Update: In Which Mr. Trump Tweets -- And Yes, His Is ... Inane, And Ignorant Of Our First Amendment Jurisprudence

UPDATED -- Sunday Night At 8 PM EST: In what the patron must have decided was retaliation -- for the events at the New York show on Friday night (described below) -- here in Chicago, on Saturday night, an inebriated Trump supporter heckled the cast through two numbers -- beginning his profanity laced rant at the line "Immigrants -- we get the job done." Will Mr. Trump demand an apology from his drunken supporter? Don't hold your breath, here. . . ["The theater must always be a safe place. . ." -- Donald Trump. Heh.]

Here is the Trib's account of the moment: ". . .According to audience member Brea Hayes of Batavia, who was at the performance, an audience member seated in the front of the balcony shouted profanities and election-related political statements after the cast sang the line, "Immigrants / We get the job done," which is part of the show's "Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)" number. . . ."

[End, updated portion.]

In the last post, I included an actual clip of the speech by Brandon Victor Dixon (playing VP Aaron Burr), as well as the text -- so that the world might see and know that the cast was both respectful, and loving, in expressing their concerns to the VP-Elect. [The cast even asked the audience to refrain from booing "don't boo" -- as the cast clearly believes, in the great American way, that ideas -- even controversial ones (Trump/Pence ideas) -- are to be heard and evaluated, in the theater.]

In my view (and that of almost all constitutional scholars), the theater has long been a core First Amendment Zone -- free expression shall reign. [At the theater, ideas wear the crown of royalty -- not any one person, any longer, here in America.]

Remember here also that Mr. Pence chose to come to the theater (no one forced him to be there) -- to see a musical (in part) about political revolutions, and incendiary ideas -- ideas that form the core of this nation's birth. He chose to go see a play about people the British would have called "traitors to the crown." [It should give him hope -- not fear, that our citizenry is so engaged in their own DEMOCRACY. But whatever -- it is a political play. The VP cannot live in a bubble, any more than the President can.]

If he recognized himself (as Mr. Trump plainly has this morning, by Tweet), in the role of the 18^th Century Crown -- not the patriot. . . and felt a little uncomfortable about that -- well, that is the whole point (in my view).

The completely daft notion -- that Mr. Trump thinks an apology is warranted -- where Mr. Pence stepped into the theater, and paid money, specifically to see an exchange of (what some might think of as) "incendiary" political ideas -- ideas he might disagree with. . . is stupefying.

Mr. Trump ought to grow up, and read a little First Amendment history. And he ought to get used to being booed, as well. He no longer can exclusively run "invite only" private rallies/appearances -- he's accountable to ALL of us, now -- 24/7. And it will be a long four years if he doesn't grow some thicker skin than this. Here it is again, for the record:





Finally, I don't recall Mr. Trump asking for an apology -- when more than a few sitting GOP Senators booed Mr. Obama, when he started to give his State of the Union address a few years ago. I guess he just doesn't understand what he's signed up for. Welcome to the Bigs, Mr. Trump. That's called a shave and a haircut -- God save you -- if the Infinite deems you worthy.

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