COLUMN: Weatherford leaders reproach Constitution

Viewpoints

February 16, 2012

Bruce G. Todd CNHI The Weatherford Democrat Thu Feb 16, 2012, 08:00 AM CST

— The U.S. Constitution is in place to govern the government and for the government to have something to answer to. When our Founding Fathers created the Constitution they knew the government had to be in check because the government could not be trusted to check itself and represent the people fairly. However, the government — local, state, or federal — keeps trying to run the country without the consent, approval, and certainly not the will of the people, and in a lot of cases subverts the constitution to a point of making it useless.

Let’s take freedom of speech, for instance. City leaders in ignorance, or perhaps they just do not respect our constitution, have passed laws and ordinances that oppose and make our freedom of speech unlawful. According to Weatherford’s enlightened officials, it is unlawful for anyone to stand on a public piece of property and speak in any manner or bear a sign in arms declaring any conveyed message. In other words, one cannot ask for a job, ask for help if broken down, ask for food if starving, claim to be a Christian, or anything else for that matter on any public place such as a sidewalk, corner, median or whatever. It is utterly unlawful except when the city is getting their cut, that is, taxes paid by some organization. Individuals, however, have no rights — not even in a public place. One cannot even communicate to another on these public places and not only is freedom of speech outlawed, but so is freedom of religion.

The U.S. constitution differs.

“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.”

In fact, I have every right to convey a message on any public place, street, corner, or median, according to the Constitution. The Texas Constitution is quite similar. It says, “Every person shall be at liberty to speak, write or publish his opinions on any subject.”

Sidewalks, street corners, or any such public roads have always been, fundamentally, a public forum and a place to express freedom of speech and to take that away with solicitation and sign laws (though hand held signs are not in the ordinances but enforced as if they are) are acts of attack on our federal and state constitutions, and more importantly, an assault on our personal liberties. If a sign or solicitation ordinance is more important than our civil liberties then we are doomed as a nation — a nation that was founded because the same kind of freedoms were denied.

Governments of this nation are supposed to enact the will of the people — not the few men and women on city councils or an individual who might not like a cross or the way a building looks. They are not “for abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our Governments.” (Declaration of Independence)

In conclusion, I must say it is a disgrace that our local city officials oppose and are in direct conflict with our constitutional rights and order our law enforcement agencies to uphold such aggression against our most important freedoms. Perhaps, they do so think that a homeless or down and out person has a right to express their needs. Maybe those rights belong only to those who have material possessions.

Let the people decide and let the government — whatever form that may be — represent the will of the people, not the will of the chosen few.

Bruce G. Todd is author of Bones Hooks: Pioneer Cowboy, and is a homeless advocate and presently homeless.

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COLUMN: Weatherford leaders reproach Constitution

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