I was deeply saddened to read in the newspaper that the City Council of Peachtree City would even consider restricting speech in public government meetings. Knocking public speech down to just two and three minutes is a sign that the council perceives the opinions of the people to be of no consequence.

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States declares that “Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech.” The ability of the people to speak openly, especially in the governmental arena, is a vital part of our political, social and cultural growth.

The legal doctrine in this country has always expressed the value of the public’s right to stand toe-to-toe with government in the public forum. If hurried government is the goal of the City Council, gaining more evening TV viewing time on those two Thursday evenings a month, they might consider leaving elected office.

Public “servants” heed to the will of the people, the U.S. Constitution and state Constitution of Georgia, not the other way around. Restricting speech is not being a public servant; instead, you are turning the public into servants.

The new two-minute abbreviated, truncated and meaningless comment segment is permitted for only 20 minutes.

You are forced to register 30 minutes prior to the council meeting just to be able speak for two minutes in the public meeting. Even if you register, you may not be allowed a turn within the 20-minute period; your speech has effectively been eliminated by your local government.

Freedom of speech is at the core of American beliefs. Freedom of speech is the foundation that allows our other freedoms to stand. That is why we get a lump in our throats when we view the Norman Rockwell paintings of ordinary men and women speaking in the public forum, something truly special.

As The Citizen dutifully noted (“2 Minutes,” April 19), I have seen governmental repression of free speech first hand.

In 2000, I had made objections regarding the then-city attorney having business relations with powerful developers and, at the same time, representing the city in litigation against those same developers.

I was not allowed to speak on this matter before the City Council. Much to his credit, Mayor Lenox later adopted a much more open stance on speech in the public forum.

Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, in his famous 1919 opinion on free speech, said: “If you have no doubt of your premises or your power and want a certain result with all your heart you naturally express your wishes in law and sweep away all opposition.”

Our Founding Fathers could have created a much more expeditious form of government but they thought it better to consent to the participation of the people. We need to advocate free speech in our local government meetings.

Steve Brown
Peachtree City, Ga.

Brown is the former mayor of Peachtree City.