Term Limits and the Sedition Act 1789

TERM LIMITS ARE COMING – TERM LIMITS ARE COMING…….YEA –YEA – YEA!

Stew Richland

July 14^th 1789 the government  of the United States passed the most egregious breach of the U.S. Constitution when Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Act. the Sedition Act permitted the prosecution of individuals who voiced or printed what the government deemed to be malicious remarks about the president or government of the United States.

Under the Sedition Act, even the rights of American citizens were curtailed by prohibiting assembly ‘with intent to oppose any measure … of the government’ and made it illegal for any person to ‘print, utter, or publish … any false, scandalous, and malicious writing’ against the government.

Horrors!  No protesting the government.  No freedom of the press. Malcontents banned from participating in committees or cashiered with out just cause.  Is this the story of the Soviet Union during the Cold War?

Nay! Nay! Nay!  We are referring to Century Village, West Palm Beach, Florida.  Our president has a blog (“Our Blog” limited to 100 guests)  which, by its own guidelines, is the voice of Century Village.  However,  there is a filter placed on these voices, which is self-serving to the blog owner.  Only the “team” is allowed to post on “Our Village West Palm Beach.” 

So the MALCONTENTS produced an alternate venue to get their views published.  Seditious restrictions does not end with limiting the publication of alternate views, it also denies opponents a public forum to meet, discuss and publicize, that is to “utter,” their so called scandalous points of view.  This explains why the Malcontents, are denied access to the clubhouse to hold their meetings.  

In 1775 the only way people were informed on the issues was through the efforts of Paul Revere and his “pony express” team.  Even Peter Zenger, the courageous New York City publisher, had to suffer through a government sponsored trial designed to prevent Malcontents from expressing their views.  

Thank goodness for those who have the guts to champion the issues that are impacting our life style in Century Village.  We don’t need Paul Revere anymore we have the CV Messenger.  Thank goodness ABC television realized how serious the issue of Condo ownership was and presented the crisis for all to see.  

The story of the missed opportunities of our elected leadership to do what they were elected to do, not making it clear to the Village as to what was happening here and why, is a prime example of failed leadership.  

Well there is a grass roots movement growing here in Century Village for change.  The first step is implementing term limits.  Think about it?  How different would it have been if our elected officials would have left the confines of their offices and visited their constituents on a regular bases to find out what is happening here at the Village.

Perhaps a strategy could have been developed to squash this crisis at its inception.  Now it is up to the Malcontents and their grass-roots supporters to do the job.

UCOO