Academic

UTAH TEA PARTY UPDATE: David Kirkham emails that protecting freedom isn?t only about national ? or?

By Glenn Reynolds

UTAH TEA PARTY UPDATE: David Kirkham emails that protecting freedom isn’t only about national — or even state-level — politics:

With all the exciting news going on in Wisconsin (Thank You Ann Althouse!), Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, and other states (not to mention the rest of the world), it’s easy to forget our own city councils can sometimes have a more direct effect on our lives (like getting arrested) than congress living 2,000 miles away in Washington DC passing crummy Obamacare no one bothers to read.

Just two days ago a wonderful member of our Provo City Council put out a Red Alert to our email groups that a proposed “Daytime Curfew” ordinance was being drafted behind closed doors. In an attempt to curb gang activity the police department (among others) proposed a “Daytime Curfew” for all children under 18 years of age during “school hours.” The council member’s email stated, “…under this ordinance a home schooled child riding his bike to his grandmother’s house could be arrested, searched, and fined simply for being outside.” The liberty minded people of Provo (and adjacent cities who don’t want the disease to spread) sprung into action. Thank God for email! Under withering pressure, our mayor pulled the ordinance from the city council meeting agenda tonight. But that certainly didn’t stop our protests.

Tonight, about 250 people lined the streets around the Provo City building with those wonderful hand-made signs so characteristic of “We The People.” The City Council room was packed and people flowed out into the hall. The Chair asked everyone who was against the Daytime Curfew to stand. The whole room stood up. Then, home schooled children and their parents lined up out the door and one after another they took the mic–many in tears. One girl was so small she couldn’t see over the podium. The Chair asked her to step in front of the podium where I held the mic for her. She had written her speech in her spiral notebook but was too scared to read it. Trembling, all she could utter was her name. I have never heard more moving speech in all my life. Their message was united. Their message was clear…Don’t Tread On Me! (or the 4th Amendment!) . . . Please remind your readers to keep an eye on their local city councils. “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”

And those guys bear watching. Plus, they notice a crowd. He adds: “Final note…you are right. ALWAYS have a camera. Lousy photos are better than no photos. Thanks for all you do!” Yes, travel prepared.

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on March 02, 2011 (boomark / email).