Friday, April 16, 2010

No Free Speech in the Shadow of the Liberty Bell

No Free Speech in the Shadow of the Liberty Bell

Remember this? “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”

Or this? “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof.”

The first, of course, is the text of the First Amendment to the Constitution, the second, less well known, is the first part of the inscription on the Liberty Bell located, famed crack and all, near Independence Hall in “the birthplace of American freedom,” Philadelphia.

Michael Marcavage has a tough gig to start with: He’s a street preacher. It was made even tougher by Obama’s Department of Justice, which is headed by defender of terrorists Eric Holder, when the DOJ went to court to deprive Marcavage of his First Amendment rights exercised in front of the Liberty Bell Center adjacent to Constitutional Hall in Philly.

Marcavage was accosted by Park Rangers, fined $400. and given probation for preaching outside of a designated “free speech zone” back in October, 2007 even though another group was marching in the same location.

Precisely where in the Constitution it provides for selected free speech zones is unclear so Marcavage, an evangelist who preaches against abortion on city streets, appealed his fine and conviction.

This is where it gets even better. . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=1629)

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