United Liberty
Michigan City Bans “Being Annoying in Public”
Mon, 12/22/2008 - 8:11am | posted by Austin Wilkes
Last Thursday, the Brighton (MI) City Council approved a local ordinance that tickets anyone caught annoying others in public “by word of mouth, sign or motions.” This is perhaps one of the most obvious infringements on free speech in this nation’s history. Considering the fact that this Amendment has been incorporated to the states since the 1920’s, can anyone please inform me on how this does not violate the First Amendment which reads-
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.
This ordinance obviously violates the free speech clause and also to a lesser extent the free association clause. Also the idea of “annoying speech” is so incredibly subjective that it can mean any speech, thus giving the executive (police) the complete and total fiat of determining what speech is acceptable for the community. The Hot Air blog (usually not the bastion of free speech) pointed out thoughts similar to mine-
Michigan finds itself in such financial distress that its Congressional contingent has successfully harangued the White House into multi-billion-dollar loans to private enterprise. I find that extremely annoying. Do we get to issue citations to the entire state of Michigan now? Considering the economic mess the state government has created in that state, what they need is more annoying speech, not less, especially if it annoys the current power structure.
If my understanding of human nature is correct then this ordinance will actually incite normally un-annoying individuals (I think I am in this category—at least usually) to become annoying in public as a means of protesting this absurd infringements on the rights of man.
Further Reading-
Complete violation of our rights. Who determines what is annoying? Can I have someone arrested for playing Top 20 music?
Nope, just disco.
so what they could arrest my cat lol?
The City of Brighton is annoying in the way that they take a disproportionate share of Livingston County, MI tax revenue to keep their middle to upper income populace happy, so they don’t have to drive their $50,000.00 SUVs over pot holes - this while secondary roads in Northern Livingston County are crumbling - and have been for years. Congressman (and Bush apologist) Mike Rogers (R-Brighton) is also annoying.
When do WE collect?
Can’t wait to see this one go to court. Should be an easy win for the ACLU.
I find this bit of news quite annoying, expect to hear from my lawyer soon.
This is why you have to be ON TOP of every last little move that every single one of your elected officials is doing, and call them on ANYTHING that even remotely resembles any sort of oppression or favoritism whatsoever. And it STARTS at the city council, even of a small town. If you aren’t watching their every move, you will find yourself regulated to death, or possibly screwed for the benefit of some big company who wants to USE your town for something or another. MORE of this is on its way, unless you stop sleeping at the wheel. WHY haven’t you been to a city council meeting lately? All it takes is for one selfish neighbor to show up and make a fuss about this or that, and without any opposition, he gets his way, and the next thing you know, somebody’s all up your butt about how high your bushes are, just because he felt like being a jerk.
I think it’s great. There are too many annoying people running around.
i’m all for it! let’s round up those cell phone users. i’m get completely annoyed when i have to listen to people yapping away in the grocery line, on street corners, when you’re trying to choose which aspirin to purchase in the aisle of the drug store. cell phones everywhere, haul these people off to jail and thro away the keys, that ought to teach them a lesson.
It’s a fine city whose main industry is one of the state’s many mental institutions.
What is wrong with michigan have they gone bananas.. Another mich. town banned low pants. If you can see underwear you go to jail..Many republicans live in mich. evidently.
Your right about one thing, Michigan has lost their minds, but it’s not republicans here! Michigan is full of ignorant, uneducated, naive democrats that believe raising taxes and taking money from the hard-working Americans to give it to dead-beat’s is a plan to restore our economy. Apparantly some also won’t be happy till we are all in jail for any reason the police can think of.
You’re all UNDER ARREST!
actually, its void for vagueness, before you even get to the first amendment issue…
from Rachel Eros, in Genoa Township Michigan
I need to invest in the Private Prison sector. Imagine the possiblity for Limitless Growth. NYC has 8 million Annoying People and then there is Washington DC
LOL
Is a city council meeting public? I find that the people who proposed this law are pretty damned annoying. I also find advertising for anything I don’t want to buy to be annoying. And does it extend to radio waves? Rush Limbaugh can be heard on public radio waves in Brighton, MI, right??? Can’t get more annoying than flabberlips…
I wonder if that applies to bad singing or those annoying 3pack a day smoking people whos voices are rougher than sand paper?Let’s not forget those annoying crying babies.
It’s a good thing I don’t live in Michigan. I would be named Public Enemy #1, #2 and #3.
“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.” - Thomas Jefferson
Oh to be an attorney in MI right now. I’d have fun with this one.
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