Below is a letter from
Terry Funderburk who is headed to court January 28, 2008. You may remember that Terry was "The Lone Protester" who picketed outside of someone who allegedly hired illegal aliens instead of Funderburk for a job on July 16, 2007. The police showed up and arrested Funderburk for uttering a curse word at the owner. The owner faced no inquiry, arrest or prosecution.
If you are not familiar with the events that day you can read the Terry Funderburk story.
Below is the letter in full from Terry Funderburk dated January 14, 2008.
A Letter From Terry Funderburk
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Lone Protester- My Latest Trial Date
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that there has been nothing but bad news since 2008 began? The economy is tanking, housing is crashing, all of the good jobs are heading overseas and the ones that are left available here are mostly being taken up by illegal aliens at sub minimum wages. And to top it off I read today that John McCain is leading the pack for the Republican nomination. Somedays it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed. But you got to if you want to earn a living to support your family.
I have to go out every day and put myself in situations that I do not like to be in just to survive. I do not like being forced to compete with illegal businesses and illegal aliens on a daily basis for my very survival. I do not like seeing, on a daily basis, all the rampant criminal activity that is going on in my industry. I do not like or appreciate being run out of business, illegally, by companies that have no right to be operating. And I do not like it that our justice and legal systems are unavailable to do something about it. Something so simple as to enforce our laws.
I protested that fact on July 16 2007 and got arrested for the crime of cursing. For calling someone a bad word because he told me he was employing illegal competition. It was me that went to jail and not him for his crime. And I have paid dearly for that. This is my first run in with the legal system and I do not like it at all. To be treated like a common criminal, when all I tried to do was bring attention to something that is against the law. Since my arraignment on July 21st, I have been to court four different times for the act of cursing. Once the prosecutor demanded that I plead guilty and I refused. The next time he threatens to level another charge against me, five months after I was arrested, if I didn’t plead guilty. Again I refused, and surely enough, I have a second charge laid on me.
And believe it or not, January 23 2008 is my court date. At 800 am, I am to finally appear before a jury of my peers for my awful crime. After seven months and five tries in court my case is finally going to be heard. It is a scary feeling and it plays hell on your nerves but I am going to stand up for what I feel is right, even if I have to spend two months in jail. My rights were violated that day, my right to protest, my first amendment right to free speech and my Miranda rights were violated and everybody seems to conveniently forget those facts like the police and the prosecutor have done. And sooner or later, somewhere in the appellate process if I am found guilty, I will be vindicated for those reasons.
And meanwhile, in the home construction industry in Columbia, SC, I am still competing on a daily basis with companies that employ illegal aliens. Nothing has been done about them. They are permitted to remain in business by the same establishment that is currently prosecuting me for cursing one of them. Talk about a catch-22 situation. I am in the midst of one. Lol. And talking about all the bad news, why doesn’t someone start a news web site that only shows good news, things that make you smile and feel good instead of all the murder, crime and mayhem, and weird things like John McCain being the Republican front runner. I do know one thing for sure, if he becomes the president I can kiss my business bye bye for good.
Terry Funderburk
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Tipped by Illegal Protest
