Irrespective as to the city or town where you live the same imposition on the free-speech rights of citizens in Charlottesville, Va., may be placed on you. Let freedom ring! This essay is being made available to multi-media sources.

Some 16 months ago Richard C. Collins was arresed while offering political campaign literature to shoppers at Shoppers World shopping center in Albemarle County after the center's manager, Charles T. Lebo, summoned the police and filed charges against him alleging he had violated a law prohibiting a citizen from distributing literature on private property.
In their letters in The Daily Progress, "Shopping center action reasonable" by Charles Lebo (Aug. 2) and "Rights involved at shopping center" by Richard Collins (Aug 20), they attempted to defend their opposing positions.
I am vehemently opposed to citizens being denied their free-speech right in the marketplace, even when that marketplace is a shopping center, and I venture to say there are many others who agree. Such denial is a violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and must not be permitted to stand as a law or practice. Owners and managers of shopping centers and similar venues should not deny people their right to freely express themsleves in spoken or written words and to share their ideas with others who want to hear them.
Moreover, since it is the public who patronizes shopping centers and makes it possible for them to exist, they should not be designated as private property. Shopping centers are "property in common" and should be designated as such.
Much too often property rights are allowed to trump human rights. This must cease.
The deprivatization of shopping centers need to become a priortiy issue for politicians in Virginia who have been elected by the people to, among other things, safeguard their First Amendment free-speech right.
They must not allow the financial contributions made by shopping center owners to support their political elections interfere with their unwavering commitment to enact legislation that will deprivatize shopping centers and similar venues.
Fortunately, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Rutherford Institute are supporting Richad Collins in his litigation. It is incumbent upon all freedom-loving people to do the same. His fight is our fight, and his victory will be our victory.
Dare the people who spend their money at shopping centers abrogate their right to freedom of expression at anytime or anywhere when it is appropriate?
There is a time to speak. That time is now.

Copyright 2006 by Uriah J. Fields