A. Barton Hinkle on Panhandling and Freedom of Speech
Credit: spyderracer393 / Foter.comCharlottesville, Virginia is just the
latest in a long line of burgs that have tried to bring the hammer
down on panhandlers. And like those other
cities, Charlottesville has tried to defend its
restrictions as a purely neutral measure meant not to silence
speech but to achieve some other legitimate government end. A.
Barton Hinkle investigates this effort to cloak censorship in the
guise of public safety.