Freedom of speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. In some instances, it is also protected by many state constitutions as well as state and federal laws.

But using freedom of speech to call your bosses morons on the Internet might be a test case for the Constitution.

It appears Eric Beyer, who has a part-time police officer with the Duncannon force for five years, was fired for what the borough council called “conduct unbecoming” because he posted critical comments about council on an Internet message board.

He called the council members “morons” because of their decision to sell a rifle from the police department that the mayor had purchased without their approval.

Beyer said last week that it was no secret that he disagreed with the borough council. He also said he thought he had the First Amendment right to free speech as an American citizen. Well ex-police officer Beyer, you do not have that right in Duncanon.

In Portland, Ore., it appears Portland police are not above the parking laws, even if they’re hungry. The Associated Press tells us Officer Chadd Stensgaard, who parked his patrol car illegally while making a dinner-break stop at a Japanese restaurant, broke the law. Traffic Court Judge Terry Hannon ruled Wednesday he must pay a $35 fine. The infraction came to light thanks to Eric Bryant, who was at the restaurant with friends when Stensgaard parked in a curbside no-parking zone. Bryant, an attorney, filed a citizen complaint against the officer in March.

About five minutes after the officer arrived, Bryant walked up to him and told him he was parked illegally. “He told me he was allowed to do so,” Bryant testified. “I responded, ‘No, you’re not.’ I told him he was an officer of the law. He’s not supposed to break the law. He’s supposed to enforce the law.”

Portland police leaders say they plan to ask city commissioners to make it legal for officers to park in no-parking zones when ordering food or stopping for a restroom break.

The city commissioners should enforce the laws on the police. They should not bend the rules. If a police officer breaks the law, then he/she should be treated just like John Q. Public.

Today was a good news for police stories. The Code of Blue apparently did not work for a state trooper from the Hazleton barracks. His fellow comrades conducted an internal investigation and learned he “intentionally stomped” on a man’s head while he was lying on the ground. Cpl. Michael Hartzel is accused of using excessive force, then telling another trooper to keep quiet. Hartzel was among seven troopers who responded to a disturbance at a Hazle Township trailer park earlier this year. The incident resulted from that disturbance. Hartzel was arrested and is suspended without pay. The trooper is charged with assault and witness intimidation.

In Milford, Mass., police have done some investigating and talked to one suspect about dozens of pairs of pantyhose being left near a Milford school bus stop. Police Chief Thomas O’Loughlin said the only crime is littering — and they don’t have the resources to focus on the case. That comment did not sit well with some neighbors. They are discussing doing their own amateur sting with video cameras and walkie talkies to catch the culprit, whom they’ve dubbed the “Pantyhose Bandit.” Resident Laurie Warich told the Milford Daily News she picked up 43 pairs in one day. The pantyhose — sometimes new, sometimes used — has been left on Camp Street for more than two years. They’re almost always black and queen sized. Whoever is leaving the pantyhose behind is causing a sheer annoyance for the neighbors.