Free Speech or Crime?
I don't have an issue with Nancy making a political statement or expressing her free speech by ripping up the President's State of the Union transcript, but I do have an issue with the double standard. There's no way a Republican could get away with doing this without serious repercussions. But somehow, Nancy Pelosi gets off no problem.
Fines, Imprisonment or Both
It's on public record that Nancy mutilated the President's speech by ripping the document in half. Yes, it was a political protest, but to perform this publicly with a government document is a crime, punishable with fines or imprisonment or both.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2071
18 U.S. Code § 2071. Concealment, removal, or mutilation generally
(a) Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
(b) Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States. As used in this subsection, the term “office” does not include the office held by any person as a retired officer of the Armed Forces of the United States.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 795; Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title V, § 552(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1566; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
Let's Pretend
This is not a "gotcha" against Nancy Pelosi, it's not like they can't print out more transcripts of the President's State of the Union speech. I personally don't think she should be punished because she decided to make a (stupid) political statement. As we all know, US Code is more like... guidelines, if you know what I mean.
But let's look at this as a "let's pretend" scenario.
Let's pretend this were a Republican Speaker of the House standing behind a Democrat President. The President has just concluded his speech and the whole room is clapping. The Republican Speaker of the House casually took the transcript of the President's State of the Union speech and tore it into pieces in full view of the public.
Wouldn't they be in very big trouble? Wouldn't they be committing political suicide? Wouldn't they be impeached for behavior unbecoming for a Speaker of the House? Wouldn't this US code suddenly become a very serious and strictly enforced rule? Yet somehow a Democrat Speaker of the House is able to do this with no repercussions. The double-standard is infuriating.
I Want to Hear Your Opinion
What do you think? Should this US code be enforced and Nancy Pelosi pay the penalty of her violation? Should this act be categorized under freedom of speech? I'm curious your take on this. Let me know in the comments below.
Bless the Most High!
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