Speaking of excessive government intrusion....

Newspapers in Florida often carry stories about people who have been charged with "resisting arrest without violence".  On a few occasions this has been the only charge.
I have learned that The State of Florida has a statute known as 843.02 named "resisting officer without violence."  It is more commonly known as "resisting arrest without violence."  It is a first degree misdemeanor, and carries a maximum sentence of one year in the county jail.
Apparently the right to free speech and free assembly are not as inalienable as I thought.  Exercise of those rights may be interpreted by a police officer as resisting arrest without violence.
Cops don't like citizens explaining law to them, or refusing to cooperate with them.  When a cop asks a question of a citizen, he expects an answer, not a legal debate.  When a cop tells you to do something, he expects you to do it.  Failure to obey the policeman's orders can result in a bad arrest such as 'resisting arrest without violence.'
One gets the impression that the police don't like to leave a scene without punishing someone.
My research shows that Florida is the only state with such a statute on its books.  Thank God for that!
This example is confirmation of my long-held belief that the South doesn't care very much for the Constitution of the United States.
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