Free Speech Zone established in remote, sparsely populated location

[drfemoe]

http://www.freepressed.com/freespeech.htm (satire)

Congress establishes nation's sole protest area for anti-war hippies wishing to gripe about Bush policies.


Republican legislators agreed that protesters would have plenty of room to wear their costumes and play their drums and whatever else they do at the nation's one and only free speech zone in Kansas.
Liberal, KS.--Freedom just got a whole lot freer. That's the message from Congress after overwhelmingly passing legislation that established a national free speech zone outside of Liberal, Kansas.
“This is a great day for freedom lovers everywhere,” said Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS). “For the first time in our nation’s history we’ve created an area where concerned citizens can strut their first amendment rights.”

The national 75-acre free speech zone will be located thirty minutes from the farming town of Liberal, Kansas. A chain link fence topped with concertina wire surrounds the field where the zone stands.

“Protestors who wish to vent their frustrations about Bush domestic and foreign policy now have a place to gather,” said Ted Stevens (R-AK). “Our democracy is stronger for having created a place where free people can use the freedom of speech guaranteed to them by the founding fathers in our bill of rights.”

... continued

[izzie]

1. Almost funny. Boston has had a zone like that for 300 years.

Used to be fun to just go down and see what they were saying.Lots of Christian zealots and now we can hear them on c-span from the House. See what 50 years can do for a country.

[bushisanidiot]

2. Sorry, Repukes. But AMERICA is a free speech zone!

I hope no one shows up and instead they protest down the main streets of Kansas as they should!

[drfemoe]

3. hehe . that's a satire piece

and it says that the field in Kansas is for the whole COUNTRY.

But here are the real stories ..
Bursey is the first person to go to trial for refusing to go to a 'free speech' area ..
http://www.scpronet.com/#Other
snips...
Progressive Network Director on trial for free speech.
Network Director Brett Bursey had a hearing in federal court Aug. 28 on a motion to compel the government to release documents in his case. Brett has been charged with threatening the president for refusing to go to a "free speech zone" last October when Bush came to Columbia.

The government argued that this information is classified on national security grounds. ...

The Judge set a date for the trial for Wed. Nov. 12. in the new federal courthouse on Richland St. (behind the Strom Thurmond Bldg.)

Listen to the story about Bursey's case on All Things Considered on the National Public Radio, July 25 (you need Realplayer to hear the story). Printed transcript here.

On May 27, eleven members of the US Congress wrote to Attorney General John Ashcroft demanding that he drop the federal charges against Brett Bursey (click here to see letter)

Article in Sunday April 27 New York Times on Network Director Brett Bursey's arrest for threatening the President with sign that read, "NO WAR for OIL".

http://www.gjf.org/gjf_main.html

US Attorney General John Ashcroft and White House political advisor Karl Rove,
and other,have been issued subpoenas to appear at Brett Bursey's trial in
US Dristict Court in Columbia November 12. Bursey has been charged with
refusing to go to a "free speech zone" during a visit by President George Bush
in October 2002 and faces six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Bursey is the only citizen in the country that faces federal charges
for refusing to go to a designated free speech zone.

And on DU ..
http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/02/09/06_brave.html