Herb Quintero says a mural of marine life on his store is artwork, not a sign, and he's now suing Clearwater, Fla. He's also being flooded with public support. (courtesy St. Petersburg Times) |
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The fish tale in this Gulf Coast city is beginning to broil, and perhaps could be titled, "The Old Man and the Seethe."
Government officials are now accused of figuratively spitting in the face of U.S. veterans who defend the Constitution in connection with a man they've threatened to fine $500 per day for posting the First Amendment on his business atop a mural of marine life – artwork the city claims is illegal.
WND brought the plight of Herb Quintero to national attention yesterday, as the owner of a bait and tackle store has filed a federal lawsuit against Clearwater to stop officials from fining him for the sea life designs and banner quoting the Bill of Rights.
The story struck an immediate chord with Americans fed up with what they perceive to be government overstepping its authority, and comments of outrage from across the nation and world are flooding in.
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After reading the WND report, a U.S. officer assigned to the Multi-National Force in Iraq wrote a bitter e-mail to Jeff Kronschnabl, the director of code enforcement, saying he was "insulted" by the city's action.
"You have no right to override the Constitution and the principals for which so many men and women have fought and died to uphold," wrote Christopher (whose last name is being withheld). "You are in violation of the supreme law of the land, which supersedes some trivial contrary (and therefore illegal) code, and should immediately withdraw your fines and retract your flawed and invalid laws.
His message continued:
As government representatives, you have a solemn duty to protect the people you are entrusted to represent, not oppress them. By enacting and then selectively enforcing such oppressive laws that violate the Constitution, you spit in the face of every veteran who has ever served to uphold the Constitution! Yes, I am this worked up over a painting of some fish; the rights in the Constitution are not something that should even be lightly infringed and tolerated!
The founding fathers must be rolling in their graves over the affront to freedom you have committed in your persecution of this man who is merely attempting to live an American Dream by exercising his right to free speech – an attempt, it must be noted, that would increase commerce – which in turn would bring more tax dollars to the city should he succeed in his endeavors!
The dispute started in December 2007 when Herb and Lori Quintero invested
their life savings to purchase and renovate a dilapidated building they turned into the Complete Angler, selling
fishing accessories such as rods, reels and live and frozen bait.
To help spruce up the building's image, they hired artist Matt Evanson who began to paint a giant mural of marine life, thus far depicting
images of local game fish including snook, redfish, tarpon, dolphin, grouper and
sailfish. Evanson has not been able to complete the artwork because the city claims it violates the sign code.
Clearwater officials say they're enforcing the strict rule prohibiting murals on businesses
that depict a product the business sells. Ironically, the Complete Angler does
not sell game fish.
According to the lawsuit, city spokeswoman Joelle Castelli was quoted as saying the artwork
"depicts what he's selling and that's considered signage. If it was a mural of
kids playing in a park, that would be acceptable."
Clearwater began to
fine Quintero, and he initially pleaded no contest, agreeing to pay
$690.
But the businessman is refusing the city's demand to paint over the
fish.
His response? Proudly hang a giant banner with text of the First
Amendment promoting free speech in front of the mural.
A giant banner promoting free speech right is posted in protest on top of Herb Quintero's marine life mural in Clearwater, Fla. |
Not amused, the city of Clearwater is now threatening to hook Quintero with
fines of $500 a day for displaying America's founding
document.
The American Civil Liberties Union has been reeled in and
is representing Quintero in court.
A loose coalition of business owners and citizens in the Clearwater area has created a website called KeeptheFish.com to help Quintero. It says in the wake of WND's exposure, it has been inundated with "tons of comments from all over the country" that were sent to Kronschnabl and other Clearwater officials.
Some of them include:
- How in the world do you get off harassing a fellow citizen with respect to his right to free speech!? Further more threatening to fine the man for posting part of our founding document!? This is an outrage and should be stopped immediately. You should refund the man and publicly apologize for running roughshod over the Constitution. Disgusted, Aaron in Minnesota
- "We the People" no longer own anything. We simply rent from the government (and for the government) because of people like you. Are you happy now? We are quickly approaching the point where it is counterproductive for working Americans to continue to be economically productive. -- Mary
- After reading the article on WND.com about the Complete Angler, I had to write you all and express my outrage. How can you possibly fine a man for hanging the First Amendment? This is insanity. Have you gone mad? You need to explain yourself to the members, not only of the community in which you live, but to the country. The arrogance you exude is nauseating. ... You are a fool. And you are only hurting your community and its reputation. Make this wrong right before you destroy families with this insanity. Concerned, Stephanie, Atlanta
- I am from New Mexico and saw this article in WorldNetDaily. I feel that this business owner has a clear right to keep the paintings of the fish. He isn't selling the fish, so there is no legal justification for the city of Clearwater to take action against him. The artist is well-talented and the sign is lovely. ... This is Gestapo tactics and is a shame and a disgrace to the officials who are keeping the fight going, -- Carolyn, Reserve, N.M.
- Your persecution of a small business owner who invested in a run-down area of the city to make it better stinks. Instead of fining Quintero and trying to shut him down, the city should be thanking him for investing in a run-down area to revitalize it. ... I travel to Florida annually. I know one city that won't get my tourist dollars. It's Clearwater. I am proud to be an American, but saddened by the oppressive communist-like attitude taken by Clearwater. -- Chris G., New York City
- Your actions are childish and reflect government officials who clearly have lost their way. After working in government for thirty years, I have found that actions such your often can be explained when citizens "follow the money." Someone is benefiting from your actions -- and we all need to dig deep and find out what really is happening here. -- David
- Your actions, while seemingly small, are moving us one more step towards another American Revolution. I sincerely hope that this revolution will be fought and won in the courtrooms rather than on the battlefields. While I fear a militarized revolution and the carnage that it creates, I fear more an oppressive government, just as my ancestor who signed the Declaration of Independence, and all of my ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. -- Dan
On the St. Petersburg Times website, news photographer Jim Damaske has posted a gallery of similar murals found throughout Clearwater.
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