Talk About the Bill of Rights, Get 90 Days in Jail
by Bob Ewing
In Washington, DC, talking about the Bill of Rights can land you in jail for 90 days.
Our nation’s capital has a licensing scheme in place that makes it illegal for anyone to “guide or escort” anyone else for hire without first getting the government’s permission. To get the license, which the Washington Post editorial board labeled a Tour de farce, eager entrepreneurs must first pay hundreds of dollars in fees, fill out a bunch of forms and pass an arbitrary test.
That is, they need to jump through all sorts of needless hoops before they’re allowed to speak.
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The bottom line is that the Constitution protects your right to communicate for a living, whether you are a journalist, a stand-up comedian, a musician, or a tour guide. The government cannot be in the business of deciding who may speak and who may not.
That is why two Washington, DC, tour guides—Tonia Edwards and Bill Main, who run a company called Segs in the City—joined forces with the Institute for Justice to file a major federal lawsuit challenging DC’s tour-guide licensing scheme as a violation of their fundamental constitutional rights. Video and photos of the press conference are online.
Nearly every day, Tonia and Bill teach a group of people how to ride Segways and then take them around Washington, DC, on a tour of the city. Their business is located near the National Archives, so one of the things they tell their customers is where the Bill of Rights is located. For this, the city government could throw them in prison for three months.
The issue at stake transcends political ideology. Matt Yglesias, the influential blogger for the Center for American Progress, recently wrote about DC’s draconian law on his excellent blog:
[T]his sure seems like bad policy to me. It’s a barrier to entry that’s nice for existing tour guides and for companies in the “help tour guides pass our exam” industry, but that’s ultimately bad for visitors to the city and bad for DC residents who might want to make some money giving tours. You don’t need a license to be a tour guide in Boston and as best I can tell everything’s fine . . . . Customers there are protected by the general laws against fraud and other forms of criminal misconduct as well as whatever discipline the marketplace and people’s concern for their reputation provides.
IJ attorney Robert McNamara points out in the Washington Post that DC’s licensing scheme is part of larger, nationwide problem:
In the past 50 years, there has been an explosion of laws that require people to get a license before they join the workforce. In the 1950s, only about one out of every 20 Americans needed a license to pursue the occupation of their choice. Today, that number is one out of every three.
Simply put, occupational licensing in the United States is out of control. The fact that you cannot even talk without a license in the nation’s capital is just another example of government gone wrong.
Click here for more on the lawsuit. The Institute for Justice is also online at facebook, You Tube and twitter.
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83 Comments
Cue the Clown Music !
Shocker. The Obama Administration restricting our Free Speech!
Of Course Obama doesn't want anyone to see the Bill of Rights, then he might have to admit that we have them!
And of course anything with common sense, American, Godly, asking questions or truthful in any way must be life in prison.
I CAN go on here with my list.
The Second American Revolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKFKGrmsBDk&fe....
Grassfire Nation Update
By now we've all seen the blistering attacks against tea
party candidate Christine O'Donnell, who boldly and
remarkably defeated Delaware's 9-term representative,
Mike Castle in that state's primary.
Across the nation anti-establishment candidates who are
boldly embracing our founding documents, the free market
and limited government are striking a chord with Americans!
But with the November elections just weeks away, and
liberal democrats willing to do anything to save their
political careers, Grassfire Nation is urging members
of our team to help us embolden these true conservative
candidates by helping get out the message of limited
government and power to the people resonating throughout
the land…
Viva La Tea Party
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I think that Michele, who is so good at being the "Food Police" should also enforce this Government $cam! She is great at controlling our lives!
This is why J.Christian Adams, and Christopher Coates are our American Heros for exposing the Corruption in our disgusting Dept of "In-Justice!"
The Obama's idea of being President and First Lady is to: DICTATE, DOMINATE, CONTROL, Lie, and Steal & RE-DISTRIBUTE our Tax Money; and now they want more?
The reductio ad absurdum of this would be getting thrown in the hoosegow for taking your extended family on a tour when they join you in D.C. for a family reunion.
I'm all in favor of tests and licensing for politicians and government employees, though: They should be able to quote the entire Constitution and Bill of Rights from memory. lol.
This Obama Administration and their D.O.J. are so corrupt, and they have the nerve to over-regulate U$ more? Remember when J. Christian Adams testified against the DOJ when charges were dropped againt the New Black Panthers?
Well today we have another American Hero who cannot stand the corruption in Eric Holder's Dept of Justice (I use that title lightly) any more!
Christopher Coates has courageously come forward and will testify tomorrow about the rampant corruption in Obama's, Holder's Dept of Juustice. Thank you Mr. Coates!
"Licensing scheme"……hmmm, another tax. Shocking. +Hanzo+
Moochelle as "Food Police"? I thought she's on the Seefood Diet.
+Hanzo+
Life in prison? Maybe just internment at a "Re-education Center", like any Ivy League Institution of Liar Learning.
……………+Hanzo+
Complacency with these animals is disgusting. What the HELL is the matter with you Amerika? http://www.savingtherepublic.com/Amerika.html
If you can't legislate it away, tax it to death. Which is exactly what they are doing. License fees are nothing more than a tax.
Will these guys ever STOP their usurpation of the Constitution and "We the People"?
The authors of this law should be put in jail for Treason.
1st Amendment………………………………………………………Poof, going, going………………….Gone
Yep, the socialist bastards want to control everything we do. EVERYTHING !
What we hear, see, say, eat, do, our health and well being are in the hands of the socialist monsters.
The way things are going its just a matter of time before our benevolent government will require us to purchase operators licenses to take a shit!
As stated in the article, this is nothing really new. Licensing of various occupations has been around in many cities for decades so it isn't something new being foisted on the public. Do I agree with it? No simply because as with any governmental control, it's all about the control the government has over the public as well as a way to extract money.
Licensing such as this were originally put in to "protect the public" but as with any good intentioned measure put forth by government, it is easily corrupted and turns into a method to gain control and extort money. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions and many of these occupational licenses prove it.
Cant wait to see how the Trolls spin this one…….
They will either ignore it or give us some great BS.
I can't believe I'm on the same side as Center for American Progress here. Maybe it's more shocking that Center for American Progress is on the same side as us here. It's good to see that some things we can still all agree on as Americans first.
"Matt Yglesias, the influential blogger for the Center for American Progress, recently wrote about DC’s draconian law on his excellent blog:"
Errr, sorry. Excellent blog? Yglesias may be correct on this issue (a broken clock is right twice a day)- but the rest of the time he's a fatheaded, bigoted, hate-spewing idiot, a paid-up member of the JournoList and SorosCorp propaganda ministry.
Did anyone actually read the articles contained in the links? DC's tourist licensing is a local law that dates back to 1902. *Shrugs* I don't think its going to be around for much longer though.
Don't you realize that the progressives just can't have any Tom, Dick, or Harry out on the street telling people facts about the Constitution or Bill of Rights unless they pass the revisionist history test to bend history the left's direction. You may have someone actually mention Woodrow Wilson's or FDR's internment camps for US citizen's or some other fact that has been stricken from the text books.
One of the United States biggest problems is the OVER REGULATION of EVERYTHING!
This is the frog sitting in a pot of cold water on the stove……. years ago government turned on the burner and the water has been slowly coming to a boil. POTUS obama came along and promised "change". The change ended up being having him crank the burner to high. Fortunately for us, the frogs are all jumping out.
This is just one more example of the lunacy that is now government. I'm sure crap like this can be found in any town – ridiculous!
Were you ok with GWB's "Justice" department? Just askin' cause you seem pretty wound up. Wondering where you stand on individual freedom?
Holy crap, I had no idea. This law needs to die a horrible, painful death.
That is probably the only thing that that den of socialist (CfAP) will ever write that I will agree with.
I am curious who and when proposed this ,this topic is one of my pet peeves
No, this one can't be lumped at Obama's feet, but it's part of the type of "insider privilege" crap that paved the way for him and his ilk. This "tour guide" restriction is a local (DC) law that "protects" existing commercial enterprises from having to compete with entrepreneurs or newer businesses that may offer the same or similar service and give consumers a wider choice — sort of a protection racket, run by City Hall instead of the mob.
No, it's worse than that. They stiffle competition and "protect" existing enterprises from having to allow consumers a choice.
I did my part, facebook-ed and tweeted.
Did any of the elected or appointed officials in DC file the appropriate paperwork to speak in that city then? I bet most of them couldn't pass the exam.
Oh no! A couple of illiterate teabillies are unable to misrepresent our nation's capital and history to all their flag t-shirt wearing friends! That is by far a more serious problem than our fighting (and dying) men and women being discriminated against by the military on the basis of their sexual orientation!
All I can say is WOW. Speech, land, water, food, oil, banking transactions, medical care, student loans, mortgages, what next?
Time for a revolution people….
Hey, we gotta pay off that 13 trillion dollar debt somehow! More fees!
I have a friend who lives in DC. I spent a week down there, during the whole "beltway sniper" thing. We spent a whole day visiting all the sights. I guess he should be thrown in jail, eh? F-ing communists.
BTW, we spent the evening in a stripclub, not 2 blocks away from the White house. There were senators, and congresscritters all over that place. Nice, huh?
Anyone caught riding a Segway should get 90 days in jail.
Actually, yes, it is more serious. They are fighting for this very thing, our rights in America. And they better stand with the Citizens on this, because of what I've heard, odumber wants to be using them (our military, gay and straight) against the American citizens.
It's not far. 39 days.
Keep "Seging" and speaking, more power to you two and many others like you!!!
They sure are Communists, and they need to be FIRED! And I'm not surprised at all about the sleezy congresscritters hanging in the stripclub.
You're the Palin hater right? And you're the one who mocked Gov. Palin's Down Syndrome baby, and then deleted your comment when I said that you should not mock a child with a genetic disorder. Your whole site is vicious. Another of your commentors made vicious comments about Trig's eyes. You are a nasty group in my opinion. The venom on your site is disgusting. If you hate Palin and Bush and Republicans so much, why were you peeking in on my Bio? Couldn't stand to see a Constitutionalist Tea Partyer in person?
hell, i'd be tickled if the president could accurately quote the Preamble…
actually much of the impetus for this sort of crap comes from established businesses persuading government to restrict entry to the field under the guise of 'protecting the public'. instead of competing in a free market, they use the heavy hand of government (thru the well-greased hands of politicians) to do their bidding.
i think the shame & humiliation of being seen on one of those 2-wheeled dorkmobiles would be punishment enough…
Governments get their revenue through taxes, fees, and fines. It is a way TO CONTROL THE PEOPLE. The more money they take the less you have. Your FREEDOM is based on your disposable income. You make your income, then you pay your expenses, and what is left over is your disposal income. With your disposable income you can invest, buy things, go on vacations etc. It's YOUR MONEY. Without it you are just a slave or indentured servant. Unfortunately, the Statists think it is THEIR money. They want to CONTROL you. That is why we need to begin to clean house this November and FIRE the STATISTS. BTW in Philadelphia the Government wants to charge $300 for a License to Blog. ENOUGH ALREADY!!
Greg Zotta
Republican Candidate for MO Senate 22
Sorry Pnipni. You have me confused for someone else. My nasty comment is still up (I'm the one who suggested Trig is the smartest of the Palins). The site in question is Wonky not vicious but I can see why you don't like reading it. I don't hate Palin I just don't like what she's doing to the country by bringing discourse down to misguided populist rants. Ignoring facts like tax rates are lower under Obama, that the bank bailouts and auto bailouts worked.. That the only thing keeping the stimulus from being more successful was that it was neutered by congress. I don't hate GWB he sincerely seems like a nice guy who loves his country.. I just hate what he did to our country racking up an enormous deficit with an unnecessary war and irresponsible tax cuts in the time of a national crisis. I'm frustrated with the Constitutional Tea Party for their rush to defend the top 2% of the wealthiest Americans while pushing for more gutting of necessary functions of government. I noticed you checked out my Bio as well. Thanks for the conversation.
I agree.
A profession that is licensed really isn't anymore trustworthy than those that aren't. Be it tour guides to plumbers, paying a fee to government doesn't do anything except to help restrict choice.
Why don't you just get a license?
Let me help you. Took me all of 30 seconds to find this: http://www.washingtondctourguides.com/membership/...
I'm not confused, and neither is anyone else here troll. Your words and attacks speak for themselves. I investigated your hate-talk bashing and lies, after I found that You've been following me! Good choice! Pay attention. Maybe you'll learn something!
I'm the troll? You came over to my blog to pick a fight. I only "followed" you after you attacked me for attacking poor Sarah. No response to my comments about our needless war? Your defense of the Koch brothers fortune? The irresponsibility of tax cuts in the time of a national crisis? Hate-talking and lies? looks in the mirror. Read a newspaper and seek out your own opinion. Question your leaders (Tea Party Leaders) show some independent thought.
You're questioning the Tea Party? Why? They are Constitutionalists.
YOU LIE! like your Idol, Obama.
Whose Constitution?
P.S. I love you!
Excellent retort. Quick if you go jump to FOX.com you can get some talking points to refute my statements:
Tax and spend tax and spend family values no big government take health care away from the government and give it back to the insurance companies blah blah blah.
Defense of the Koch brothers fortune? Pray tell how you are displaying independent thought when you read the newspaper to seek your own opinion. Your cognitive thought process seems to be lacking.
'Opinions' are formed after assembling all facts pertinent to a subject, then making a discernment, based on the facts that have been presented. Not by reading a newspaper to 'seek out your own opinion'. Perhaps you should stick to armchair philosophising.
……………………….+Hanzo+
You are Childish "pants"
Nifty retort there yourself.If only you could disengage your head from your ass perhaps your statements would make sense, even if they are incorrect. …………………+Hanzo+
Care to retort me with some facts instead of just saying I'm incorrect.
If you have time read this and then get back to me.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100...
I Love you!
If i said newspaper implying a singular all-knowing source I was wrong. You are correct that in this partisan climate it is important to seek out multiple sources of information and opinion. I concur completely.
Sure I can, if only you made a pertinent statement that made sense. Let's see "tax and spend tax and spend family values no big government take health care away from the government and give it back to the insurance companies blah blah blah".
Hmmm, no comment.Try again, some other time.
………………………+Hanzo+
P.S.- I doubt that you really love me. God might love you, but I think you suck.;-)
I'm glad you find that statement confusing. That's what I hear coming from the Tea Party movement (in addition to Obama's a Muslim Obama is not a US citizen). And I find it just as nonsensical.
God doesn't love me… There is no God.
Keeps me from going insane over the level of the debate.
"That's what I hear coming from the Tea Party….". Really, when someone speaks all you hear is a jumble of words? I'm sorry for taking you to task, I understand your plight now. Poor, poor miserable wretch that you are.
Btw, if God dosen't exist there is no love. Also no moral foundation on which to base your lifelong convictions. Have a nice day!
+Hanzo+
Why the name calling? Do you believe that all people that disagree with you are poor miserable wretches (spelling?).
I am an athiest but I feel that I am a moral person (not perfect but moral) and I love. I don't feel it's my place to question your beliefs but I believe you are wrong if you believe that religion or a belief in God is the only reason to behave morally.
And I do love you.
You're sick and your behavior is inappropriate. Are you off your meds again?
Yes, all who oppose me are miserable wretches.
If there is no God, how did we ever receive moral values? Through evolution? The answer is no, there HAS to be God. Morals, ethics, compassion………all these values emanate from one source, the human consciousness, instilled from our Creator.
I believe you've had your inner knowing, your personal relationship with God, educated right out of your mind, so to speak. If you don't belive in God, why do you capitalize His name?
………………..+Hanzo+
God has never been a part of my life. It wasn't beat out of me by watching MSNBC.
Capitalizing God is proper grammar and it shows my respect for people with different beliefs.
As for receiving moral values without God it does make evolutionary sense. The individual and the species will survive better through cooperation and coexistence than through anarchy.
How could we develop a thought process through evolution which would seperate proper from improper behaviour? Afterall, through evolution, propogation of the species is paramount, everything else falls to the wayside.
You are merely regurgitating atheistic, Communist rhetoric. Think about what you're going to say next, before you vomit more pap onto the screen, please. No offense.
+Hanzo+
Moral behavior makes perfect sense for the survival of the species. Sorry you don't see it that way but it is a free country and diversity of thought makes things more fun. Thanks for the discussion. I hope you have a great weekend.
Diversity of thought? How gauche…….just what does "diversity of thought" bring to the table? More abhorent thought processes? Don't be sorry that I don't see things your way.
So, tell me………how does "moral behavior make perfect sense for the survival of the species"? Please comment after you come back to Earth. Your entire post makes no sense, whatsoever….none…..zero…..nada…..zilch…..you get the picture, maybe not, from you're asinine comments.
……………………..>Hanzo<
By abhorent you must mean anything you don't agree with. I feel sorry for your children.
Please, don't feel sorry for my children. They're homeschooled and are very advanced scholastically over their peers, as well as being well adjusted.
Now, about your issues. By abhorent I now mean your simplistic, juvenile view of "diversity of thought". So, "diversity of thought" makes things more fun? I really don't care about what a pedophile, or a hardcore Marxist, or a jihadist, or a liberal, for that matter, thinks on any subject, and I don't care to know what their "thought process" is. I don't see how the "diversity of thought processes" of these groups(just for starters) enriches any society, only degrades it. Btw, please tell me that you don't have children, I'll sleep better at night, knowing that someday my children won't have to cancel your kids votes in the General Election, as I'm sure I cancel yours now.JK.
……………………………..
+Hanzo+
Dude! Home schooled? Are you kidding me? Talk about indoctrination. Those poor kids don't stand a chance. How's the whole Darwinian evolution thing going over with them so far?
Sorry to break it to you but I do have a child. Not sure how he's going to vote yet as he still in diapers.
I love you man!
Wellllll, I have 3 to your 1. How is homeschooling considered 'indoctrination'? Because my children are free of all the garbage the teachers unions feel should be foisted upon them, regardless of my position on said 'teaching'?
Look up the term 'indoctrination' in your handy dandy lexicon, then think about what your statement implied and get back to me.
Btw, even Darwin rued the popularity of his evolution theory at the end of his life. He said that he never thought he'd be taken seriously. Please research outside of your leftwing bubble and be free! ………………..;-) +Hanzo+
You have me beat electorally. Maybe I can catch up. We both know what "indoctrination" means. You're worried that public school teachers will brainwash them with stories about how homosexuality is ok.. That European presence in early American history ruined our continent and that we should be ashamed of being white. That about right? I'm worried that without outside views your kids are being indoctrinated to think like you. But they're your kids so you get to decide.
Darwin may have been saddened by the God vs no God debate that he writings and observations spawned but he didn't refudiate (ask Palin what that means) the bulk of his work. You can't put a good idea back after it's out of the bottle. Long history of new discoveries flying in the face of established beliefs. Those taking the longest to accept change look pretty foolish. You should do some looking and researching out of your little bottle from time to time too.
You rock!
Please, don't pretend to be able to ascertain my level of knowledge or understanding on any issue. Quite pretentious and judgemental for an 'enlightened liberal'. What an oxymoron there, eh?
I wish I had time to school your poor brain on a few issues. Alas, busy weekend. Sorry.
As for evolution, why do we not witness all around us various animal species that are in-between their evolved stage? Perhaps a few fish species that are now trying to leave the oceans, with fins and feathers? That certainly would go a long way toward the validation of Darwin's Theory of Evolution.
So long, my revisionist friend………..
+Hanzo+
Ahh at last you have proven how truly ignorant you are. You've done a good job talking like you've had book learnin' but clearly you learned about science from your daddy's knee. That last paragraph is a stupid as anything out of Christine O'Donnell's mouth.
Peace out my simple friend.
xoxoxo CP
Aww now, why is the paragraph in question stoopid, oh wise one?
Btw, lib, I'll put my 'book learnin', ok, my intellectual capacity and educational pedigree,even, against your's anyday.
Such a prototypical proglib, no debate, degenerate into simplistic name calling, with no valid point, or any point at all, as far as that matters.
Have fun on election day.
+Hanzo+
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