Guest Post by Miriam Judith
An Arizona woman was arrested in front of her 10-year-old daughter after she seemingly offended the town mayor when she began criticizing city officials during a city council meeting last week.
Rebekah Massie took to the stand to voicing her opposition to a renewal of a city attorney’s contract which would include a salary raise. Massie, furious about the pay increase, began her attack by claiming that the official previously violated the U.S. Bill of Rights, the Arizona constitution, and the state bar’s rules of professional conduct.
As Massie was just getting her attack rolling by bringing up the multiple public records requests that she made in regards to other issues, she was abruptly cut off by Suprise Mayor Skip Hall. He pointed her to the council’s preposterous rules stating that oral communication is not permitted to “lodge charges or complains against any employee of the City to members of the body”.
“This is the public meeting forum you agree to when you speak.” Hall told the woman, to which she responded “That’s all fine, well, and good – but that’s a violation of my First Amendment rights.”
The mayor, taking on the role of a tinpot dictator, responded with a warning to Massie that she would be escorted from the property if she dared continue to speak out.
“Do you want to be escorted out of here, or are you gonna stop talking?” He threatened.
The argument continued to escalate, as the mayor dismissed the citizen’s concerns regarding city policy, leading to a police officer being ordered by the mayor to escort the woman out of the building for trespassing.
“In front of my 10-year-old daughter, you’re gonna escort me out for expressing my First Amendment rights?” Massie asked, to which Hall callously responded, “She can go with you.”
According to court records, Massie received a citation for criminal trespassing.
This incident raises serious concerns about the policies that govern public discourse within our government institutions. The actions taken against Rebekah Massie highlight a troubling trend of silencing dissent and discouraging citizens from voicing legitimate concerns regarding their elected officials.
Free speech is the cornerstone of our democratic processes which are the foundation of our constitutional republic. Our first amendment rights are essential for holding the government accountable and ensuring that the voices of the people are heard. When policies are enforced that stifle discussion or penalize citizens for speaking out, we erode the very foundations of our society.
Open dialogue is crucial for fostering transparency and responsiveness in government, and it is imperative that citizens feel safe and empowered to express their opinions without fear of retribution.
The experience of Massie, especially in the presence of her young daughter, serves as a somber reminder that free speech is currently under threat in this country. Not only have U.S. citizens been battling censorship online with Big Tech, the government is also openly using policy to criminalize public speech that they don’t like.
Upholding the principles of free speech is not only a matter of constitutional integrity but a bipartisan responsibility we all share, to protect the rights of those who seek to engage with their government or hold them accountable.
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