-City Demands Removal of ‘God Bless America’ Signs
by Dr. D ~ October 7th, 2013
(Photo Credit: WTVT-TV)
300 ‘God Bless America’ signs were given out following a Fourth of July sermon at the First Baptist Church of Bartow, Florida. Some of signs are still being displayed but now the city is demanding their removal or fines will follow. Here’s the story from the local Fox affiliate-WTVT-TV:
BARTOW (FOX 13) –
It’s a small sign with a big message, but Bartow residents are now being ordered to uproot their "God Bless America" yard signs. …
Residents have three days to pack it up or pay a minimum fine of $25 a day.
Bartow Code Enforcement says its temporary sign ordinance dates back 13 years and already allows for some exceptions.
"They can have those signs out on holidays that are relevant. You can have a temporary sign around Christmas if it’s related to Christmas. Or the 4th of July. The sign ordinance has exceptions for that," Bartow Code Enforcement Director Gregg Lamb said Thursday. …
The little signs have really sparked serious outrage with some Bartow residents. A group plans to be at Monday night’s Bartow City Commission meeting to ask commissioners for an exception to the ordinance.
Here’s a link to a follow-up article on this story by the The Blaze.
Response: An ordinance is on the books but according to residents this is the first time in anyone’s memory that it has actually been applied. Regardless of the protest that it has nothing to do with the message why have city enforcement officers gone out of their way to seek out every one of these signs still being displayed and issued warnings to all of these property owners? Obviously this one sign has become an issue for some reason. If not the message then what?
Meanwhile signs continue to be displayed for months on property for sale and on cars and RV’s but no action is ever taken in deference to this ‘important’ sign ordinance. You can also bet that nothing was ever said about political signs in the last 13 years being displayed for months ramping up to an election. All I am saying along with many Bartow residents is that there is obviously a selective enforcement of this ordinance and it doesn’t pass the smell test that content has nothing to do with the heavy handed ‘out of your way’ action taken against these signs. *Top
