By John Q. Hosedrinker 
A retired Tennessee law enforcement officer is suing after being arrested and held in jail for over a month following a Facebook post containing a meme referencing the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The lawsuit claims his First Amendment rights were violated and that he was unlawfully prosecuted for protected political speech. Bushart was arrested for “threatening mass violence at a school,” due to the meme’s reference to a school shooting, and held on a $2 million bond before the charge was dropped. The lawsuit names Perry County, its sheriff, and an investigator as defendants, seeking damages for the alleged violations.
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Retired cop jailed for 37 days over Charlie Kirk meme sues, saying his First Amendment rights were violated.
It’s truly astonishing, isn’t it? The sheer audacity of arresting someone, a retired cop no less, for simply posting a meme. And not just arresting him, but holding him for over a month, setting a bond that seems deliberately excessive. This whole situation screams of a blatant violation of the First Amendment, a fundamental right that’s supposed to protect us from government overreach when it comes to free speech. The fact that the meme in question, by all accounts, didn’t even contain an explicit threat makes the arrest seem even more ludicrous.
The comments surrounding this case are pretty united in their condemnation of the actions taken against the retired officer. There’s a strong sentiment that the officers involved should face consequences, potentially losing their jobs for what appears to be a gross abuse of power. The consensus seems to be that he has a very strong case and is likely to win his lawsuit. And the underlying issue is, the potential for a significant payout, and the realization that the cost of these actions will be borne by the taxpayers. It stings a bit when you realize that public funds might be used to settle a case stemming from what looks like a clear-cut infringement of someone’s constitutional rights.
It’s really hard not to see this as a political move, orchestrated by someone with a clear agenda. The allegations that the sheriff, along with local police, understood the meme as political commentary but arrested the man anyway points to something other than a genuine concern for public safety. It sounds as though they were looking for an excuse to punish someone whose views they disagreed with.
And it brings up another interesting question: where are the “free speech absolutists” on this? Where’s the outrage when someone is jailed for a meme, yet seemingly far more egregious comments by others are met with a shrug? It’s easy to see the hypocrisy when the same people who are supposedly champions of free speech suddenly go silent when it’s someone on their side. The response to this whole ordeal also makes one wonder about the double standards at play.
The contrast between the treatment of this retired cop and others, like Trump, who are accused of making arguably more provocative comments, only highlights the inconsistencies. This is not about the content of the meme, but about the principle of free speech. The retired cop was not even advocating violence, but now sits in jail because someone with power did not like what he posted.
The comments also reflect a deep frustration with the legal system and a sense that there’s one set of rules for some and another for others. The idea that this retired cop was being held and the police officers, prosecutors and judges may not have been affected by any punishment from their actions is frankly disheartening. It makes it seem as though the law is being applied selectively, based on political affiliations or personal biases. The general feeling is that the police officers involved are going to be able to continue doing the same.
The potential for a large payout for the retired officer is, in some ways, a small consolation. It won’t undo the time he spent behind bars, but it could provide some financial recompense for the injustice he suffered. However, the comments suggest that the real victory would be holding those responsible accountable, not just financially, but by firing those police officers and the prosecutor involved. The situation really just makes you feel the need to support the injured.
The case also raises a broader point about the state of American politics and the erosion of civil liberties. If posting a meme can land you in jail for over a month, what rights do we really have? It’s a sobering thought, and the silence of some on the right regarding this issue is deafening.