Freedom of Expression

Within the past few months in New York City, a street artist was caught just after placing an altered NYPD poster that stated “Always Watching”. This poster in particular was an “anti-ad” criticizing the recently passed laws that permit the United States government to begin using unmanned drone to monitor the everyday lives of American citizens. The artist’s position on the drone issue is that these unmanned drones take away the privacy of every citizen and leaves them defenseless against their own government, which opens the doors for the formation of an oppressive “military-state.” This is clear from the content of the poster, which includes unmanned drones, multiple security cameras, and a group of marching police officers. But after being caught placing one of the many mass produced posters, the artist now faces thousands of dollars in fines and a long list of felony charges. In addition to the felony charges and fines, he also faces the possibility of jail time, for expressing his opinion on a serious matter of federal law. This artist did not vandalize any private property or harm anyone in the process of placing the art, but yet the artist is still being punished for practicing free speech/press in a public place.