You Have a Right to Free Speech -Unless You’re Talking that God Stuff

Politicians in a Louisiana town are trying to use a vaguely written ordinance aimed at preventing public disturbances to stifle a Christian who wants to share his religious beliefs on a public street.

Look, if the guy is screaming get him off the street because of a noise violation. If he’s acting irrationally or in a threatening manner the authorities should do something. But citing an ordinance prohibiting speech that is “annoying” or “offensive,” an officer had threatened to arrest the man. That’s a dangerous trend. Half of my family would be taken away in handcuffs during Christmas dinner if “annoying” or “offensive” are the parameters of the law. Come to think of it…

In this case, authorities warned him that he would be arrested if his verbal message in any way “annoys” someone else, according to the Alliance Defense Fund.

Let’s say the “annoying” rule passes muster. Can we then have politicians arrested when they put their political signs all over our public streets and start their robo-calls to us three, four, five times a day in the weeks preceding an election. If so, I’m willing to talk.