Civil disobedience.

This is a story about a patriot in Jefferson City, Missouri who acted in defense of everything good about America yesterday. She was arrested for her trouble.

Sue Gibson, in her own words:

I got to Jefferson City’s Independence Day parade location early Tuesday evening and walked along High Street looking for TV cameras and anyone I knew who might take pictures of my planned action.

The only news outlet I saw was KRCG, the Sinclair station, and I did not think they would air it.

I found no one to whom I felt comfortable disclosing.

A woman I encountered on the sidewalk complimented my t-shirt (I Stand with Missouri Women) and showed me her tattoo that read LIBERAL.

We chatted about how hard it is to live here as progressives.

I am thinking: This is wild. She might be a police spy, or am I just very lucky to have run onto her? I gave her both my personal contact card and my Indivisible card, and we parted.

The parade started with motorcycle cops in the lead and I let them get over a block away before even considering jumping in. I was right by the judges’ grandstand and after introducing the three judges, the announcer started talking about the parade theme: Diversity and how people come to America’s shores blah blah blah. And I thought: It has to be right now! So I jumped in and stopped the parade holding my sign Babies are in cages above my head.

I remember no sound. My experience was just everyone looking at me with their mouths hanging open. Two parade organizers came along in their golf cart. The woman said, OK. You’ve made your point. Will you let us have our parade now? I stood stationary. They conferred and decided to invite me to march in the parade with my sign so the parade could proceed.

Meanwhile, I see two cops approaching on foot. The first one gets there and agrees that I can join the parade. The second one isn’t having it; orders me out of the street. I don’t move. He snatches my sign, whirls me around and cuffs me. Starts pushing me toward the curb.

The crowd cheers my arrest. All they want is a parade to celebrate America. The organizers are visibly disturbed, shouting at the crowd: “What is wrong with you? Stop it!”

But kids will ask their parents what was that that happened today, and that is what I wanted. And the organizers were conflicted. That tension within individuals is what I hoped for as well.

The cops are taking me to their car on a side street and I see that woman I just met filming or photographing with her phone!!!!! She has my email address, so surely she will send it! How serendipitous is that?

Oh, a thing a cop said before they put me in the car: “She’s one of those.” (I had incurred a charge of failure to obey an officer on two different days recently with the Poor People’s Campaign.) The arresting officer said, “Yeah, I figured it out. I recognize her.” I dare not jaywalk from now on[.]

Then I spent time with two delightful women in the holding cell having great conversation about injustices. A holding cell is a terrific place to organize! I will be taking one of them to vote for her first time ever! She got released first, and by the time I got home, she had friended me on Facebook.

And the bail bondswoman was like-minded and thrilled with what I had done; took a photo of me with my sign to share with her mother and her one like-minded sibling. And gave me a discount!

Court date: August 8.
Charge: Failure to obey.

Sue Gibson’s sign (front and back):

What a badass – civil disobedience, getting arrested, and organizing in a holding cell. Is this a great country, or what?

Someone posted video of Sue Gibson’s arrest on a community social media page.

Some of the comments on the page:

Run her ass over!

Well that’s a little violent. I hope you’re not actually suggesting someone commit voluntary manslaughter.

Stay out of the road.

…when you serve your country, you are preserving not only the rights of your family and friends, but the rights of Americans who don’t always share your beliefs. These individuals are your country, your fellow citizens, not “morons,” and are entitled to express opinions. She harmed no one, she made her statement, and she knew her consequences. You may need someone to stand up like that for you some day.

…when you impede traffic, a parade, or any other flow of moving vehicles you are a moron she could have chosen a better way to show her beliefs/opinion

…although her protest may have stopped a parade celebrating freedom, she is free to make that choice. The fact that you resort to name callling says something about how her behavior affected you, not about her.

Since this is Independence Day, and you are celebrating it in the way you choose, because we are free, I think it’s terrific that this person made a choice to show her concern for immigrant children in a way that harmed none of you, but caused all of you to express your feelings as well. Happy Independence Day. We are free, and we have a duty to make sure we stay free. That means we are free to express our opinions.

Go, read all of the comments.

Previously:

Be the badass on the right (June 29, 2018)