A. Barton Hinkle on Panhandling and Freedom of Speech
Charlottesville, 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.