Flap erupts over photos of Bush at market stand

[alwynsw]

http://www.lancasteronline.com/pages/news/local/4/10147 (Free quickie questionaire required to view)

<snip>LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - David Stoltzfus says there’s only one reason he would take down the photos of President George W. Bush that he has displayed at his Central Market baked-goods stand.Bush would have had to have lost the recent election. Instead, he beat Democratic challenger John Kerry to win a second term.

“If it were Kerry that won, he’d be up there,’’ says Stoltzfus, who operates the Upper Crust stand.

Doesn’t matter, says City Councilman Nelson Polite. “It should come down. This is a public market.”

Besides, says the Democrat, “Bush didn’t win here (in Lancaster City). It is like rubbing salt on a wound.”

Polite approached Stoltzfus on Nov. 12 and ask him to remove the pictures. The standholder has refused to do so, prompting Polite to say he will ask City Council to change the law so that all political items would be banned in public places.

I think Mr. Polite is going overboard. If all political images are banned by the city council, how will history teachers teach? What will they use for money outside of $100.00 bills (Franklin), Sacajawea dollars and Susan B. Anthony dollars? All presidents are political icons by his reasoning. What about state and national flags? Isn't the Declaration of Independence a political document?

I could go on, but then I'd be ranting.

[WildClarySage]

1. not knowing the legal specifics, I'd say

Stoltzfus has the right to be an ass if he wants to. Just like I have the right to refuse to patronize his establishment.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

9. i concur

[wtmusic]

2. Way overboard

Let him display pictures of Der Fuhrer. The Republican Party isn't banned (yet).

[tk2kewl]

3. silly

1st ammendment right

just stop buying his cakes

[quiet.american]

4. Actually

If this guy wants to keep up a pic of Bush in a Democratic district where Bush lost, I say let him do it and let's just see how quickly that sign comes down when shoppers avoid his stand like the plague.

[SmokingJacket]

19. That's why I LOOOVE the 1st amendment

It lets you hoist yourself by your very own petard.

[JHB]

20. The stand owner will do just fine

Kerry may have won that particular district, but the general area is more conservative, and probably regards Polite's little crusade as sheer idiocy.

My bet is for the stand to have a new influx of customers supporting him against a busybody councilman who'se trying to throw his wieght around where he shouldn't.

[quiet.american]

21. They look familiar

My bet is most of those influx-xing him will be friends and family brought out to make him look "busy."

[JHB]

22. I haven't been to the Central Market since before he opened his stand...

...(about 2 years ago? it said), but I don't think he'll have any problem finding customers. It's still Lancaster, not SoHo.

[quiet.american]

23. I guess even Kool-Aid drinkers have to eat...

... so if business will be good for him, so be it -- but in these days and times I still wouldn't underestimate Lancaster.

[rucky]

5. why is "Mr. Polite" giving this a-hole publicity? nt

[Atman]

6. As much as I can't stand Bush...

...being asked by the police to remove a picture of the sitting president -- or squatting, as the case may be here -- is absurd. Throughout my entire life, portraits of the current president have been commonplace in all manner of business, public and private. Lancaster may not like Bush either, and it appears the guy doesn't care one way or another, he is just hanging a picture of the president. Big deal. We have so many bigger issues to be worried about. Fighting a police state by creating one of our own seems to be the definition of hypocrisy here.

[alwynsw]

8. Well said. n/t

[noamnety]

7. Overboard, yes.

I support his right to have his Bush picture there if it makes him feel good, and if it doesn't violate a local ordinance.

However, having looked at David Stoltzfus's campaign donations, I would be quite surprised if he puts a Kerry photo up if Kerry wins the recount.

And of course, I would no longer be shopping there and I would let him know why. Freedom of expression works both ways.

[yardwork]

10. Banning political items in public places is a bad, bad precedent

Nobody is grumpier than I am about this (s)election, but the man has a right to put up any picture he wants.

[cyn2]

11. What are the pictures? n/t

[alwynsw]

15. According to the article

There's an autographed picture of bush and bride.

[charlie]

12. Polite needs to put a sock in it

He's a councilman, not Minister of Propaganda. It's up to Stoltzfus to worry about whether Dubya's creepy visage bothers customers, not Polite.

[alwynsw]

13. My wife had a good question

If Mr. Polite succeeds in getting a ban on all political materials in public places in Lancaster City, how will he run for re-election if his campaign materials can't appear in public? One could reasonably argue that a campaign sign posted in public view on a privately owned lawn constitutes its posting in a public place.

Courts have often held that rented property tenants have essentailly the same rights as property owners, and Mr. Stoltzfus does pay rent on his market stall.

[signmike]

14. A few years ago here in L.A. there was a guy

an Asian shop keeper, Viet Namese or Laotian, who had a big picture of (I think - Ho Chi Minh) on his wall. The other Asians were making such a big fuss over this it got quite a bit of TV time. The guy got his face slapped which made him cry, the crowd, of course cheered - and he got egged once right in the face, big close up on prime time. Eventually he took down the offending image. Maybe it's on a wall in his living room, now?

[Straight Shooter]

16. As long as it isn't a pic of bush with an effin' nimbus

I'm waiting for that to become commonplace, the official photo of bush as Lord of All and Savior of None.

[immoderate]

17. “It should come down. This is a public market.”

No. It's a private business. We don't need Democrats to embarrass us, that's the Republicans' job.

--IMM

[UdoKier]

24. Yep. It's his business if he wants to alienate half of his customers.

If I owned a store, (other than a CD-music shop or alternative/lefty-oriented shop) I would not display Kerry pics or lefty propaganda pics.

I hate those stores that tout themselves as "Christian-oriented"

Who the hell picks a store based on the religion of the proprietor?

[immoderate]

25. Fundies do.

I wouldn't post pictures that would hurt my business either, but as a business owner, he's got the freedom to do whatever asshole thing he wants.

--IMM

[JHB]

18. Funk's Farm in Millersville is better anyway!

Having plugged my favorite Lancaster County baked (and other) goods stand, Nelson Polite is way out of line. Stultzfus isn't rubbing salt in a wound, Polite's the one picking at the scab.

Jeez, toughen up a little, councilman.

[giant_robot]

27. Wow, that brings back some memories

I'm an MU alumnus who used to live on Frederick Street near Funk's. I'd kill for a big jar of their chow chow right now! And some of their Maryland crab soup. Mmmm....soup.

[fnottr]

26. Ugh

It's shit like this that gives us liberals a bad name, and give the perception of us as not being as committed to free speech as we say we are. Even if it is a public place, why shouldn't he be allowed to put a picture of the president up? Granted it would annoy me personally if I saw the picture over his market stand, and I *personally* might not choose to shop there, but I sure as hell wouldn't deny him the right to post a simple portrait.

Hell he could have a picture of Hitler up there and he'd still be within his rights.