An evangelist was arrested near the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. For the life of me, I can't figure out what his crime was. You can read the story here. If anyone figures out what this guy did that was illegal, please post and let us know.

I wanted to comment on one particular quote from the article:

Marcavage then was confronted by a National Park Service ranger, who demanded he move to a "free speech zone" some distance from the entrance, where he could continue preaching under the permission of a "verbal permit."

Let me get this straight. Despite the unmistakably clear language of the First Amendment, the ranger is asserting that freedom of speech exists only in a "free speech zone"? Since when? Where are these "free speech zones"? Who decides where they are, and how big they are? What sorts of speech are prohibited outside these zones? Which governing body is responsible for them?

I guess there is one thing we can learn about the "free speech zone" from the ranger, which is that even there, you don't actually have the right to free speech unless you obtain a "verbal permit." Here we go again... to whom do I apply for such a permit? What is the fee, if any, associated with obtaining one? How long does it take to get one? What sorts of speech does it allow? How long does it last? If I had such a permit, and I showed it to you, Mr. Ranger, would you really lay off the cuffs?

So, Mr. Park Ranger, what you are saying is that "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech" means that I have the freedom of speech only in a location specified by the government, and only after applying for and receiving permission to speak there? That about sum it up?