-Caveat Lector- Dave Hartley http://www.Asheville-Computer.com/dave From: Dan <[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: (LA@) Food Not Bombs - Why I'm doing this. Why I'm doing this Dan DiPasquo In the second to last paragraph of today's (1/6/2000) article in the Metro section of the LA Times ("ACLU Files Suit on the Behalf of Homeless Activists") concerning Food Not Bombs, and our case against the city, the paper reports that the LA City Attorney, Laurie Rittenberg, states that "government agencies have the right to regulate the time, place and manner of free speech." This sums up a major aspect of what Food Not Bombs is pushing back on. Namely, the idea that it is possible to both have free speech and for the government to be able to tell you where, when, and how you may speak. This is a ridiculous argument, speech is not speech if no one can hear it, and a park is the quintessential public space. It is bad enough that more and more of our public spaces are being privatized, and therefore more difficult to use for the purposes of grassroots organizing and education, but now can we not even speak in those which are publicly owned? Interestingly enough, over a year ago when our struggle with the City of the use of Pershing Square began, the initial law they claimed we were in violation of was a McCarthy era law requiring a permit for assembly in a public park (it had been repealed in the '70s). As our movement grows, this argument will be used to repression us more and more. We already saw it used in Seattle, when most of the city was declared a no-speech area. We can expect to see it in August during the Democratic national convention, when thousands of protestors converge on LA. Perhaps scariest of all, we are now seeing it in the very small scale grassroots organizing that Food Not Bombs does every week in Pershing Square. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
