T-shirts at the State of the Union

T-shirts in the Capitol has become a big deal. O'Rilley even has the Congressman's wife on to complain about her rights and such.

Is there really a law against wearing a political T-shirt to the State of the Union address? No.

The Capitol Police do have protocols that are followed in order to avoid "incidents" during major events. But their own actions Tuesday night confirm that Sheehan was singled out for rough justice.

Beverly Young, the wife of Rep. C.W. Bill Young, a Florida Republican who chairs the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee, showed up for the State of the Union address sporting a T-shirt that read, "Support the Troops Defending Our Freedom." When Capitol Police asked her to leave the gallery because she was wearing clothing that featured a political message, Young says, she argued loudly with officers and called one of them "an idiot."

Sheehan, who caused no ruckus, was arrested not because she engaged in "unlawful conduct." Rather, by all accounts, she was arrested because of what her T-shirt said and, by extension, because of what she believes.

What the issue here is people today no longer believe that there is nothing called manners. There has been a tradition of no demonstrations in the Capitol. It is not hard to understand what that means but these women want to claim the rule is ambiguous.

The problem is not the ambiguity of the rule , but the crassness of the individuals involved. Sure free speech is important but people please, are we all now to become self centered adolescents spouting our opinions at every public gathering? Is there no venue that commands respect enough that the focus remains on the purpose of the gathering rather than on the spectators in the peanut gallery?

If one feels compelled to voice their positions at every whim one should get a blog and sell T-shirts in the margin like the rest of us. There is a time and place for everything. When you are invited to witness an historic event, take a moment to remind yourself it's not about you.

Basil's picnic