Democrat against Free Speech

September 2, 2010

Charles H. Bucknam. Chemist. Family man. Sue-happy fringe Democrat. His is a story that needs to be told if only because it is all too common and a complicit press won’t do it.

Bucknam–who is married to lawyer Jerri Hill–seems to make it his hobby to sue Republican candidates and their committees. He’s on record at the Secretary of State’s office for having brought at least ten complaints since 2002. Only Colorado Ethics Watch–a left-wing attack group–exceeds his filings. Most of his complaints are dismissed.

His latest attack is against a contract postal station in Parker. Owner Chris Cerasani has campaign signs in his window. His store is located two doors down from a Department of Motor Vehicles office that acted as a drop-off for mail-in ballots during the primary election, beginning on August 2nd.

Bucknam was offended by the signs on private property and wrote a letter to the Parker Chronicle, which published it. After detailing the supposed problem with the signs, he ends the letter:

It is high time that Douglas County government shows some respect for the election process. Vote for Chuck Patrick for clerk and recorder.

A conclusion not quite supported by the facts of the letter. But it appears he’s quite proud of that letter. On August 12th, he posted this note on his Facebook page:

Finally scored a letter to the editor in the News Press; Douglas County Clerk and Recorder and Stonegate Post Office conspire to have election signs within 100′ of the voting service center despite Colorado Law to the contrary. Vote For Chuck Patrick for Douglas County Clerk and Recorder!

In the interest of full disclosure I must add that Bucknam contributed $25 to Patrick’s campaign.

The only problem with the complaint is that it isn’t justified. Jack Arrowsmith, the incumbent Clerk and Recorder looked into the matter long before the letter was published by consulting with the Secretary of State’s office. They said that the complaint was unjustified because

the DMV drop-off is different from a polling place and having signs within a 100 feet of a ballot drop off site is not in violation of statute, and
signs that are inside a private business and/or on private property are exempt for the 100 foot requirement

Arrowsmith sent an email with that information to Bucknam and others on July 22nd. Bucknam therefore knew he had no grounds for complaint when he mailed that letter to the Parker Chronicle and when he posted on Facebook.

Last week a man came into the Stonegate Village Postal Service Center and ranted about the campaign signs and the First Amendment petition that Mr. Cerasani has posted inside the business. The young woman at the counter was polite and offered to pass his name to the owner but he refused and stormed off. Need we guess who that man was?

This is how the left operates. Intimidation. Threats. Frivolous lawsuits. Lies and half-truths. Alinsky-style tactics to make the opposition cower in fear of retaliation if they exercise their rights. That’s not what America is all about. These people need to be defeated at every opportunity.

On the one hand, you can understand why they do it: they’ve got nothing else. They are bankrupt of ideas. On the other hand…I suggest you send $25 to Jack Arrowsmith.

3 responses

chris

September 2, 2010

IS that Michael Moore with a Stash…?

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1. acmaurerco
  
  September 2, 2010
  
  LOL My wife said the same thing when she saw the photo.
  
  Reply
chris

September 2, 2010

The Constitution of The United States of America, our most precious gift, Providence, put to words by our founding fathers, and held in the highest regard by the people of the world.

Is there any form of despotism lower then that of one man attempting to infringe on the natural rights of another. What is ironic about this attack is that one man fights to quiet another by using the first amendment while the “attacked” fights for the attackers right to do it. The other obvious irony to those of us that hold the Constitution dear to us, is that the attacker fights to limit his own speech!!!

If this person is allowed to regulate someones speech would this same person allow another to regulate his? I wonder where the line is drawn for this person? Would he also allow excel energy to regulate his use of electricity? or the water department to shut off his water from his well because someone doesn’t like his flowers in his garden?

The problem with people who seek to infringe on the rights of others granted by God, themselves must feel a sense of megalomania. That somehow they know better. that somehow the law, which is there to protect us, can be twisted into a perverted use of control and fear over those they wish to dominate and never upon themselves. That somehow they have the ability to be God or the sword of God. Perhaps they feel that God has never played a roll and therefore, in their delusional state of grandeur, must take on this roll of deciding what is right, who is wrong, where you can go, what business should succeed and what business should fail. These are the same people who are willing to destroy a business, a family, an institution whats sole purpose is to serve its community as best it can, so that he may get his will imposed for a momentary victory before someone destroys him using the same rules that he has now imposed on you.

To allow any restriction of the first amendment now shall lead only to further restrictions later. It will not stop there either. Once you can silence the masses you can take the other rights, be it guns, or fair trial, or religion, or reasonable search, or trial by jury, how about the right to vote… are you willing to give that up because someone says they know better!! Will you allow yourself to be put into involuntary servitude (slavery) because someone thinks that everyone should be compelled to serve the public good. (picking up trash on the highway, planting trees, soup kitchen service, you name it) These are all good and noble things that we may all have done at one point or another but it was always done because you or I felt compelled by our own generosity or self determination. Not because we were told we had to.

The First Amendment, The strongest empowerment of the people. Don’t allow it to be infringed.

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