‘Hate speech is free speech’ in Fort Worth. But don’t act so happy about it. | Opinion
Klansmen, neo-Nazis, skinheads or devil-worshipers are coming to a Fort Worth library or city rec center near you.
The sorry little fringe groups that used to meet in dark corners are now free to peddle poison in public meeting halls, thanks to a new Fort Worth City Hall interpretation that the First Amendment means absolutely anything goes.
In the latest example of government lawyers trying to micromanage public facilities — also see: the State Fair and guns — Fort Worth city attorneys and officials have told park and library managers broadly that they can no longer choose what kind of programs to host.
A year after some showboating neo-Nazis were so noxious that they got booted from a gun show, Fort Worth has opened the door for neo-Nazis to meet next to the after-school program.
A Sept. 23 city memo instructs managers that “hate speech is free speech,” as if Fort Worth is some sort of brave and heroic defender of the Constitution.
Look, I believe public facilities should be open to anyone.
But I don’t think every meeting or event belongs in every single meeting room of the public library or recreation centers.
And I definitely don’t think every event belongs in the privately managed and funded Fort Worth Botanic Garden, where this entire flap started three months ago.
The Botanic Garden booked and then tried to cancel a $50-a-ticket conference for the fringe Grapevine-based True Texas Project, a former Tea Party group.
The conference included speakers criticizing Christians’ alliance with Jews, promoting racist fears that white people are losing power and calling for Christian biblical government.
But city lawyers told Garden managers the city can’t legally turn someone down just for being hostile or offensive.
True.
But the new city instructions go way too far. They rob managers of any discretion and almost celebrate that the city won’t enforce any rules beyond the time, place or conduct of an event.
Opening city facilities to the worst groups means “the City is supporting the First Amendment,” the memo declares proudly.
OK.
So — what happens if a drag performers’ convention wants to hang street banners downtown?
That’s public property.
What happens if an anti-beef group wants to wrap a city bus in a “Meat is Murder” ad?
That’s public property.
How about if local atheists want the Will Rogers Memorial Center marquee on University Drive to put up a big sign for a meeting named “In No God We Trust”?
See?
In claiming to be staunchly content-neutral, the city is actually showing favoritism toward the kind of radical cranks who might have political leverage.
The city is siding strongly with a few dozen way-out extremists, mostly from outlying suburbs, promoting hatred against anybody who doesn’t see things their way.
They’re trolling for attention. And they’re threatening vengeance in May city elections.
City Hall would never issue this kind of umbrella protection for a powerless minority group.
And the most important city law isn’t even mentioned in the memo.
Fort Worth has a citywide law against discrimination, not just on public property, but anywhere that’s open to the public.
Regardless of the First Amendment viewpoint or content of an event, civil-rights laws remain in effect. Nobody in Fort Worth can ever be turned away from anywhere based on:
▪ Race.
▪ Color.
▪ Religion.
▪ Sex.
▪ National origin.
▪ Disability.
▪ Age.
▪ Sexual orientation.
▪ Transgender status.
▪ Gender identity, or
▪ Gender expression.
City Hall should print it in big letters on the reservation application. Discrimination is illegal in Fort Worth.
Let those who can’t follow our laws stay in their dark corners.
This story was originally published September 26, 2024 at 11:52 AM.
