On Oct. 4, Steven Howards, an environmental consultant, filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government alleging civil rights violations. The suit grew out of an encounter with Vice President Dick Cheney that occurred on June 16.
The incident shows the Bush administration’s unwillingness to tolerate any dissent to its genocidal policies in Iraq.
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Howards was walking through an outdoor public mall in Beaver Creek, Colo., on that date with his children, who were going to a camp for piano lessons. Much to his surprise, he saw Vice President Dick Cheney, who was shaking hands with people in the mall.
Howards had a moment of hesitation, but then he approached Cheney, who had several Secret Service agents nearby, and calmly told him: “Your policies in Iraq are reprehensible.” This was soon after the media had reported the 2,500th U.S. troop death in the war in Iraq.
Howards and his children then continued on their way. About 10 minutes later he returned through the same public mall with his 8-year-old son.
A Secret Service agent approached him and asked, “Did you assault the vice president?” Howards replied that he had not assaulted Cheney but had criticized him, further commenting that if freedom of speech was illegal the agent should arrest him.
At that point the agent, Virgil D. Reichle, Jr., gave him a lesson in just how far civil liberties have eroded in this country. Reichle grabbed Howards and cuffed his hands behind his back in front of his son and onlookers. When Howards said he couldn’t leave his son alone the agent retorted that “Social Services” would be contacted to take the son. The traumatized child saw his mother as his father was being carted away and ran to her to evade government custody.
According to Howards, Reichle said he would be charged with assaulting the vice president. Howards was formally charged with “harassment,” a misdemeanor that carries up to a one-year jail sentence. He was held in jail for three hours and released after posting a $500 bond. The charges were eventually dropped. Howards is now suing the arresting agent.
The incident in Beaver Creek is not an aberration. There are two other similar suits pending against Secret Service agents or White House staff members.
On July 4, 2004, Jeff and Nicole Rank were arrested at a George Bush appearance in Charleston, W.Va. They had proper tickets to attend the event, but they were wearing anti-Bush t-shirts. And in March 2005, two people who had an anti-war bumper sticker on their car were ejected from a taxpayer-financed Bush appearance in Denver, Colo.
Howards’ lawyer, David A. Lane, has said that although the suit only names agent Reichle, Cheney could be called as a witness. He also said that additional defendants could be named if it becomes evident that agent Reichle was acting on orders from superiors.
