Lynda Bell’s Excellent Idea
by SDM
Ok, SDM is not a fan of Lynda Bell, one of South Dade’s county commissioners. However, she has introduced an excellent piece of legislation that should be implemented immediately. First, recall this scene:
This picture was taken several months ago when Occupy Miami invaded the grassy area that surrounds the county building downtown. SDM walked by the “campground” several times while these “protesters” were living there. SDM could not understand why the county permitted these folks to set up shop like this.
Apparently, the county lacked authority to arrest and move these miscreants. So to resolve this obvious hole in the code, Commissioner Bell introduced legislation to make overnight camping illegal on county property. A no-brainer, right? Not so fast, SDM.
While SDM applauds, other crazies in this town are castigating the commissioner, if you can believe it. The ACLU and some so-called homeless activists criticized the law as unfair to those who have no other place to live. What?
Just for giggles, let’s walk down the road that the ACLU wants us to travel. Let’s assume that Mrs. Bell’s legislation fails and the county code remains free of the prohibition on overnight camping on county property.
These “homeless” will now be free to move their campground to the Key Biscayne Golf Course or one of the county’s natural forest communities, right? Sure, SDM is resorting to a slippery slope argument, but why couldn’t such a result occur? All the campers would have to do is put up a couple political signs, and voila, it’s a protest!
Public property must be reserved for everyone, which means it cannot be monopolized by any individual regardless of how compelling the individual’s personal story is. Should we as a society and a community assist a legitimately homeless person? Of course, but once any society permits its public spaces to be colonized, there is no going back. If you don’t believe SDM, buy a plane ticket to almost any Third World nation and you will see what happens when public spaces are “occupied.”
SDM Says: Palmetto Bay should adopt an ordinance mirroring Bell’s measure (assuming such activity is not already illegal in our parks and public spaces). Now, this is a matter worth litigating over.
Singer and I are pitching tents in Stanczyk’s parking space at village hall.
Whoa now cowboy. The right to assemble is one of our greatest constitutional rights and by denying Occupy Miami the ability to camp would impede its right to assemble (and protest). I would rather see them camping out with the homeless folks joining in than allow any restriction on my constitutional rights. If we don’t allow people to assemble on public land, then where will we have protests?
Our freedom of speech and right to protest is one of things that makes our country great. I don’t necessarily agree with all protestors, but I do respect their right to speak their minds and when I see any protestor I am thankful that I live in the US where we can voice our opinions without government restriction. Commissioner Bell is wrong, plain and simple.
The right to peaceably assemble is not the right to camp overnight on public property. The constitution contemplates and permits reasonable limitations on speech and all the other rights enumerated. Commissioner Bell is proposing a reasonable limit and on this issue she couldn’t be more correct.
I’m not sure I agree with your analysis. Who gets the right to decide what a reasonable limit is? That is extremely subjective.
You have classified them all as miscreants. Did you have a chance to interact with any of them? What makes you so sure they were lowlifes? I don’t particularly remember the circumstances related to Occupy Miami, but I believe American’s have the right to protest in this Country, whether or not others agree with their opinions.
I’m not old enough to remember the sit-ins in the sixties, but I believe they were a way to peacefully protest. If making it illegal to protest on public property or parks, where does it stop? Would it be better to protest in the streets? Isn’t that more dangerous?
I think it would be better if there was a law passed which made it illegal to bring camping equipment onto county property, not the act of overnight camping. Citizens should not be discouraged from the act of protesting.
If they were protesting for something that you heavily believed in, would it change your opinion?
No it wouldn’t.
First, SDM did go by the campsite at the county building and it was a disgrace. Whether every person present was a miscreant depends on your perspective. For SDM, any person who believes her supremely selfish “right to protest” is superior in dignity to my right to access a public space is a base act, which by definition makes her a miscreant. Comparing “protest camping” to a black person sitting at a whites-only lunch counter is inapposite in SDM’s view.
Second, and for your information, the ordinance is drafted with a focus on the act of camping: setting up tents, “living” there, etc.
Lastly, are you prepared to have people “protest camping” in Coral Reef Park and washing themselves in the restrooms? How about at the Thalatta Estate? Why not in the public swale in front of your house?
Protests are speech and speech can be reasonably restrained. Bell’s ordinance is reasonable and long overdue.
So protestors should keep their free speech to a 9-5 regimented structure? Who are we to judge who should be able to assemble? Yesterday’s miscreants turned out to be today’s law-abiding citizens (for the most part). Didn’t the over 40 folks of yesterday find all the hippies to be miscreants?
Yes, I think permits for protest marches make sense & provide protection for both protestors & non-protestors. However if protestors want to camp out at Coral Reef park in protest – great. The park will finally be used to a fraction of it’s potential. Instead of an absolute no, how about some reasonable requirements on trash, bathrooms, etc? Protect, don’t prohibit.
Is it an out right ban? If so, what happens at places like Larry & Penny Thompson Park’s Campground or Sadowski Park where for at least the last 20 years the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have camped overnight. Granted for one night, not weeks on end.
Real campgrounds are probably exempted…then again this is government in action.
The only except that I found was:
Sec. 21-286 Prohibition on Overnight Camping
(1) Except as otherwise provided for in this Code, there shall be no overnight camping on County property.
God I hope the “Real Campgrounds” are otherwise provided for in the code.