It's hard to understand but most of us, particularly in this country, have seen it. The young man carrying the sign had a headset microphone and a loudspeaker in his hand. He paced the sidewalk around the little festival and tree lighting ceremony, spouting the usual rant. If you think of it as behavior, he wasn't getting a lot of positive reinforcement. Dr. Skinner would be puzzled.
The man in the knit hat was one of the event officials. As I passed by the two of them I heard the official shouting "I want you outta here now. We have a permit and it's just for us. Get off of this block!" Or words to that effect. The preacher ignored him but the official stayed stuck tight. The cops didn't come. Then it occurred to me: the organizers may have a permit for the plaza but the preacher was on the public sidewalk that surrounded it. In the end, it was kind of a freedom of speech in a public place issue. Good that we still have that.
The man in the knit hat was one of the event officials. As I passed by the two of them I heard the official shouting "I want you outta here now. We have a permit and it's just for us. Get off of this block!" Or words to that effect. The preacher ignored him but the official stayed stuck tight. The cops didn't come. Then it occurred to me: the organizers may have a permit for the plaza but the preacher was on the public sidewalk that surrounded it. In the end, it was kind of a freedom of speech in a public place issue. Good that we still have that.
Madeleine Monday
Meanwhile, Killian, Madeleine's family dog, decides it's time for a sloppy kiss. Grandma tries to push the pooch away but the kid seems completely blasé.
ah ah photo culte de Madeleine, plus besoin de lingette ;))
ReplyDeleteThe common theme to all of your photos posted today is . . . . tolerance.
ReplyDeleteAh, there's the pics of Madeleine that Carolyn showed me! Adorable!
ReplyDeleteAdorable expressions of patience :) Madeleine is so pretty Bob. Methinks you are enjoying being grandparents very much..I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteP.s. is the family dog a Beagle? Love them..
I had a good laugh watching these two photos. To me, a lick from a dog is pretty disgusting but I guess a child that has been exposed to this can withstand any germ they can meet later!
ReplyDeleteI much prefer Madeleine to public preaching!
ReplyDelete"Hello there, little furless puppy," the dog's thinking...
ReplyDeleteThose preaching photos are dynamic, especially the second one. And you're right about the public sidewalk. I wonder if there are rules about volume levels. We have them here, but no one obeys them.
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy to have Killian's kiss any time!