New rules approved by a New Jersey town council now ban using the American flag, the Constitution and other “props” during public comments in meetings.
The Edison Township Council approved the new ordinance and not only banned “props” but also limited residents to four minutes of speaking time when addressing the council in meetings, according to MyCentralJersey.com.
Residents expressed outrage at the new rules.
“To consider the American flag and the Constitution a prop when someone raises it is an insult to what the flag is, what the flag stands for and what this country is,” Maryann Hennessey said at the council meeting last week. “For you to consider the use of the American flag a prop is disgusting.”
Another resident reportedly accused the council of devolving into a dictatorship.
“Residents won’t forget how they were made to feel and how things were handled,” Sue Malone-Barber said, accusing the council and mayor of being “hellbent” on restraining the public, calling the effort “ludicrous, rude and juvenile.”
“Flags, really a prop, you going to throw me out?” she demanded.
According to MyCentralJersey:
Resident Joel Bassoff said the council wants to slash the public’s speaking time because the comments often focus on a concern or complaint about wasteful spending, quality-of-life issues or a public safety issue the mayor and his administration have failed to address.
Bassoff said he objected to the council’s attempt to “gag” the public and tore up a copy of the ordinance and argued the U.S. Constitution gives the public the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances and every member of the council took an oath to uphold the Constitution.
Council President Nishith Patel accused the resident of using the Constitution as a “prop” and forfeited his speaking time. He threatened Bassoff with removal by the police if he continued to speak.
“He is in violation, he can be removed,” Patel reportedly said.
“It’s juvenile to fight this war, you’re losing. It’s just making people more agitated, more determined to do something to provoke getting thrown out,” she said. “Let it go. It’s a waste of taxpayer time.” Malone-Barber had told the governing body.
The rules were reportedly approved in an effort to maintain decorum during council meetings.
Meanwhile, to the north, a Canadian town is being fined after its residents allegedly violated the Ontario Human Rights Code by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
The town of Emo, Ontario, was fined $10,000 over a refusal to take part in Pride Month or fly the “LGBTQ2 rainbow flag” outside of its municipal building. A report from the National Post noted that the incident in the small town near the border with Minnesota began in 2020 when a group called Borderland Pride requested June be declared Pride Month and included a draft proclamation.
The Emo township council voted against the request with Mayor Harold McQuaker reportedly stating there was “no flag being flown for the other side of the coin… there’s no flags being flown for the straight people.”
Human Rights Tribunal vice-chair Karen Dawson found the comment “demeaning and disparaging of the LGBTQ2 community of which Borderland Pride is a member and therefore constituted discrimination under the Code.”
The township eventually was fined $10,000 and the mayor was hot with a $5,000 fine.
The mayor and the town’s chief administrative officer were ordered to “provide proof of completion… to Borderland Pride within 30 days” of an online course called “Human Rights 101” being offered by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
