Scenario: Incumbent provincial legislator has a couple of problems: 1. Her brother killed a policeman while drunk driving, and she needs help to get him out of jail. She turns to an elected law enforcement officer to pull some strings to get him sprung. 2. She's up for re-election, but the opposition party looks pretty strong. She gets this same law enforcement officer to round up 5 of his deputies to go to a public park where the opposition candidate is going to hold a campaign event. These goons then look for the opposition supporters and tell them they are not allowed to campaign, carry signs, or wear campaign apparel in this public park. Three officers gang up on a mother and children, who happen to be the wife and daughters of the opposition candidate.
Answer: It was Texas, in 2008 unfortunately.
From a press release by the Chad Khan campaign today:
HARLESS' CAMPAIGN TREASURER SENDS HIS DEPUTIES TO HARASS VOTERS AT KHAN CAMPAIGN EVENT
HOUSTON—This past Sunday, an event hosted by Democratic Candidate for State Representative Chad Khan at Cypresswood Park was continually disrupted by deputies of Precinct 4 Constable Ron Hickman, a Republican.
Constable Hickman, who is also the campaign treasurer for Khan's opponent, State Rep. Patricia Harless, had five of his officers stationed at the park early Sunday morning. When Mr. Khan's wife arrived at the park with the couple's children around 11 a.m. Sunday, she was confronted by three of Constable Hickman's deputies. She was told by the deputy constables that she and her children would have to take off their Chad Khan campaign tee shirts or they would be escorted from the park.
In addition, the deputy constables attempted to forbid Khan from doing any campaigning in the park including displaying political signs, stickers, tee shirts, or giving speeches. They threatened both Chad Khan and his wife saying that if they did any campaigning in the park, they would be escorted from the park or arrested.
"This is a public park. Nowhere in Harris County's park regulations does it state that a political gathering can't be held in a public park," said Chad Khan. "From one in the afternoon until 6 p.m. Constable Hickman's deputies came and harassed myself, my wife, and those who gathered for my event four times. This was a blatant attempt by Constable Hickman's office to disrupt a lawful assembly," Khan said.
Khan held a similar event in the park in 2006; the event was not disrupted by the constables two years ago.
"I can't help but believe that this was politically motivated," said Khan. "After all, these deputies are working for my opponent's campaign treasurer, who was at Barbara Bush Library on Sunday working at the polling place. The fact that they were waiting for my family when they arrived at the park shows that this was well-planned by Constable Hickman's office," said Khan.
This isn't the first time Hickman has been in the spotlight for questionable activities related to his association with Rep. Harless. Earlier this year, he was criticized for supporting early release and parole for Harless' brother, Donald Fincher. Fincher was convicted of killing a deputy constable while driving drunk.
"This behavior is typical of the questionable judgment exercised by Constable Hickman and his office. That a sitting State Representative like Patricia Harless would want to be associated with someone who threatens to arrest a mother for wearing a campaign tee shirt in a public park--in front of her two young children, no less--should cause voters to question her judgment. First, she asked the Constable to help get her brother out of prison, now she is having him try to suppress her opponent's campaign rallies," Khan said. "It makes one wonder what she and Constable Hickman will try next," he continued.
What is it about Harris County that makes the Republican politicians down there so downright despicable? Is there something in the water? Perhaps the Barbara Bush library doesn't have a copy of the Constitution of the United States, with its guarantees of the right to freedom of speech and assembly?
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Folks, the right-wing radicals can huff and puff all they want about so-called "socialism" and they can wallow in all the paranoia they want about people "grabbing their guns". But fascism is here today, alive and well in the Republican Party of Texas. When your free speech and your right to vote are under such a blatant and open attack as they have been in Harris county, that's what you need to worry about.
But the Dishonorable Rep. Patricia Harless and the Dishonorable Constable Ron Hickman have earned themselves a place in the hall of shame known as the Texas Dim Bulb Award.
I meant to post this earlier, but better late than never. I contacted Hickman. Our conversation is below:
WhosPlayin: I read about your deputies harassing a political gathering in the park the other day. I wondered if you have ever read the U.S. Constitution?
It's despicable that someone who is sworn to uphold the laws would do something like that. You and your goons are less than men.
I think you owe the Khans an apology.
Hickman I think you need to learn more about finding out how to get the truth than you learn from the news.
That park policy applies to me and every other person and I owe Mr. Khan absolutely nothing. His inferences and misinformation actually require he should apologize to me. I have contacted him to arraange that aopportunity.
WhosPlayin Do you deny that your deputies tried to prevent people from wearing campaign apparel? Do you deny that your deputies disrupted political speech?
Mr. Hickman, no park policy, no city policy, no county policy, and certainly no Constable can trump the U.S. Constitution. Perhaps you should go back and read the first amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the* freedom of speech*, or of the press; or the *right of the people peaceably to assemble*, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I hate to think about what else happens in your department when you get this one so wrong.
Hickman I don't set the park policy. That comes from the County Commissioner. My only issue is that my personnel enforce fairly on all persons. Mr. Khan seems to have spread some untruths that merit attention.
1. He told the media he was only having a family barbecue when he clearly has distributed fliers advertising the political ally in the park.
2. He indicated that he saw me in the park and I was "hiding" back in the wings and should come out and confront him. Sorry but I was in the hospital and no where near the area.
3. All my personnel required of them was to remove their campaign signs, not to leave the park.
I have returned Mr. Khan's call and await a meeting with him. I need no new instruction on enforcing the law or my job, but thank you.
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Followup conversation with Hickman
