Shame on city manager, mayor for stifling our First Amendment rights

Cliff Newton (Courtesy photo)

I watched the December 17 Rochester City Council meeting with the public hearing on the proposed RV ordinance. I heard arguments overwhelmingly against the proposed ordinance.

People said don't tell us what to do on our private property.

Our founding fathers knew that private property is the foundation of

prosperity and freedom. The Constitution protects the rights of people to acquire, use, and dispose of property freely.

It's always good when people show up to speak and be heard. At the meeting when some spoke the audience responded with applause showing support for what was said. The applause ended before the next speaker reached the podium.

But at 1:18:21 in that meeting City Manager Ambrose leaned towards Mayor Callaghan and said something to him and the mayor said to the people "No clapping please, we'll let everybody get through their speech and move on."

Go to the video and listen for yourself.

Wait what? I heard and saw Mayor Callaghan tell the audience, his constituents, that he is not going to allow freedom of speech/expression.

THAT"S TYRANNY!!!

Further, not one of our elected city councilors spoke up to defend us and stop this Constitutional violation of denying freedom of expression at a public hearing required by law.

Expression is defined as: The process of making known one's thoughts or feelings. That is exactly what the people were doing. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of expression, and the rights of individuals to speak freely.

There are restrictions such as hate speech, words to incite, yelling fire in a crowded theater etc. Does applauding fall into that category? I think not! I believe the people were denied their right to clap solely because the city manager and mayor didn't like that their proposed land control plan was so greatly opposed and the ban on applause was just another way to control people, and that is wrong.

I pray the city manager and the mayor never again stop freedom of expression at a public hearing. These hearings are for public expression not suppression. I remind them both that they work for the people and as such we demand more respect for our freedom of expression and our private property rights.

Cliff Newton in a lifelong Rochester resident and former state rep.