Jose Ortiz called his neighbor of Turkish descent a “terrorist.” Jose Ortiz may be a lout. Jose Ortiz may be a creep. Jose Ortiz may be obnoxious. Jose Ortiz may even be a racist, bigoted “Islamophobe.” But to arrest him for calling his neighbor an unkind name? That’s illegal now? Can I get Ibrahim Hooper of Hamas-linked CAIR arrested for calling me a hatemonger? Can I get the hard-Left propaganda group known as the Southern Poverty Law Center arrested for saying I’m a hate group leader? Or are only certain kinds of false charges and unkind names arrest-worthy?
If this is the full story of what Jose Ortiz did, then there is no way that it is an offense worthy of arrest — and the fact that he was arrested is another indication of how seriously the freedom of speech is challenged in the U.S. today.
“Man charged after calling neighbor a ‘terrorist,'” WCVB, July 15, 2015:
LUDLOW, Mass. —Police arrested a western Massachusetts man on civil rights and other charges after they say he called his neighbor who appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent a “terrorist.”
Police Sgt. Daniel Valadas tells The Republican that 52-year-old Jose Ortiz, of Ludlow, called the man of Turkish descent a terrorist several times while he was out last week with his daughters.
He says Ortiz barricaded himself in his girlfriend’s house until she let police in to subdue him.
Police arrested Ortiz on July 7. He was charged with disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, obstruction of justice, interfering with a person’s civil rights and resisting arrest….
Angemon says
Sounds like an actual brown person called out a “brown person” and got shafted. Hmmm….
Indeed.
katnis says
Sounds like an actual brown person called out a “brown person” and got shafted
HAHAHA
Charli Main says
70% of the world´s Christians are ” brown persons” getting shafted every day by “brown muslims ” and their black, white and yellow brothers.
BC says
You do not understand only white ‘people’ can be racists. Never mind Ruanda, Zimbabwe and several other places where massacres have taken place. Never mind the slave trade when tribes happily captured their neighbours and sold them to the slave traders, who were very often Arabs. Never mind the millions of white people abdducted and sold into slavery by Arabs. Brown people are never racist. I hope you understand now.
Charli Main says
The whole point of my post is that race and racism HAS NOTHING TO DO IN THE WAR AGAINST ISLAM.
Muslims like Christians come in all races and skin colours.
Muslims are killing Christians, not because they are ” white ” or” brown” or “black” but because they are not Muslims.
Do you understand that ???”
Diimaa says
Charli Main,
I just hope there is someone like you who can shout from the highest place on earth and let these people have it.
Unfortunately for anti-jihad groups, of whom I consider myself to be a baby member, or a sympathizer, we are full of racists who will eventually hijack this movement and make it a White against everybody else movement.
And that is what is stifling any development of anti-Jihad groups in Europe….I’m afraid Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller and the likes will eventually will be held hostage to the White supremacists whose mind has never been on any kind of religion at all.
Look at all the posters here…Except a few, most think that Brown Black or Yellow people are against them and will use every opportunity to categorize Muslims and non whites in the same category and that is a TRAGEDY either happening or bound to happen unless the de facto leaders of anti-Jihad movement start calling out and purging these people out of themselves. Stunted growth of PEGIDA and other movements be a true example.
RonaldB says
The story implies that Ortiz personally confronted the neighbor and called him a “terrorist” to his face.
This can be interpreted as personally threatening behavior, and indeed is an example of “disorderly conduct”.
I support freedom of speech completely, but it is not freedom of speech to personally confront someone on the street, and call them names to their face. This is bringing their personal security into question and is more intimidation than freedom of speech. I do NOT support personal intimidation of any sort.
Diimaa says
Well, we are not given background information on these two. First calling someone a terrorist is no different than calling someone a motherfucker! Will you be arrested if you call someone a motherfucker? I doubt it.
However, still, what if they are neighbors and they have other disputes that spilled into the street? What if the “terrorist” has been calling mr Ortiz names before and then mr Ortiz finally figured to push the right buttons?
I can correctly guess that the charges will be dropped, and then, there is more to this story than we’re being told.
RonaldB says
Diimaa,
I appreciate your observation, but I disagree.
You mentioned we do not have background information on the incident. There is a huge difference between calling someone a name, even to his face, and making threatening gestures. If you call someone a name, they can sue you for slander, if they really want to bother. If you follow them around and call them names, they can have you arrested for harassment, stalking, and yes, disorderly conduct.
At this point, we don’t know if the arrest involved the actual content of what Ortiz said, or it was in response to personal harassment. We simply don’t know, which is my point. It’s not appropriate, with the lack of information, to conclude he was arrested just because he called a Muslim a name.
Uncle Vladdi says
From your own words, I can see you are a snivelling cowardly masochist.
That’s an objectively factual observation, not an attempt to intimidate you here on the safe and secure Internet.
But guess what? There is no law against hurt feelings! You have no right to be offended or have your feelings hurt by the often-painful Truth.
Nobody else is responsible for your perfectly human initial reaction of denial towards learning new things, especially if they challenge your already established world-view.
If you’re not a spoiled self-entitled brat, you will eventually get over your butthurt whining and grow a pair – but if not, then not. Sucks to be you.
RonaldB says
I guess my previous reply to your comment got lost, so I’ll summarize it.
Your post contains no information, logic, or reasoning. There is nothing really in it to respond to, so I won’t respond. However, should you decide to actually make an argument, I’ll be happy to engage youl.
isabel steffens says
The police should be arrested for arresting Ortiz
Ian H says
Looks like they arrested him for resisting arrest.
AnnaK says
But are we told the whole truth by media? After Paul Weston leader of the British political party LibertyGB was arrested for quoting Churchill on Islam, the police Commissioner no less, said he wasn’t arrested for a quote ,but for ” refusing to move on, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest” ( telling a party leader to move on is okay ??)
Weston was later released. I happen to believe Mr. Westons’ version of the story, that someone in the crowd objected to the quote and called the police !
If this happens to a political leader anything can happen to us members of the public.
USA is not GB, and It is entirely possible this man is in the wrong, but will we ever get the whole story. Until we do, I am sceptical.
RonaldB says
Actually, there was a video of the incident. Here is one video showing the footage, with Weston in the background explaining that the police came immediately and arrested him for comments causing offense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB7en-eu0X8
So, Paul Weston’s arrest was a clear case of police action on the content of the speech. I’m afraid that facts in this case are not so clear as of yet.
AnnaK says
Exactly. We don’t know. This man was not giving a political speech and no video (which I didn’t know about in Paul’s case. I only knew the lies of the police)But exactly my point ! How much will we know of get to hear the truth about an ordinary member of the public with no evidence ?
Myxlplik says
Sounds like Mr. Ortiz has had his civil rights violated, he probably has a good case.
Devlin says
Yep Mr. Ortiz had his civil rights violated. But he shouldn’t had barricaded himself in his gf home. He should had come out and talked with the officers. Even if they had arrested him on civil rights crap it woudn’t had held much water and those charges would had been dropped. They’re more than likely going to drop the charges against him anyways.
nicu says
That’s how it is since they have invaded us : they call us pork – eater , our women whores , nazis , racists etc . and get away with it !
But don’t dare to speak up against them in your own country !
Tom says
This is why “civil rights” will be the death of our heritage.
gravenimage says
Massachusetts man arrested for calling neighbor a “terrorist”
………………………..
This is *insane*. No—Ortiz should not have barricaded himself in his home; but chances were he already understood he was facing a travesty of justice in having the police called in the first place.
And since Mr. Ortiz is himself a “person of color”, more proof that Muslims trump all other groups when it comes to “political correctness”.
Don Foss says
Next time Ortiz should just call a Muslim a “potential terrorist,” because every single Mohammedan on the planet is in fact a “potential terrorist” by the nature of his faith. That can be proven in court. As for Hooper, he’s a dirty, lying, shameless, despicable scumbag only a small degree better than Anjem Choudary.
Rita says
We have to get more creative with our insults – such as calling “them”:
Obama Voters
Robert Spencer haters
Pamela Geller defamers
or simply:
“Muslims” 🙂
particolor says
No No ! “Person of Piece” should do it
Shmmoviyet says
Very good– no race or gender indicated, just a tiny nod to religion.
NC KEN says
And you folks up there have your shorts in a twist about a civil war flag. Looks like you have a much, much bigger problem to resolve in the state that once brought us the grit to resist tyranny. Hope you haven’t gone to far over the cliff and can save yourselves.
In the meantime, if you really get in a bind, give us a call. We may ride to your rescue.
Michael Alvarez says
ISLAM is unconstitutional – attorney explains at
gravenimage says
test
Cindy says
Man this is a bunch of crap and we better put a stop before it is too late to go back!!!!!!!! Since when as a grown-up that names will hurt you and you lock people up for saying things that offend you????? NEVER in my America till now. We have documents that stop this sh**!!!!!!!!! So why are our officials folding???? I don’t know unless there is a lot of money involved!!!!!!!!!!STOP THIS CRAP NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NC Ken says
Time for people to assemble peacefully, as it is your right to do under the First Amendment on the sidewalk at the police station with signs and demand the chief of police explain his failure to lead and train his officers properly on the US Constitution. Have a reporter with you, and plenty of iPhones recording. Otherwise, this is going to continue. And, oh by the way, policing policies are set by municipal government, so the mayor and municipal council should be called out and put on the hot seat over this. Elections are coming. Put the heat on them. We fought a bunch of Brits over these issues. Don’t let it be in vein. Good luck.
Shmooviyet says
Well, don’t rely on the pols or majority of media to even acknowledge this story, unless it is some ex-lawyer on FOX railing on about the terrible injustice done to the neighbour by the islamophobic Ortiz, who should serve time.
NC Ken says
I detect a ‘can’t do’ attitude. That is what the authorities are counting on. Sheeple are their favorites. The longer you do nothing positive, the more encouraged, arbitrary and aggressive they are going to become. Better get off the couch up there and take a stand. Otherwise, you are wasting good bandwidth here. Good luck.
Uncle Vladdi says
Re: “He says Ortiz barricaded himself in his girlfriend’s house until she let police in to subdue him.
Police arrested Ortiz on July 7. He was charged with disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, obstruction of justice, interfering with a person’s civil rights and resisting arrest….”
SO, POLICE FELT THE NEED TO “SUBDUE” SOMEONE HIDING IN HIS OWN HOME, FOR DISORDERLY CONDUCT (“SPEAKING BAD WORDS IN PUBLIC”) DISTURBING THE PEACE (APPARENTLY BECAUSE “THE PEACE” IS A FAR MORE IMPORTANT IDOL THAN “THE REAL LIVE INDIVIDUAL HUMAN CITIZEN”) AND HE WAS INTERFERING WITH A PERSON’S CIVIL RIGHTS (TO NOT BE OFFENDED OR HAVE THEIR FEELINGS HURT BY THE OFTEN-PAINFUL TRUTH) AND FOR RESISTING (FALSE) ARREST?!
The cops should subdue and arrest them selves for all of the above!
Uncle Vladdi says
PS: that’s nothing! Check this out in Canada!
http://www.infowars.com/man-faces-6-months-in-jail-for-disagreeing-with-feminists-on-twitter/
;-(
Angemon says
Diimaa posted:
“Miss, there is no falsehood to spew. More often than not, if a group of regular White Joe anti jihadists marching down a street”
Let’s compare that with what I classified as falsehood:
“Look at all the posters here…Except a few, most think that Brown Black or Yellow people are against them ”
Not only moving the goalposts, but also changing their size and scope while trying to conflate counter-jihadi and racism, and failing miserably in the process.
“Just the fact that you assumed both the Turk and the Hispanic are brown”
Which I didn’t. Another poor judgment derived from your inability to grasp the painfully obvious.
“Turks are Europeans”
By itself, that tells us nothing regarding the guy’s ethnicity. Europe is a big place and, as you go to prove on your next sentence, not all Europeans are white.
“and some Ortizs[sic] have White European ancestry.”
You say that some have, thus implying that most don’t, so you’re not exactly standing on solid ground there. But seeing how other outlets described him as “hispanic”, you get an F- on your homework.
BTW, the plural of Ortiz is Ortizes.
“ You simply assumed. ..and that’s all racists do all the time!”
I’ll ignore the asinine logic fueling your implied “you assumed something therefore you’re a racist” Guilty By Association fallacy and simply reiterate that other outlets have described Ortiz as being “Hispanic”.
You and your buddies/sock puppets are just the latest iteration of what happens every time there’s a high profile jihad attack: we get a new batch of trolls crying and tossing charges of “racism” and “bigotry” around, like monkeys with their feces. Enjoy your stay, which I believe will be a short one.
Ethel Mertz says
A lot of people would be in jail and I would be filthy rich for all the “hateful” words that have been hurled at me. If we arested everyone for “disorderly conduct” or “civil rights violations” at least half of the US population would be imprisoned. Hell, all of L.A. would be in jail, you should hear the stuff said on the streets, even the kids, ha ha! I swear, this country is well on it’s way to being officially certified as insane.