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Bring Back the Commons in St. Augustine, Florida

Bring Back the Commons in St. Augustine, Florida

Target:
St. Augustine City Commission, City Attorney, City Manager
Sponsored by: 
Over the past 10 plus years the City of St. Augustine has slowly eroded the rights of individuals in deference to business profits in the "historic" downtown areas. It is now at a point that singing is illegal in La Plaza de la Constitucion, as is the exercise of many First Amendment Rights. The Plaza has been the public gathering place in the nation's oldest (European) city since it was founded. We are determined to return the use of the Plaza to the people.
Over the past 10 plus years the City of St. Augustine has slowly eroded the rights of individuals in deference to business profits in the "historic" downtown areas. It is now at a point that singing is illegal in La Plaza de la Constitucion, as is the exercise of many First Amendment Rights. The Plaza has been the public gathering place in the nation's oldest (European) city since it was founded. We are determined to return the use of the Plaza to the people.

For more than 10 years the common areas in St. Augustine, Florida have been disappearing, as has the ability of taxpaying citizens to freely exercise their constitutionally guaranteed civil rights on these publicly-owned lands. These miscarriages of justice are due directly to the City's cowardly capitulation to the business industry, valuing its dominion over the basic rights of human beings.

Every American town has a public square. St. Augustine's La Plaza de la Constitucion was once used to sell human beings into slavery. Now, artists cannot sell their work on this same land, people cannot gather without a permit, and, as with the slaves, public singing is prohibited!

The two most commonly accepted and used definitions of the word 'common' are:

1. belonging equally to, or shared alike by, two or more or all in question; common property, common interests.

2. pertaining to or belonging equally to an entire community, nation, or culture; public, a common language or history, a common water supply system.

Common areas belong to the people, not to the local business elite and their puppet city commissioners. Legislating against any legal form of human activity and protected civil rights in these areas is unconstitutional.

We demand our public commons be used to promote the common welfare and be returned to the people by the immediate rescission of all city ordinances prohibiting any form of legal human expression such as art, dancing, singing, making music and speeches, peaceful assembly and protesting abuses of government.

Common areas belong to the people, not to the business community.

 

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We signed the "Bring Back the Commons in St. Augustine, Florida" petition!
# 113:
2:21 am PST, Nov 14, Can Atik, Turkey
# 112:
2:51 pm PST, Nov 13, Frans L Van Baars, North Carolina
# 111:
7:34 am PST, Nov 13, Rebecca Cunha, Florida
# 110:
5:09 pm PST, Nov 12, Timothy Motala, Florida
"First America"...450th anniversary of St. Augustine...give me a break!!! It's just an "empty advertising slogan" without allowing for genuine freedom of speech and assembly today!
# 109:
6:52 pm PST, Nov 11, Bree Farmer, Florida
# 108:
5:56 am PST, Nov 11, John Gunlogson, Florida
# 107:
12:21 pm PST, Nov 10, Stephen Hunter, Florida
It is unAmerican to take away the Constitutional freedoms of the people in public places.
# 106:
7:09 pm PST, Nov 9, David Ransom, Vermont
Saint Augustine learned the hard way, as many saints do. Saint Francis and Saint Clare faced similar social problems as folk face in Saint Augustine. The regressive management policies that would militate against the poor and the first amendment bring Saint Augustine City closer to the turmoil that saints Augustine and Francis and Clare faced in their day. Surely Saint Augustine, Florida can do better. You are in our tears and in our prayers. May you be empowered to compassion. It takes time for compassion to heal repression. It takes creative action also. but we encourage you to stand with the poor, not against, to discover a better way. That is the first step.
# 105:
5:28 pm PST, Nov 9, Robert Foley, Florida
I was wondering about that slightly oppressive feeling when I was there a few years ago. Got a ticket lickety-split while looking for info on a good parking spot. I mean, seconds! Of course, my tourist status didn't educate me on the currents going on. Hope efforts can help humanize the atmosphere. On the other hand, it was a repressive Spanish colony, right?
# 104:
5:25 pm PST, Nov 9, David Jenner, Florida
# 103:
2:27 pm PST, Nov 9, Rachel Rohr, Massachusetts
# 102:
7:58 am PST, Nov 9, Piper Honigmann, North Carolina
Art is ultimately free speech. The only thing Americans can purchase from Cuba is art. Our government considers it a cultural asset. Our government knows the power art holds in communication.
# 101:
11:20 am PST, Nov 8, JD Dixon, Arizona
# 100:
11:17 am PST, Nov 8, LINDA SMITH, Arizona
# 99:
10:33 am PST, Nov 7, Cathleen Dickman, Florida
# 98:
10:27 am PST, Nov 5, Lynn McRee, Florida
I am appalled that we can't have street musicians and other entertainers and artists at the Plaza. Much of the charm of the City has been lost by removing a group of people that not only entertained the tourists and locals alike, but also gave them reason to pause and peruse the stores.
# 97:
6:16 am PST, Nov 5, Jan Berlepsch, Florida
How sad that government can stop people from "singing" in the streets.....
# 96:
9:52 pm PST, Nov 4, Beverley Wiskow, Florida
One more seemingly small way in which our rights are being chipped away. Stand up Florida!
# 95:
6:26 pm PST, Nov 4, Marcilla Smith, Florida
The people united will never be defeated!
# 94:
3:23 pm PST, Nov 4, Gina Burrell, Florida
# 93:
7:33 am PST, Nov 4, Maureen Welch, Florida
Let us take back the Slave Market. St. A. use to distinguish itself by its art and history. Now, the heart of the town is so sanitized, its spirit so repressed, that artists have fled and true historians ignored. This is an ideal economic time to return to the simple pleasures of a shared gathering space that expresses the town's unique personality. Bring back the music; let authentic historians be the story-tellers;send in the re-enactors. No more unaffordable galas with the purpose of removing the unsavory from sight. On behalf of the unsavory, bring back the Commons!
# 92:
2:57 am PST, Nov 4, Roderick evan Musselman, Spain
# 91:
10:22 pm PST, Nov 3, Pam Boland, Georgia
# 90:
7:01 pm PST, Nov 3, Susan Meyer, North Carolina
I grew up in St. Augustine. Don't take away something that makes the city so unique!
# 89:
6:20 pm PST, Nov 3, Linda Hubner, Florida
# 88:
5:58 pm PST, Nov 3, Carol White, Massachusetts
# 87:
4:55 pm PST, Nov 3, Name not displayed, Florida
# 86:
4:52 pm PST, Nov 3, Brandon Hill, Florida
as a tax payer i feel it is my right to use pubic spaces such as the plaza for what ever i want as long as my actions are not harming anyone don't tred on me!!1
# 85:
4:43 pm PST, Nov 3, Cal Colgan, Florida
It is completely ridiculous of the City Commission to trample on the Bill of Rights by effectively outlawing demonstrations, parades, and even singing in the Plaza de la Constucion. I am proud that my name is on this petition. I want Mayor Joe Bolles, Vice Mayor Errol Jones, the rest of the City Commission, the City Attorney, and the S.A.P.D. to know that I will do EVERYTHING necessary to oppose the continual erosion of our civil liberties.
# 84:
2:31 pm PST, Nov 3, Melissa Baird, Florida
As a frequent visitor to your city to visit family, I am shocked by your blatant disregard for Constitutional freedoms.
# 83:
2:22 pm PST, Nov 3, Steve Santoni, Connecticut
I have been connected with St. Augustine for many years, as my cousin is a long time resident and activist. I have visited St. Augustine on a few occasions and enjoyed it. Please extend the basic human right of expression to all. Thank You
# 82:
1:40 pm PST, Nov 3, Name not displayed, Georgia
I live in savannah now but originally from Jacksonville, Florida this whole thing is a crock of poo they let the gays and every senator etc. parade and march through these places so should anyone else. It is in the constitution that we have a freedom of speech and we should be able to exercise those rights irregardless what it's about. Thank you
# 81:
10:37 am PST, Nov 3, Fred Bevis, Florida
# 80:
10:29 am PST, Nov 3, Dinda Evans, California
# 79:
10:05 am PST, Nov 3, Laurakay Hellion, Oregon
please keep the charm and creative magic in the burg of st augustine. please do not white wash and gentrify the town to the point it looks like all other tourista traps. signed, a long-time orygun fan
# 78:
8:19 am PST, Nov 3, Jody Marcil, Florida
# 77:
6:53 am PST, Nov 3, Glyn Priestman, Pennsylvania
# 76:
6:44 am PST, Nov 3, Danilo Quilaton, Florida
# 75:
6:13 am PST, Nov 3, Diana Smith, Florida
# 74:
6:05 am PST, Nov 3, Davis Hart, Florida
Don't be short sited. Street performers are the REASON tourists come back!
# 73:
5:48 am PST, Nov 3, Steve Wisniewski, Florida
# 72:
4:52 am PST, Nov 3, Tracy Little, Florida
# 71:
4:50 am PST, Nov 3, Manon Gauthier, Canada
Pour plus d'impact, ajouter un commentaire personnel ici
# 70:
4:07 am PST, Nov 3, Gary Petersen, New York
# 69:
3:46 am PST, Nov 3, Moses Clepper, Florida
# 68:
3:35 am PST, Nov 3, Paul Wilson, Florida
# 67:
3:02 am PST, Nov 3, Steve Klein, Virginia
For more impact, add a personal comment here
# 66:
1:00 am PST, Nov 3, Tom Santoni, Florida
As a 30-year resident of St. Johns county and a musician who has played on St. Augustine's downtown streets, I was always amazed at how many people's eyes, especially children's, would light up and smile as they passed, sometimes throwing a tip in the guitar case. As a stained glass artist who used to be able to sell my wares on the street and in the Plaza, I always enjoyed the passers-by, whether local or tourists, who would stop and look and chat, sometimes buying a piece or two. People genuinely enjoy street artists and musicians, but the local business interests and politicians have stripped the historic district bare of a major tourist attraction while unconstitutionally denying the basic rights granted by the highest laws of the land. I'm sick of the good-old boy mentality, the cronyism, the corruption and illegality of the entrenched monied interests in this county. Just as the county commission never saw a land developer it didn't like while allowing rampant, unrestrained growth to strangle our once beautiful open spaces and woods, the city commission has now strangled the constitutional rights of citizens in publicly-owned and financed common spaces while stripping the town of its artistic flair and expression. Please join us in our Memorial March for the Constitution on Veterans Day (Wed. Nov.11) at noon, starting at the Fort. This Veteran For Peace will be there, mourning the death of the civil and human rights I served in the armed forces to protect.
# 65:
12:32 am PST, Nov 3, James Nelson, Florida
We want our rights back.
# 64:
12:08 am PST, Nov 3, Will Flanery, Florida
# 63:
11:41 pm PST, Nov 2, Dominique Aulisio, Florida
One of my favorite memories of my Girl Scout's Troop's visit to St. Augustine when I was in high school was an elderly gentleman singing for us in the plaza. We were delighted with the street artisans and performers. Many of us, including myself, have returned to St. Augustine since then, drawn by the historic and, most importantly, artistic feel of the town. I am shocked that making art in the plaza is now banned--I can't imagine St. Augustine without the singing and the artists. I also don't understand why the oldest city in the U.S. would try to limit the constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and of speech. This is such an important part of the U.S. heritage! I sincerely hope you will change these policies immediately.
# 62:
10:02 pm PST, Nov 2, CLEO PAPAGEORGIOU, Greece
# 61:
9:16 pm PST, Nov 2, Christopher Drew, Illinois
We are fighting the same fight as you are here in Chicago. It is time for the people of America - led by its artists to begin fight for our real freedom here at home. Your fight to uphold the Bill of Rights and its First Amendment in St. Augustine is being fought in Chicago, also. You can read about our struggle at http://www.c-drew.com/blog or at http://www.art-teez.org/free-speech.htm and keep up this fight. The First Amendment is a national law - the law of the land. But local governments frequently pass laws that take its promise away. We need to fight locally and network nationally. Good luck with your cause.
# 60:
9:06 pm PST, Nov 2, Linda Anderson, Florida
Please, let's start repairing our democracy now, first at the local level
# 59:
8:35 pm PST, Nov 2, Robin E. Nadeau, Florida
Not only is the city restricting people's rights, but it is taking some of the charm out of the experience of enjoying our city. The businesses are harming themselves when they object to these performances. People will be more likely to come downtown when there is the possibility of enjoying these performing artists. We travel to other countries in order to enjoy this sort of thing.
# 58:
7:44 pm PST, Nov 2, Kevin O'Brien, Florida
The crazy part is, tourists want to see some life in the city. We're just killing the goose that laid the tourist egg by sweeping away downtown life and art.
# 57:
7:27 pm PST, Nov 2, William H Warrick III MD, Florida
Public places are free places for speech.
# 56:
7:02 pm PST, Nov 2, Allan Marcil, Florida
The Plaza is for the people- artists, musicians, homeless, tinkers, gypsies, jugglers, magicians,venders, and anyone else who feels like parking there a while.
# 55:
6:26 pm PST, Nov 2, Elena Hecht, Florida
We will not stand by and let the City of St. Augustine walk all over our Constitutional rights!
# 54:
6:23 pm PST, Nov 2, Martin Kornbluh, New York
# 53:
5:57 pm PST, Nov 2, Vicki Impoco, Florida
# 52:
5:34 pm PST, Nov 2, Jason Harris, Florida
# 51:
5:11 pm PST, Nov 2, Charles Mclachlan, United Kingdom
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