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He's
ready to fight for
his peace sign
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Coral Gables
lawyer Spencer Aronfeld paid $40 to Sir
Speedy for a three-by-four foot laminated sign:
"GIVE PEACE A CHANCE, NOT WAR."
Aronfeld, 37, taped it outside his Ponce de Leon
Boulevard office building.
So The City Beautiful slapped him
with a warning notice for a zoning code
violation: Remove it within 24 hours or a face a
fine of up to $250 a day and a property lien.
Code enforcement officer Michael
Kattou cited zoning section 18-21:
"Pennants, banners, streamers, baloons,
blinking and flashing lights, streamer lights,
flags (except United States, State of Florida
and City of Coral Gables flags), and any other
fluttering, spinning, rotating or similar
attention attractors and advertising devices are
not permitted.
Aronfeld fired off a protest
letter: "I have a U.S. Constitutional right
and obligation to express my opinions about the
war and any other subject, I feel that your
violation notice violates my First Amendment
right." He issued his own warning,
threatening to sue if the city files a lien.
Aronfeld says he's flown a variety
of flags -- Gay Pride, POS, Season's Greetings
-- without a peep from Gables officials.
"I put a University of Miami flag in the
exact spot for the last nine months without
complaint from the city." Is it his antiwar
message, he wonders?
At any rate, he's ready for battle.
He lopped off part of the sign to make sure it's
within size limits of temporary placards, which
are permitted. It now says "PEACE".
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