...held 3 days after an incendiary resolution was passed. Spontaneously. I was shocked -- I had only come home and mouthed off to my family, who then all talked to their friends... and hey, there were maybe 14 people there to witness the resolution's passage. One of them was a Rotary officer, one of them was a Republican committeewoman, one of them was a local author, one of them was a reporter... no community connections there...

Over 500 attended the next full board meeting, a trend that continued for months and months. Organization grew from outrage, not the other way around. It happens, when people are angry enough.

The people on the receiving end of the community's ire immediately claimed that "outside agitators" were responsible for drumming up "a conspiracy". LOLOL. Remember: people whose names do not appear in right wing [I need to specify, as the irate masses were mostly conservatives] address books are still citizens of the community.

You think it's not possible that this guy and his son know a hundred people? It's possible that they know a hundred or more families, who each also know a hundred or more families. Also, what about the witnesses in the mall who (shocking, I know) may have agreed with Steven and Roger Downs? This is the meaning of "grass roots".

If the security personnel are going to enforce policies, they had better get names, addresses, etc., of complainants. That is, if they are to pin their actions to the customer complaints and not just to their own "feelings and perceptions". "They didn't think of it" doesn't hold up when someone is placed under arrest. Especially a 60-year-old lawyer who denies that he was soliciting opinions or doing anything other than wearing a shirt he bought at their own mall.

I did find another item in that article that undercuts one of my previous arguments, though. Apparently the mall has posted signs at the entrances that state: "wearing of apparel... likely to provoke disturbances... is prohibited". Well! I guess that's settled then. Very precise. All those girls with the belly shirts and short shorts -- out. Since this is just outside of Troy, a case could be made for any reference to Clarkson's hockey team as well, as that tends to incite violent emotions among the RPI partisans (the local kids). One never knows what will cause "a disturbance", especially if it "disturbs" the security people.

Please note that the only recorded physical assaults by protesters were committed by a man opposing the peace protest that took place in support of the Downs family.

It's probably not the whole story, no. It seldom is. Careful reading of the supporting articles would also indicate a brief but vivid history of harrassment of people wearing peace messages in the mall. But that couldn't possibly be.... could it?