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Nydia Tisdale Indicted for Trying to Record a GOP Political Event. Just Another Example of How the GOP Attempts to Control Information!

Added By: GA6th Staff

November 18, 2015

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I met Nydia Tisdale as she and I were both recording a 2014 Campaign event. So, I was shocked to read that she was indicted yesterday on charges resulting from her refusal to stop recording and leave a political rally at Burt’s Farm last year that was billed as “open to the public.”
I firmly believe Nydia should be emulated; not prosecuted.  The more information the Community has the better we can vote for the best representatives.
Nadia’s arrest clearly shows that the GOP is not at interested in “Transparency.”  And it also shows how out of touch the GOP is with 21st Century Information tools.

Background

The indictment handed down by a Dawson County Grand Jury shows Nydia Pinzon Tisdale, 52, is now facing a third charge in connection with her Aug. 23, 2014 arrest.
You can read the details of her arrest here – http://www.dawsonnews.com/section/5/article/18288/
Here is more information -http://www.msnbc.com/the-ed-show/watch/journalist-roughed-up-at-georgia-gop-event-324960323687

A journalist’s right to observe
The case “involves the total disregard of a citizen and journalist’s fundamental right to observe and record the public activities of government officials,” Tisdale’s attorneys said in the notice.
Those actions, according to her attorneys, “constituted negligence, false imprisonment, assault, battery, conversion, trespass, the intentional inflection of emotional distress and violations of the Georgia Computer System’s Protection Act.”
What is being said that they are afraid of being filmed? 
Sam Olens, the state’s attorney general, said, “If we stand for anything as a party, what are we afraid of having a lady with a camera filming us? What are we saying here that shouldn’t be on film? What message are we sending that because it’s private property they shouldn’t be filming it?”
Previously, Olens filed a lawsuit against the city of Cumming after Tisdale was told by Mayor H. Ford Gravitt that she could not video the council’s April 17, 2012 meeting.
The city of Cumming settled with Tisdale for $200,000.
The More Transparency the Better
For the 6th District, the message here is that the more information the better.  The more transparency by our politicians the better.
Nydia should not be prosecuted.  Nadia should be emulated.