Daily Archives: March 29, 2012

Encinitas has violated the U.S. Constitution's free speech provisions by banning a local arts group from publicly displaying banners with a memorial message honoring former Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan, her husband told the City Council on Wednesday night.

Houlihan's husband, Ian Thompson, told city officials that they made a "shameful," politically motivated decision when they barred the memorial message from public display, and that they must rescind the decision by April 6.

Speaking to a reporter outside the council chambers after he made his announcement, Thompson and his attorney said they were considering legal action against the city, but said they hoped it wouldn't come to that point.

"I'm waiting to see what the next steps are by the City Council," Thompson said.

City Attorney Glenn Sabine, during a break in the council meeting, said he had just received a letter from Thompson's Coast Law Group attorneys and had no immediate comment. He said he would be reviewing the attorneys' letter and a letter he recently received from the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

In that letter, the ACLU's chapter legal director David Loy wrote that he had concerns about the city's decision to prevent the banner displays.

"Based on the facts as I understand them, the city may have violated the First Amendment," Loy wrote and cited several court cases in other communities.

Thompson's announcement Wednesday night was the latest development in a controversy that began months ago when the organizers of the annual Arts Alive banner project decided to honor Houlihan by putting her photograph and a memorial message on the back side of this year's arts banners ---- a spot where they usually advertise the annual arts banner auction in May.

Houlihan, who was well known for her support of local arts programs, died in September after a five-year battle with cancer. She was serving her third term on the council at the time of her death.

The banners were printed and distributed to local artists, who had agreed to decorate the front sides, when opposition to the Houlihan memorial message surfaced. The city manager's office informed project organizers that the memorial message wasn't allowed under the terms of the group's temporary city sign permit and thus the banners couldn't be displayed on city light poles.

Go here to see the original:
ENCINITAS: Husband says memorial ban violates free speech rights

The last of the 2011-12 University Lectures will conclude Thursday with free speech advocate, conservationist and author Terry Tempest Williams.

Williams has been hailed a citizen writer who focuses on many prominent societal issues, particularly environmentalism, according to a March 26 SU News release. She is known for her environmental literature, including An Unspoken Hunger: Stories from the Field, Leap and her most recent book, Why Women Were Birds.

The event, The Writer as Witness, is free and open to the public. It will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel. The lecture will be conducted as a conversation between Williams and Don Mitchell, a geography professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Her text is passionate, philosophical, honest, eye-opening and thought-provoking, said Esther Gray, special assistant for the Office of Academic Affairs. She brings an honesty and openness about our environment that we all need to hear.

Williams has published work in The New Yorker, The New York Times and Orion Magazine, among others, according to the release. She also received the Wilderness Societys highest honor, the Robert Marshall Award, in 2006.

Williams said she will discuss major environmental issues, particularly the policies that affect New York, during the discussion. One major environmental issue is the proposed hydrofracking legislation that is currently being debated in the New York State Assembly.

Williams said she is very interested in what Gov. Andrew Cuomo will decide concerning hydrofracking in New York, the damaging chemicals used and the environmental consequences. Recently, she said, she attended a rally in New York City where hydrofracking discussions took place.

As a writer, these environmental issues become economic issues, which ultimately are matters of social justice, Williams said.

One controversial issue that has been discussed among political contenders has been President Barack Obamas decision to not allow the production of the Keystone Pipeline System. Williams said she strongly supports Obamas stance.

These are issues of water, issues of public land, Williams said. We all certainly have a lot at stake with this presidential election.

The rest is here:
Free speech advocate, conservationist to discuss environmentalism