Hi,
Sorry for the delayed reply. I was in Atlanta taking care of some family business when you posted this and felt it needed more attention than I could give it then.
The the right of the people peaceably to assemble, for whatever reason, must be balanced against the right of people to have free access to their homes, against the right to have peace and tranquility in their homes, against the right to have security of their property and of their persons. How many 'peaceable assemblies' against various wars, against political conventions, against various trade groups, against domestic or foreign policies, have turned into violent riots? How often have we seen so called 'protesters' breaking windows? How many people's idea of 'speaking out' involves stealing a high definition TV set?
So, in order to maintain order, in order to have control over the regions that their police are sworn to protect, those in charge of a region must control that region. They do so by building permits, by zoning laws, by traffic regulations. And they do so by requiring permits for assemblies. And, in light of the first amendment, how can this be right? Well, the complete phrase is "right of the people peaceably to assemble" (emphasis mine). If the purpose of that permit is to ensure that peace, then I see no problem.
In terms of the original issue, the right of the bible study group does not trump the rights of the neighbors to peace, quiet, un-dented cars, on street parking, and what have you. There are store fronts, assembly halls, school auditoria, etc., that can support the traffic, that have the parking, and that don't have neighbors to disturb and annoy in the evenings and at night. An occasional meeting (two, three a year) should not be a problem. But a weekly meeting is, whether it be of Boy Scouts, of Amway dealers, of Young Republicans, or of Wobblies, an imposition on the neighbors which the zoning laws and the permit requirement are meant to check.
To exempt a religious group from these strictures simply because it is a religious group is to invalidate the first amendment. It establishes religion. It establishes it as an entity superior to and independent of the state.
--Pete
Sorry for the delayed reply. I was in Atlanta taking care of some family business when you posted this and felt it needed more attention than I could give it then.
Quote:Pete, why did you argue that you need a permit to engage in a simple activity of free men and women going about their business?Since I read this, I've given it a fair bit of thought. I've asked myself if the position I took was based on my dislike for religion. I've tried to reconcile it as much as I can with my rather strict interpretation of the Constitution. And I've worried about it in terms of my anarchistic tendencies. My conclusion is that it is a question of a balance of rights.
The the right of the people peaceably to assemble, for whatever reason, must be balanced against the right of people to have free access to their homes, against the right to have peace and tranquility in their homes, against the right to have security of their property and of their persons. How many 'peaceable assemblies' against various wars, against political conventions, against various trade groups, against domestic or foreign policies, have turned into violent riots? How often have we seen so called 'protesters' breaking windows? How many people's idea of 'speaking out' involves stealing a high definition TV set?
So, in order to maintain order, in order to have control over the regions that their police are sworn to protect, those in charge of a region must control that region. They do so by building permits, by zoning laws, by traffic regulations. And they do so by requiring permits for assemblies. And, in light of the first amendment, how can this be right? Well, the complete phrase is "right of the people peaceably to assemble" (emphasis mine). If the purpose of that permit is to ensure that peace, then I see no problem.
In terms of the original issue, the right of the bible study group does not trump the rights of the neighbors to peace, quiet, un-dented cars, on street parking, and what have you. There are store fronts, assembly halls, school auditoria, etc., that can support the traffic, that have the parking, and that don't have neighbors to disturb and annoy in the evenings and at night. An occasional meeting (two, three a year) should not be a problem. But a weekly meeting is, whether it be of Boy Scouts, of Amway dealers, of Young Republicans, or of Wobblies, an imposition on the neighbors which the zoning laws and the permit requirement are meant to check.
To exempt a religious group from these strictures simply because it is a religious group is to invalidate the first amendment. It establishes religion. It establishes it as an entity superior to and independent of the state.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?