Good to know that you think it's ok to scream at someone carrying a child. This must be the progressiveness I hear so much about. Personally, I never scream at anyone - most certainly not someone carrying a child. I think it sets a bad example for kids. However, I do now have a better understanding of why we have so many bratty kids these days. The learn from their parents.
Your opinion is unreasonable. Do you think for one minute that somebody who is so divisive as Palin is gonna turn up at a public place (with or without her son) and get people to sit down and sing kumbya? Of course that was going to happen....
Here's the example. In order to prove any crime in NZ you have to prove
both the mens rea and actus reus (mental intent and the physical act itself). You could not be convicted if only one was proven. Now, the lawmakers knew that some smartarse who murdered somebody would go "hey, you can prove the act, but my mental intention was not to kill the person. Prove otherwise." So they added a rider to the law...if a reasonable person thought the offender acted in reckless manner then the mental intent was proven - ie, if you hold a loaded shotgun to a person's head at point blank range and fire, saying you "had no intention to kill them" doesn't wash. Only a moron would honestly think that shooting somebody in the head at point blank range wouldn't kill them.
now, I ain't calling you a moron because you ain't....and you're a good sort. But if you honestly think that a group of people are not going to react to that Stupid, thick-as-pigshit women, then you are being naive.
now, if the protesters knew in advance that she was going to turn up with her son, then that is a different scenario again..