I don’t like this. Although protesting outside someone’s house is tacky and mean, as long as they remain on public property like the sidewalk/street, then government shouldn’t be interfering. Of course, the police should enforce the law if they block the street, trespass, etc., but otherwise, public property is just that.
GERMANTOWN — The village’s Public Safety Committee has approved a new ordinance for Germantown to prohibit picketing residential properties, which will go forward to the Village Board for final approval and implementation.
The new ordinance states “No person shall engage in picketing before or about the residence or dwelling of any individual,” and specified further that the ordinance did not prohibit lawful picketing in a labor dispute or bar meeting or assembly in places commonly used for public discussion. The ordinance applies only to residential locations.
The ordinance the committee approved declared “the protection and preservation of the home is the keystone of democratic government,” and noted “That the practice of picketing before or about residences and dwellings causes emotional disturbance and distress to the occupants, obstructs and interferes with the free use of public sidewalks and public ways of travel and such practice has as its object the harassing of such occupants.”
“This particular ordinance came after some recent activities in the village,” Germantown Village Attorney Brian Sajdak said during the Public Safety Committee meeting. The recent event was a protest held outside a residence in Germantown on Aug. 7. Germantown Police Chief Mike Snow said the road was blocked off by the picketers.
“We estimated the crowd to be over 100 people,” Snow said. “They blocked off the street. They actually set up a band in the roadway.”
According to several social media posts, the Aug. 7 protest in Germantown was outside the home of the Wauwatosa police chief, and the picketers were there about a matter in the Wauwatosa Police Department, regarding a black man who was shot and killed at Mayfair Mall by a Wauwatosa officer who is also black.
Place your bets! Are Republicans behind this?
I agree Owen, codifying this in law is a waste of time. First, moral decency says that people should just know better… and Second, there are already ordinances that can be used to enforce such decency to the unwashed, self-centered, barbaric, and primitive groups of people that think this is acceptable.
Personally, even though I see the slippery slope, I don’t mind this terribly much. Obviously the people doing it are past having moral decency in the first place. I have once seen an attempt by a car to leave a parking lot with picketers around. You can either push your car slowly through the mob when they try and stop you or just be a prisoner and never go to your car, or pretend to be in favor of the gathering if you can get away with it. Pushing slowly through gets a lot of dings and broken windows and maybe even a lawsuit or three. Leaving a residence doesn’t allow pretending, so what you get are prisoners in the residence. That is crap.
Is blocking the street already covered by another ordinance or law?
If so, was that enforced? It seems that would have been an effective response.
If not, why not adopt a ordinance against blocking the street? This would avoid the free speech issues that the new ordinance has.
I think this is a good law. Ok, so you are protesting an individual person but then you bring in all the neighbors who have nothing to do with the the thugs are are protesting.
Do not the the neighbors have rights of peace and quiet or even from threats of violence?
Sure, the thugs can yell and scream at their target, but unless the target lives on a secluded street surrounded by empty lots or the target has a 5 acre plot of land, you are bringing in the neighbors who have nothing to do with the target of the protests.
Not a fan of the proposal.
I understand how it came about…liberals are reprehensible and lawless in their gathering mostof the time.
If liberals behaved better, no one would be proposing this.
Kevin, presuming this proposal was put forth by your fellow WisGOP fans, do you think they’d still propose it if it was a local militia doing the protesting?
Jjf,
Normal people want to br safe from Marxist radicals.
If radical liberals would behave like civil people, this kind of thing would not crop up.
“do you think they’d still propose it if it was a local militia doing the protesting?:
If they rioted, looted, set up loud speakers and used profane language, harrassed people or vandalized homes absolutely.
If they were quiet, acted peacefully then probably not.
Oh yes, militia members in the Midwest are well-known for their polite and civil political expression. Michigan especially.
Look at this, Foust thinks he knows all the militia members in the Midwest and has just passed judgment on all of them. Something that he claims Kevin does daily about Liberals… more hypocrisy from the local Dummy.
No, Jason, I’m just hinting at the ones in the news who were plotting to kidnap and perhaps kill their governor. Keep up! And don’t forget the color rules – if they’re white and right, they’re “militia.” If they’re white and lefty, they’re “radical rioters.”
No you weren’t, you were broadly grouping everyone into you bias.
Your color rules are incorrect. If they commit a crime, they’re wrong. Black or white, ding dong.
Wait, first you want to be the arbiter of everyone’s feelings, now you want to explain my snark for me?
My color rule seems to be correct. What makes those Michigan fellows a “militia”?
Your color rules are incorrect. If they commit a crime, they’re wrong. Black or white, ding dong.
Considering at least several members of the Wolverines are anarchists and hated President Trump, sounds more like they are like the Antifa thugs or BLM thugs.
You know, liberals.
Calling oneself “militia” does not make it so.
These lumps are anarchists, just like Antifa; but they’re not Marxist, like many UW graduates.
UW grads are Marxists? All of them? Again with the slurs against the people of Wisconsin.
What’ll it take for you to call them conservatives? Pictures of Trump signs on their lawn or pickups? Hats? Running for office as Republicans?
These darn anarchists, what with their Trump and Gadsden flags!
In English, “many” does not have the same definition as “all.”
jjf,
Those were radical Marxists/Antifa. They hate Trump, Whitmer, nearly any politician.
That is leftist hate.
I’m not a Marxist. At least I don’t think I am.
Wow, you talk about a biased article.
The story didn’t mention that the leader was anti-Trump. Most were anti-government.
And damn it, they lived on dirt roads.
That’s it. We must pave over all dirt roads so those damn anti-government people won’t live in dirt roads.
It’s time to ban dirt roads.
You think “a large number” of UW grads are Marxists? Show me.
If you are talking about the School of Education, those with liberal art degrees, yes pretty many are Marxists.
“Many” is not the same as “large number.” Apparently your degree doesn’t mean you learned anything.
jjf is a proud graduate of https://m.facebook.com/JackassUniversity/
Maybe he thinks it means he learned [i]many[/i] things?
What, Dad29 has his own special dictionary, like Kevin?
Oxford Dictionary:
Merriam-Webster:
“UW grads are Marxists? All of them?”
Well, jjf, your dictionary definition kind of blows away your false and lying definition.
What does “many” mean in your special dictionary, Mar?
Do you or anyone else think that “the great majority of” UW grads are Marxists?
Gee, jjf, taking people out of context and making up stuff people never said…again.
You really are the special one.
And in my mind, the word “many” the first definition, a large but indefinite number would be my choice.
Out of context? I’m quoting Dad29’s assertions. OK, Mar, let’s run with “large but indefinite number.”
Of the roughly 40,000 students there in an average year, what percent are Marxists?
Just for fun, can we estimate the number of “militia” members in Wisconsin?
Gee, jjf, you are taking from that unnamed fellow Liar of the Year trophy.
Congratulations.
Say, there are 10% Marxists at UW,that comes to 4000 students. And 10% is probably low.
To me, that is many.
How many militia members in Wisconsin. Have no idea but far fewer than left wing terrorists, rioters and looters.
“Those were radical Marxists/Antifa”
Nope, they were hard core right-wingers.
“Trump’s rhetorical assault on lockdowns and mask-wearing may have inflamed many radicals—the storming of the state Capitol came soon after Trump’s tweet, calling on his followers to “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!”—but there is no indication that the Wolverine Watchmen are pro-Trump. One of them tweeted a video some time ago (the date isn’t clear) in which he says, “Trump is not your friend, dude. … He’s a tyrant. Every single person that works for government is your enemy, dude.” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/10/michigan-plot-wolverine-watchmen-whitmer.html
The sociopath lies again.
Mar, were you a math major?
If 1.4 million people voted for Trump in 2016, what percentage of them would need to call themselves “militia” members in order to exceed 4,000?
Reread what I said jjf. Then we’ll talk.
Jjf
Merriam-Webster:
Mirriam Webster just added irregardless to their dictionary. All they are is word whores…