Fort Myers wants to ban hip hop concerts, so FM residents: Stand up for the 1st Amendment!

[alp227]

I was reading a blog and read a post about how a Fort Myers councilman named Warren Wright wants to ban performances of hip hop music in nightclubs and concert venues. Which means that both concerts and playing rap records in nightclubs would be illegal. At first I thought this was phony, but I did some more research and found some more sources detailing this travesty:

Local media
"Hip-hop show ban on Fort Myers's council agenda" by Gabriella Souza, The News-Press (Fort Myers), Oct. 1

After discussing an incident where a nightclub bouncer was stabbed after a concert by local rapper Plies, Souza reports:

At Monday’s council meeting, he wants to discuss the possibility of banning events featuring hip-hop from Harborside Event Center and other downtown venues because, Wright said, the concerts attract violence and disruption.

National media, whose coverage so far is limited to hip hop blogs/news sites
"http://hiphopwired.com/11374/fort-myers-attempts-to-ban-hip-hop/">Fort Myers Attempts To Ban Hip-Hop" by Jordan C. Alston, Hip Hop Wired, Oct. 1
"Plies' hometown considers rap ban" by Morris Moore, AllHipHop.com, Oct. 1
"Councilman Trying To Ban Rap After Plies Concert Stabbing" by Krysten Hughes, HipHopDX, Oct. 3

FM's mayor, Randy Henderson, was quoted in the News-press and other sources as saying: "If there's a legal way to do that, it's a worthy idea."

However, FM's NBC station reports:

Members from the local Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Fort Myers say this proposal has some discriminatory undertones, linking hip-hop music to violence.

You mean the same SCLC that led the Civil Rights Movement?

And at least the city attorney has some sense in him, regarding the total ban of hip hop:

Councilman Warren Wright claims the downtown area experiences higher levels of criminal activity when hip-hop concerts are held downtown.

He wants to see increased police activity and even mentioned possibly banning the concerts completely.

But the city attorney found constitutionally, that may not be possible.

I think "that" refers to "banning the concerts completely".

If you live in Fort Myers, whose county voted mostly for McCain last year 54% in favor over 44% for Obama, I say you flood the city government offices with phone calls/emails/letters objecting to this stupid "nanny city" solution. What would you do instead, with your pro-free speech/democracy ideals? (If you don't, please just leave this alone, I do not advocate astroturfing, especially the type that the Parents Television Council gets routinely involved in)

I've posted about excessive government interference in people's lives this week. First about the Malaysian government trying but failing to ban Muslims from attending a Black Eyed Peas concerts simply because a beer company sponsored it. Then about New York City banning bake sales from its public schools to "prevent obesity".

[BlueJazz]

1. Gee...maybe the Fort Myers councilman has that wierd condition that's

...lacking in so many people....Taste.

I don't know.. banning Rap ... ah...stuff is like banning Turds at a Lobster Dinner.

[endeavourniche]

3. +1

[bluevoter4life]

2. Where is his evidence to spport that claim?

Metal has as many violent songs as hip hop.I should know. I was a metal head all through high school. And why doesn't he ban Britney Spears and Lindsay Amy Winehouse? They have a tendency to turn daughters into strung out skanks. This is a ludicrous idea and a blatant First Amendment violation. I personally hate hip hop, but I'm not about to stop others from enjoying it.