GIANFICARO: Nothing funny about stopping free speech – Burlington County Times

Sometimes, and at the precise moment, the cavalry comes charging over the hill.

Reader Paul I. Clymer wrote to take issue with my recent column defending the rights of a protester arrested after giggling just once, mind you during a Senate confirmation hearing of attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions in January.

"Rather than spending time talking about Desiree Fairooz and her encounter with federal authorities, I thought for certain you would be criticizing the hate, anger, divisive and despicable remarks of late night comedian (gutter mouth) Steve Colbert about President Donald Trump," Clymer wrote.

To Clymer and others, a TV comedian making a crude comment about the president as midnight approached was curiously viewed as more important column fodder than addressing examples of suppression of the First Amendment, which is under siege in America.

"Imagine the youth of America seeing and hearing such hate and vulgarity about the president," Clymer wrote.

The youth of America seeing and hearing such hate.

From a comedian.

As the clock approached midnight.

On a school night.

Yeah, right.

Just as I was shaking my head in incredulity at Clymer's email and views, the cavalry arrived.

Why did I choose to address the muffling of dissent by government instead of an off-color remark by a comedian about a president who is the poster boy for crudeness? Here's why:

Last Tuesday, a West Virginia veteran reporter, Dan Heyman, was handcuffed and arrested in the hallway of the state Capitol for walking beside and repeatedly asking a question of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who refused to answer a simple question: Would domestic violence be considered a pre-existing condition under the Republican bill to overhaul the nations health care system?

Understand, the reporter wasn't asking Price to tell him the square root of 4,750 while standing on his head whistling "Habanera" from "Carmen." No, this was an easy one: Yes or no. Price didn't answer, so Heyman asked again.

Do you think thats right or not, secretary? Heyman asked, according to an audio recording Heyman provided to The Washington Post. You refuse to answer? Tell me no comment.

A male voice is heard telling Heyman, Do not get close to her. Back up." Her was Kellyanne Conway, special counsel to Donald Trump.

Moments later, an officer in the Capitol pulled Heyman aside, handcuffed him and arrested him. Heyman was jailed on the charge of willful disruption of state government processes and released on $5,000 bail. According to The Associated Press, police said Heyman was "aggressively" trying to get past Secret Service agents and yelling questions at Price.

Heyman, who was wearing a press credential on a lanyard around his neck as he questioned Price, didn't disrupt any process. He was arrested for doing his job, one protected by the First Amendment. Arrested and jailed for being a dogged reporter. Arrested for pressing a government official for answers to a health care issue that may impact millions. Charged with willful disruption of state government processes. In a hallway.

Video shows Heyman didn't threaten or impede Price or Conway, nor did he shove or grab at either to further get their attention. No, all he did was point a smartphone in Price's direction to record his response as Price and Conway walked together in a hallway.

For that, the reporter was arrested.

And Price's rather mind-boggling opposition to Heyman having the audacity to question him in the hallway of a statehouse?

"That gentleman was not in a press conference," he said.

No, seriously. He really said that.

The public should applaud repeated questioning by the media of an unresponsive politician. Without it, this country, one in which this president has labeled media that don't agree with him "the enemy of the people," will suffer from the crumbling of democracy by the hammer of government oppression.

Instead, the Clymers of the world believe I should have delivered a scathing condemnation of a late night comedian making a potty-mouth comment about Trump.

The same Trump who bragged on tape in 2005 of being able to grope women because, as he explained, he's "a star."

The same Trump whose sexual assault accusations against him are so extensive they're almost too long to list.

The same Trump who stated on national television of his daughter, Ivanka: "Yeah, she's really something, and what a beauty, that one. If I weren't happily married and, ya know, her father "

Gutter mouth, indeed, Mr. Clymer. Gutter mouth, indeed.

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GIANFICARO: Nothing funny about stopping free speech - Burlington County Times