The Cost of Anti-War
The Washington Post just reported that the District government has fined an anti-war group $10,000 over its posters. Apparently, the group, ANSWER, violated city law when it glued its yellow-and-black signs to "traffic control boxes" which I think are the bases of traffic lights.
The fines stem in part from ANSWER's refusal to remove the sticky posters.
I know we need a way to pay for rising baseball-stadium costs, but this is ridiculous. As far as protest signs go, these are pretty decent though not quite Borf worthy. And the fine of $10,000---a price that would more than cover a decent used Corolla---is plain over the top.
The problem is, well, ANSWER's response strategy. They're smellin' conspiracy, writing on their Web site:
"This is part of a systematic effort to disrupt the organizing for the September 15 Mass March that is timed to coincide with the report of General Petraeus and the debate in Congress on the Iraq war. Iraq war veterans and their families will lead this dramatic march from the White House to the Congress on September 15. The last thing the government wants is to see the streets of Washington DC fill up with throngs of anti-war protesters right in the middle of the debate. But we will not be stopped."
Do they really think George Bush is behind this? Please. Most of Congress hates the war. And I'd guess that the 90 or so percent of District residents that voted for Kerry don't like the war either.
So who thinks the signs should stay? And what should ANSWER's PR strategy should be?
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6:38 pm
CP- ANSWER is allowed to post notices about their protests. DC allowed them to do this and doesn't have a problem with that. The issues are that 1- They did not remove them 30 days after the event. They've now been up for something like 2 years and 2- That they fixed them to city or privately owned structures using a type of glue that's a bitch to remove.
So these things are, basically, gonna be on DC streets for years, unless someone spends a lot of time (AKA money) to remove them. I think that since ANSWER posted them (years ago) they should remove them. What do you think?
6:42 pm
Oh, and WTF is up with the CP website?!? Gawd, I hope the new look is a bug and not a feature...
7:03 pm
Mark:
Sorry but you're wrong. ANSWER was fined for posters promoting an upcoming protest. It's in the Post's first graph:
"The D.C. government has fined an antiwar coalition more than $10,000 for posting signs promoting the March to Stop the War on Sept. 15."
7:04 pm
It just may seem like ANSWERS posters have been around forever.
I'm sure you can find examples of their old work still
stuck to city property.
7:10 pm
This is a very important issue--you got public property, free speech, and war all in the same nutshell. Good job teasing out the issues, folks.
7:33 pm
teasing out the issues isn't that difficult. they're supposed to have the date that the things were posted on the signs, so it can be judged when the 30 days is up, and the signs don't have that. that's just one part of the law that's being broken. but all it takes is one infraction, and that's good enough for me. ANSWER is a nutty group. they just can't keep on topic at one of their protests. go see for yourself, it'll devolve into a "free mumia" fest before the end.
10:20 pm
Nothing wrong with "free Mumia." I wouldn't call presenting
more than one issue at a protest "nutty."
Don't you think $10,000 is a bit steep?
4:51 pm
It's 10k because that's the fine multiplied by the number of posters they put up. What's the problem? The basic issue is that: 1) ANSWER puts up these posters with superglue and then never removes them; and 2) ANSWER's bizarro conspiracy theories as to why the DC gov't is finally cracking down on this.
4:55 pm
ANSWER claims they do not use superglue.
4:55 pm
I'm guess ANSWER uses plain old wheat paste.
5:12 pm
Remember "Meese is a Pig" and "Experts Agree, Meese is a Pig"? Why can't we have classy posters like THAT again? ANSWER got no style.
6:31 pm
I thought ANSWER's poster held up quite well artistically. They're
almost elegant.
9:55 pm
Mike Flugennock set the bar years ago, this stuff limbos under it.
7:24 pm
the problem with "free mumia" is that they just can't stay on topic. people go to an anti-war protest to protest the war. if they want to have the "free mumia" or "fur is murder" crowd there as well, then they should advertise it as such. otherwise, stick to what you're supposed to be there for.