Opinion: Mayor wrong to seek limits on public speech at council meetings

By MARK BALLARD
Guest columnist

MARK BALLARD

Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013, 4:30 p.m. — Having served in the military and having participated in liberating another country’s people from oppression, I have always had pride in the Stars and Stripes and not only the freedom it stands for but the blood shed to get, and keep, that freedom. So, when our government tries to stifle our freedoms, I take it as a personal attack not only upon myself but upon every woman and man that has fought, and fights, for our freedoms and everyone that supports us in that fight.

The 1st Amendment gives us freedom of speech. That is power! With said power comes responsibility. For example, obscenities, threats, and the like are not protected. However, addressing issues with the City Council is. For the Mayor and/or Council to take it upon themselves to dictate the “agendas” that citizens of this town may or may not address is egotistical and imperialistic.

I suppose anyone disagreeing with anything the city delves into will be what is NOT allowed on the agenda, correct? Something that all city leaders and department heads need to remember is that they work for us, not us for them. Dictating discussion topics or limiting debate time is something out of the Communist Manifesto, not the Constitution of the United States. Violating our rights and liberties is not a right given to you because of your positions in the city.

Mr. Mayor and Council members… The government speech doctrine establishes that “the government may censor speech when the speech is its own.” Perhaps the city leaders should start there. Any Mayor or Council member that would support any restrictions on speech like the Mayor has proposed are directly attacking the freedoms myself and so many others have protected and continue to protect.

Citizens of Bardstown…make your voices known now and at the ballot box. It is your right guaranteed by the 1st Amendment!

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