Brighton, Michigan Bans Speech That Annoys

Posted on December 22, 2008

Suburban Detroit has discovered a missing clause in the First Amendment. We have a right to free speech — so long as no one is annoyed by it.

The Brighton City Council on Thursday approved an ordinance allowing police in the Livingston County community to ticket and fine anyone who is annoying in public “by word of mouth, sign or motions.”

The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus of Howell reports the measure is modeled on a similar ordinance in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak.

Southeastern Michigan now has a conception of free speech that fits nicely with its prevailing conception of capitalism. As Ed Morrissey comments:

Michigan finds itself in such financial distress that its Congressional contingent has successfully harangued the White House into multi-billion-dollar loans to private enterprise. I find that extremely annoying. Do we get to issue citations to the entire state of Michigan now?

Maybe next the Detroit area will offer a new version of the Second Amendment, by which you can bear arms but only if they don’t work.

On a tip from V the K. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

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