Metroplex Atheists
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The Story behind the Photo
May 4, 2000

I have received several emails asking for details about the photograph of me with the police officers. It's not bad. Honest. Please don't let the photo deter you from engaging in a lawful protest whenever it's necessary to defend your rights. Okay, now... here's a couple of photos.

I had been using a bullhorn for about 45 minutes into the protest when I was approached by the police officer in the left photo.

"Sir, you have a right to demonstrate. You have a right to be on this sidewalk. You even have the right to use that bullhorn however, you need to turn it down," the officer said.
"Officer, why?" asked I.
"Because we have received complaints."
"From who. The public?"
"From the organizers of the event."
"Well, of course 'they' would complain. We're protesting them!"
"Well, they have a permit."
"But they have amplification, I don't see why they can and we can't."
"They have a permit. Sir, I'm asking you to turn it down."
"Well, okay. How far."
"Just down," said the officer.

I'm convinced the officer was a bonafide Dallas Police Department officer. I obeyed him. I turned the volume on the horn to half what it was and started using it again after about 5 minutes. Quickly the guy in uniform you see in the right-hand photo came and stuck his face in my chest and gruffly said,

"I told you to put that away."
"Sir, you did not. The officer said I should turn it down. I turned it down half-volume."
"Well, I'm telling you now to put it away!"
"Allright. I will. But I'm am still going to use my voice."
"You can use your voice," he said.

So, I put the horn down and continued chanting with my unaided voice. Now, some observations. The second time, that one badgering me wasn't even in the group in the first conversation. Look at the photos. See? He's not in it. Now, look at him in the second (right-side) photo. He's out of uniform! See the t-shirt sleeves poking out from his uniform shirt. I've never seen a police officer dress like that. And besides that, he's wearing silver chevrons. Regular police wear golden chevrons. I think this dude is nothing more than a Parks department security type employee who was upset at me for disrupting their nice little government prayerfest.

Anyway, I put the bullhorn away and we continued the protest uninterrupted for another twenty minutes before we shut it down. We didn't get in trouble with the law. We were there protesting in a lawful manner. Don't let the sight of blue suits deter you from staging protests of your own.

Randy

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