RE: Civil Rights Celebration report; gathering at UI Commons everyday from 11 to 1

["Saundra Lund" <sslund@moscow.com>]

Garrett wrote:
"It actually is not very difficult to get people to sign the petition.
Most 
people I've asked will sign.  I've collected 300 to 400 or so.  The
limiting 
factor is petition gatherers.  We need more people to take petitions and
ask 
your friends, co-workers, neighbors and fellow Muscovites to sign if
they 
are registered to vote in our city."

I want to second what Garrett wrote about it not being difficult to get
folks to sign the petition:  I've collected a similar number of
signatures, and out of all those I've asked to sign who were *eligible*
to sign, I've had fewer than 10 people decline.

For those of you who mistakenly think this is just another law on the
books that will only be enforced in severe situations (like the topless
car wash), I've got news:  apparently, local law enforcement is
beginning to approach women about this, and none of those approached
were topfree.  We've had several different women report this to us over
the last two days, and one woman was apparently issued a warning ticket,
according to her friend.  Due to the unwieldy language, it's not
surprising that law enforcement doesn't seem to understand the ordinance
since one woman who was approached by law enforcement was chided for
showing too much *center* cleavage.  And, I never did receive any
answers from our city government to my questions as to how this
ordinance will be enforced with respect to our community's minor female
children.

If true, I find it problematic (that selective enforcement problem
again) that only women are being approached.  We've not had *any*
reports about men being cited or warned for showing the cleft of the
buttocks even though *that* gross violation is seen around town on a
regular, probably daily, basis.

We definitely need more people who have an hour or two . . . or more
:-) . . . to spare collecting signatures.  Collecting signatures from
your neighbors is a *great* way to become more familiar with your
neighborhood, and we can always use folks for the Farmer's Market, the U
of I Commons (we're there from 11 AM to 1 PM), the upcoming fair, the
Moscow Food Co-op, Friendship Square, and other locations, as well as
folks willing to network with their friends.

I'd also like to suggest that our council members and mayor get out
amongst our community and ask real folks what they think about the
ordinance.  This experience (collecting signatures) has been a very
positive experience for me personally, and I think if our council
members and mayor actually got out and *talked* to community members,
they'd be surprised at how far off the mark they were in passing this
ordinance.  I have been surprised at the levels of outrage and outright
disgust community members feel about this ordinance.

Last Friday, I dropped off a stack of about 75 postcards at City Hall
addressed to our mayor and council members from community members
expressing their objections to this misguided ordinance, and I've got
another stack of about 60 waiting to be copied before delivery.

And, I'll take this opportunity to renew my standing offer:  if anyone
interested in signing the petition is homebound or just hasn't seen a
petition to sign, drop me an email and I'm happy to get a petition to
you at your convenience.  We can also provide Voter Registration forms
for those needing to register.

The following local businesses also have petitions:  Bookpeople, Copy
Court, Falling Moon, the Red Door, and Tye-Dye Everything.


Saundra Lund
Moscow, Idaho

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to
do nothing.
Edmund Burke