Jerry Fuhrman notes that there may be a permitting problem with the Tea Party down in Abingdon, Virginia. Here’s a note from the event’s organizer, Ted Dingler, on the group’s Facebook page:
The town of Abingdon has denied us the use of the muster site as well as all town owned property. We are currently working on a substitute site as well as several other options. Rest assured, there will be a tea party somewhere in the Abingdon, VA area.
This strikes me as a rather novel decision regarding “town owned” property…which, by any other name, is public property. Paid for, and thus owned by, taxpayers.
Contact Information for the Abingdon Town Council
If you’d like to share your thoughts and concerns with the town council about their novel understanding of public property and First Amendment rights, you can contact them here.
Remember: polite, but firm.
(cross-posted at Tertium Quids)
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Daniel Horowitz
More than one way ...
10ksnooker (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 1:34PM EST (link)Do what we are doing, line the sidewalks at major intersections.
As an organizer
BlueLandRed (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 2:23PM EST (link)of numerous protests over the years, it’s generally advisable to work with the authorities. And I certainly understand why bureaucrats want (and sometimes actually need) to know when protests are going to happen.
That said, the Town of Abingdon really needs to explain why (in detail) they rejected this permit, cause as pointed out, protesting is protected by the Bill of Rights. And if they haven’t explained themselves, then we need to track down a good (and cheap) VA lawyer that will call them up and insist.
A small town is perfect for the "alternative"
JLenardDetroit (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 2:26PM EST (link)I put forth this “alternative” concept elsewhere…. Official “Tea Party Rally” (Permitted) alternative (no permits)….
LINE THE SIDEWALKS OF THE TOWN’S DOWNTOWN ESTABLISHMENTS WAITING TO GET IN…. Call it still a Tea-Party event, or CALL IT A “PATRIOTS NIGHT OUT DOWNTOWN” or whatever, a non-officially (just loosely defined) organized event that is promoted so as to PROMOTE YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES and make the Tea Party point on the side!
If a couple thousand people all show up in the same general place… then fan out and get in nice polite lines outside on the sidewalks to “get-in” to the local restaurants (that won’t be able to seat them all at once) are the Cops going to demand that they cannot wait in line to eat!?!?!? Overwhelm the local Eateries and be prepared to PATRONIZE THEM and to be patient waiting outside to do so! If you don’t want to Buy A T-Shirt (I’m sure tons of places are selling T-Shirts and such), just print something out on a 8.5×11 paper (sign tips) and double-side tape it to you front and back (or Buy Buttons to wear), carry a small 4th of July sized waving Flag (4x6inches Gadsden, 4x6inches Culpepper, and more) which you should be able to find in many stores (Dollar stores usually have a few around), simple things that will work to make your point and NOT require a Permit.
Let the folks at the Alliance Defense Fund (emerging counter to ACLU that won’t defend “Right/Conservative” values/causes), and others have mentioned FreedomWorks, know you’d like them to align with the Tea Party folks to provide potential Legal weight behind it.
RESOURCES:
Tax Day Tea Party site with Daily email update signup
Tea Party Revolution site
ReTeaParty (for 4th of July) site
Regards from NoMoTown (the MOTORlessCITY)
“Liberals, looking to do for? America what they’ve done for? Detroit! which is DESTROY IT!”
“I think, therefore I am Conservative”
“Conservative by choice, Republican by necessity”
“You can lead a Liberal to the Truth/Facts, but you cannot make them THINK!”
“Romney [No, not my first choice] does NOT have a MORMON problem. He has a, far too many Americans; these days; are MORONS problem!”
Follow @JLenardDetroit
(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (message) (Warning: Children Will Die!!)
Heil “O” Hell No Obamao is NOT MY PRESIDENT! “No U won’t”
I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
“The first Liberal was Satan” – a Rush caller (other Quotes)
Silly citizens.. Don't you know all public property
Old_Crow (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 1:38PM EST (link)belongs to the Obama government. You can protest as long as Obama approves the topic. Additionally, submit all speeches to Rahm for approval no later than 2 weeks prior to the event.
“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” — James Madison
This is what you want them to do
Achance (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 1:52PM EST (link)if you’re organizing the Alinsky way. You seek to provoke them to over react, to break their own rules, in this case the federal and probably state constitutions, and to give you publicity. See, isn’t The Chicago Way fun?
In Vino Veritas
One wonders
Steph C (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 2:50PM EST (link)How the world would react to conservative anarchy considering most of it thinks conservatives are too … what’s the right word… temperate?
“[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus in the Boston Gazette, 1772
Hillbilly Politics
Don't know what "they" think.
Achance (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 2:54PM EST (link)While there is some comprehension of the Right as being “temperate,” pinstripe suit and regimental stripe tie types, most Lefties woulld think of us more as beer bellied thugs with baseball caps and guns, especially big city lefies who’ve never seen anyone much from the ‘burbs and nobody at all from flyover country.
In Vino Veritas
Only the southern NASCAR fans, Achance.
Steph C (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 3:32PM EST (link)Having a southern accent is an automatic 40 points deducted from your IQ, so we are just too stupid to organize protests.
“[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus in the Boston Gazette, 1772
Hillbilly Politics
Hey, I resemble that remark!
Achance (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 3:46PM EST (link)I learned at an early age that a Southern accent meant you had to be twice as good to be thought as much of in the Yankee world. Fortunately, it wasn’t very hard to be twice as good.
In Vino Veritas
This works to a female's advantange
red4ever (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 4:10PM EST (link)A big smile and a southern accent works well to get what you want. Excessive cleavage is optional. Seriously, just send some nice woman in there to ask for the permit in a thick southern accent. The permit guy won’t believe anyone that sweet is up to anything bad.
The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.
Dante
And I'm not a NASCAR fan.
Steph C (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 4:20PM EST (link)Can’t do anything about the Southern accent, however.
“[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus in the Boston Gazette, 1772
Hillbilly Politics
Oh
Steph C (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 4:21PM EST (link)And I get an extra twenty taken off for being a hillbilly, too.
“[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus in the Boston Gazette, 1772
Hillbilly Politics
The Chicago Tea Party is going to have a real tall ship on Lake Michigan
chiguy76 Friday, April 3rd at 1:53PM EST (link)http://hillbuzz.wordpress.com/2009/04/02/chicago-young-republicans-take-tea-party-to-lake-michigan/
Republicans make poor anarchists
lightduty (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 1:59PM EST (link)I wonder if the original Boston Tea Party participants had proper permits?
Here’s the deal. It’s your land. PUBLIC property.
Sure they did.
Steph C (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 4:22PM EST (link)Every one of them carried a musket.
“[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus in the Boston Gazette, 1772
Hillbilly Politics
Hahah I lol'ed
asleep06 (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 9:17PM EST (link)nt
Small is beautiful.
To quote the fat man...
Next93 (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 3:23PM EST (link)Dude, WHERE’S MY COUNTRY?????
So just to clarify:
Wiretapping known terrorists without a warrant was the act of a despotic administration run amok
Denying first ammendment rights to citizens who are critical of the government is the act of a loving, beniffical democracy.
Allowing intelligence agencies to look into the borrowing history of suspected terrorists at your local library: fascist
Denying the rights of radio station owners and listeners to participate in informed dissent: democracy
Tax breaks that don’t increase the punishment of the top income earners: fascism
Confiscatory ex-post-facto laws passed against a politicallty unpopular group: democracy.
Honestly, did I fall asleep and wake up in the middle of an orwell novel?
Obama was The One in 2008.
He’ll be a BIGGER one in 2012.
What would Code Pink do?
Larry Sheldon Friday, April 3rd at 3:36PM EST (link)Would they have a problem?
I didn’t think so.
I'll go get a highlighter tomorrow
Steph C (Diary) Friday, April 3rd at 8:58PM EST (link)Then I’ll highlight the relevant sections of the Constitution and mail it to them. Perhaps then they’ll issue the permit because with or without they can’t stop peaceful assembly. IIRC, permits require a fee to be paid, don’t they?
“[I]f the public are bound to yield obedience to laws to which they cannot give their approbation, they are slaves to those who make such laws and enforce them.” –Candidus in the Boston Gazette, 1772
Hillbilly Politics