the Urban Archivist

Funny, just this weekend I took this picture on Broadway in Cap. Hill

LaRouchies, were singing and holding this mysterious map on the street corner. A few blocks down, a girl handed me a small bill that had a message about the Seattle City Council trying to “suppress the right of ordinary people to address the public - free speech..” by making political tabling on planting strips more prohibitive through fees (proposed permit fee would be $315 per year) and fines ($250-$500).

There was a major case in 1940s(Marsh v. Alabama) of free speech in public/private places that involved Jehovah’s Witnesses. It was a case where a town was owned by a corporation that tried to prevent Jehovah’s Witnesses from bothering people, but the Supreme Court ruled in favor of speech…we must protect our right to be annoying in public.

The flyer that the girl handed to me argues that the proposed ordinance makes prohibitive rules, like fees and fines, to actually get around the whole legal issue of free speech in public places. Through a brief online search, I haven’t found any more info. on the the ordinance. LaRouchies…as odd as they are…there is something comforting about seeing freaks populate my world.