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Because Freedom Can't Protect Itself.

Dear friends,

Exercise your right to free speech by speaking up for…Free Speech and Petitions!

Malls and shopping centers are today's town squares where we should have the right to discuss freely the important issues of the day.

But right now it is okay for Maine's malls and shopping centers to put a gag order on the people who gather in them. In Maine, there is no right of individuals to exercise free speech or to petition at shopping centers, malls, or other gathering places.

LD 1540, "An Act to Guarantee Free Speech in Privately Owned Public Gathering Places," sponsored by Representative Jon Hinck would ensure individuals in the common spaces of malls and shopping centers are not prohibited from:

• Collecting signatures to petition the government
• Wearing t-shirts, buttons, and other forms of symbolic expression
• Posting announcements on public bulletin boards based on ideological content
• Otherwise expressing themselves in a Constitutionally-protected manner

How You Can Help Protect Free Speech
Exercise YOUR right to free speech by telling the Legislature why you think they should support LD 1540! Join us at the Legislature's public hearing:
Wednesday, May 9, 1:00 pm
Judiciary Committee Room 438, State House, Augusta
Get directions here: http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/lio/maps/statehouse.asp
For more information, contact Rachel at 774-5444.

Can't make it to Augusta? Call or write to your legislators today!
Urge them to support LD 1540. The state of Maine should address the issue of free speech in the malls and protect the right of all Mainers to speak up no matter what their political or ideological views. Malls and shopping centers are today's town squares and the suppression of free speech should have no place there.

You can find contact information for your legislators here: http://janus.state.me.us/house/townlist.htm
Or call and leave them a message:
(800) 423-6900 (Senate)
(800) 423-2900 (House)

Find Out More
Read more about the ACLU's work to protect free speech in the malls here: http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/gen/11163prs20030331.html

Free speech is a fundamental right and speaking freely at malls and other public gathering places is a tradition as old as this country. Help us ensure that nobody is silenced because of their political or ideological views. Take action today!

Thanks for all you do.
Rachel

Rachel L. Myers
Field Organizer
Maine Civil Liberties Union
www.mclu.org

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