On Friday, October 22nd, syndicated talk-show host Mike Gallagher broadcast his morning radio program from the Holiday Inn Express in State College, Pa. Victor Thorn and I decided weeks earlier that we would cover this event, despite the fact that Gallagher had us removed from the premises of his last public appearance in Williamsport (August 27, 2004). So, we decided to cover as many bases as possible beforehand to insure that we would not be removed yet again from the scene of another news story. I seriously doubt any other reporter had to jump through as many hoops as we did to attend Mike's public event; but then again, Mike doesn't fear the mainstream press like he apparently fears Victor and me. If you read the account of our last trip to Williamsport (at the King's Inn Motel), then you know that Gallagher was successful in having us removed from the property under threat of arrest. We learned a valuable lesson that day: if we value freedom of the press, we're going to have to fight for it. And in all honesty, it's shameful that we are so stridently forced to defend our basic First Amendment rights; but if we don't, they will soon cease to exist.

To let everyone know our intentions, Victor and I visited various law enforcement agencies in State College prior to Gallagher's October 22nd appearance at the Holiday Inn and Penn State campus. We applied for (and received) a permit granting us permission to protest in front of the Thomas building where Mike would be speaking and screening films before a live audience. We made no secret of the fact that Gallagher has previously tried to have us arrested because he doesn't like the articles we write about him. In addition, we informed the Holiday Inn management of our intentions, and they granted us permission to cover the event, conditional upon the agreement that we would not cause a disturbance. We reassured Tracy (the General Manager) we would be there for the sole purpose of covering a news story as members of the press, and that we would not create any havoc.

We subsequently arrived at the hotel on Friday morning equipped with notebooks, pens, our press passes and a camera. We had no protest signs, and no desire to cause any problems. All we wanted to do was cover the story for WING TV. We had previously tried to contact Gallagher and his staff on at least three different occasions to let them know we planned to be there, but received no response from his people. Thus, Gallagher was well aware of our plans before he ever arrived in State College. With that said, I don't understand why he was so mortified to see us at the Holiday Inn Express. Within a minute of entering the lobby, we were accosted by a man who told us we had to leave. We informed him that we had permission to be there from both management and the police. All the while, Gallagher sat toward the rear of the lobby in semi-darkness, involved in a remote radio appearance with our local radio station, WRSC. Gallagher wouldn't even look up once he spotted us standing amid a small group assembled in the lobby. His facial expression appeared tense as I began taking pictures with my camera while Victor took notes. Within a matter of minutes, the above-mentioned man reappeared with the hotel manager and owner, as well as several police officers. Suddenly, hotel management and the police told us that we were making Gallagher "nervous," and that we had to leave. The person who identified himself as the owner said we were not welcome on their property. Please be clear on this point: the five or six police officers present were not the source of this complaint. They were simply doing their jobs. The problem stemmed from Gallagher and his staff, who lied to management and police by claiming that Victor and I were "stalkers." Mike uses this term because we write articles that expose his hypocrisy and propensity for pathological lying.

Of course we refute these ridiculous and completely baseless accusations being made by Gallagher and his employees. Nonetheless, Tracy, the female general manager, proceeded to shove me backward toward the lobby doors in her zeal to evict me from the building. My crime? Taking pictures and being there with her permission. Another local reporter witnessed our subsequent removal from the building, as did a number of other witnesses. For all intents and purposes, Gallagher not only had us removed; but he also kicked the First Amendment out the door too.

Later that day, Gallagher did a guest spot on Radio-Free Penn State (a college radio station) where much of the discussion revolved around freedom of speech. It was pretty ironic listening to Mike claim to be an advocate of this concept. Considering his track record, this is nothing less than laughable. Anyway, Victor called into that show and asked Mike why he had us removed from the hotel earlier that morning. Naturally, Gallagher responded with another bold-faced lie. He stated that we were protesters; then shifted the blame entirely onto the police. This is an outright lie, as Victor will prove in an upcoming article. Finally, later in the evening we drove to the Penn State campus and protested against Gallagher by carrying signs bearing a caricature of his face with a Pinocchio nose. Someone should inform this man that writing articles does not translate into "stalking." Moreover, it might be a good idea for Mike to read the First Amendment - slowly and as many times as necessary - until he finally "gets" it.

Victor and I believe this visit was a smashing success, although the real news of the day didn't make any headlines. Everyone should know that an important battle was waged in State College, Pa. on Friday, October 22nd between Mike Gallagher and the First Amendment. Also, hats off to the Penn State Police for standing their ground, treating us fairly, and for respecting our Constitutional rights. We went well-above and beyond what was required of us to defend our rights, and we appreciate knowing there are still people who believe in them too. The bottom line is: freedom of the press must apply to everyone in the media, or eventually it won't exist for any of us. It's as simple as that.