Dear Editor,
To be clear, our freedom of speech is enshrined in our Bill of Rights even before the 2nd Amendment and is interpreted to mean the government cannot forbid us from our freedom of expression.
In other words, the government cannot interfere or regulate our right to expression, except as much as that speech may cause violence or breach of peace (for example calling fire in a crowded theater).
That being explained, Delegate Longanacre is using his personal Facebook page to disseminate information regarding his opinions on West Virginia laws, his plans of actions and continuous name-calling behaviors, but blocks people, who are critical of him, from commenting.
As per the 4th Circuit Court of appeals, which covers West Virginia, no matter the type of Facebook page a government representative has, if the Facebook page asks for comments regarding government affairs, you cannot be blocked from commenting. In other words, Delegate Longanacre, in his role as a government official, cannot violate the Constitution and must offer people the right to criticize on his Facebook page.
When constituents have approached Delegate Longanacre about his liberal use of the word Nazi to describe some of his constituents or when he tries to bully newspapers into publishing his column, he uses the term “freedom of speech” as a demand for our two local newspapers to publish his column without editing it. But while he is quick to invoke freedom of speech as justification for his actions, he is also blocking people from responding.
Delegate Longanacre, as an elected official, should be upholding the real meaning of the Constitution and not silencing critics.
Sincerely,
Robin Spence
Lewisburg
