Flipping the Bird’ is Protected by First Amendment
by AG | November 25, 2009 - 7:57am | 0 comments - 43 reads
[inline:middle]Speaking of birds, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that a federal judge has upheld the First Amendment's protection of flipping the bird. In 2006 a Pittsburgh man, David Hackbart, got into a parking dispute with another motorist, and ultimately gave the guy the middle finger. When a police officer drove by and told Hackbart to put down his finger, Hackbart flipped him off too. The office gave him a ticket for disorderly conduct, but Hackbart challenged it and ultimately sued the city of Pittsburgh, arguing that sticking up the middle finger is protected by the free speech provision of the First Amendment. A Pittsburgh federal judge agreed and ordered $50,000 in damages. If that's not a reason to love and be thankful that you live in America, we don't know what is.
