Posted on 07/10/2015 9:46:03 AM PDT by blueyon
"Much of what used to be great about America...has been overshadowed by...an inclination towards political correctness." Everyone who goes to sporting events in large venues or watches them on television has likely seen the sign “John 3:16” being held by a fan.
Displaying the sign is just one way some believers like to spread the good news about Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (NKJV)
According to Biblegateway.com, it is the most popular verse looked up on the site, which had 1.5 billion page views in 2014.
Gino Emmerich was trying to do so in front of the San Francisco Giants ballpark last summer, when four police officers surrounded and detained him. The officers informed him that he would not be able to exercise his First Amendment right to free speech and threatened to arrest him
(Excerpt) Read more at westernjournalism.com ...
My only question is: does the ballpark have a policy against signs in general, or limiting them to a particular size? If not, this is content-based discrimination.
You can literally let you ass or boobs hang out in a public place, but a bible verse is forbidden.
What is really needed is names and addresses, and late-night group intervention/re-education.
It is San Francisco, it is a miracle that they did not give a blow job.
SF cops are pretty tough on peaceful sign-carrying Christians....illegal foreign trespassing murderers? Not quite so much.....
Which, for legal purposes, does not matter if there is no government involvement.
Police are an arm of government.
police officers = government
Police officers are govt involvement
IF he was carrying a sign that said "Allah Akbar" he would've been given red carpet treatment.
Sad to say...
But true...
Here is the “Banner and Sign” info ..............BANNERS & SIGNS
“Banners and signs are permitted, provided they are baseball-related, in good taste and not of a commercial nature. American flags are permitted and may be displayed. Banners and signs may not exceed three feet in height or obstruct the view of other guests or ballpark advertising signage. Banners may not be hung or carried while the game is in progress or affixed to walls or any other structure in the park. The Giants reserve the right to remove any banner or sign.”
I am thinking he was ok with his sign but what do I know!!!
http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/sf/ballpark/information/index.jsp?content=AZguide#banners
I agree. I will say this. He should have a right to display that sign. He should do so in a manner that does not block someone else’ view.
If he does block someone else’ view, he’s fair game IMO.
It seems to me the sign would need to be no larger than your own torso. Place it in front of yourself, and I have no beef whatsoever, as long as it isn’t crude.
Of course Bible verses aren’t crude, but you have to have rules and that is a reasoned one. You don’t want someone lofting a sign that says just anything, trying to get a broad ruling that eliminates any signs.
Which law did he break?
He’s lucky the cops didn’t give an illegal a gun to shoot him with... hey look there it is a Sea Lion!
Wasn’t there a guy with a John 3:16 sign that used to go from sporting event to sporting event and always wound up on TV? World Series, playoffs, Super Bowl, he somehow got on the tv at all of them.
They sure are. But, in this case, they were enforcing the rules/preferences of a private entity.
"Content-based discrimination" is a term used in First Amendment law. The First Amendment does not apply to private places, like AT&T Park.
OK, they won’t allow a sign.
Wear a John 3:16 t-shirt.
Then the next question is, is the stadium private property?
If so, their call, if not (and I consider tax-payer-funded stadiums to be public property), then they have a problem.
It is. No First Amendment protection.
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