Posted on 12/10/2005 9:25:49 AM PST by Quick1
The American Civil Liberties Union sued Polk County on Friday, saying the county's policy to use the free speech zone is unconstitutional.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Tampa, alleges several elements of the policy violate First Amendment rights, including a rule that requires users of the site to have a $500,000 insurance policy.
The lawsuit comes a week after the county officials denied the ACLU use of the site because it did not provide the insurance.
``The real problem here is that (the county) has set a policy in place that purports to create a free speech zone, but it's only a free speech zone for those who can afford to cough up the funds to take advantage of it,'' said Rebecca H. Steele, director of the Tampa chapter of the ACLU.
The organization is also challenging a portion of the policy that requires interested parties to apply 21 days in advance and a rule that bars displays from including pornography, obscenities or commercial speech.
``You can't discriminate against anybody based on the content of their message,'' said Steele.
Two other plaintiffs joined the ACLU in its lawsuit, including the Humanist Association of Tampa and a Lakeland woman named Stella Darby.
Darby, 79, wants to erect a display this year but cannot afford to pay the insurance policy.The American Civil Liberties Union sued Polk County on Friday, saying the county's policy to use the free speech zone is unconstitutional.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Tampa, alleges several elements of the policy violate First Amendment rights, including a rule that requires users of the site to have a $500,000 insurance policy.
The lawsuit comes a week after the county officials denied the ACLU use of the site because it did not provide the insurance.
``The real problem here is that (the county) has set a policy in place that purports to create a free speech zone, but it's only a free speech zone for those who can afford to cough up the funds to take advantage of it,'' said Rebecca H. Steele, director of the Tampa chapter of the ACLU.
The organization is also challenging a portion of the policy that requires interested parties to apply 21 days in advance and a rule that bars displays from including pornography, obscenities or commercial speech.
``You can't discriminate against anybody based on the content of their message,'' said Steele.
Two other plaintiffs joined the ACLU in its lawsuit, including the Humanist Association of Tampa and a Lakeland woman named Stella Darby.
Darby, 79, wants to erect a display this year but cannot afford to pay the insurance policy.
Where's Guam?
Hmmmmm! Verrrrry interesting that they suddenly find them objectionable now!
Heh, I just stole the map from a Google Image Search. :)
You don't need to the ACLU for this.
I NEVER appalaud the ACLU because their agenda is NOT the same as mine.
Actually, some GOP conventioneers were physically attacked by protestors during the GOP NYC convention in 2004. If there were such zones, they were not enforced.
ACLU aside, it seems every time there's a totalitarian atrocity, it's around Tampa, doesn't it?
Unfortunately then the ACLU communists will then BILL TAXPAYERS for their intrusion into others' lives.
It is time to end the subsidy of communist activism posing as "liberties".
It is time for congress to end the loopholes the ACLU uses to fund its war against Americans.
STOP THE MADNESS. Stop the ACLU. Stop arming the enemy.
This needs to be done immediately.
I agree with the ACLU. Thus campaign finance reform falls under this category as well. The Supreme Court ruling here might apply to both....
Bye bye McCain/Feingold!
Irrelevant.
The ACLU / trial lawyers have manipulated the system such that their "attorney fees" (read, greed) are paid when they attack America.
ACLU identifies a freedom they want to attack. Naturally it's (always) something conservative.
They sue. If the target backs down, they win. If the target fights, they attack with a bunch of expensive athiest lawyers, then get reimbursed by TAXPAYERS.
That's so stupid!! Why not just send taxpayer money to Chavez down in Venezuela?
That needs to stop.
Exactly! It's not about the principles involved, it's about who's holding them.
How are they reimbursed by taxpayers? They ask for donations, but they do not recieve any government funding.
Also, those "atheist" lawyers defended Rush Limbaugh, Jerry Falwell, and the KKK, among others.
(snip)
get reimbursed by TAXPAYERS
Nope...they get no taxpayer money.
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Of course they do.
You suppose when the ACLU collect "attorney fees" (which is silly, since all they are, is lawyers) the money comes from the tooth fairy?...
I seem to be missing something here: regardless of the conditions set on its use, WTF is a "free speech zone?"
"I seem to be missing something here: regardless of the conditions set on its use, WTF is a "free speech zone?"
When we were protesting for the 2nd amendment here in Colorado the Denver Police moved us to a "free speech zone" several blocks away where no one could see us.
The ACLU NEVER defends conservatives, libertarians or anyone other than their own kind; fanatical, far-left athiest stooges. When's the last time you heard of the ACLU defending a RKBA case?
Second Amendment - there in the Bill of Rights, second from the top. Right after freedom of speech - which they seem to believe only applies selectively.
They've been trotting out that one "well, we defended Nazis" nonsense for decades. As if defending Nazis was either conservative, or a good thing.
They do nothing but evil, and do not deserve the pass they receive so often in discussions like this.
The ACLU needs to be defunded, discredited, defeated and then sent to the dustbin of history, where it has belonged for decades.
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