Happy Birthday Dr. King - Jacqueline Smith Arrested!

At 10.00 am on January 15th, Martin Luther King Day, Jacqueline Smith was arrested at the protest site and taken into custody at Shelby County Correction Center. The charge, disorderly conduct, born out of displaying new signs at the Protest Site.

The signs, which had already caused so much anger to the museum had created even further furore. The police were called and Jacqueline's liberty was taken away from her. Why? For simply displaying signs that the National Civil Rights Museum happen to disagree with.

While you can hardly expect them to be happy about a sign that says "$8 Million for James Earl Ray Exhibition - $ Zero for the Poor, Needy and Displaced" or " Road Closed while $8 million is being spent on creating a shrine to Death and Violence" it is hardly a major criminal offense. It would appear the charge of disorderly conduct is based on the testimony of Officer G. Terry-Cook who claims that the 5 feet tall, petite, 49 year old "manhandled" the police officers.

After a peaceful vigil lasting 13 years, somehow this just doesn't ring true.

Ask yourself, If the signs had stated "Happy Birthday Dr. King" or "Visit the National Civil Rights Museum" would Jacqueline Smith have been arrested? I think you already know the answer.

Please help in any way you can to restore the civil rights of Jacqueline Smith who has campaigned tirelessly to uphold the dream of Dr. King.