College Professor Laura Curry Arrested for Swearing at Pro-Life Display

[cali]

University of Buffalo professor Laura Curry recently cursed at a pro-life display set up by 'UB Students for Life,' and as a result she ended up getting arrested

Police told Curry not to use profanity, which made her angrier. The incident was recorded by a student's cell phone, reports Mediaite.com.

“Where does it say I can’t use the f*ck word in public,” Curry asked police. “I can swear because that’s part of my vocabulary. That’s part of my First Amendment rights.”

<snip>

After Curry said, "That is f*cking profane,” she was arrested.

<snip>

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/crime/college-professor-laura-curry-arrested-swearing-pro-life-display-video

[patrice]

1. GOOD word, "profane". Pro-Life EXPLOITES the exploited & that IS fucking profane. nt

[Agschmid]

2. Abuse of power by the cops... ridiculous, and so close to home. n/t

[get the red out]

3. Is cursing illegal?

This is frightening! They can display but HOW DARE anyone speak out negatively against their display.

[Vinnie From Indy]

6. It's not illegal, but that will not prevent an idiot cop from arresting you

for it.

[Purrfessor]

8. It's not that she used the word "fucking," it's how she used it...

Had she said "fucking liberals," or "fucking fags," or "fucking Obama," or something similar she would have been cheered rather than arrested.

[get the red out]

13. Good point

We are guaranteed freedom of speech until the police show up too I guess.

[RC]

17. Reminds me of DU sometimes.

And they aren't even real police.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. ACLU they're calling you.

[Vinnie From Indy]

5. Jesus H Christ on a cracker!

At least this prof and her lawyer will make a few bucks at the city's expense. This isn't even close!

[Jim__]

7. She was charged with disorderly conduct.

Does anyone know how those statutes are usually written? I wonder if it's just a catch-all charge that's basically impossible to defend against.

[Vinnie From Indy]

9. It depends on the conversation and her actions

If she was warned about her speech and then arrested immediately after swearing again, I doubt the prosecutor's office will pursue this matter. Then it will be her turn, if she chooses, to sue the city for the arrest.

[yesphan]

10. That and

"disturbing the peace". Usually written in such a way as to supersede specific statutes about noise etc.
For instance, I got a ticket for disturbing the peace even though I was well within the noise limits in my town.
I disturbed someone (not the cop), therefore I was fined.

[Macoy51]

11. We Have a Bingo!

You are correct, she was charged with disorderly conduct, not swearing in public. It is basically a ‘get in jail free’ card for cops. If she calming stated that the display was some f-end up she t she would not have had a problem. Once she started being “hostile” to the cops, she was at their mercy.

Until we live in a free society, it is best to obey the police. Maybe some day we will get out of this police state, but that day is not today.


Macoy

[Spitfire of ATJ]

21. It's like when they throw you down...

Try to shield yourself from the fast approaching floor and they claim you were "resisting".

[cutroot]

12. They are not "Pro-Life"

They are anti abortion. Once the child is born they care little about the life it will lead, especially if the child is poor or handicapped. The anti abortionists crusade because it is an inexpensive and meaningless way to ease their consciences. It's no wonder that the good professor was ticked off.

[JEB]

14. Law suit coming soon.

The cops had better be prepared for a big payout.

[FreeBC]

16. Why would the cops care about that?

The taxpayers pick up the tab for their malfeasance.

[JEB]

18. If a cop costs the city enough money

then their job is in danger. Money, unfortunately, is one of a very few forms of accountability for cops.

[Coyotl]

15. Sue for millions so we all can still exercise our free speech right.

And, to the arresting officer, "Fuck you, sir."

[Initech]

19. You can't spell "profanely idiotic" without "pro life".

I swear at these morons on a daily basis.

[Brigid]

20. Some cop saw "Demolition Man" too many times.

[idwiyo]

22. K&R Nothing wrong with calling it as it is, IMNSHO.

[AtheistCrusader]

24. I couldn't figure out the three seashells either.

[diabeticman]

23. This might be a reaching but wouldn't this be infringing on her first amendment rights?

Here's my thinking:

Thanks to a certain factors in our culture Pro-life stance and Pro-choice stance have become basically poilitical views...THEREFORE the police officer was trying to censor her response to the "Pro-life" stance that was in a sense forced on her. This display IF IN a PUBLIC place is basically a form of free speech for their side and she just vocalized her reaction to that view.

[SamKnause]

25. Cursing

Good for her !

I can't count how many videos I have seen where the cops cuss out and threaten the people they are arresting.

The laws in this country are fucking insane !!!!!!

[baldguy]

26. It should be said that UB has a university police department.

They should be used to dealing extreme views (as with the real profanity of the anti-abortion display) - and the reasonable reactions to them.