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Published: October 31, 2008
“Handcuffed and arrested”
More problems at College of Alameda; pro-lifers jailed for outreach to students
Three members of Campus Life Tour spent almost 12 hours behind bars after being arrested Wednesday, Oct. 28, on the campus of the College of Alameda while passing out pro-life literature.
 The arrests represent an apparently ongoing problem at the community college over free speech rights. On Oct. 6, two students filed a federal lawsuit against the publicly funded school after college officials threatened to expel them for praying in an instructor’s office. “These students were not looking for a fight, but since the school to this day insists that it can expel them if they pray again, we will have to resolve it in federal court,” said Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, which is representing the students.
In the Wednesday incident, a group from Campus Life Tour, an outreach project of Survivors, a Christian, pro-life activism organization dedicated to educating and activating high school and college age individuals, arrived on the College of Alameda campus and quietly held signs, distributed literature and talked calmly with students. But, within moments of their arrival, a campus security guard attempted to dispel a group of curious onlookers, ushering them away from the displays, said a news release from Life Legal Defense Foundation, which is representing Survivors. The Alameda Sheriff's Department was called and instructed the group to leave, threatening them with arrest, said the release.
“When the members of Campus Life Tour refused to stop their lawful free speech activity and leave the public school property, the three activists handing out literature to students were handcuffed and arrested,” said the Life Legal Defense news release. “When the individuals being arrested repeatedly asked why they were being taken into custody, the arresting deputy responded that he was just doing what the school president asked him to do.”
"I am appalled that a public college would go to such great lengths to suppress free speech on their public campus,” said Allison Aranda, the lawyer who represents the Survivors. “To give one person the sole discretion and authority to deem certain speech too controversial to be spoken in a public forum is unconstitutional."
Commented Dana Cody, executive director of the Life Legal Defense Foundation, "College campuses, traditionally strongholds of free speech and thought, have turned into strongholds of censorship. Whether you agree with Ms. Aranda's clients' viewpoint on abortion or not, unless we fight this trend, who will be next? We at LLDF are 100% behind Ms. Aranda's efforts on behalf of the Survivors."
Aranda said a letter was sent to the college at least 24 hours before the planned activity by Survivors on the campus. “In this case, the College of Alameda made no effort to contact the Survivors or myself to discuss their opposition to the group's message,” said Aranda. “Rather, they simply waited for the group to appear on campus, then had them forcibly removed and placed under arrest. These sorts of blatant civil rights violations by public college officials, who should know better, will not be tolerated. We will not sit idly by and watch our public institutions disregard the constitution.”
"My team members are in jail for peacefully exercising their free speech rights,” said Kortney Blythe, director of Campus Life Tours for Survivors. “It is a travesty that these Alameda officers put these heroes in handcuffs claiming they were just 'following orders.' Sounds familiar. Don't we live in America -- land of the free -- or is it Nazi Germany?"
Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 12:35 AM By Dan
The Left will not tolerate those who shine a light on their darkness. And how deep is that darkness. If president Obama, should he win, signs FOCA as he promised PP, expect to see this in spades.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 3:31 AM By Dana
NAH. There has to be more to it than this.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 3:31 AM By Grace
The US has become the new Soviet Union
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 5:32 AM By St. Christopher
I hope that Campus Life Tour and the individuals that were arrested obtain the services of a top lawyer. Litigate against everyone, including the school, the Alameda County Sheriffs office, the arresting police, the president of the college, and anyone else in the chain of these arrests. Do not settle for only the right to pass out literature;seek personal damages for the "constitutional tort" that was committed, along with the obvious violations of the constitution. Only by raising the specter of personal, as well as institutional, money damages, along with affirmative injunctive relief, will true relief be obtained. Deo Gratias.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 5:43 AM By JLS
"doing what the school president asked him to do": The cops had the obligation legally to also do what the students might have "asked him to do", which could have been to arrest the college president for violating their Constitutional rights. In such case the cops would have had to haul off the college prez in shakles as well.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 6:13 AM By Ted
Working at college campuses was a real eye-opener. In these self-termed bastions of freedom where all are welcome, all are NOT welcome. Those who believe education really takes place there (at most colleges) would be surprised. It is better termed indoctrination, and the doctrine is far-left liberalism. Parents who actually pay the bills would be shocked at what really goes on, and would probably refuse to p[ay for it.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 6:24 AM By Mea Culpa
Another example of the "tolerance" of the pro-death movement. Our colleges have become places where no dissent from the homosexual, socialist agenda is allowed. They'd like to close our churches and remake all of society in their own image.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 6:59 AM By Tom Byrne
Yes, it is (in a fashion) Nazi Germany. A set of deranged elitists, possessed of a twisted and selfish ideology, do not disdain to destroy those they deem "unfit" (i.e. inconvenient to their lifestyle) and threaten also those who would protect their victims. If Obama wins, it will get worse.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 7:17 AM By Susan
There had to be more to it than just that. There had to have been some sort of threat, or something.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 8:42 AM By Fr. M.P.
So "he was just doing what the school president asked him to do.” That's the same type of excuse the nazi war criminals used. We see the "tolerance" of the left.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 9:16 AM By John F. Maguire
Within the broader context of higher learning in America, the administration of the College of Alameda, due to its chronic attacks upon the Constitutional rights of College of Alameda students, has become what can only be regarded as a rogue administration.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 9:44 AM By garvan
Think it's bad now? Just wait until America's own home-grown Fidel Castro -- Barack Obama -- takes office. Should we call him Che Obama or Barack Guevara?
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 9:52 AM By Maria C
People our land of the free is surely being taken over by many bad will agenda's. If Obama wins Christians will lose their freedom even more so, we are living another Nazi Germany come alive but Obama's version! We are experiencing a spiritual battle, these are the times where we will see who has a backbone to stand up for what is right. These are the symptoms of the anti-Christ near by. No I am not being paranoid, nothing to be paranoid about but these are times of test and trial. Sin causes these sort of things. Humanity has brought this upon itself, when the faithful stand by and do nothing, then as you see, these are the consequences, our children will suffer greatly because we did nothing to stop great evils. God bless these faithful pro-lifers.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 10:58 AM By Damaris Teague
In reply to Garvan: Senator Barack Obama is neither a Fidelista nor a Guevarista. You would do your own case against Senator Obama greater justice if you resolved to come up with a more accurate vocabulary for the sake of responsible criticism. In the meantime, however, you have failed--at least in the context of the present discussion--to show anything in the record of Senator Obama that suggests he does not respect the First Amendment rights of students to freedom of speech and religion.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 11:32 AM By Dan
Ideas have consequences. The absurditites taking place are the result of the bigotry of some in the administration--a viceral hatred of Christianity. Students of all creeds or no creed should go into the President's office and get down on their knees and pray.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 11:50 AM By Grace
People don't fool yourselves we have long since stopped following Blackwells model
read The Tyranny of Good Intentions: How Prosecutors and Law Enforcement Are Trampling the Constitution in the Name of Justice
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 12:03 PM By John M
I agree with Fr.M.P.......Please go out and rent"Judgement at Nuremberg" Our Lord only knows how close we are to the last days,In just a few days we may elect a man for president of the United States that we know very little about.Please pray for a miracle.Now you know who "They" are. I hope it's not too late..Jesus have mercy
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 1:35 PM By Kenneth M. Fisher
Damaris Teague,
Are you for real?
How about his promise to Planned Parenthood promising to eliminate all laws that limit abortion, in spite of the fact that the President, unless he intends to be a dictator which is highly probable, has no such authority to do!
If I had more time, I get over 200 E-mails a day, I would give you a very long list of proofs of the Marxist connections of Barak Hussein Mohammed Obama, including his willingness to eliminate our Constitutional requirment of actuall U.S. Birthright!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founder & Chairman
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
www.crcoa.com
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 1:58 PM By Bob
Since when does a sheriff's deputy take his orders from a school president? Is the school president the Alameda sheriff?
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 2:53 PM By JLS
What was the longest ancient Egyptian dynasty? The longest of the middle eastern empires? The Greek empire? The Roman empire? Then along came St Paul and the empire he founded on Christ has lasted fifteen hundred years. That which the Enlightenment began a couple centuries ago is now morphing into its second phase ... any guesses as to its possible term at the top?
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 3:19 PM By Victoria
Also, pleae go out and rent, "DELIVER US FROM EVIL", "OUR FATHERS", "HAND OF GOD", "THE SINS OF THE FATHERS", "TWIST OF FAITH". Watch these and see how close we really are to the, "Last Days".
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 3:43 PM By John Andersen
St. Christopher is correct. It is time to move past just being "defensive" in the courts and politics. It is time to go on the "offensive." The hearts of women across America are being changed for the good because of the great work of many in the trenches -- the women's resource centers, the prayers and protests at the abortion centers, etc. I pray "thank you" for the millions of believers across America who are helping to change hearts. But the more successful you are, the more our opponents will press through other means. It is time for us to stand up to the persecution and hypocrisy. Amen for groups like the Pacific Justice Institute. I have met Brad twice -- he is committed to Christ -- and his team is winning! We need organizations like his to help keep the mission field safe for the missionaries. Thank you. Amen.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 6:58 PM By JLS
Kenneth, today's mindset is void of any understanding of the word "marxism", "socialism", "communism", to name a few. I'm finding it important to run the description instead of the label. The name, eg, of Che Guevara means nothing to people under the age of 40 and even those only have an historical notion of what it was all about.
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 7:48 PM By Kenneth M. Fisher
JLS,
I agree with you, but as you can see as the Founder & Chairman of CRCOA, Inc. I get over 200 E-mails a day, so I rely on others to give more detailed explanations. Besides in my Engineering training, the KISS principle was always predominate.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founder & Chairman
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
www.crcoa.com
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Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 8:03 PM By Mindlessness
And just perhaps the group decided to ignore the need for the permit that all groups must have to set up a table on campus. Just perhaps they wanted a confrontation in order to get the publicity they seek.
You are all relying upon a report from a group that has its own agenda. Did you ever consider that there may be another side to the story?
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Posted Saturday, November 01, 2008 9:20 AM By JLS
There is no Constitutional need for a permit ... wasn't in '68, ain't now. It's all tyranical hype ... which slaves buy into.
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Posted Saturday, November 01, 2008 9:25 AM By JLS
Kenneth, good point. One of the things I try to do is develop KISS terminology, which is why I also try to use only familiar terminaology. The high falutin' lingo is for specialists, not public conversations or arguments. A professor once told us that the most effective level for public debate is the 8th grade level of reading.
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Posted Sunday, November 02, 2008 5:38 AM By JLS
Grace's suggestion on the topic of the corruption of the legal profession should remind us all that this corruption is not something new. Jesus spends a lot of time in the Gospel explaining it. Back in the 70s one often heard the phrase, "lawyers coming out of the woodwork", referring to the law degree mills pumping out more lawyers than anyone knew what to do with ... so the lawyers began to make work for themselves. Part of the medical industry is like this, advocating politically for policies which produce disease so as to feather their nests. But to be fair, even the engineering and military professions do this, invent and mass produce weapons and then employ them. There is so much corruption in the world that it would be nice to have a savior ... oh, wait, we have one already, Jesus.
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Posted Sunday, November 02, 2008 7:02 AM By Mea Culpa
You need a permit for free speech now? How long before we need a permit to practice our religion? I guess it's true, freedom ain't free.
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Posted Sunday, November 02, 2008 1:46 PM By John Santiago
Marxism, socialism, nazism, (Hitler) communism (Marx,Lenin,Stalin,Mao Tse Tung) Holocaust persecutions and deaths of Jewish and Christian people, ABORTION (Margaret Sanger and the persectutions of the African-American community called" Negro Project", Planned Parenthood), eugenics, ethnic, cleansing. If Obama wins this election (By the way he is strong pro-choice and voting for him will put you in excommunication under Church Canon Law.The Bishops have been screaming this over the Cathoilc community this past year.), this country will spiral downward in the den of it's own iniquity. Oh yes the "New Party" establishment. Prepare for United Socialist States of America,
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Posted Sunday, November 02, 2008 5:09 PM By Wesley
John Santiago, a Catholic may not vote for a candidate who (has control over and) takes a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, IF THE VOTER'S INTENT IS TO SUPPORT THAT POSITION. In such cases a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil. Formal cooperation in an abortion carries a penalty of excommunication. However, if the voter's intent is not to support that position but has other reasons for voting for that candidate, then even if those reasons are proportionately insufficient, it is not formal cooperation. To quote Cardinal Ratzinger, "A Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for Holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia." To vote for a candidate for other reasons may be bad judgment on another level but it would not constitute formal cooperation in evil.
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Posted Sunday, November 02, 2008 5:42 PM By Anne T.
Exactly, John Santiago.
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Posted Sunday, November 02, 2008 10:38 PM By BeauZeau
This is reminisent of the Chafee College case in Ontario, CA, where pro-life missionaries from the Survivors were also arrested by campus police, then jailed with the County Sheriff's cooperatiion. there seems to be some kind of unspoken, backroom policy in campus and public law enforcement to arrest pro-life campus visitors on trumped-up charges which do not fit the circumstances. this is likely to continue until these arresting deputies and campus administrators are socked with substantial fines for false arrest, and required to take a course in 1st Amendment rights.
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Posted Monday, November 03, 2008 7:11 AM By Dai Yoshida
Yes, Wesley. I should support Hitler for his economic stimulus programs. German standards of living soared under his leadership and the expansion of territories wiped out unemployment. I'm sure voting for another Hitler for president is of no consequence to our soul as long as we are not intentionally voting for fascism, racism, genocide, and abortion. You can play lawyer-ball and kid yourself all the way to the voting booth. I value my soul more than you do.
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Posted Monday, November 03, 2008 7:27 AM By Canisius
THis is the kind of country we will have once this Boshelvik Obama gets in power, we as devout Catholics will be persecuted for our faith.
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Posted Monday, November 03, 2008 5:25 PM By Hawthorne
Yes, it is common for colleges to require that for groups to set up tables they need permission. Usually there are time, place and manner rules. In this case, none of those involved with the group was even a student at the college.
There is usually an office on campus that handles these type of requests. Perhaps it is the dean of students or student activities or student services. The group needs to inquire to find out who they need to see and what is involved. They could have left when warned and filled out the paperwork for a later date. Instead, they refused to leave and were arrested, probably for trespassing.
There is no persecution taking place, just some people who didn't want to follow the rules. Why don't you just contact the college yourself and find out what you need to do to set up a pro-life table?
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Posted Monday, November 03, 2008 6:14 PM By Fr. M.P.
Wesley, google for Father Corapi Eleventh Hour and listen to his talk about proportionate reasoning. Your interpretation is defective.
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Posted Monday, November 03, 2008 8:05 PM By Mark from PA
Canisius - Obama is not a Bolshevik. He is just a bi-racial/African-American. He is not a communist, he is not a socialist, he is not a Nazi, he is not a fascist, he is not a Muslim. He is black. That is what it comes down to for a lot of people. He is black. People are just going to have to get used to having a black man for President. May God bless Barack Obama and may God bless our country.
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Posted Monday, November 03, 2008 8:39 PM By JLS
Hawthorne, the red tape is tyranny, and those demonstrators are calling the tyrants to account for it. There is no reason or point to make stumbling blocks for public freedoms on public properties. If some party were to set up something illegal, then they could be arrested for that. But these demonstrators were doing nothing illegal. Are you aware that this nation has a Constitution which guarantees us liberty against the tyranny you advocate? I tend to agree with BoZo on requiring perpetrators against the fundamental law of this nation to be sent to a re-education camp, maybe an offshore one in central China, or in downtown Siberia.
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Posted Monday, November 03, 2008 9:46 PM By Kenneth M. Fisher
John Santiago,
BARAK HUSSEIN MOHAMMED OBAMA IS NOT PRO CHOICE, HE IS COLD BLOODED PRO MURDER OF THE INNOCENT EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN BORN!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts, Kenneth M. Fisher, Founder & Chairman Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc. www.crcoa.com
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Posted Wednesday, November 05, 2008 12:26 AM By MarkF
Mark from PA said, "...he is not a communist, he is not a socialist, he is not a Nazi, he is not a fascist, he is not a Muslim. He is black." This makes NO sense whatsoever. I keep on calling Mark from PA for the way he deliberately confuses the questions, but he keeps on doing it. Mark from PA, being black is something you're born. Being a communist, socialist, etc., is something that's chosen. You won't defend Obama's pro-abortion and radical views. No, instead you change the subject and bring up race. It's not working, at least with me. You continually mix up concepts and ideas. Someone says A, and you defend B. Someone asks you X and you answer Y. For example, here you could have said that Obama's not a socialist, but he's a left wing democrat. Or you could have said he's not a communist, but he is a democratic socialist. No, you compared politics with race, when it is his politics that lead the Catholic Church to oppose the man. It seems that you don't want to defend your own ideas. You'd rather confuse the issue as a smoke screen.
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Posted Wednesday, November 05, 2008 3:48 PM By steve
Obama was elected by the people of the United States and there was no doubt about it. Millions of catholic's voted for him. Bush on the other hand was elected to his first term by the Supreme Court Of The United States. So, whine and slander our new president for the next eight years. It will gain you nothing. He is going to lead us out of this Godless mess Bush and his republican friends put us through the last eight years. Get used to a leader that can actually lead.
So long to the great decider, "King Dub Ya." "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED"
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Posted Wednesday, November 05, 2008 6:18 PM By JLS
steve, so your vision is that King Bush is replaced by messiah Obama? We're in for interesting times.
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