In the U.S., freedom of speech costs $25 per day

[Resolute 14]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/27/pea....ap/index.html

The varying degrees of stupid in this story are hard to comprehend all at once.

[mykalberta]

Agreed that is stupid, however when you move into a "created community" there are laws about what you can and cant put up. No idea if this applies here or not. Example at my cousins house in Edmonton there is a rule about Xmas lights on the house and what percentage (2) can be burnt.

Also cant have more than one tree in the yard with lights.

Kearns sounds like a real piece of work.

MYK

[MrMastodonFarm]

I was told freedom costs a "Buck o' five"

[Cowperson]

In the U.S., freedom of speech costs $25 per day

It goes without saying you'll find the same anal-retentive condo associations in Canada as well.

About 55 million Americans live under some sort of Home Association rules and controversy seems to be normal. Other examples:

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?...Y3dnFlZUVFeXky

More:

http://radio.weblogs.com/0141563/

Cowperson

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Wow. That's crazy.

But not the first thing I've heard like this. ACT, a standardized testing company based in Iowa City, has fired employees for displaying anti-war signs at work, and others have (according to some reports) been reprimanded for NOT displaying American Flags, which is even crazier. (this happened a few months after 9/11. Can't find a link, but it was in the local papers.)

I'm wondering if we're on our way to a big challenge to freedom of speech in the courts. In theory, the courts SHOULD find that freedom of speech is an absolute right that cannot be traded away by entering into other agreements, be they employment-related or related to condo associations. But we'll have to see.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

Wow. That's crazy.

But not the first thing I've heard like this. ACT, a standardized testing company based in Iowa City, has fired employees for displaying anti-war signs at work, and others have (according to some reports) been reprimanded for NOT displaying American Flags, which is even crazier. (this happened a few months after 9/11. Can't find a link, but it was in the local papers.)

I'm wondering if we're on our way to a big challenge to freedom of speech in the courts. In theory, the courts SHOULD find that freedom of speech is an absolute right that cannot be traded away by entering into other agreements, be they employment-related or related to condo associations. But we'll have to see.

The problem will be "do Freedom of Rights trump personal economic gain"

That is the reason for most condo association agreements as well as buisnesses.

It will be very interesting - IMO contracts signed without duress should take precedense (sp).

MYK

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

I'm wondering if we're on our way to a big challenge to freedom of speech in the courts. In theory, the courts SHOULD find that freedom of speech is an absolute right that cannot be traded away by entering into other agreements, be they employment-related or related to condo associations. But we'll have to see.

To be fair, freedom of speech is only from the government. If you sign a contract forbidding you from things such as in this story, you agreed to it yourself.

But in this story, we have people complaining about a peace wreath - from family members of soldiers in Iraq no less. Why wouldnt they want peace so their relatives can come home in the seat of a plane rather than in the cargo hold?

People (presumably wearing tinfoil hats) complaining that a peace symbol is actually a satanic symbol.

A homeowners association president threatening to fine someone $25 per day for displaying a Christmas wreath at Christmas.

And, my personal favorite, the same president firing the entire board because they had entirely too much common sense.

[Dion]

This Bob Kearns is a real nut job. Members of the board disagreed with his tance and they get fired? Maybe the association should get rid of Bob as he seems to be the problem.

I live a a community that has a homeowners asociation. A neighbour a few doors down doesn't like his tree so he digs it up and replaces it with another. Somebody bitches and next thing you know he gets a letter saying he has to put the orginal tree back. Something about him not getting approval and all. He has ignored the board and they're still fighting over it. How petty can some people get

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Dion

This Bob Kearns is a real nut job. Members of the board disagreed with his tance and they get fired? Maybe the association should get rid of Bob as he seems to be the problem.

I live a a community that has a homeowners asociation. A neighbour a few doors down doesn't like his tree so he digs it up and replaces it with another. Somebody bitches and next thing you know he gets a letter saying he has to put the orginal tree back. Something about him not getting approval and all. He has ignored the board and they're still fighting over it. How petty can some people get

You know what this sounds like . . . . exactly like the Seinfeld seniors and their fights in Florida.

. . . .and there's a reason Seinfeld had a skit on that topic, because condo association fights like this are legendary in their pettiness.

Cowperson

[Table 5]

What a bunch of ######s. Life must really be great in Colorado if this is what people get mad about.

This episode totally reminds me of the documentary Jesus Camp.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Snakeeye

And, my personal favorite, the same president firing the entire board because they had entirely too much common sense.

That's the one that gets me, too. Perhaps there are 2 sides to this story, but when this guy turfed the rest of the board it sure puts a Kearns in a poor light.

[goaliegirl]

Exactly the reason we moved out of our condo ,too many rules and old people with nothing better to do with their time than complain about everything .

[octothorp]

Sounds like it's a power-struggle within the community association. My conspiracy theory is that Kearns, fearing that some of his board members were more loyal to past-president Jensen, made up or exaggerated the complaints as a sort of loyalty test, allowing him to turf any dissidents. The fact that the complaints suggest a relationship between iraq and satanism seen only in episodes of south park make them seem even more suspicious.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Snakeeye

Why wouldnt they want peace so their relatives can come home in the seat of a plane rather than in the cargo hold?

Most people who are against the war aren't against the troops. So it always confuses me when conversations go like this:

Wreath Hanger: "War is bad, lets stop the war in Iraq."
Crazy Condo President: "Support our troops."
Wreath Hanger: "I have no problems with the troops."
Crazy Condo President: "Your against war, so your against our troops."
Wreath Hanger: "No I want peace, and the troops to come home safe now."
Crazy Condo President: "Terrorist!"

It odds because both sides want the troops to stay alive. But one side doesn't see this.

Anyways back on topic. Our community was the last to get condos in the city. Our board was so against it, claiming it would be the downward spiral of our community. They couldn't stop the condos from coming in, but they did limit their space, which turned out to hurt them. As our community would have gotten a large sum of money for the land. Now the condos are part of the landscape and commnity, and it seems dumb that all that fuss was for nothing. That money could have been far better used in the up keep of our community park. But I guess a parking lot is better.

[Bobblehead]

Perhaps this should be a new thread, but since it regards free speech...

MANCHESTER – Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich yesterday said the country will be forced to reexamine freedom of speech to meet the threat of terrorism.

Gingrich, speaking at a Manchester awards banquet, said a "different set of rules" may be needed to reduce terrorists' ability to use the Internet and free speech to recruit and get out their message.

Why do things seem to be becoming more Orwellian?

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Why do things seem to be becoming more Orwellian?

Maybe because they are?

The Patriot Act is one incredibly scary piece of legislation and many Americans I've talked to are only vaguely aware of it at best (hopefully they're not a representative sample of the nation as a whole). Yet it seems to me that the Patriot Act sets the stage for the loss of a lot of personal freedoms on a much wider scale than just a home owners or condo association level.

[burn_baby_burn]

"Freedom isn't free"
"It costs Folks like you and me"