That’s how I’d title the story. But that’s just me.
Here’s how those on the left are characterizing it:
White Lady Fights Cops While Stealing Black People’s American Flag: No Arrest
An absolutely insane woman won the hearts of conservatives after video was posted of her attempting to steal an American flag from a group of African-American protesters. Michelle Manhart, an Air Force veteran, former Playboy model, and violent psychopath, was filmed attempting to run off with a flag being used at an anti-white privilege protest at Valdosta State University.
The flag in question was on the ground, and was being walked on — a crude expression of demonstrators’ angst, but an act that was entirely within their rights as American citizens. As right-wingers love the flag (They don’t understand what it represents, but they certainly think it’s pretty), Manhart would not stand for these American citizens exercising their rights. So, she decided to do what any good “Christian” would — she ran up and stole the flag.
WATCH: White Conservatives Go Nuts, Police Detain Woman For Taking Flag From Protesters (VIDEO)
A group of student protesters at Valdosta State University were denouncing racism on campus and allegedly stepping on a U.S. flag, when a woman decided she did not like what they were doing. Michelle Manhart, an Air Force veteran, took the flag away from them and would not let go, even when cops intervened.
This eventually led to her being detained, as can be seen in the below video. But, it took an awfully long time for even that to happen. It even took four officers to subdue her. Some of the students noticed this preferential treatment, but eventually police had no choice but to take her to the cruiser since she absolutely would not comply with their requests to “let go of the flag.”
Since being posted online, conservatives everywhere are going bonkers that police decided to detain her – instead of arresting the “black kids” for harming the national flag. Apparently, Republicans think it’s okay to disregard police authority, so long as you’re white, and it’s done in the name of God and country, let alone against a bunch of “no-good blacks” protesting with a “torn flag.”
White Woman Steals Flag, Resists Arrest – Watch What Happens:
I can understand a military veteran being upset about this protest. I can understand that in the passion of the moment she got carried away and decided to “defend the flag.” I certainly respect the professionalism the police displayed in attempting to calm her and the demonstrators down and have her return the flag to its rightful owners. I do wonder, though, what would have happened had she not been a middle-aged white woman, but someone of color who behaved in this fashion. Theft is a crime. And, clearly she resisted arrest. Yet in the end, she is nor prosecuted or charged with those crimes.
By the way, the right wing media are going crazy over this story.
You can watch the video clip on Michelle Manhart’s FB.
I do not get this media-driven if-it-bleeds-it-leads perception-pushing that it is “open season” on blacks by law enforcement (I guess I’d have to be black). Or this apples to cucumber comparison between Manhart’s encounter with law enforcement and how they treated her with how some other law enforcement officers in other agencies handled (or mishandled) entirely different scenarios and players. The perception or misperception is this: Manhart was treated differently by law enforcement because she is white. If she had been black, the assumption is insinuated, she would have been dealt with much more harshly.
Call me another “right wing crazy”, but my sympathies align with Manhart; and not with those America-hating protesters.
On this Monday, 5 days shy of 39 years ago:
A former fetus, the “wordsmith from nantucket” was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1968. Adopted at birth, wordsmith grew up a military brat. He achieved his B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles (graduating in the top 97% of his class), where he also competed rings for the UCLA mens gymnastics team. The events of 9/11 woke him from his political slumber and malaise. Currently a personal trainer and gymnastics coach.
The wordsmith has never been to Nantucket.
I know it looks like she did the world a service, but the courts have decided a different way.
It is legal to use flags as clothing, as carpet, even to ”desecrate” them.
I don’t know the court’s rationale for all this, except that ”free expression” is in there somewhere.
I wonder, since Dems are in such a hurry to get rid of parts of free expression out of the US Constitution, if they would mind having to respect the flag in trade for preventing films being shown on campus, or certain speakers from being allowed to speak?
What a twisting on the First Amendment is going on!
My primary take on this is in regards to the race issue moreso than the despicable, tasteless act of flag-burning- the belief that had she been black, law enforcement would have handled her differently.
Really? You have to wonder? Why not look at the protests in the restaurants where white people are harassed, protests where traffic is illegally stopped and, of course, the destruction of Ferguson. Apparently, if one is black, it is impossible to get arrested. In fact, many in Ferguson got cash awards for the rudeness of being teargassed while pillaging shops.
Sorry, but I have zero respect for idiots desecrating the flag. A veteran, one of the less than 1% who have actually served to protect what the flag represents, has a much deeper understanding of what that flag stands for than a bunch of anti-American scumbags who think walking on it as a deliberate act of provocation will ever comprehend.
Throwing in the race card merely crystalizes their stupidity. It is amazingly tragic that they perceive a more sinister theme to how this veteran was handled by the police than the multiple occurences of black-on-black violence resulting in the deaths of young blacks in places like Chicago. Talk about seeimg life through cognitive blinders…
@Pete: These people are certainly due their opinions and points of view. However, if this is what they think of the nation (the flag), then they should refuse to accept any of the benefits from the taxpayers.
But, they won’t. Because they are leeches.
The only consolation veterans have in a situation like this, is that they fought for the right of citizens to do stuff like this without their government cutting their head of for stepping on the country’s flag.
According to Ga law…
50-3-9. Abuse of federal, state, or Confederate flag unlawful
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to mutilate, deface, defile, or abuse contemptuously the flag of the United States, the flag, coat of arms, or emblem of the State of Georgia, or the flag or emblem of the Confederate States of America by any act whatever.
This explains it all. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights
You will find that the United States does not fare very well , It is in fact a hipocrit and creates registries just as Hitler did prior to denial of the courts and then Deportation to “Re-Education centers. The politicans in this country has indebted the population and their future generations with a un-payable burden of debt through financial irresponsibility. The USA has the HIGHEST prison populations in the WORLD! Through financial disparity created by politicians, the financial gap between the middle class and the poor is growing closer by the day due to them not protecting the economy from foreign commerce through tarriffs. Keeping a country that is sworn to destroy us as a most favored trading partner. The politicians invest in Chinese companies so they can reap larger profits thereby committing treason De-Facto against their oath of office and the American people. They make laws to protect themselves which in effect elevate them above the common people-sounds like royalty doesn’t it? Slap a politician and get years in the federal pen. They slap you and get a slap on the hand. They spend 24 hours in office and get free medical for life for them and their families. They double tax goods and earnings and interstate commwerce which is against the constitution they swore to uphold and defend. They ROBBED Social Security which was self funding and now it has to be FUNDED out of the GNP. Now they say because of debt, SS will go away. By the way, SS law made it ILLEGAL for congress to touch it. They cannot even follow their own laws. You go to court and stand under a Flag of the Admiralty-See Gold Fringed Flag- under which you are guilty UNTIL PROVEN innocent. Ever wonder why you have to DEFEND yourself when you step into a courtroom? A true presumption of innocence puts the burden on the prosecution. Financially you get beat by the justice system. The list goes on ands on. They are no longer congressmen and senators, They are more like the Dukes and Earls of old. Mass survaillance, legislaton to push for DNA chipping like animals and we are the livestock! 3 billion rounds of Hollow Point ammo to distribute to local authorities to use on the American people. I say, let them protest. That ability may also soon come to an end. Wake up SHEEPLE!
24% of American men are vets 2% of American women are vets
overall 13% have served
http://www.gallup.com/poll/158729/men-women-veterans.aspx
Today because of the high standards only 10-20% are eligible to serve
While Georgia has its own laws the Constitution of the United States trumps them and flag burning/desecration is considered free speech http://reverbpress.com/news/michelle-manhart-posed-nude-with-flag/
Was it desecration that she was dragging it on the ground ?
if I was there when that playboy pic of Michelle Manhart was taken with her dragging the flag on the ground I would have been so concerned I would have grabbed it and taken it away and folded it up
Because of PATRIOTISM !!
@john: Well, if Wikipedia says it, then it must be so.
If the conditions upset you so, I suggest you direct your protests at the Democrat party.
@iaf: While I would prefer to see her without the flag, what exactly does this have to do with what the idiots that were trampling on the flag were doing and what she did to stop it? Oh, that’s right…. “war on women”.
What I am puzzled about is that the article mentions that the veteran was somehow exercising white privilege when the officers attempted to arrest or detain her. What is extremely baffling, and the question should be asked, is why were not the Valdosta State students charged under federal code 5-51-207. This is a crime punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail. Could this be because the students were black and no one wants to upset the black community right now?