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The U.S. Constitution protects free speech, whether it is political or commercial. It does not say that if you're crossing the street, you better just keep on walking. It doesn't say you better not stand in the median to raise money for charity, to campaign for office or to sell a newspaper.
It took the St. Petersburg City Council to say that. By a 7-1 vote Thursday, the council banned people from doing anything at all in a public median except cross the street. Council member Jim Kennedy at one point even said "the Constitution is an inconvenient document." Kennedy said Friday he meant that council members could not pick and choose which speech to ban on medians. For example, the city could not ban panhandlers but allow fundraising by firefighters or civic groups (or single out vendors who sell the St. Petersburg Times from public medians). Unfortunately, he was among those choosing nothing.
Mayor Rick Baker and council members argued that the issue involves safety, not speech. But they pushed a heavy-handed ordinance to address a problem that doesn't seem to exist. An assistant police chief acknowledged "we have not had anyone injured recently, but the threat is there."
Only council member Wengay Newton, in casting the lone dissenting vote, saw the ordinance for what it is: a ban that "does too much infringing on people's civil rights."
[Last modified: Oct 05, 2008 10:45 AM]
Comments on this article
by Ruberg
Oct 5, 2008 10:45 AM
Some of the nastiness bums I run into are hawking the St. Petersburg Pravada. I always yell to keep that commie crap away from my car as I am burning gas the paper doesn't want drilled and driving a car the paper don't want me to drive. Ban 'em!
by P J
Oct 5, 2008 10:41 AM
When you consider the damage to a human body when struck by a vehicle at 35 mph, it would make sense not to stand in the median. There are other, safer ways to sell newspapers or solicit donations.
by Wally
Oct 5, 2008 9:45 AM
If the median setttlers just take one step off that median, I'll hit them and claim I was just expressing my first amendment rights.
by SB
Oct 4, 2008 1:25 PM
This is constant at Hillsborough & Memorial/Sheldon. There, it isn't "free speech," it's intimidating fundraising. It's also dangerous, distracting & stupid. Hillsborough Co. should ban it. Do they make "No Solicitors" signs for CARS?
by Anthony
Oct 4, 2008 1:25 PM
Joe Redner pays the legal fees of his dancers when defying an unjust law. Will the Times do the same for its vendors?
by jimmy
Oct 4, 2008 1:25 PM
As usual, liberal Times editors cannot discern key Constitutional issues clearly. The right to speak is not absolute, any more than the right to bear arms, for example. Times editors have never had a problem parsing THAT right.
by Hubert
Oct 4, 2008 9:28 AM
I know of no other city in Pinellas that allows ANYONE to stand in the median. I hope they enforce the law for a change, and clear the bums out of the middle of the road.
by Connections?
Oct 4, 2008 9:28 AM
Was the sales ban laid on the single out vendors revenge for the St. Petersburg College story?
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