New Port Richey Attacks First Amendment Rights of Kids

In late May 2011, members of the American Youth Movement had a booth in Sims Public park at the invitation of Sean Kline, Center for Independence, who was sponsoring a benefit to aid the challenged and to assist a young Marine corporal who lost his legs in combat.

The kids' message is anti-corporate and anti-war, but they were polite, quiet and respectful. They videotaped Mr. Kline and three city policemen approaching, demanding they leave the park because of complaints from an older veteran and corporate sponsors of the event. (See the videotape on You Tube) When the kids respectfully argued that they did nothing to justify being thrown out of a public park, the police asked for the IDs, said they were just doing their job, and that they would "trespass" the kids if they didn't leave.

In response to a complaint, the police chief after consultation with the city attorney, exonerated the police saying the kids left voluntarily, though he found no evidence to show they were creating a disturbance that would require them to be thrown out. (See articles in the Pasco Times, and New Port Richey Patch on-line.) Any reasonable person would acknowledge that the constitutional right to peacefully assemble and to petition one's government were ignored by city officials, and that no person has the right to exclude others from a big public park even if one disagrees with their message.