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55 lines
2.6 KiB
Plaintext
55 lines
2.6 KiB
Plaintext
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Demonstration Regulation
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by
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Matt Giwer (c) 1994 <6/4>
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Abortion demonstrations got out of hand. Something had to
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be done. We now have specific laws governing abortion protests.
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It was done in a good cause.
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Of course there was harassment. There were bombings.
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There were even two murders. That would certainly appear to
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justify the special laws.
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Unless we consider it has been rather tame compared to
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unions while on strike. Not much different from the Vietnam
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or civil rights protests either.
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Even though demonstrations are protected by the 1st
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amendment as a matter of free speech it is reasonable to
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have some minimal regulation simply to assure peace and
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orderliness. For example, if people wish to speak in public
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parks it is reasonable to ban loudspeakers. It is not reasonable
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to ban loudspeakers only for particular subjects. That we call
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censorship.
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With demonstrations it is reasonable to provide regulations
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that assure public access is not blocked save upon a specific
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permit being granted such as to hold a parade or to for such a
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large crowd in a park as to deny access to normal public use.
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What is not reasonable is to apply unique requirements to
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demonstrations based solely upon what is being protested. Thus
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there is a large number of people, perhaps a majority, who are in
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favor these unconstitutional laws because they are in a good
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cause.
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I have written many times of the loss of rights in a good
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cause. Here is a clear and present good cause and loss of
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rights. Which side do you fall on?
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Rather I ask which good cause will approve of next time to
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limit our right of free speech? If these laws pass
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Constitutional muster or even if they are simply allowed to stand
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then we have taken another step toward the end of the right of
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free speech.
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These steps have been coming slowly after decades of
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establishing it completely. It was effectively won against
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censorship of pornography when the omnipotent "for the children"
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argument was raised and there are dozens of draconian state and
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federal laws prohibiting it. Regulating, vice prohibiting, all
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pornography has been argued and that form of regulation lost.
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Now we have accepted strict censorship by type rather than by
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nature.
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These are two steps to clear and offensive censorship,
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limitations upon the freedom of speech by subject matter. The
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more often it is accept the easier it is to accept the next.
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Watch for more to come.
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* * * * *
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Further distribution is encouraged by the author.
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