In America's continuing devolution into a dangerous police state, Bob Dylan was arrested in Long Branch, New Jersey after police received a call describing an "old, scruffy man" walking down the street:
Bob Dylan is a legendary singer-songwriter and charter member of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, but to one culturally untutored 22-year-old police officer in Long Branch, New Jersey, he was just an eccentric, suspicious-looking elderly man.
After police received a call that an “old, scruffy man” was acting suspiciously in Long Branch’s Latin Quarter, a 22-year-old female officer stopped Dylan and demanded that he identify himself. Dylan complied and explained that he was visiting the seaside community to perform at a concert with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp. Not believing his story, the officer detained Dylan in the back of her car and drove back to his hotel to investigate his story.
“She took him back to the hotel to check his papers, then she called us to check who Bob Dylan was,” police officer Craig Spencer told the London Daily Mail. “I’m afraid we fell about laughing. If it was me, I’d have been demanding his autograph, not photo ID.”
“I offered to bring in some of my Dylan albums,” continued Spencer, “but unfortunately [the young officer] didn’t know what vinyl is either.”
This is what happens when blue-suited government employees are free to arrest and terrorize people on a whim. This is also another consequence of identity politics based on an ugly ethnic and racial groupthink. Dylan was walking in a predominantly Latin neighborhood, and the old legend apparently didn't "fit in."
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Bob Dylan Sued Over Dignity For Plagiarism
Camden NJ June 2, 2009 -Few artists can lay claim to the controversy that has surrounded the career of songwriter James Damiano. Twenty-two years ago James Damiano began an odyssey that led him into a legal maelstrom with Bob Dylan that, to this day, fascinates the greatest of intellectual minds.
As the curtain rises on the stage of deceit we learn that CBS used songs and
lyrics for international recording artist, Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan's name is credited to the songs. One of those songs is nominated for a Grammy as best rock song of the year. Ironically the title of that song is Dignity.
Since auditioning for the legendary CBS Record producer John Hammond, Sr., who influenced the careers of music industry icons Billy Holiday, Bob Dylan, Pete Seger, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Ray Vaughan, James has engaged in a multimillion dollar copyright infringement law suit with Bob Dylan.
See jamesdamiano.com
Cool - Now he has more song writing material - I love it. Go-Bob-Go! You're one of the best and greatest.
I do not know how to classify my response. Does the editor read for obvious BS before publishing stuff?
1) According to non-biased accounts, Bob Dylan, and concert staff the police did not harass in any way or form. In fact, the initial call stated that he appeared to be wandering around looking at homes.
2) Yes - he was out of place as he is a white male wandering around a minority-predominated neighborhood. Nevertheless, the call was concerning for his safety, and if he may be lost.
3) Bob Dylan and witnesses stated that he completely understood the concern, and why he needed to show ID. In addition, they were extremely polite and cordial to him - even thought the officers had no clue who he was (they were in their 20s).
4) And police said he was completely cool during the exchange and cooperated. Both sides report that…well, no news to report.
And before you assume anything - I am not biased – except concerning BS. When YOU assume – you make an ass out of you, not me
Mutt,
You're missing the point. According to ALL accounts, he was detained for doing nothing other than walking down a street where he didn't fit in. If that happened to a black person in a rich white neighborhood, Rev. Jesse and Al would have decended already. At no point is there any indication that he could have refused to go back to the resort with them, or to refuse to identify himself. That is the cause of the comment regarding a police state.
I live in Long Branch. First of all, we don't have a "Latin Quarter". Dylan wandered into town on a rainy afternoon. He came upon a big old vacant house for sale. He was walking around the property looking in the windows. Someone called in about that. The officer knew who Bob Dylan was, but she didn't believe that was him. She drove him back to the hotel and got his manager to verufy it. The stories I've been reading are not even close to what happened. It was a complete misunderstanding. The police and Dylan handled it fine.
Thankfully the Police are out there. No one is above the law...
The city of Long Branch in Monmouth County, at the NJ Libertarian Party's Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project's request, repealed its loitering ordinance on January 26th. Its posted on the NJLP website. The NJLP Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project has successfully had over 20 ordinances repealed in NJ. See our website for story and list of towns we have had success in.
njlp dot org
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