Clowns
Made
into Outlaws?
MOJO CITY, July 18, 2002 - City Councilman Bob (Trust Me) Meyers has proposed an ordinance outlawing clown costumes. "If we can take away the uniform, we can take away the behavior," Meyers claims.
Meyers, a local car dealer, known for his last-election change of name in which he legally dropped his given middle name of Taylor, and replaced it with (Trust Me), claims that if the clowns cannot operate in disguise, they will be forced to curtail their "outrageous activities."
These activities have variously ranged from dancing in the street during rush hour, naked except for their painted clown faces, to crashing the Third-Most Baptiste Believers' Ladies Social and interrupting what was later described by a clown informant as a plot to disrupt the welcoming ceremonies for the small group of Falun Gong refugees from China expected to arrive next month, to painting an American flag on a horse's ass (see old story).
There are any number of issues of concern about this kind of legislation, says Council Member Robert Hagarty. "Most important are the First Amendment issues. The Supreme Court ruled that you could have the words 'Fuck the draft' drawn on your jacket, and you could appear in public wearing it. Is not the way a person dresses also a potential political statement? Of course it is. A clown uniform speaks to the absolute absurdity of the issues or the people that the clowns are laughing at. Besides," said Hagarty, "the Supreme Court has held that anonymous speech ... the kind you get when people speak behind disguises ... being anonymous is part of the speech itself and that you can't control content, you can't control what people say."
In true postmodern fashion, the clowns terrorizing Mojo City reflect a variety of ethnic backgrounds. The tartan above, belongs to the Scot Highlander Clowns, and the wearers have been seen dirtying car windshields so that the German Reggae Clowns can offer to wash the dirt off.
Previous
Stories
Clowns
Fell Tyler Poofs
The Gunman
Old Glory
Additional
Stories
Cody's
Travels with Fred
It's too damned late.
The weather sucks.
CONTACT:
Scott
MacGregor
managing editor
Cody Barstow
contributing editor
Meyers, in response, noted that the Supreme Court gave "wriggle room" to the idea of controlling for disguises if that control reflected a compelling state interest, and that state courts have upheld municipal laws outlawing the wearing of disguises because of peacekeeping concerns, except during parties or other such events.
"In these days of terrorism, we cannot permit clowning around," he said.
"Clowns, by the very nature of the makeup they apply, disguise their features well enough that positive identification cannot be made," said Meyers. "And this sort-of recent affront to the very honor found in the American flag by painting it on a horse's ass demands that we, as a public, stop this kind of behavior. Knowing who these actors are is vital in stopping the behavior."
"It's absurd," said Hagarty. "People have to have the right to speak anonymously. Some people, frankly, are afraid of public reaction to their thoughts. They need to be able to speak to public issues without fear of retribution. We need to guarantee the people's right to dress as clowns, not prohibit it."
Hagarty was wearing a pair of size-36 shoes and a large grin during the interview. Meyers was wearing a blue suit with brown shoes. His vertically-striped candycane socks could be seen every time he shifted positions on his seat.
