Thursday, February 25, 2010

We're the Only Ones Not Clowning Around Enough

An 18-year-old Tampa man was jailed Tuesday afternoon, charged with wearing a clown mask on a public road. [More]
I don't know about you, but I certainly feel safer.

[Via Steve T]

11 comments:

Crotalus said...

Probably didn't pay some damn fee for some damn permit.

Sean said...

Because, of course, the clowns who arrested him belong to a UNION. If you want to be a clown, you hafta pay your dues, you clown.

Defiant III-per said...

Here are some more DOMESTIC TERRORIST clowns wearing masks.

http://cdn-write.demandstudios.com/upload//8000/200/10/9/8219.jpg

"Only ones" are above the law and nothing applies to them......well....the laws of physics do. :O)

Ed said...

If "any disguise in public is illegal", then anyone who wears eye color changing contact lenses, sunglasses, eye patches, prosthetic devices, scarves, makeup, wigs, hairpieces or changes their hair color is then committing a crime.

How do the police handle transvestites or clowns traveling to birthday parties?

According to the 2/25/10 "Tampa Tribune":
"The charge is based on a 1951 law designed to combat the Ku Klux Klan, part of the section of Florida statutes dealing with criminal anarchy and treason.

In October 2008, Tampa police arrested Walsh Ian Nichols after he was spotted wearing a Batman mask in Ybor City.

A judge dismissed the charges against the Caped Crusader and ordered police to return Nichols' custom-made cowl."

To use this law to arrest people peaceably walking down the street is an affront to liberty.

Anonymous said...

My first thoughts on this was the guy was trying to circumvent those red light / speeding ticket cameras by wearing a mask to prevent identifying the driver for ticketing purposes.

Crotalus said...

Indeed, Defiant. When the laws of Man do not apply to the "Only Ones", the laws of ballistics still apply to everyone! >;o)

straightarrow said...

Further it is not against the law to wear a mask in public in Florida unless some provable conditions exist which were not present here and not alleged to be present.

chris said...

In VA it is a FELONY to wear a mask in public. What a great reason to deny someone their 2nd amendment rights for ever.

straightarrow said...

I would bet Va. has conditions also that must be met just as Ky. does before it is a crime to wear a mask.

But now, that this is in the headlines, what about all those masked SWAT teams and drug officer raiders? Lock them all up.

W W Woodward said...

This is one of those good intention laws that has become a means of screwing with innocent activity.

Several southern states passed laws that were intended to prevent Klan members from parading in public with their faces hidden.

straightarrow makes a valid point. The police wear masks to avoid being recognized. Same reason the Klan wore their hoods.

It all comes down to: Don't do in the dark of night what you wouldn't do in the light of day.

[W-III]

straightarrow said...

Amen WIII