Indy Star Headline: Yelling at police not free speech, court rules

Free speech does not protect a woman from being prosecuted for disorderly conduct after she continued to shout at police officers who warned her to stop, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled.

Latoya Blackman of Indianapolis began shouting “This is unconstitutional” and various obscenities at the officers as they arrested her brother on drug charges in front of their home in May 2005, according to court records. Officers told her to stop yelling and leave the scene, but she instead yelled even louder and a crowd began to gather.

I felt it would be good to point to this article as a case where the courts got it right. The courts get it right often, but we tend to focus on the times when we disagree rather than the many times we agree. This can be the case in all relationships, society, family, church, etc.. With shows like PTI, talk radio, and any newscast now we are trained to have our “own” opinion and to disagree. Today going against authority is often what we view as free thinking and intelligent. However, it is not the way of the Spirit.  We are to be discerning, not cynical or critical.