"Have You No Decency, Sir? At Long Last, Have You Left No Sense of Decency?"

Now, I'm sure he did this against the advice of his learned counsel, as I'm sure no lawyer would tell his client mooning a judge at sentencing is a good idea, but here's the thing:

So what?

Why are judges unlike all other government officials? Why are they beyond contempt? Why can't a guy say, "You just sentenced me to a prison term; you're damn right I have contempt for you" and express that in any nonviolent way he's sees fit. Isn't that what the First Amendment is all about, protecting you and me from the government's wrath after we've mustered the courage to tell it -- in the person of one of our elected or appointed or contracted officials -- "Hey, you suck"? That is what it's about, right? so I can say, "Hey Rummy, you stink," or "Hey, Ashcroft, you would do a better job blowing goats than running the U.S. Department of Justice," or write, "Hey, Laura, our misadventure in Iraq is killing this country. Please tell your your illiterate, lip-diddling husband I said so at your earliest convenience". I'm suppose to be able to do that, am I not (as long as I don't mind that irritating clicking noise whenever I use the phone), because criticizing the government is one of the fundamental rights of every American citizen, one of the ones guaranteed by our Constitution, one of the absolutely essential ones. We have to be able to criticize our government's policies and the persons who execute them if democracy in this country is to work and flourish. I don't understand what allows a judge of the nation's laws to stand above that need.

Regarding the above contempt of court matter, to paraphrase the inestimable Joseph Welch (whom I quoted above), "until this moment, Judge Carrol, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness, but giving a guy an additional 6 months for mooning you.... Have you no decency?" I have no respect for you, sir, or the robe you hide behind, and I hope some day we will relieve you and your ilk of the power to punish those of us who say so, you cowering worm.