I actually LIKE politics to be in many venues, engaging people in discussion and thought. The more, the better. All views, not just mine.
Ditto for having many parties, and debates and forums, etc - the more people who get into the discussion and the quest for fair treatment, the better. Real democracy is fun. --David Shove Roseville On Thu, 8 Jul 2004, Dan Dobson wrote: > Paul asks the question how I would feel if the people > at the Farmer's Market were Republicans or Pro-Lifers > and the answer is very easy. I would fully support > their right to be there. I am a First Amendment > absolutist. > > Just a bit of history, back in the late 1980's I sued > Pro-Life Action Ministries and 141 of their > supporters for blocking Midwest Health Center for > Women and preventing people from entering their > clinic. However, I fully supported their right to be > on the sidewalk in front of the clinic, so long as > they did not block the entrance. > > Later, when Pro-Life Action Ministries announced > "Operation Rescue style" activities in the Twin > Cities, the City of Saint Paul built a fence in front > of Planned Parenthood on Ford Parkway, totally > preventing anti-abortion protesters even on the same > side of the street. Even though I had sued this same > group, less than a year earlier I supported their > right to peacefully protest in front of PP, as long as > they did not block access. > > I even gave a deposition in favor of Pro-Life Action > Ministries in their case against the City and said I > thought their First Amendment Rights were violated. > > Thus I still maintain that any group, any politician > should have the right to gather at Taste of Minnesota > or the Farmer's Market to petition, speak, and > politic. Renting the land does not abolish the First > Amendment. > > I find it disturbing that so many people here seem so > ready to exclude people from public land. What's next, > people saying people can't politic on Grand Old Days > because GABA (Grand Avenue Business Assoc.) has use of > the streets, or banning politicing on St. Patrick's > Day. > > My question to those of you who say that politics > should not be allowed at Taste of Minnesota or the > Farmer's Market is, where do you draw the line? > > Who decides who gets in and who doesns't? > > Again, I think the First Amendment allows everyone > in: Wellstone Democrats, Pro-Lifers, Klaners, etc. Let > the marketplace of ideas rule, not Mr. Gerten or Ron > Maddox. > > Dan Dobson > Saint Paul > > > > Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 09:16:32 -0500 > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [StPaul] Farmers Market & free speech > To: Paul Gleeson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: Jon Kerr <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Back to the Farmer's Market discussion: I understand > that the > > sensibilities > > of this discussion group are mostly favorable to DNC > solicitors at the > > Farmer's Market. Allowing this marauding band of > clipboard carrying PAID > > solicitors at the Market is an invitation to any and > every public interest > > group to send in their own band of roving > professional buttonholers. I > > wonder how charitable Dan and Andy and Charlie and > Mary and Eric and others > > would be if the RNC or pro-life groups sent in their > toadies to accost > > unsuspecting market-goers? > I don't know about Dan, Andy, Charlie, Mary, Eric and > others. But in years > past I have been 'accosted' (not my word) by > Republican campaign workers in > the > past. I don't know if they were paid or not. And I > talked with them. I didn't > notice any ill effects from the coversation. Though > maybe the veggies were a > little less fresh when I got home. > > Politics should have dialogue across people's beliefs. > They can convince me of > the pure foolishness of my belief. And I can convince > them of the complete > lunancy of their beliefs. So if the Republicans, > Pro-life or free lovers are > the market this summer and fall I would be eager to > talk. > > > > I was at the Farmer's Market on Sunday. A couple of > the folks in DNC > > t-shirts were standing right off the curb on the > northeast corner of the > > market. Others were across the street on the south > side of the market. > > When corn and tomatoes start showing up in the next > few weeks, the market > > will be mobbed most of the morning. Having these > folks - and others like > > them - hang out on the periphery makes a lot of > practical sense - and no > > one's free speech rights are being violated. > > > > Non-issue. Enjoy the summer. > > > > Paul Gleeson > > St. Paul > _____________________________________________ > To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > _____________________________________________ > NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul > > Archive Address: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ > _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
