Make no mistake: the great city of New Orleans is delighted to host Super Bowl XLVII. But does that also mean chasing the First Amendment out of town? NOLA.com reports:
A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order Thursday sharply reducing the boundaries of the "clean zone" set up by the city for the upcoming Super Bowl game. The "clean zone" -- which had included the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny -- is an area in which only officially authorized vendors can sell souvenirs or other items. It also prohibits the display of unauthorized signs, banners and the like.
So what does that phrase, "clean zone" mean, exactly? The list:
"Inflatables, cold air balloons, banners, pennants, flags, building wraps, A-frame signs, projected image signs, electronic variable message signs, and light emitting diode signs of any kind shall be prohibited except for those sanctioned or authorized by the city. ... "General and mobile advertising (including, but not limited to, signs on or attached to a vehicle, portable device or person) shall be prohibited except for promotional displays sanctioned or authorized by the city (consisting of at least 60 percent Super Bowl/NFL branding, look and feel, and no more than 40 percent third-party commercial identification) and by the National Football League, including, but not limited to, those placed on existing public utility poles."
As a result, it said, within the "clean zone," no one could fly a flag of any kind, even a Mardi Gras banner or American flag, and signs such as "Restrooms for customers only," "Buy your king cake here" or "Roger Goodell will not be served here" were forbidden unless the person involved was an NFL sponsor, the NFL and the city approved the message and the content was at least 60 percent NFL branding.
According to Marjorie Esman, executive director of the Louisiana ACLU:
The other plaintiff, Pastor Tony Bohn of Raven Ministries, regularly preaches on Bourbon Street. He and his colleagues wear T-shirts and carry signs that read "I love Jesus," "Ask me how Jesus changed my life" or similar messages, and carry a large cross emblazoned with the words "Raven Street Church." All of these messages would be prohibited by the "clean zone" ordinance, Esman said.
Finally...
"Even the Super Bowl isn't an excuse to suspend the First Amendment," Esman said. "The founders of our country didn't intend our rights to be suspended for a football game."
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"..."The founders of our country didn't intend our rights to be suspended for a football game." - Tony Bohn
Only because they had never seen a superbowl. If they had it would be STFU and sit down. Beware the corporate planned community with its Billionaire Boardwalk.
The founding Fathers would not have cared if they had known about football. The country and the Constitution matter a lot more than football and has been around a lot longer.
Some people think they are all that and a bag of chips, they need to be told that they will NOT walk on the Constitution, especially for football.
Sticky wicket. It is originally a related-religion-festival (the big party before you have to behave yourself for Lent). So, not only stomping on right to gather, right to free speech, but also freedom of religion.
Sticky wicket. It is originally a related-religion-festival (the big party before you have to behave yourself for Lent). So, not only stomping on right to gather, right to free speech, but also freedom of religion.
For a group of people so prone to expressing their opinions in writing the founders sure seem to be a mysterious bunch. Seems every nut with a cause can find some little quote by some founder that supports their own opinion.
They cherished and yet denounced democracy. They were a bunch of religious atheists. They were capitalists who warned us against corporations. They were a mixed bag of enlightened men living in darkness.
Oh now y'all suddenly care about the Constitution. You guys are too cute!
We always care about the Constitution, the ACTUAL one, not the fluffed-up and faked one that conservatives seem to think exists. Funny how a group so obsessed with it doesn't know what it actually contains, nor do you guys live by it in any feasible way.
Says the guy making a lame, unsuccessful attempt to be cute.
You wouldn't know the Constitution if you were bi*chslapped with it.
Unlike the right winged loons who are trying to shred the Constitution with anti-abortion anti-voting rights anti-labor rights and various other legislation that restricts the rights and freedom of the people?
Must be one of them nuts that wants us to use the Magna Carta.
Paul- funny you found all that in the constitution. You liberals are too funny. Look a little more and you'll find paid sick leave, funding for college for noncitizens and a host of other tidbits?
you mean like finding the words CAPITALISM , individual , free speech zones , corporations , illegal immigrant in it?
I disagree with smoking bans so by your logic my lighting up in no-no land is in fact a form of speech. Lighting up is me saying that smoking bans are an infringement on my right to pursue happiness and a restraint of trade!(hmmm, I am tempted to start smoking again)
Pat- I don't see them either. I think we are agreeing with each other.
This Nolo effort smacks of Chicage Mayor Richard Daly's effort to "beautify the city before the scheduled Democratic National Convention was set to start, c. summer months, 1968! -Kevo
Given CTE information that is coming to light - football should be eliminated - the Roman gladiators in modern times - some being killed to entertain others.
Believe me, NOPD will not give one s**t about any of this crap. Enforcement will be non-existent. LOL What a joke.
They'll take my Mardi Gras decor when they pry it from my dead, drunk fingers. Marigny is a residential area. Screw the NFL.
crone728---You are appropriately named. Just add "Old" and you're there. GO NINERS!!!!
Yep, proudly wear that "old crone" label and glad for the sense and sensibility that has accumulated with it - hope you remember the conversation 40 years from now as you say to the younger ones 'if only....'
Clean and New Orleans in the same sentence? Oxymoron?
Sign free perhaps, but likely to still smell like Bourbon Street: urine, stale beer & regurgitated beer.
This is the first time I have ever seen anyone else describe New Orleans in the manner I experienced it! YES, well said and very funny! I have no doubt that the natives suffer with the influx of visitors who create this, but yes...it smells like a subway terminal!
Funny the Neocons never raised a fuss when the NFL banned the use of a gun at the end of each quarter and the game! Hence the final gun! I hope I didn't start something? 'lol
The town should have some right to limit so called free speech when said speech is more than a simple spoken proclamation. All municipalities have some restrictions. Most cities require permits for demonstrations and restrict them so as to prevent upheavals. I sure do not want some religious kook getting in my face and you know they will if they can.
Our city has restrictions on signage in order to keep businesses from making a nuisance of their ads.
Free speech is not a license to harass and badger people nor to incite them. All rights carry the unwritten proviso that every person must also respect the rights of others. Your right to yap does not include your right to block my movement or to disturb the peace!
you mean like money being free speech? like limiting campaign contributions?
speech includes the written word, video and many other forms of "speech." money should not be included in the list though.
Such is life huh? Simple answers only exist to simple minded people I reckon.
For the people that see giving money to support one's particular political viewpoint as being "evil" must believe that the public has no mind of their own or lives by the 30 second TV spot. Wait a minute..I'm talking about MSDNC watchers....LOL
Personally I loved watching billionaires throw money away on bad politics.Of course only a true idiot(like Roberts)could say that corporations are people.
And yet the KKK seems to be able to hold rallies ad nauseum. Who was it that said,"I may not agree with what you say, but I respect your right to say it".
Letting such groups come out of hiding is a good thing. We need to be reminded that such freaks still exist and bear watching. I think we all can agree that there is a line between subversion and maintaining the peace.
Freedoms are also eliminated in cities that host the Olympics. Amusing how nations that clamor about freedom are willing to suspend it over the silliest things. New Orleans... the Democratic People's Republic of the NFL (temporary).....
Given the Republican Patriot act and homeland security and their cages during conventions, we should be amazed at any denunciations over this from the right. After all they want to end democracy,uh- representative republics in favor of a secure dictatorship under their rules.
Wow! the sunset clauses have came up repeatedly under Hussein and...lo and behold if he doesn't find them "meaningful and appropriate"....lol. Liberals just kill me.
We prefer you die laughing than bleeding from a gun wound. :>)
The Big "Not So" Easy.
The founders could never have envisioned an event like the Super Bowl. They would agree that public speech in such instances could have a negative effect in many ways so there should be common sense restrictions applied...wait, no, this is the argument those in favor of gun control are using. My bad...
Yes, because soooo many people get killed by free speech.
ever since money, in the form of campaign contributions, has been classified as "free speech" there have been many attempts to use it to kill people. they just want to do it slower than with gunz.
a lot of money has been spent to defeat affordable health care, workplace, food and drug safety regulations, environmental protection and whole a lot more. these things just kill people slower than shooting them. i'd rather be shot than slowly poisoned by my food, drugs or environment.
@mpguy Well it would if it has less than 60% NFL content... ;>)
mpguy, you are correct, the consequences of the miss use of a constitutional right are very different in nature...but, if an argument can be used against one then it can be used against another. That was my point.
Wasnt the original line of BS from the White House the fact that the use of free speech from a film maker is what led to the riots in the Mideast which eventually led to the death of a US Ambassador?
just asking..
It would smack a little much of the King ordering his subjects to shower him with praise to be to the liking of the founding fathers. They were an independent lot.
You can speak with your feet, people, or not. My guess is that you don't have tickets to the Super Bowl, or Mardi Gras, or Jazz Fest, or..........New Orleans likely won't miss you because they are sold out.
Wasn't Ray Nagin, hero of the left during katrina, just charged wih bribery?
What we have here is not a failure to communicate but an unwillingness to agree!
It seems as if the quickest way to get the opposition on your side is to take their side and watch them run away to where you were!?
Heck fire it worked for Obama-all he had to do was propose republican solutions and the GOP said no.
Contrarians unite?
The American public behaves like savages, the Super Bowl is a buncha jock sniffin athlete worshippers and don't talk to me about being poor and down-trodden if you can afford to buy tickets to this outing.
Unlike those Europeans at soccer games huh. Hooligans?
Now if they could just remove all the TV advertising the game would be the main attraction!
http://xxxooo3.newsvine.com/_news/2013/01/26/16715142-super-bowl-ad-spot-to-cost-record-4-million-in-2013
But,but, what about my bet on Bud Lite?
What does it matter what the founding fathers intended? I hear this used frequently like its a valid argument.
So are you saying its Unconstitutional?
Hey, the same thing happens when the President visits town; our founders didn't expect our guns to be taken away either.
Unenforceable. If you've ever been in the French Quarter there is a certain air of what I call "Legalized Lawlessness". Maybe they should focus more on security and less on trademarking rights. And for a struggling economy, they should be happy to let businesses advertise as usual. The Westboro style protestors... they aren't selling anything and it won't break my heart if they can't hold up signs calling patrons of certain bars at Bourbon and St. Ann some very ugly names with some very colorful adjectives.