Dear Mr. Silver,
As an American citizen, I must take issue with your decision to change the charges against Kevin Egler, the man who placed an "Impeach Bush" sign in a public park, from "Unlawful Advertising" to "Littering". Lacking any commercial motivation, I can see why the initial charge of "advertising" had to be dropped, but to call Mr. Egler's sign "litter" is nothing less than a slap in the face to everything this country is supposed to stand for. You can call it litter if you want, but it's "litter" that's not only protected by the First Amendment, but damn well bought and paid for by every drop of blood that's ever been shed for this country all the way back to the footprints in the snows of Valley Forge.
As an American citizen, I must take issue with your decision to change the charges against Kevin Egler, the man who placed an "Impeach Bush" sign in a public park, from "Unlawful Advertising" to "Littering". Lacking any commercial motivation, I can see why the initial charge of "advertising" had to be dropped, but to call Mr. Egler's sign "litter" is nothing less than a slap in the face to everything this country is supposed to stand for. You can call it litter if you want, but it's "litter" that's not only protected by the First Amendment, but damn well bought and paid for by every drop of blood that's ever been shed for this country all the way back to the footprints in the snows of Valley Forge.
I strongly suggest you call it something else.
Consider charging Mr. Egler with something along the lines of "creating a visual distraction" or otherwise interfering with a driver's ability to concentrate on the road. That way all you'll need to do is take down every billboard, advertisement, corporate logo and non-essential visual distraction from every roadway within your jurisdiction and I believe you'll have a fine case.
As an alternative, may I suggest you spend some time trying to get into the mind of the perpetrator and figure out their motive. It's obvious that Mr. Egler, like so many of us, is dissatisfied with the current administration and its policies. Unlike the rest of us, who remain relatively silent, he chose to exercise his first amendment rights and voice his dissatisfaction by using public property to express his opinion to as many of his fellow citizens as he could.
Consider charging Mr. Egler with something along the lines of "creating a visual distraction" or otherwise interfering with a driver's ability to concentrate on the road. That way all you'll need to do is take down every billboard, advertisement, corporate logo and non-essential visual distraction from every roadway within your jurisdiction and I believe you'll have a fine case.
As an alternative, may I suggest you spend some time trying to get into the mind of the perpetrator and figure out their motive. It's obvious that Mr. Egler, like so many of us, is dissatisfied with the current administration and its policies. Unlike the rest of us, who remain relatively silent, he chose to exercise his first amendment rights and voice his dissatisfaction by using public property to express his opinion to as many of his fellow citizens as he could.
In some countries this is a crime punishable by death. Here in America though, such actions are not only protected by the Laws of the Land, but to at least some of us, they're demanded by them.
When the Founding Fathers gave the citizens of this nation the right to full and unfettered free political speech, they didn't do it as some sort of nicety or window dressing, they did it for a reason, and at least part of that reason was to allow any one of us to speak out as loud as we could against those things they felt were a threat to this nation. When you consider how this administration has bankrupted our nation, caused thousands of needless deaths, alienated our friends and multiplied our enemies, I think you might consider changing the charges against Mr. Egler from "littering" to "Fulfilling One's Obligations as a Citizen."
When the Founding Fathers gave the citizens of this nation the right to full and unfettered free political speech, they didn't do it as some sort of nicety or window dressing, they did it for a reason, and at least part of that reason was to allow any one of us to speak out as loud as we could against those things they felt were a threat to this nation. When you consider how this administration has bankrupted our nation, caused thousands of needless deaths, alienated our friends and multiplied our enemies, I think you might consider changing the charges against Mr. Egler from "littering" to "Fulfilling One's Obligations as a Citizen."
The crime taking place right now in Kent, Ohio isn't the guy putting up signs on public property because he wants the president impeached. The crime is everybody who wants the president impeached and isn't putting up signs on public property.
Yours Truly, An American Citizen
16 comments:
Time to make littering a right in the Conxtitution or drop these charges.
The man is an inspiration. They've got nothing on him. I'm goin to go do a little first amendment action right now.
People are so busy keeping the bills paid, they don't see the larger threat to our fundamental rights. Time for a wake-up call.
This guy is a hero. I hope to hell the ACLU or some other attorneys are going to help him fight this.
I guess he's lucky they just didn't shoot him...it happened once before to protesters in Kent, Ohio.
Well I guess all the campaign signs to soon be posted should be considered "Litter" also.
Sign posters arrested & fined.
This needs fought upto the supreme court, I would call the ACLU.
If it's legal to post campaign fliers and signs in public or private places during electoral campaigns, then it ought to be equally legal to post signs attempting to undo the results of an election.
If the laws do not presenty provide for that, they ought to.
You can send him an email at his private law office here: http://www.chpohiolaw.com/silver.html
It is time to use the courts to cause pain on denial of free speech. Sue the officer, the police department, the city and county.
The bond/insurance bought to pay for wrongful arrests and persecution of will force the city to prosecute the officers and police hierarchy in order to keep their insurance rates low. When the city fathers take it in the wallet and the citizens are forced to pay for their bigotry, the law will be enforced correctly.
This is happening everywhere - Bushitler's free-speech-suppression army is in full swing:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/07/29/extra-charges-filed-against-protesters-in-illinois/
This is becoming a bigger issue as the election looms nearer. I have a feeling we're going to be seeing a lot more of this than we'd expect, or than we would normally allow. We have to nip these early cases in the bud or things will get much worse for all of us. People are slowly giving up their right to protest, and we're all going to pay.
Christian fascism. Lovely, isn't it?
The Terrorists Did Not Take Away Our Freedoms. The Terrorists Did Not Suspend Our Constitutional Rights. The Terrorists are Not Spying on Us. Bush Has Done All That, Not the Terrorists. He Does Their Work for Them. He is Their Tool at Destroying Democracy.
America is blind and can't see what is happening to us.
Most people just don't want to know the true. A lot of Americans live in their own little world and don't care until something effects them because of our government then they wonder what is going on and it's to late by then.
Have a Great Day!
You guys inspire me. You give us all hope: we know we aren't alone in seeing the hijacking of our Constitution. Trogs and trolls holler "Bush Bashing!" over everyone to blot out the truth, but we know better. 70% of us know better. The rest are the like the supporters of Fascism in the 30's in the future allied countries: they simply ARE Fascists. We can't let them dictate to us what democracy is, pretending as they do that that's what they're inflicting on other nations. They now own the press, and they lie. We turn them off. But we still have the high ways, and any place that's open to speak truth.
The Patriot Act. That's the first obstacle that has to go.
Hey people of America wake up 9/11 was a conspiracy, this administration is leading our nation to bankrupcy it's all about OIL !!
I'm afraid it is abour more than oil. This administration has unwittingly undertaken the overthrow of the United States Of America. There are no real thinkers in the group they are all political hacks who have no real insight as to just what they are doing.
If you are a christian pray for them to see thi light.
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