A Tennessee Man's Arrest for Sharing a Trump Meme Sparks Outrage and Questions Over Free Speech.
Larry Bushart Jr., 61, was arrested on September 22 after posting over 100 times on Facebook in response to the killing of Charlie Kirk. His posts included memes criticizing President Donald Trump and his followers, as well as one that featured an image of Trump with a quote from a January 2024 school shooting. The meme had been circulating for more than a year.
Sheriff Nick Weems, who has a history of taking a hardline stance on free speech, was involved in the arrest. He reportedly shared Bushart's post on his own Facebook page and contacted an investigator to look into it. A warrant was issued for Bushart's arrest, charging him with "threatening mass violence at a school." However, no evidence suggests that Bushart's meme directly threatened harm to anyone.
Bushart had spent hours posting memes every day, mostly criticizing Trump and his followers. He has been working as a police officer and sheriff’s deputy for 24 years before retiring last year. His politics made him an outlier among his neighbors. In Facebook groups, he often expressed liberal opinions, but also participated in heated discussions about conservative issues.
The arrest sparked outrage on social media, with many calling it an overreach by the authorities. The case has drawn attention to the issue of free speech and its limits. Bushart's lawyer has filed a motion asking General Sessions Judge Katerina Moore to reduce his bail, arguing that he is not a flight risk and does not pose a threat to the community.
The incident highlights the complexities of social media regulation and the need for clear guidelines on what constitutes hate speech or threatening behavior. It also raises questions about the role of law enforcement in policing online discourse and the balance between protecting public safety and protecting free speech.
A GiveSendGo account has been created to raise money for Bushart's legal defense, with many people defending his right to express himself on social media. The case is now set to be heard in court in December.
Larry Bushart Jr., 61, was arrested on September 22 after posting over 100 times on Facebook in response to the killing of Charlie Kirk. His posts included memes criticizing President Donald Trump and his followers, as well as one that featured an image of Trump with a quote from a January 2024 school shooting. The meme had been circulating for more than a year.
Sheriff Nick Weems, who has a history of taking a hardline stance on free speech, was involved in the arrest. He reportedly shared Bushart's post on his own Facebook page and contacted an investigator to look into it. A warrant was issued for Bushart's arrest, charging him with "threatening mass violence at a school." However, no evidence suggests that Bushart's meme directly threatened harm to anyone.
Bushart had spent hours posting memes every day, mostly criticizing Trump and his followers. He has been working as a police officer and sheriff’s deputy for 24 years before retiring last year. His politics made him an outlier among his neighbors. In Facebook groups, he often expressed liberal opinions, but also participated in heated discussions about conservative issues.
The arrest sparked outrage on social media, with many calling it an overreach by the authorities. The case has drawn attention to the issue of free speech and its limits. Bushart's lawyer has filed a motion asking General Sessions Judge Katerina Moore to reduce his bail, arguing that he is not a flight risk and does not pose a threat to the community.
The incident highlights the complexities of social media regulation and the need for clear guidelines on what constitutes hate speech or threatening behavior. It also raises questions about the role of law enforcement in policing online discourse and the balance between protecting public safety and protecting free speech.
A GiveSendGo account has been created to raise money for Bushart's legal defense, with many people defending his right to express himself on social media. The case is now set to be heard in court in December.
I'm not buying this whole thing... a meme, really? 
100+ posts and one of them gets him arrested for "threatening mass violence"? 
Sounds like overreach to me. What's next, arresting people for liking the wrong politician's tweet? 
The sheriff involved, Nick Weems, has a history of being hard on free speech... could be personal bias at play here.
Bushart's lawyer is right, he's not a flight risk and doesn't pose a threat to the community. He's just an old cop with opinions... 
I'd love to see the source for this "threatening mass violence" charge, because it sounds like a stretch.
What's next, online speech being regulated by a "free speech council"? No thanks. We need more transparency and accountability from our law enforcement agencies. 
! I mean, come on, a guy posts some memes and suddenly he's being arrested? It just doesn't seem fair. Like, isn't free speech supposed to be a thing where you can express yourself without worrying about getting in trouble? 
.
The fact that it was an old meme that had been going around for ages doesn't make it any less harmless. And what's with the school shooting quote? That was like, a year ago and way before it happened! 
It seems like overkill to me, and I don't think he meant any real harm.
. I mean, come on, a guy posts some memes and gets arrested? It's just free speech, folks! 
The system needs to chill out and get its priorities straight. This is just another example of how the authorities are trying to control our online lives 
.
! I mean, come on, he just shared some memes that didn't agree with Trump and one that was super old... like from last year 
Can't we just talk about it and figure out some guidelines for social media regulation? It seems way too complicated 
Can we really say that he posed a threat to public safety or did he just become a lightning rod for outrage?