We hope the Morgan Council will reconsider its ill-advised decision to pass a law prohibiting protests closer than 1,000 feet from the property line of a target.
In this case, the targets are the homes of Morgan mink ranchers. The Salt Lake Animal Advocacy Movement plans a protest on Nov. 28 in Morgan against what it describes as "the inhumane treatment of animals on fur farms." Protesters plan to hold a vigil outside of a fur farm in Morgan County. There are about 15 mink ranches in the county. With the new law, protesters will have to stay away from any ranch where residents live.
We are not fans of radical animal-rights activists and we sympathize with Morgan ranchers and their families who may feel intimidated by the upcoming protest.
But the protesters are guaranteed the same constitutional rights of free speech that all of us revere. So far as they obey the law, they should not have to stay 1,000 feet away from the target of their protest.
The Morgan Council's action to restrict protest rights was an emotional one done in haste. Unfortunately, it may lead to consequences that supporters of the new law did not expect.
The first consequence is that now the Morgan mink protest is a much bigger deal than it might have been. Outrage over denying protesters proper constitutional rights of expression will likely draw more activists to Morgan on Nov. 28. It will certainly guarantee more press coverage for the Nov. 28 protest.
Morgan County Attorney Jann Farris made this remark at a recent council meeting. "Sometimes these protest groups come in and try to stir up problems. If we can get them out of people's front yards, it could help law enforcement. Confrontation won't be there if we send them down the road."
County Attorney Farris, you can "send them down the road," but you might be surprised at how many like-minded people they meet on that road.
Another consequence of the council's hasty action may be that its restrictions apply to all protests. Standard-Examiner blogger Mark Shenefelt made this apt observation: "If a porn movie lord moved to Morgan and somehow managed to set up adult video stores, strip clubs and the like, how fast would the locals demand to exercise their rights to protest, up close? Right away, of course, because that's America."
Morgan, like it or not, mink farming is controversial. Reconsider your anti-free speech law, let the protesters have their day, ask for courtesy from all, and then resume your lawful activities. It's how we do this in America.
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