Speaker of the House Mutilating a Government Document? 18 U.S. Code § 2071
Free Speech or Crime?
I don't have an issue with Nancy making a political statement or expressing her free speech by ripping up the President's State of the Union transcript, but I do have an issue with the double standard. There's no way a Republican could get away with doing this without serious repercussions. But somehow, Nancy Pelosi gets off no problem.
Fines, Imprisonment or Both
It's on public record that Nancy mutilated the President's speech by ripping the document in half. Yes, it was a political protest, but to perform this publicly with a government document is a crime, punishable with fines or imprisonment or both.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2071
18 U.S. Code § 2071. Concealment, removal, or mutilation generally
(a) Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
(b) Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States. As used in this subsection, the term “office” does not include the office held by any person as a retired officer of the Armed Forces of the United States.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 795; Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title V, § 552(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1566; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
Let's Pretend
This is not a "gotcha" against Nancy Pelosi, it's not like they can't print out more transcripts of the President's State of the Union speech. I personally don't think she should be punished because she decided to make a (stupid) political statement. As we all know, US Code is more like... guidelines, if you know what I mean.
But let's look at this as a "let's pretend" scenario.
Let's pretend this were a Republican Speaker of the House standing behind a Democrat President. The President has just concluded his speech and the whole room is clapping. The Republican Speaker of the House casually took the transcript of the President's State of the Union speech and tore it into pieces in full view of the public.
Wouldn't they be in very big trouble? Wouldn't they be committing political suicide? Wouldn't they be impeached for behavior unbecoming for a Speaker of the House? Wouldn't this US code suddenly become a very serious and strictly enforced rule? Yet somehow a Democrat Speaker of the House is able to do this with no repercussions. The double-standard is infuriating.
I Want to Hear Your Opinion
What do you think? Should this US code be enforced and Nancy Pelosi pay the penalty of her violation? Should this act be categorized under freedom of speech? I'm curious your take on this. Let me know in the comments below.
Bless the Most High!
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Pelosi's display was the most petulant childish behaviour I've seen in months - and I have 3 under 3 and 2 teenagers!
The Dems have destroyed civility and undermined the Constitutional order by their groundless hatred of Trump.
I'm sure they will pay a heavy political price in November.
That's a high bar for Nancy to reach, for sure. The hope is they will pay a high enough price to keep this whole impeachment/president hatred business from continuing to spiral. If what we're seeing in the primaries is any indication, it may really happen.
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Haha-love the commentary. There might be "pre-dawn raids" of the politician, their lawyer, and all of their staffers to get to the bottom of this if this were a shoe on the other foot scenario. This is spectacular imagery and Pelosi may not realize it but she gave every opposing member the opportunity to show her take on The Constitution of the United States, the Electoral College, government fiscal spending budgets, and just about anything else any American that is not sucked in by her partisan tactics handed down from the DNC first church of groupthink and virtue signaling.
Couldn't have said it better myself. :-)
The basic rule of civil disobedience is that the one who acts should also be willing to pay the consequences of breaking the law.
Nobody is above the law, unless your name ends with "inton".
To be civil disobedience I think the law has to effect you in some way @mineopoly ?
Right. Some law should be considered an unjust law.
I am in complete accord with you here @ironshield, and you are absolutely correct, had the "shoe been on the other foot" Dem's across the nation would be up in arms.
This whole period of months WASTED with no constructive work getting done in Congress (but then, there rarely is, is there?) while this farce of a trial went on and on.
EVERYONE knew about the corruption in Ukraine, and it has been hidden in plain site that the Bidens and several other's in High Political Office were profiteering on it.
When I first heard about "the phone call I did not hear the Bidens, I only heard "investigate corruption", which was a good thing.
If we are giving billions to them, it should not be turned around and show up in American politician's pockets.
Agreed.
Haha yes. Article 1 Section 1... rip. Article 1 Section 2...rip. Article 1 Section 3... rip...
This whole thing is an open secret, but as long as no one talks about it, they have no care in the world. Now people are talking and they are playing the distract game, or even worse the projection game: they blame their political opponent with the crime they themselves are doing.
I hate putting political stuff on my FB profile, it is so contentious, but this post is so well written, I would like your permission to paste it there.
I'd share the link, but I know from experience that people (those of my friends and followers) by and large don't open my steemit links, so I've stopped doing it.
I would C&P this post in clear text, the paste the link so you would be known as the author.
If I knew how to contact and befriend you over there, I'd do it that way.
Do I have your permission for this @ironshield?
Of course, my friend.
Here is the link to my post, I credited you at the top, and posted the link to this post in the first comment
Thank you
https://www.facebook.com/jerry.e.smith1/posts/10215702651415289
Thanks for posting the link, I can't see it because the post is not public and only viewable for friends.
I'll fix that, brb
There, it is public now
I love the Pelosi meme.
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Pelosi is behaving childishly. She was throwing a temper tantrum. That was done purely to get attention.
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I agree, especially with the pre ripped pages and distracting commentary during the speech.
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Yes it is disgraceful and the world was watching. She could have expressed a rebuttal following his speech. But no. She chose and I think planned to do this. She should be removed from office immediately. A crime? In a way yes. Free speech ... for a nobody maybe But she is a high official and her accountability is higher too. It is the behavior that bothers me more than the actual ripping. I hope she is held accountable for her action. If she was working for a company or corp and did that in front of her employer, she would be terminated. This is no different. Nancy the Ripper needs to be fired...gone bye by Nancy.
Nancy the Ripper. Now there's a memorable nickname! I suspect she absolutely planned it, though it's hard to tell if she planned during the speech of before. The attitude of malicious defiance is definitely what made the action the most disturbing.
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