Occupy Sarasota protests disabled man's arrest by Sarasota Police

**SarasotaRepub** · 02-26-2012, 10:49 AM

SARASOTA - Sarasota Police arrested a disabled Occupy Sarasota member Saturday afternoon for writing slogans in chalk on the sidewalks of Five Points Park.

The slogans included “Make love not war,” “Give peace a chance,” and “Go hippies.”

The half-dozen members of the group who were at the park are furious, saying they obtained permission to write their messages from City Hall.

“This was chalk. It wasn't illegal,” said Occupy Sarasota member Paul Tuttle. “If you don't have money in this town, you'll be taken advantage of.”

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

**SarasotaRepub** · 02-26-2012, 10:56 AM

Oh...and for the bleeding hearts out there.

Tetrault and others in the group identified their arrested member as Chris Young, 40, a disabled Iraq War veteran who walks with a cane. Young's disability is not service related.

**Novaheart** · 02-26-2012, 01:34 PM

I try to support the police as much as possible, and they often make it difficult when they behave in ways which seem petty or pushy to the public. Writing on sidewalks in chalk may be illegal on the books, but until they start arresting little girls for hopscotch grids, then to enforce the law against anyone else is selective enforcement which is bad law and bad PR for the police.

In fact, I wish St. Pete would pass a "Use Chalk" law. As it is, vandals use these big magic markers that are essentially self wetting paint brushes to put their "tags" on the Pinellas Trail. It would be so much better if the cops and park service would reach out to them and tell them that they can use chalk but only on surfaces exposed to sun AND rain.

**Odysseus** · 02-26-2012, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by Novaheart

I try to support the police as much as possible, and they often make it difficult when they behave in ways which seem petty or pushy to the public. Writing on sidewalks in chalk may be illegal on the books, but until they start arresting little girls for hopscotch grids, then to enforce the law against anyone else is selective enforcement which is bad law and bad PR for the police.

In fact, I wish St. Pete would pass a "Use Chalk" law. As it is, vandals use these big magic markers that are essentially self wetting paint brushes to put their "tags" on the Pinellas Trail. It would be so much better if the cops and park service would reach out to them and tell them that they can use chalk but only on surfaces exposed to sun AND rain.

Yes, the vandals will then happily switch to chalk.

The whole point of tagging is to leave a permanent, ugly reminder that the tagger was there. Without that, they have no existence. Trying to convince them to play nice with chalk is as stupid as Clinton's midnight basketball initiative. Thugs choose to be thugs because they enjoy it, not because they are misunderstood youth.

**RobJohnson** · 02-27-2012, 01:49 AM

Originally Posted by Odysseus

Yes, the vandals will then happily switch to chalk.

The whole point of tagging is to leave a permanent, ugly reminder that the tagger was there. Without that, they have no existence. Trying to convince them to play nice with chalk is as stupid as Clinton's midnight basketball initiative. Thugs choose to be thugs because they enjoy it, not because they are misunderstood youth.

Spray cans could be replaced by water colors!

**RobJohnson** · 02-27-2012, 01:55 AM

**Rockntractor** · 02-26-2012, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by Novaheart

I try to support the police as much as possible, and they often make it difficult when they behave in ways which seem petty or pushy to the public. Writing on sidewalks in chalk may be illegal on the books, but until they start arresting little girls for hopscotch grids, then to enforce the law against anyone else is selective enforcement which is bad law and bad PR for the police.

In fact, I wish St. Pete would pass a "Use Chalk" law. As it is, vandals use these big magic markers that are essentially self wetting paint brushes to put their "tags" on the Pinellas Trail. It would be so much better if the cops and park service would reach out to them and tell them that they can use chalk but only on surfaces exposed to sun AND rain.

Put the chalk down and back away slowly!

**NJCardFan** · 02-27-2012, 01:45 AM

Originally Posted by Novaheart

In fact, I wish St. Pete would pass a "Use Chalk" law. As it is, vandals use these big magic markers that are essentially self wetting paint brushes to put their "tags" on the Pinellas Trail. It would be so much better if the cops and park service would reach out to them and tell them that they can use chalk but only on surfaces exposed to sun AND rain.

The hell do you think this is, West Side Story? Somehow I don't see Crips running to their local Hobby Lobby and buying all the blue chalk they can carry.

**Novaheart** · 02-29-2012, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by NJCardFan

The hell do you think this is, West Side Story? Somehow I don't see Crips running to their local Hobby Lobby and buying all the blue chalk they can carry.

OK, it wasn't my best idea. But the only people I have seen doing this weren't what I would normally think of as Crips- they were at most 14 or 15 year old kids who are still afraid of being slapped by a parent. I'd need to be convinced that the person making the Crips mark on the back wall of Lantmännen Unibake isn't some even more ridiculous person than a Crip, ie a poseur Crip. I'm pretty sure the wispy waspy kid with his dorky lookout making the crown and some stupid nickname isn't actually a Crip.