MIping
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Posted on 04/11/2011 7:44:34 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
A federal lawsuit claims a Branch County tea party group was denied the right to display banners and signs at a tea party rally at a public park in Coldwater because it was “too political” and “too controversial.” The Coldwater City Council then passed a resolution banning all banners and signs in that park.
The Thomas More Law Center law firm filed its lawsuit last week in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Attorney Robert Muise of the Thomas More Law Center alleged that Coldwater City Manager Jeff Budd objected because the Common Sense Patriots of Branch County were “too political” and “too controversial.”
Budd didn’t respond to an email seeking comment. Heather Peet was the only person of the nine-member City Council to respond to an email seeking comment. She referred questions to John Hutchinson, the city’s legal counsel. Hutchinson didn’t respond to a phone message left at his law office or an email.
In a Nov. 2 memo to the City Council, Budd stated the “administrative headaches” of increased requests to have banners in the park led the city to either “allow all banners or no banners.”
Barb Brady, a member of the Common Sense Patriots of Branch County and one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, referred questions to the Thomas More Law Center.
According to the lawsuit, the Common Sense Patriots had held five rallies at the Four Corners Park. Muise said to regulate speech at a traditional public forum such as a city park, regulations must be precise. He said the ban of all signs and banners is too broad.
“Instead of using a scalpel, they used a sledgehammer,” Muise said. “They didn’t mind when they had people put up banners for some innocuous event, but when the tea party put up their sign, they said, ‘Wait a minute. This is too controversial.’ ”
“There is a problem when you ban everything in a traditional public forum."
As usual more bs coming from people whose heads are up their you know whats.
But signs saying ‘God hates fags’ by cretins who protest soldiers’ funerals is perfectly fine, amirite? (heavy sarcasm)
Get with the program. Protesting soldiers funerals is simply free speech, whereas Tea Party signs are evil vile hate speech. Don’t you understand?!? ;-)
Well......I understand we’re TERRORISTS, now.
LMAO!
You wouldn’t think this kind of crap would be going on in Coldwater but it seems that a lot of the prison inmates have family who move to the area. I attribute the storefront mosques to the same crowd.
Michigan ping
Coldwater bans tea party signs in public park
“Coldwater bans tea party signs in public park” should perhaps read “Coldwater makes tea party really, really rich.”
I’n no lawyer here thank GOD but it seems to me this is against the constitution.
Americans have a right to free speech and expression.
Guess those freedoms make it alright to put a crusifix in a bottle of piss and call it art but to freely express your political views is verbotten. Specially if those views go aginst the views of some liberal hack in Michigan?????
Time for another civil war YET?
MIping
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Today would be a good day to start - 150th anniversary of the start of CW1...
what is strange is that Coldwater is 20 miles west of Hillsdale MI. Home to Hillsdale College. I bet THEY would let them hold a banner.
When in doubt of what to do next, seek advice from the Founders. They left us a blueprint to overthrow tyrants.
My guess is that they’d post broadsheets on the park trees attacking the Tories on the city council.
“”Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.” —Thomas Jefferson”
Not much vigilance from the Coldwater government.
Translation: their lawyer told them they stepped in it big time.
I know
How about “F-— the Gov’t” signs? Or flag burning? Are those still okay?
Thanks magslinger.
Thanks for the post; pingwork; thread. BUMP!
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