Is a free speech zone constituional?

[vetwife]

I really want to know. I don't think so !
Does anyone have info on this?
Lets Take it Back !
http://cafeshops.com/focusgroupnow.9200633

[vetwife]

1. Where is the law on the free speech zones?

Step out of line the man comes and takes you away from Buffalo Springfield is not exactly a law !

[Atman]

2. Of course not.

A judge in Boston took a tour of "the cage" yesterday, before ruling on the constitutionality of it. I don't see how ANY thinking person could argue that this was anything but incarceration. It may be voluntary incarceration, but if being locked in a double-fenced, razor-wire rimmed cage isn't akin to being in a lock-up, I don't know what is.

The citizens of Boston and America pay for those streets, pay for those police to protect them, pay for the highways that are being closed, pay for their public transit that is being closed, and now they're paying to a prison in which they must voluntarily admit themselves if they want to speak out.

All of America should decend on Boston and STAY OUT of the "free speech zones" and stay ON the streets. This is a shameful episode in our history.

[Liberal Veteran]

3. Personally I don't think our founding fathers would approve...

...of herding people into "free speech zones".

[truthspeaker]

4. In my opinion, no. And the Dems are fools for allowing them in Boston

Bush's anti-freedom tactics could be a huge campaign issue for us. Instead, we're copying his anti-freedom tactics.

[Doctor_J]

5. uh, no

I wish Kerry would start talking about how when he's president, America will be a free speech zone again. This is yet another farce that our corporate media refuse to say anything about.

[emulatorloo]

6. All of the sudden the media wakes up to "Free Speech Zones?"

don't get me wrong, I think the concept is horrid.

but somehow the media never cared about Free Speech Zones when it involved Bush or Republicans. We never heard about them.

Now that the Dem Convention is upon us, they just can't get enough of showing the Free Speech Zone.

So what gives?

Other questions to ask:

Who picked the site?
Who is responsible for the cage-like environ?

Dems? City of Boston? Repug Mitt Romney, Gov of Mass?

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. Exactly, I hope the freepers

have a fit over this 'cage' and justifiedly so.

[napi21]

13. Do you suppose it might be the Secret Service demanding these?

Every time I hear some of the hate filled calls on c-span, from BOTH sides, I feel strong sympathy for the Secret Service folks, whose job it is to protect the candidates'lives. There really is strong hate against both Bush & Kerry. I don't like these "free speach zones" at all, and if they are there just to keep the shrub from seeing and hearing the opposition, they should be eliminated. But if they are there PRIMARILY to protect the lives of the candidates, I think we need to deal with them until we can eliminate the extreme hatred on both sides, and get back to plain old disagreeing on policies instead of people.

I lived through the assinations of Jack & Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and the shooting of Reagan. I don't want to do it again.

[vetwife]

8. All good points !

[Ready4Change]

9. Problem is that it implies that other areas are NOT Free Speech Zones.

The issue that's not being examined is the NON-Free Speech zones being created. Basically any place outside the fences.

I'm concerned the Boston free speech cage is a set up. That during the convention freedom loving right wingers will "break out" of the cage and march on the convention, stealing the limelight and any message the Democrats try to get out. Thus Dems will be labeled freedom haters, and Repubs the only true American patriots.

Dem's speaking to the convention should decry this, and all, free speech zones. Say Bush may be afraid of free speech, but Dems aren't.

[madmom]

10. Have faith folks...

I sure am curious to see how our dream team will address this. I have the utmost confidence,join me please.

[tom_paine]

11. There IS NO Constitution in Imperial Amerika. We are a Manged Democracy

Governed by Imperial Fiat struggling to destroy the few final remnants of the Old Republic which hampers it.

[Bandit]

12. This all came about as a way to protect people entering family planning

clinics. It was ruled that anti-abortion protesters had to maintain a certain distance from the clinic. It was upheld in court and Bush* used this decision to form the convoluted "Free Speech Zones" I doubt if that would be considered the same as the clinic boundary but who knows in this bizarre new world we find ourselves in.

[truthspeaker]

14. But in those cases the distance was a few feet

Not half a mile.