Aug 14, 2007
Kevin Egler is a teacher in Kent, Ohio.
To say the least, he is displeased with George W. Bush and the President's performance in office.
So much so that Egler has placed more than 400 "Impeach Bush" signs around town, often on public property.
On July 25, he got a ticket for placing one of them in a public garden.
He was cited for "unlawful advertising."
Egler asked the police officer why he didn't have a right to place his sign there, but realtors can place their "For Sale" signs on public medians any time they want, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.
According to Egler, the officer said, "You don't know the difference?"
The officer didn't answer his own question.
But as Egler's attorney, Bob Fitrakis, points out, the answer seems obvious: Commercial speech is permitted; political speech is verboten, even though political speech is the most protected kind of speech under our Constitution.
This is discrimination on the basis of the content of speech, which is supposed to be against the law.
Egler had a court date on August 9, and he brought with him "two dozen photos of other posters that appear to have gone unchallenged by the city, including announcements of poker tournaments, garage sales, and military recruiting drives," the Plain Dealer reported.
In court, the city of Kent moved to dismiss the "unlawful advertising" charge against Egler.
But it didn't give up on its prosecution of Egler.
"I was offered a deal by the city today: Plead guilty to disorderly conduct and pay a $25 fine, or else they would file a littering charge against me," Egler reported back to friends via e-mail. "I feel I'm not guilty of anything so we took the 'or else part' of the deal."
Now instead of facing a $100 fine, Egler could have to fork over $500.
Egler appreciated the fact that fifteen free-speech and pro-impeachment activists showed up to support him.
"I had to chuckle to myself when we all filed out of the courtroom," he wrote. "The place was pretty empty after we all left."
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
(c) 2007 The Progressive
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
© 2023 The Progressive
Matt Rothschild
Matt Rothschild is the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Prior to joining the Democracy Campaign at the start of 2015, Matt worked at The Progressive Magazine for 32 years. For most of those, he was the editor and publisher of The Progressive.
Kevin Egler is a teacher in Kent, Ohio.
To say the least, he is displeased with George W. Bush and the President's performance in office.
So much so that Egler has placed more than 400 "Impeach Bush" signs around town, often on public property.
On July 25, he got a ticket for placing one of them in a public garden.
He was cited for "unlawful advertising."
Egler asked the police officer why he didn't have a right to place his sign there, but realtors can place their "For Sale" signs on public medians any time they want, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.
According to Egler, the officer said, "You don't know the difference?"
The officer didn't answer his own question.
But as Egler's attorney, Bob Fitrakis, points out, the answer seems obvious: Commercial speech is permitted; political speech is verboten, even though political speech is the most protected kind of speech under our Constitution.
This is discrimination on the basis of the content of speech, which is supposed to be against the law.
Egler had a court date on August 9, and he brought with him "two dozen photos of other posters that appear to have gone unchallenged by the city, including announcements of poker tournaments, garage sales, and military recruiting drives," the Plain Dealer reported.
In court, the city of Kent moved to dismiss the "unlawful advertising" charge against Egler.
But it didn't give up on its prosecution of Egler.
"I was offered a deal by the city today: Plead guilty to disorderly conduct and pay a $25 fine, or else they would file a littering charge against me," Egler reported back to friends via e-mail. "I feel I'm not guilty of anything so we took the 'or else part' of the deal."
Now instead of facing a $100 fine, Egler could have to fork over $500.
Egler appreciated the fact that fifteen free-speech and pro-impeachment activists showed up to support him.
"I had to chuckle to myself when we all filed out of the courtroom," he wrote. "The place was pretty empty after we all left."
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
(c) 2007 The Progressive
Matt Rothschild
Matt Rothschild is the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Prior to joining the Democracy Campaign at the start of 2015, Matt worked at The Progressive Magazine for 32 years. For most of those, he was the editor and publisher of The Progressive.
Kevin Egler is a teacher in Kent, Ohio.
To say the least, he is displeased with George W. Bush and the President's performance in office.
So much so that Egler has placed more than 400 "Impeach Bush" signs around town, often on public property.
On July 25, he got a ticket for placing one of them in a public garden.
He was cited for "unlawful advertising."
Egler asked the police officer why he didn't have a right to place his sign there, but realtors can place their "For Sale" signs on public medians any time they want, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.
According to Egler, the officer said, "You don't know the difference?"
The officer didn't answer his own question.
But as Egler's attorney, Bob Fitrakis, points out, the answer seems obvious: Commercial speech is permitted; political speech is verboten, even though political speech is the most protected kind of speech under our Constitution.
This is discrimination on the basis of the content of speech, which is supposed to be against the law.
Egler had a court date on August 9, and he brought with him "two dozen photos of other posters that appear to have gone unchallenged by the city, including announcements of poker tournaments, garage sales, and military recruiting drives," the Plain Dealer reported.
In court, the city of Kent moved to dismiss the "unlawful advertising" charge against Egler.
But it didn't give up on its prosecution of Egler.
"I was offered a deal by the city today: Plead guilty to disorderly conduct and pay a $25 fine, or else they would file a littering charge against me," Egler reported back to friends via e-mail. "I feel I'm not guilty of anything so we took the 'or else part' of the deal."
Now instead of facing a $100 fine, Egler could have to fork over $500.
Egler appreciated the fact that fifteen free-speech and pro-impeachment activists showed up to support him.
"I had to chuckle to myself when we all filed out of the courtroom," he wrote. "The place was pretty empty after we all left."
Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine.
(c) 2007 The Progressive
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.