Petitions, Public Libraries & First Amendment
As a long-time resident of Geauga County, I write to express my outrage at the public response to Library staff at branches across the county. This has occurred in response to assumptions about the signature gatherers outside the Library. Library staff have received threats for activities that are unsanctioned by the Library, but lawful and permissible on the public space around the Chardon Library that the Library has limited control over.
As an attorney, I also write to help stop these troubling incidents by reminding everyone of the First Amendment rights of our fellow residents, and the Library’s policy on such expression. Whether you know these rules or not, what has been happening to our Library Director and staff must stop. Members of the public have:
- Left anonymous threats on the Library’s voicemail system;
- Threatened to bring guns to the Library’s public space to intimidate signature gatherers and staff; and
- Yelled at hard-working Library staff while at work.
Libraries are facing new and scary threats both here in Geauga County and across the country. Is this who we are as a county and a country?
Citizens have the right to collect signatures on the public spaces around the Library.
There can be no question that citizens have the right to use public areas around the Library to gather signatures for petitions and to otherwise peacefully assemble to advocate for various causes. Indeed, sidewalks and streets are places that have traditionally been used for expressive activity. For this reason, the law is extremely protective of the public’s free speech rights in these types of areas.
As long as the solicitation of signatures does not interfere with our patron’s access to and use of the library, the Library cannot prevent such activities from occurring. Moreover, because the distribution of leaflets and the solicitation of signatures lies at the heart of the First Amendment, any restriction banning all petitioning outside the Library would be unconstitutional.
The Library must be content neutral in allowing petitioners on this public space.
The Library respects and understands the cherished First Amendment rights of all of our Geauga County residents. Because petitioners exercising those rights peacefully are allowed to do so under the Constitution, the Library allows such expression in a content-neutral way. The Library does not support, endorse, oppose, or comment on any petitions not related to library business. Indeed, it would be impermissible to allow one group of petitioners to solicit signatures, while banning another group.
The Geauga County Public Library exists for the creation and sharing of knowledge: “To Engage, Connect and Inspire.” Despite these recent unnecessary and shameful actions by others, the Library still strives to provide excellent customer service to all patrons regardless of age, race, income level, education level, political leanings or ideologies. Let’s all try to make it easier for them to continue to do so.
Jake Yanchar, Trustee
Geauga County Library Board
Schools and Prisons
Mark Twain said: I never let schooling interfere with my education.
Marian Wright Edelman said: You can get all As and still flunk life.
Oscar Wilde said: Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.
In reference to the Maple Leaf supplement, “Graduation 2023,” Berkshire High School 108 graduates, Cardinal High School 43 graduates, Chagrin Falls High School 154 graduates, Chardon High School 244 graduates, Kenston High School 208 graduates, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 185 graduates, Hershey Montessori 8 graduates. Development of the whole child.
So, what’s the point? Many school buildings are designed and constructed by the same companies that build prisons. Let’s compare how closely schools resemble prisons — and at a lot less cost. Prisons(P). Schools(S). Both(B). B: Bells. P: Wardens S: Administrators. B: Gates and Walls. B: Locked Doors. B: Timed schedule of activities. P: High inmate-to-guard ratio. D: High student-to-teacher ratio. P: Lots of inmates. S: Lots of students. B: Cafeterias. B: Drab-looking facades. P: Lockdowns. S: Lockdown drills. B: Cramped quarters. B: Socialization mentality. P: Cellmates. S: Classmates.
If Rip Van Winkle were to come back today, he would only recognize two things: schools and prisons. Hershey Montessori reflects education. All the others represent schooling.
SROs: School Resource Officers: Police with a gun. So sad. Many schools have a Golden Retriever or a Great Dane to roam around the building influencing positive attitudes and behavior. Positive psychology in action. Outdoor education and nature-environmental curriculum activities on school property are also being implemented. Recommended inquiries: unschoolingrules.com, hacklearning.org, ascd.org, and edweek.org.
David Hancock
Chester Township
Woodpeckers and Dead Trees
If any of you folks have been up to the Geauga Park District’s Chickagami Park recently, you might have seen both a red-headed woodpecker and many piles of firewood around the circle drive for campers.
Any connection between the two? You might guess I feel there is one. The red-headed woodpecker is a really stunning bird and not at all common in Ohio. For decades it has been a species of concern to ornithologists due to continuous declines in population numbers over the last 100 years or so.
Recently, they may be showing an increase in our area. The birds are cavity nesters, excavating holes in mostly dead or dying trees into which they lay typically about five eggs and raise their young. I’ve seen one or more in this park on at least three occasions over the last month and notified two park staff folks, but no one has returned my call. Not interested?
So now, how about those many stacks of firewood that were recently created by park staff cutting down trees and splitting the wood to be used by campers for camp fires. Although some may have been considered a danger to campers due to proximity to camp sites, many were not.
Were park biologists or naturalists consulted prior to the cutting? I ran into one park naturalist in the park and asked if any naturalists were consulted. The reply was, “We do programing. The natural resources management would be the folks that might be consulted.” My how bureaucracies like to put folks in little boxes.
In response to a public information request to the parks, no information was forthcoming as to a consultation with the park biologist department (natural resource management) on this issue. One would surely think they should have been consulted before numerous trees were cut.
In any event, I wondered if any of those dead or dying trees might have been a nesting tree for the red-headed woodpeckers. Perhaps the calls I heard the birds make were calls of distress from a nest tree, eggs and young being destroyed.
So sad!
John G. Augustine
Parkman Township
