A Times Editorial St. Petersburg Times April 30, 2001 http://www.sptimes.com/News/043001/Opinion/Avoiding_another_mess.shtml Three imprinted bricks bearing messages that could offend some Scientologists will be among those used to pave a public alley in downtown Clearwater, thanks to an eleventh-hour decision by a citizens group. It was the right decision.

Citizens for a Better Clearwater had exposed itself and the city government to charges of censorship and possible lawsuits by refusing to accept orders for the three bricks from members of a Scientology opposition group, the Lisa McPherson Trust. Members of the Trust, named for a 36-year-old Scientologist who died in 1995 while in the care of church staffers, often have clashed with Scientologists on the streets of downtown Clearwater.

The citizens group had not considered that the clash might carry over to the brick sale it was using to raise funds to transform an ugly downtown alley into a mini-park. The group encouraged individuals, businesses and organizations to buy bricks and have them imprinted with special messages.

Dozens were sold and imprinted with everything from religious references to favorite quotes to the names of well-known residents, then used to pave a walkway in the city-owned alley.

Everything was going swimmingly until members of the Trust sent in an order. They wanted a brick to memorialize McPherson with the words, "Remember Lisa McPherson 1959-1995." A second brick would have mentioned Leo J. Ryan, a California congressman killed in 1978 while investigating deaths of members of the Jim Jones cult. And a third was purchased in memory of Roxanne Friend, who left Scientology and later died of cancer.

A secret committee of the Citizens rejected the order and shut down the fundraiser, saying the messages would not contribute to "community harmony" and were ordered merely to create dissension, particularly since the alley borders a Scientology building. Trust members argued that their constitutional right to free speech in the public project had been denied -- it had -- and soon lawyers were involved on both sides.

Cooler heads now have prevailed, fortunately. Clearwater didn't need another thing to squabble over downtown.

Go Back