harassment suits.

Shadow, I like and respect you, but let me play Devil's advocate to your statement. If you were in a group that got flipped off by a cop, you'd be complaining to IAD, the DA,thenewspaper, the Police Chief, and whatever local TV station that likes to grind an axe.

When I was a cop, I wasn't flipped off, but was disrespected countless times. In the worst case, I was taking severe abuse from a teen boy. He finally crossed the line when he alleged an incestuous act between me, my mom, and the family dog. I introduced his face to a windshield and the rest of him to a car hood.

I think we sometimes forget that MOST of the time, cops are good guys just trying to do a very difficult job. I can only imagine how long I would last before I put my fist, nightstick or bullet through some obnoxious asshole. We all have a story about an asshole cop but how many stories do they have about asshole citizens? Give them a break and try to support them. Remeber who you are going to call for help when YOU need it.

I don't think it's smart to go flipping off the police. If you flaunt disrespect, you don't get any.