Join Veterans For Peace
Join Veterans
For Peace

Veterans For Peace
Central Florida Chapter 136

 GI Rights Hotline
GI Rights Hotline
1-877-447-4487

Veterans Working Together for Peace and Justice Through Non-Violence
Waging Peace Since 1985

| Home  | Contact Us  | Upcoming Actions  | Past Activities  | About  | Links  | Join VFP  |
| Daytona Beach Area  | Jacksonville/St. Augustine Area  | VFP National Office  |

The Struggle to Restore Constitutional Rights in La Plaza de la Constitucion

Rest In Peace

The Jacksonville/St. Augustine area members of Central Florida Veterans For Peace find ourselves in the unexpected position of of initiating a campaign to restore the rights of the people in public places in St. Augustine. The loss of these rights has the been the result of a long slow process. It started in the 90's with the ultimately successful effort to remove street musicians. The latest loss came after the federal courts ruled that the city could not ban the sale of art in the plaza. Although the artists won their battle, they seem to have lost the war. There is still no art in the plaza. By using the expression "content neutral" and charging absurd "fees," the city has effectively removed free speech from La Plaza de la Constitucion.

Over the years we have watched with great sadness as public officials, whose oaths of office include a phrase about "protecting and defending the Constitution," use the power of money, laws, armed police, lies and legal mumbo jumbo to twist and distort the meaning of the Constitution into a formula for the personal profit of themselves and the businesses that support them.

This is not a campaign we had planned to undertake and we do so somewhat reluctantly. However, we believe that we are in a unique position because our self-interest in this issue is the restoration of equal rights for everyone. We know that the struggle will be long but we also know the strategy needed to be successful.

We understand Dr. King's maxim - "An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." We also understand that without justice there is no peace.

An email to our website asked, among other things, what specifically we want. The answer is, "We want it all back." To quote a comment from one of our on-line petition signers, "The Plaza is for the people- artists, musicians, homeless, tinkers, gypsies, jugglers, magicians,venders, and anyone else who feels like parking there a while."

We will take back OUR streets, OUR cities and OUR country. We will do it nonviolently - out of our anger and out of our love.

Sign the Petition

Help Us Restore Constitutional Rights in La Plaza de la Constitucion in St. Augustine

Read and sign
the Petition here

 

A Timeline - thanks to Greg Travous
"Art In The Market"

Art In The Market

 

Tampa Bay struggle to prevent privatization of the Baywalk
Memorial Service for the Constitution
November 11, 2009, Noon

On September 28th, 2009, the Constitution died in St. Augustine, Florida after a ten plus year battle with an extremely viral strain of fascism. The Constitution was born September 17th, 1787 in Philadelphia with a multitude of congenital problems, including slavery. She endured 27 major surgeries during her brief life, ten immediately after birth. Although she remained severely handicapped by imperialism and greed, there had been great hopes for what she might have accomplished in her life. She is survived by her children Freedom and Justice, who are, unfortunately, suffering from the same virus that killed their mother.

A memorial will be held in St. Augustine on November 11th, at noon, on the grassy area at the north end of the Castillo de San Marco, followed by a short funeral procession down St. George St., through La Plaza de la Constitucion and along the bayfront. Everyone who knew the Constitution is invited to participate. Drummers and other musicians, especially, are invited to participate because she loved music and singing. The family asks that you not send flowers but a donation can be made in her name to Veterans For Peace, 216 South Meramec Ave, St. Louis MO 63105.

For those wishing to attend and who are unfamiliar with St. Augustine, be VERY careful about parking. It is strictly enforced. Contact us about where to park without paying the ridiculous fees.

New City of St. Augustine Anthem
(sung to the tune of the National Anthem)

Oh say can you see
By the TV's blue light
When democracy failed
And merchants were scheming
What we want 's to be free
But they don't care 'bout democracy
From our sofas we watched
As the Constitution lay screaming
No one seemed to care
Next they'll want fees for the air
If you 're not rich and not white
Then your rights are stripped bare
Oh say will that blood spattered dollar still reign -
In the land of corporate greed
And the home of the slave

Map   Weather  

 

St. Augustine Members Take On the City
August 28, 2009

On 09/28/09, St. Augustine members of Central Florida Veterans For Peace "drew a line in the sand" regarding the slow erosion of individual rights in St. Augustine. The history of this erosion is long, 10 years plus, and convoluted.

The ordinance in question was described as an "administrative action" to put all regulations about parades into one ordinance and add a couple of "minor" changes. What was not mentioned is that in addition to a new administrative fee, the new ordinance applies to all "marches, parades and processions" and that one of the criteria the city manager, who has the final say, will use to accept/reject an application is how well the activity fits with the "ambiance" of the city. The city attorney stated that the purpose was to "protect" the people involved and see if they would need police protection, extra garbage clean-up, etc., etc,. All of these items would, of course, entail additional costs. In reality, the people, especially the homeless, the poor, and the working people, need protection from the St. Augustine PD. This ordinance follows three recent ordinances which make most activities associated with living, to include singing, illegal. As near as we can tell the "ambiance" the city is striving for is something akin to a sterile, free-trade, made-in-china, plastic garbage can.

We, reluctantly, undertake this course of action because the city has successfully co-opted and divided the people, causing them to fight each other rather than unite and fight the power structure. It concerns us that the local newspaper reported that the City Commission wasn't worried about us because we are "nonviolent." What is the implication? The Mayor also made a sarcastic comment during the meeting about hearing from people who didn't live within the city limits. An interesting perspective for a city dependent on the tourist trade. After reviewing the Commissioners' discussion which followed our presentation, we wonder if any of them had actually read the ordinance they were voting on.

We will take back OUR streets, OUR cities and OUR country. We will do it nonviolently - out of our anger and out of our love.

 

Presentation to the City Commission courtesy of GTV

 

Entire Segment of the City Commission Meeting
Relating to the Ordinance courtesy of GTV

 

Story in the St. Augustine Record here

 

This website maintained by TrivialCreations report problems

Save the Net