Thanks to the Chamber of Commerce
Last week, Indivisible San Juan Islands published an Open Letter to the Chamber of Commerce lamenting its decision to ban all political and partisan entries in the Fourth of July Parade.
We noted that, “the Fourth of July Parade celebrates this country’s declaration of independence from a monarchy and the birth of a free nation. Signing the Declaration of Independence was a political act, and from the very beginning Independence Day was commemorated by parades, parties, and political speeches.”
In the intervening days, we received tremendous support from Indivisible members and people across the political spectrum. Americans believe in free speech!
To our great delight, the Chamber of Commerce heard us and invited us to meet with them. Monday morning, a dozen of us collaboratively revised their rules, every person in the room agreeing on every single change.
All limits on political speech have been removed. The only limits are those we agreed to are appropriate for a family-friendly event: No vulgarities, obscenities, or libelous statements or images. We trust that you can make your point at the parade without resorting to these linguistic tools.
Indivisible SJI sincerely thanks the Chamber of Commerce, in particular Executive Director Becki Day, for bridge building and changing their rules to support the Constitution.
Indivisible SJI
