Gadfly Has Rights
San Diego’s population has exceeded 1 million. It is absurd that the City Council would seriously consider implementing a rule that targets only one, solitary citizen. A proposal limiting a person’s appearances before the council to 100 times a year was clearly aimed at City Hall gadfly Rose Lynne, who frequently voices her opinions at council meetings--much too frequently to suit City Manager John Lockwood and certain council members.
The rights of the citizenry to speak out at meetings of public officials are guaranteed by the Constitution. While it’s true that Ms. Lynne’s remarks are not always pertinent to the agenda and are sometimes time-consuming, nothing should be done to infringe upon free speech.
To paraphrase a famous quotation, “I may not agree with what Rose Lynne says, but I’ll defend to the death her right to say it--a hundred times or a thousand times.”
THOMAS J. VANDEVELD
President
United Food & Commercial Workers,
Local 135
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