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Government Bans Tea Party From Celebrating U.S. Constitution
Constitution Day rally deemed "too political"
by Ohio Township trustees
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Local government representatives in an Ohio town
have taken it upon themselves to prohibit a Tea Party celebration
of the US Constitution, prompting a lawsuit over restrictions
on First Amendment rights.
Members of the Andover Tea Party in Ohio have
been informed that they cannot hold a public rally in the Town's
central square on Constitution Day (September 17) because of
the group's "political affiliation".
The decision was taken by the Township's trustees,
and members of the Tea Party group were informed by letter that
they would not be able to use the square for speakers and performances
of patriotic songs.
Township officials informed the residents that
speech at the Constitution Day rally could be of a “political
nature,” and thus inappropriate for the public square,
writes the 1851
Center for Constitutional Law, a nonpartisan, non
profit law group that has filed a complaint and temporary restraining
order against Andover Township (Ashtabula County) in U.S. District
Court in Cleveland.
In the complaint, 1851 Center Executive Director
Maurice Thompson writes, "It cannot be contested or doubted
that the speech in which Plaintiffs seek to engage—honoring
and discussing the fundamental law of this nation, i.e., the
Constitution—is at the core of the speech protected by
the First Amendment. And no venue could further reinforce such
message as doing so in the center and heart of the community."
"In this case, the communicative nature of Plaintiffs’
proposed activities, as well as the selection of the venue for
such speech, is indisputably protected by the First Amendment."
Thompson adds.
A copy of the complaint and temporary restraining
order are available
here and here.
"The government’s action in this case,
ironically, demonstrates the need for greater public understanding
of Constitutional rights," Thompson added in a written
statement. “One way to do that is through commemoration
of Constitution Day.”
In an interview
with CNS News, Thompson elaborated on the case:
"The first thing that you note is the extreme
irony of the unconstitutional prohibition of the commemoration
of the Constitution."
"[A]nd the second thing that’s notable is either
the extreme arrogance or ignorance of many local government
officials. There’s so much focus on federal government,
yet some of the worst actors are at the ground level,"
Thompson said.
A ruling is expected to be made on the case in the next 24
hours.
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Steve Watson is the London based writer
and editor at Alex Jones' Infowars.net, and regular contributor
to Prisonplanet.com. He has a Masters Degree in International
Relations from the School of Politics at The University of Nottingham
in England.
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