Human Rights Commission vs. First, Second Amendment

By
Suzanne Downing
-
69

COMMISSION ORDERS MAN TO MOVE HIS TRUCK, DUE TO GUN DECAL

Brenton Linegar owns a small plumbing contracting business in Anchorage. His firm was working on the building leased to the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights at 800 A Street.

When one of his employees went out to the work truck on Thursday, he found a note on it from the executive director of the commission, telling him to “not park this truck with that offensive sticker in this parking lot.” Along with that note, written on the back of the state worker’s business card, was another business card, belonging to a state probation officer.

The sticker on the back of the truck that offended the state workers says “Black Rifles Matter.” It has an image of a semi-automatic rifle.

Linegar sees it as a pro-Second Amendment sticker. But the government worker saw it as racist and said so in an email that has made its way around the internet. She was clearly triggered.

The Human Rights Commission was so troubled by the truck sticker that it even posted a picture of it on the Facebook page for the agency — official state property:

Linegar says he’s tired of being bullied, and that there’s nothing offensive about the sticker. There’s even a Black Rifle Coffee Company, which sports semi-automatic stickers and is decidedly pro-Second Amendment. It’s a company that’s owned by veterans.

Linegar says a couple of his employees are not white, and they drive that particular truck.

Is it a play on words for “Black Lives Matter?” Yes, perhaps, he said. But the “Black Guns Matter” movement was started by an African American to educate blacks about their Second Amendment rights.

[Read: Black Guns Matter brings workshop to African American community]

Support for the Second Amendment is not offensive to many Alaskans. GunsandAmmo says that Alaska is nearly tied with Arizona for being the best state for gun owners. Arizona only won the top spot due to its accessibility to competitive shooting opportunities.

And a quick tour of the Internet show there are a multitude of other plays on that particular “lives matter” phrase, such as “All Lives Matter,” or this St. Patrick’s Day rendition, sold at Etsy.com, which says “Irish Livers Matter.”

Linegar hasn’t filed a complaint against the Human Rights Commission Executive Director Marti Buscaglia or probation officer Kendall Rhyne.

But he might have a case that his constitutional rights were violated by government workers with vast powers to hurt individuals and who can — and maybe already has — harmed Linegar’s family business.

After hundreds of comments on the State Human Rights Commission Facebook page criticizing its actions, Commission posted an explanation of its actions and removed the original post. Even that brought comments from many late into the night on Thursday and by Friday morning there were over 500 comments in response to the agency’s explanation.

69 COMMENTS

  1. Leaving a note on a business card does not a constitutional rights violation make. Maybe he needs to take the advice of so many of his supporters on Facebook and not be so offended himself.

    • It wasn’t just the note on his truck. They also posted on a state Govt Facebook page. As a state employee, even I know that is a huge NO NO. You just don’t do that.
      I hope if anything comes from this, that this brings him MORE business, and the Executive Director, Marti, is reprimanded for what this commission did.

      • I’d say that both of these government agencies representatives have created a Nexus with their departments through intimidation by leaving their cards (rookie move) and should be taken to task. With this much attention I smell a suspension coming down the pike.

      • They were also limiting his right to park and work in peace in the very parking lot of those that hired him.

    • It does a constitutional right violation make if you’re a government officer leaving the business card.

    • Leaving a note on a State official business card is. Literally any other peice of paper would have been just fine.

    • Wait, whose panties are twisted over a bumper sticker?

      .

      I wonder of the owners of those cards believe in the 1st Amendment and 2nd Amendment Human Rights of the truck owner. Maybe they aren’t fit for that commission.

      • These Leftists only support human rights that mirror their beliefs and that is clearly displayed in this event. They reached far for this one, going out of their way to the parking lot to make their “point” all on the government dime. I’d like to know how many complaints weren’t even investigated or not supported as they should have been because the complaint didn’t fit their narrative. It’s worth a look. Good bye exec director! Clearly not fit to lead.

        • I think a few hundred thousand from the abuse of government power lawsuit could get these abusers fired !

    • A government official ORDERS a citizen to do an act, an order that is in violation of the US Constitution, both the 1st and Second Amendments….that is, in both fact and law, a constitutional rights violation. Maybe you need to educate yourself somewhat on Constitutional Law in the United States, instead of pretending to be offended at someone else being rightfully offended.

    • A government representative leaving a business card is much different than a private party leaving a business card…there is a huge difference and it is the reason we have the Bill of Rights.

      You might want to review the 1st and 2nd sections of that Bill of Rights.

    • As those are state business cards and were used to try to politically intimidate the victim for expressing his first amendment freedoms -‘under color of authority’- it just might.

    • It was a poor attempt at intimidation by self important state workers who clearly have way too much time on their hands, and zero common sense – a recipe for bad publicity if there ever was one.

    • Brandon, you are correct. This does not constitute a violation of this man’s rights. It does however indicate that a state government official/employee feels it is OK to imply legal authority by involving his/her job title and credentials (writing a note on the business card) to force his/her will on another citizen. In most cases, this would be called malfeasance. More importantly though, it speaks to the mindset of our public servants, who clearly feel that their opinions and feelings carry more weight than that of the average citizen.

  2. Nice try, Brandon. But it was not just a note. It was a threat…a clear attempt to suppress Linegar’s First (and perhaps Second) Amendment rights. Posting it on FB was doubling down on the audacity of dope. (No offense intended, of course.)

  3. Another ‘bloated’ State of AK Agency consisting of …
    7- Commissioners
    17- Staff
    Performing and providing ‘essential’ and ‘critical’ services of the greatest benefit and value??? Yeah … Right!
    I wonder what the overall budget cost of this entity is? Obviously, it looks ripe for cost savings here!

    At a minimum, maybe they want to review their own ‘Guiding Principles’ and focus intently on the concepts of …. integrity, mutual respect, equality for ‘all’ Alaskans, respectful representation, and integrate education into all aspects of work?

  4. I think the real issue here is the probation officers card!!! Is he the muscle? That is blatant misuse of authority. He should resign.

    • I actually “laughed out loud” when I saw the Probation Officers card. What are you going to do about it, buddy? LMAO. Not sure what power it exactly is that you’re trying to abuse but nice try.

      Weird flex but ok.

  5. That note on that card sounds like a threat. I do believe that would qualify as “hate speech”, based on the usage I’ve observed for that phrase in the past. So we now have an official representative of the state leaving “hate speech” threats against workers?

  6. Well, Black Guns Matter was started by Maj Toure, a black man. He should get one of their stickers and put it next to his Black Rifles Matter sticker. Support two good movements and be able to throw it back in the HRC’s face.

  7. A person who is in a position of power has to know how to use that power. He failed. The use of the state provided official business card was an act of intimidation. The posting on the web is easy to stir up trouble and resort to mob rule activation.

    No one is perfect he needs to think and maybe become more inclusive and accepting of other people having rights esp ones spelled out in the constitution.

  8. When I moved here in 1997 the joke was “How do you tell a Democrat from a Republican? Democrats carry a 357 Republicans carry 44s.” I think something has changed.

  11. When you use the State’s resources (business cards & website) as a State employee to tell someone they can’t have that sticker on state property you are using the power of the State of Alaska to send that message. Sounds like the Commissioner of Human Rights, Marti Buscaglia, is using his/her State title to Bully these people for expressing thier first amendment rights. Not cool Marti…..not cool

  12. Marti Buscaglia needs to be confronted by higher ups in the Dunleavy Administration. Maybe Tuckerman Babcock can call Marti and give her a good dressing down. Maybe the AG’s Office can lecture her on violating another’s right of free speech (1st Amendment). Then, Marti needs to be retrained and go through some therapy and anger management classes. The State leases the parking lot, not Marti.
    Maybe Marti will meet someone nice in therapy sessions, like Byron Mallott.

  13. Is this non-sense being paid for our of our treasury? I would like to know which elected officials support this garbage. Shame on us for electing people that fund these subversives.

  14. Isn’t the Commission for Human Rights kind of an oxymoron? All the rights for them and none for us Governor Dunleavy?

  15. It seems like the sticker means is (f**k black lives matter what about my black guns) so, it does seem offensive. I’m not black, just reading it came off that way.

  16. Both need immediate termination. As far as Buscaglia goes, she is not afraid to pull this so what does she do to people or small businesses that come to her attention in any way shape or form? As far as Rhyne goes, being this over the top in public makes me very concerned about what he does to people in DOC custody.

  17. Someone please put an NRA sticker on the bumper curb where Marti parks her car for free on the state leased property. Attach her state purchased biz card next to it.

  18. Send Buscaglia back to Dunleavy re-training camp. She’s an old LEFT-over from the Walker Administration. And take her business cards away from her. She needs to earn them under Dunleavy.

  19. Good Reporting! doubtful that ADN, KTVA or KTUU will cover this… while it seems like overreach to me, I am not familiar enough with the code of regulations to confidently state that it is harassment or a violation of the man’s rights. That said, I am confident that some pushback in clearly in order.

  20. Those business cards were paid for with taxpayer dollars. Misuse of government resources. The use of authoritative government titles to intimidate is another violation of public trust. I doubt that this is the first and only time this has been done. Fire them.

  21. It is a clear violation of the constitution by a federal employee who must be held accountable if we are to stand for truth and to the letter of the law and not be dictated by a liberal agenda

  22. Sadly, this is just the tip of the iceberg: I suspect that dozens of State employees with Leftist views do dirt to citizens they are supposed to serve every day. (Just talk to someone at the DEC or Attorney General’s Office some time.) As demonstrated here, the Leftist employees truly believe that their actions are justified and appropriate. I am confident that some of these folks “can just smell” the Dunleavy and Trump supporters as the go about their daily activities. Many more Leftist State employees believe their job is to “govern” others than “serve” the public.

    Frankly, it is a good reason to support having fewer State employees. Just a thought.

  23. Kendall Rhyne is a law enforcement officer. I know that because I am a retired Parole & Probation Officer myself. This is like a warning..like a warning from the state when you get a warning when your pulled over for a traffic violation. Putting that note on his card means this is a message from the State of Alaska. Thats what you do when you want to let someone know its an official notice. It’s how I left messages for people that I wanted them to know it was not from just me but a message from a Parole & Probation Officer acting in that capacity. If I wanted to leave notes for people that did not reflect that it would not be on a business card.

  24. Governor Mike Dunleavy
    3 mins ·
    After review of a post made on the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights social media page yesterday, my office has requested the Department of Law launch an immediate investigation into the matter. Protecting an individual’s constitutional rights, including the 1st amendment, is of the utmost importance to this administration.

    • Hey Governor Dunleavy… Are you going to notify the public on what the investigation found and if these people have been reprimanded, suspended or terminated?

  26. How is it a good use of state time for them to maintain a Facebook page where they publicly try to shame hard working Alaskans while they suck up their part of an over-bloated state budget all while sitting on their arses in cushy state purchased office chairs while typing away on state computers? I say fire the lot of them, cancel their budget and auction off the office chairs and computers.

  27. I have called several legislators about this. Question is, is the commissioner designee up for confirmation in the House and Senate? If so, this needs to be brought up as to the outcome of these two employees and what violations and what actions were taken to correct this poor behavior.
    I really don’t care what a person’s views are. If a person would be so rude to leave me a note because of my bumper stickers, the note would be trashed and ignored. Or if a person would come to me and want to argue against that bumper sticker, that would be fine, so long as they didn’t get really stupid and started attacking me. We would have a discussion and that would be the end of that.
    However, in this case, with both using their calling cards as employees of the commission and to post on FB page owned by the commission, that stepped across the line big time!
    I called the Governors office as well, apparently the mother of the driver called as well and not happy. So I do know the Governor’s office is very aware of this. I’m betting that commissioner will be called on the carpet when the Governor gets back from Texas, so I’ll leave that up to his discretion on how he wants to handle this.

  28. This is clearly wrong. Fascist bullies at work.
    No place in Alaska for this.
    Will the lefty’s at DMV search my social media before I can get tags?
    We they reinstate the Parking Authority to look for “these type of people”
    People in the lower 48 are afraid to put on a bumper sticker or wear a red hat.
    Alaska and Alaskans are better than that.

  29. I just saw these tweets from the Governor!

    After review of a post made on the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights social media page yesterday, my office has requested the Department of Law launch an immediate investigation into the matter. (1/2)

    Protecting an individual’s constitutional rights, including the 1st amendment, is of the utmost importance to this administration. (2/2)

    Hell yeah! This is a Governor that gets it and doesn’t wait for testing the wind!

    • The Governor completely gets it. Of course, he gets a little help from MRAK…four or five times a day.

  30. Outrageous!!!!! The two state employees that intimidated a citizen with there state power and tried to deprive them of there first amendment rights need too be fired now!!!!! And what king of an operation hires people like this?

  31. It should be noted that the Executive Director Buscaglia is a former advertising/classifieds executive from the ADN.

    • No. Not the State of Alaska, old professor. That’s a cop-out. Instead, sue Marti Buscaglia, individually, for tortious interference of contract and for harassment and stalking under a civil claim. Stick it to the person who created the problem. Your rendition of a claim goes to respondeat superior. But that doesn’t resolve the problem, which is the real.person who created it. Might as well sue the probation officer too, for assisting the tort feasor.

  35. I thought laws were written so that everyone could not use their own individual logic to interpret them.

  37. The scariest part of this whole incident is the obvious fact that the top gun in the state human relations commission is not only dumber than a box of rocks, but she is so confident of her own moral superiority that she had no problem abusing the authority of her office. She was so offended by a bumper sticker that had a message that she really did not understand that she could not go about her daily life without leaving such a snotty note on the truck. An incident like this really goes to show that the inmates are now running the asylum.

  38. I’ve seen this movie, it was called “catch me if you can”. I hope the next con isn’t flying commercial airliners.

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