“That’s free speech, and I wanted everyone to know that I’m a Republican and I’m supporting Donald Trump.”
-Martin Peavy
#freespeechmatters 06.11.2021
A Florida man is being fined $50 a day for two political banners he has hanging from the home he owns in support of former President Donald Trump. One banner reads “Trump Won,” and the other reads “Let’s Go Brandon,” which we all know is code for “Fuck Joe Biden.” The flags stand at nearly three stories tall and are visible from Seagrove Beach.
During a South Walton community code enforcement hearing last month, officials ruled that the “Trump Won” banner violated the county’s land development code, which is used to preserve the “visual aesthetics of the beach community along Florida’s panhandle. The first banner was first hung in May, while the “Let’s Go Brandon” banner was added after the boards’ decision to fine daily.
Marvin Peavy, the controversial homeowner in question, just wanted beachgoers to know that he is a Republican and that he has never stopped supporting Mr. Trump. He argues that he is entitled to hang the banners on his own personal property thanks to our First Amendment right to free speech. He will have another hearing later this month where his fines will be do if the compliance magistrate finds him in violation again.
Peavy does not intend to remove the banners, as he believes his First Amendment rights are being violated by the daily fines. People across the country have offered to pay his daily fines, including one woman from Louisiana who offered to pay his fines for the next two years to keep the banners up. Many residents in the area who are familiar with the case are shocked by the obvious First Amendment infraction.
The First Amendment allows us to hang political banners from our private properties without there having to be an election year. It shouldn’t matter if the banners are viewable to beachgoers; Peavy owns the property and has a right to freely express his believes however he sees fit, as long as it’s done peacefully. He’s not out during down American cities as a result of the 2020 election outcome. He is peacefully hanging banners from the home that he owns. Agree or disagree with his politics, it’s still his property.
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