When the City Council meets this coming week to re-hash the Main Street Plaza issue, I hope they will have the foresight to see that exchanging the easement does not jeopardize people's First Amendment rights.
Those who oppose exchanging the Main Street Plaza easement argue, "You can't put a price tag on free speech." Their point is true in principle, but the sale of free speech isn't what's happening. The government isn't taking over the media. All the protesters have to do is move a couple hundred feet away to the public sidewalk where they can still say whatever they want.
Private property and the ability of those who own it to control it is at the very heart and sole of capitalism and a free society. That's the freedom in danger here, not free speech.
Kevan Oswad
Salt Lake City