Home > Banned in Washington - Where’s the Free Speech?

Banned in Washington - Where’s the Free Speech?

by Open-Publishing - Thursday 14 September 2006
5 comments

Demos-Actions Democracy USA

by Ann Wright

So much for free speech in the nation’s capital and capitol. On July, 11, 2006 I was arrested for offering a citizen’s voice in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing against the nomination of one of the Bush administration’s architects of torture, William Haynes, former Department of Defense General Counsel (chief civilian lawyer) for a life-time appointment to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Yesterday, September 7, I appeared in the Criminal Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of “Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct on the United States Capitol Grounds on July 11, 2006.” During that appearance, I was ordered by the court to “Stay Away” from the US Capitol, all Senate and House Office Buildings and committee hearing rooms and the streets surrounding the Capitol area.

The court papers state that I must abide by this order until my case is disposed of and that “any violation of this condition (order) could result in your prosecution for Contempt of Court, the revocation of your release and/or your detention pending final disposition of this case.” I was released on my personal recognizance but instructed in writing that “a warrant for your arrest will be issued immediately upon any violation of a condition of this release. And shall subject you to revocation of the release; an order of detention and prosecution for contempt of court (a fine of not more than $1000 or imprisonment not more than 6 months or both.)

Another paragraph said that “if you are convicted of an offense committed while released, you shall be subject to the following penalties: imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than 5 years if convicted of committing a felony while released; and imprisonment of not less than 90 days and not more than one year if convicted of committing a misdemeanor while released; such to be consecutive to any other sentence of imprisonment.”

All of these prohibitions are because I stated in the US Congress that I am opposed to torture and that the Congress should not confirm a person associated with the Bush administration’s torture policy. These court orders definitely curtail my ability to voice to the US Congress my concerns and the concerns of much of the American people about important issues they are considering, like the following the Congress will consider next week:

Bush’s demand that Congress authorize greater warrantless wiretap authority;

Bush’s demand that Congress agree to military tribunals where defendants can be tried and convicted without seeing the evidence; that classified evidence can be used with neither defendants nor their lawyers told about such information; that prosecutors could rely on hearsay or evidence obtained indirectly and evidence obtained by coercion if the panel’s chief deemed it reliable and directly related to the accusations;

Bush’s demand that Congress agree to keep CIA secret detention sites in other countries operational;

Bush’s demand that Congress confirm John Bolton as US ambassador to the United Nations;

Don’t you believe these are issues that we the people must instruct our Congress on how we feel? Of course, you can call, write or email your Senators and Congresspersons.

But I like to go into the committee rooms and look our elected officials in the eyes and tell them what I think. It doesn’t take long to tell them because the Capitol police officer in the hearing room usually arrives at your side quickly when you speak out. When you speak out in a committee room, our elected officials, those who serve us, are left with a succinct statement of concerns about the issue. Hearings would probably be a lot better if the Congresspersons had the same police at their elbows demanding shorter statements!

I do understand that committees not take the time generally to hear from the public in their committee rooms; lobbying for an issue is done in the halls and offices. But, I think there is a role for a lightning comment-but it comes with the risk of being arrested for “disrupting” the hearing or at a minimum being escorted out of the hearing and later released.

Now that I am banned from the Capitol area, I hope others will come to the Congress and express their views. We the people must tell the Congress to be brave and courageous in these perilous times-now of all times, we need strong character and moral courage from our Congress. We the people must give them courage.

But tomorrow, Veterans for Peace is marching around the capitol area as a stop the war, treat our veterans right march. I am banned from the area. But what about peaceful, nonviolent marches? Are all rights withdrawn because one speaks out against torture?

Well, this has been a “banner” week for being banned. Besides from being banned from the Capitol area, yesterday the Commanding Officer of Fort Myer, VA denied my request for reconsideration of a one-year ban from Fort Myer, VA and Fort McNair, DC, a ban he ordered in May, 2006 after I placed a few 3”X5” postcards on Fort McNair concerning the limited showing in Washington, DC of “Sir, No Sir,” the documentary about GI resistance to the Vietnam war.

I had asked for a reduction to “time served” (two months that I had not been on the base-I didn’t know I had been banned as his letter went to my home in Hawaii and I only got the letter once I arrived there in June.). The Commander denied my request and commented that my conduct “clearly violated common standards of good order and discipline on a military installation.” As a US Army retired 29 year Colonel, I now am prohibited from entering the two military bases nearest to Washington, DC until May 25, 2007! I would say that’s quite remarkable treatment for a three decade veteran!

I am now banned from the Capitol area and from two military bases in the DC area as well as also banned for life (along with Codepink Women for Peace Medea Benjamin) from the National Press Club. In April, 2006 we dared to question to a Press Club speaker and were banned for life for our questions. The speaker was Senator Hillary Clinton and we asked why in her 50 minute energy policy speech she never mentioned the war on Iraq and Iraqi oil.

It surely seems that freedom of speech and the right to question our elected officials in our nation’s capital is a dangerously endangered right.

But that’s what its all about. If we don’t stand up for our freedoms, they will be taken away.

So in the spirit of they can’t take our country away from us, I will see you in Congress, the National Press Club and on the military bases---or in jail or detention camps!

You can’t ban speech and thought.

It is our country and they are our freedoms. Let’s take them back!

Ann Wright is a 29 year retired US Army Colonel and a 16 year US diplomat who resigned in March, 2003 in opposition to the war on Iraq.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0910-24.htm

Forum posts

  • Again, more evidence that this nation is definitely on a fast track to fascism, if not out and out totalitarianism. The ’Land of the Free’ is a global joke.

  • I AM GOING TO LOOK UP ANN WRIGHT ON GOOGLE. I HOPE THAT SHE IS A MORE OR LESS NON-STANDARD POLITICAL PROTEST FIGURE. THERE SEEM TO BE SO MANY ’CAREFUL’ PEOPLE THAT GET ARRESTED FOR DOING VERY GOOD POLITICAL THINGS WHO ARE LONG-TIME MEMBERS OF ESTABLISHED DISSENT GROUPS - WHO MAKE NEWS DOING THAT ONE BOLD THING; AND THEN ONE NEVER FURTHER HEARS OF AN ON-GOING MORE VIGOROUS MOVEMENT GATHERING AROUND THEIR GOOD EXAMPLE.

    WE USUALLY DON’T HEAR MUCH OF THEM AGAIN. I WOULD BE WILLING TO SUPPORT AND TAKE CHANCES WITH ANN WRIGHT IF WHAT SHE HAS DONE HAS THE INTENTION OF GOING FURTHER THAN MAKING ONE CONSPICUOUS -STILL VERY GOOD!!- PROTEST ACTION.

    HERE SHE IS APPARENTLY ALL OVER THE NEWS: NOW IF SHE REALLY WANTS TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO GO IN THE DIRECTION THAT SHE HAS TAKEN THIS CHANCE TO GO IN ... SHE WILL MAKE CONTACT EASY TO FIND, FOR ANY OF THOSE WHO WANT TO SUPPORT HER,

    IF SHE INTENDS ONLY THIS GESTURE, THEN SHE WILL EITHER BE DIFFICULT TO LOCATE *OR* SHE WILL NOT ENTHUSIASTICALLY ACCEPT OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION.

    I WILL SEE - WHAT I CAN DO TO CONTACT HER.

    AND REPORT BACK. (’heh’ AS IF ANYBODY BUT GEORGE TENET AND A FEW ECCENTRICS LIKE MYSELF REALLY READ ’BELLACIAO’ ... I IMAGINE IF VERY MANY ACTUALLY READ THIS SITE - THEIR WOULD BE A HORDE MORE OF COMMENTS ON THINGS. )

    WELL, I WILL LET THE 25 OF YOU WHO READ BELLACIAO, KNOW WHAT I FIND OUT.

    T.M.

  • Biography for Mary A. (Ann) Wright

    Ann Wright resigned from the U.S. Foreign Service on March 19, 2003, while serving as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Mongolia . She resigned due to her disagreement with the Bush administration’s decision to go to war in Iraq without the authorization of the UN Security Council, the lack of effort in resolving the Israel-Palestinian situation, the lack of policy on North Korea and unnecessary curtailment of civil liberties in the United States .

    Ms. Wright joined the Foreign Service in 1987 and served as Deputy Chief of Mission of US Embassies in Sierra Leone , Micronesia and briefly in Afghanistan . She received the State Department’s Award for Heroism for her actions during the evacuation of 2500 persons from the civil war in Sierra Leone , the largest evacuation since the evacuation of Saigon in 1974.

    Ms. Wright was on the first State Department team to go to Kabul , Afghanistan . She helped reopen the US Embassy in Kabul in December, 2001 and worked in Afghanistan for five months, serving in the last month as Deputy Chief of Mission (Deputy Ambassador).

    Ms. Wright’s other overseas assignments include Somalia with both the US mission and as chief of the Justice Division (reconstituting the Somali police, judicial and prison systems) of the United Nations Mission to Somalia (UNOSOM). She also served in US Embassies in Uzbekistan , Kyrgyzstan , Grenada , Micronesia and Nicaragua .

    Before entering the Foreign Service, she served in the Army and has a combined regular Army/Army Reserve service time of 29 years. She served primarily in special operations units and attained the rank of colonel. While on military duty in 1982 and 1983 in Grenada , she was on the US Army’s International Law team and participated in civil reconstruction work following the US “rescue” mission. Colonel Wright is airborne qualified.

    Ms. Wright has Master’s and Law Degrees from the University of Arkansas and a Master’s Degree in National Security Affairs from the US Naval War College, Newport , Rhode Island . Ms. Wright has been featured in articles in the Washington Post magazine, Government Executive magazine, Foreign Service Journal, Ms magazine and has been interviewed by radio and TV networks. She participated in the documentary film "Uncovered: The Truth About the Iraq War”.

    Ms. Wright lives in Honolulu , Hawaii . She writes on current US foreign policy and speaks to university classes and civic groups in the United States and internationally.

  • ...... well without the government and professional connections she has - if you tried it, you would be Indefinitely in the slammer under the dictatorship-Act as a ’terrorist’. Pretty hard to put a female ex army colonel with connections in the U.S. Diplomatic Service in a secret prison as a ’terrorist’ under the dictatorship Act.... but they could put you or me in a secret prison, with no notice to anyone and hold us as long as they wished.

    Actually considering Mary (Ann) Wright’s professional and news-exposure status I have a right to expect a LOT more of her..... because she is almost incarceration-proof. I expect a Lot out of anyone who has Connection-Protections from the P-dictatorship Act - who professes to be brave and decent. Yet we are not seeing or finding many people in those positions doing anything - are we??? WHAT A GROUP OF GREEDY, DISHONEST, COWARDS RISE TO MIDDLE-HIGH PLACES IN PROFESSIONAL AND PUBLIC LIFE .... AND WHO PROVE TO BE HYPOCRITICAL WEASELS WHEN A MOMENT COMES TO ACT DECENTLY - ay?

    • yeah and there are forces already here in preparation for the return of Christ who are much more powerful than the bush bozos, the end is very near, i remind you bush will be in power for 2200 days on groundhogs day, the 2200 night of the antichrists power is when he announces he is god, now whether you believe or not , on groundhogs day, you will see, tribulation will have already begun, and if my limited understanding of prophecy is correct, a rapture will have already took place where one half of the world population will have already been taken, this will give bush the antichrist a reason to get the rest of you to accept the RFID chips inserted into you , so he can tell you that even though he is god , there were forces from distant galaxies, that even he was unaware of, that took these people . but if you take the chip he will be able to stop them from getting you. call me crazy, it doesn’t bother me. if you had walked in my shoes , and seen the supernatural things this simpleton has seen, you would understand.