{"id":11973,"date":"2024-11-01T08:13:09","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T12:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/?p=11973"},"modified":"2024-11-01T08:13:09","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T12:13:09","slug":"south-carolina-man-forced-to-obtain-permit-to-promote-his-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/2024\/11\/south-carolina-man-forced-to-obtain-permit-to-promote-his-faith.html","title":{"rendered":"South Carolina Man Forced to Obtain Permit to Promote His Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"
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First Liberty Institute<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A South Carolina man is seeking legal action after he was forced to obtain a permit to promote his faith on a public sidewalk. Ernest Giardino of Chapin, South Carolina was on a public sidewalk June 20, 2024 \u00a0holding up a 20 x 24 inch sign that read \u201cTrust Christ He paid the price\u201d on one side and \u201cHe Saved Others\u2014Jesus\u2014He\u2019ll Save You\u201d on the other. A police officer stopped him and informed Giardino that he needed to have a permit from the city of Chapin. Giardino was shocked, as he\u2019d carried the sign on the sidewalk for eight months without any incident. He confirmed the rule with the\u00a0Code Enforcement Officer and the Chief of Police. Furthermore, the permit would only allow him to hold his signs for 30 minutes, and he\u2019d have to change corners every 15.<\/p>\n

According to town spokesperson Nicholle Burroughs, the town has required picketers and demonstrators to obtain a permit since 1980. According to Burroughs, such a policy is meant to ensure that demonstrators do not interfere with daily life. \u201cOur goal is to balance the right to free speech with the need for reasonable regulations on the size, placement, and duration of signage, as well as the use of amplification devices. This policy ensures that individuals can still convey their messages while protecting the town\u2019s public spaces from excessive noise, visual pollution, and potential safety hazards,\u201d Burroughs said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Giardino, feeling that his First Amendment rights had been violated, sought legal help from First Liberty Institute. \u201cA demonstration permit really should not apply to someone holding up a sign saying ‘Trust Christ, he paid the price,\u2019\u201d said Giardino’s attorney, Nathan Kellum. \u201cNo one needs the government\u2019s permission to express their faith in public. The First Amendment is his permit. Like any citizen in any city in America, Mr. Giardino is free to peacefully share his religious beliefs on a public sidewalk. Chapin\u2019s ordinance is overbroad, unconstitutional, and must be repealed or enjoined.\u201d<\/p>\n

The firm sent a letter<\/a> to officials declaring the request for a permit unconstitutional. \u201cPermit schemes, like the one found in Chapin, have the effect of freezing speech before it is uttered,” First Liberty said in its letter. \u201cPermit schemes are thus viewed skeptically, being \u2018the most serious and least tolerable infringement on First Amendment rights.\u2019\u201d The town has until November 12 to respond.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A South Carolina man is seeking legal action after he was forced to obtain a permit to promote his faith on a public sidewalk. Ernest Giardino of Chapin, South Carolina was on a public sidewalk June 20, 2024 \u00a0holding up a 20 x 24 inch sign that read \u201cTrust Christ He paid the price\u201d on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":627,"featured_media":11970,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[141,7,93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-america","category-christian-news","category-political"],"yoast_head":"\nSouth Carolina Man Forced to Obtain Permit to Promote His Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/2024\/11\/south-carolina-man-forced-to-obtain-permit-to-promote-his-faith.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"South Carolina Man Forced to Obtain Permit to Promote His Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A South Carolina man is seeking legal action after he was forced to obtain a permit to promote his faith on a public sidewalk. 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