Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Betsy Ross...not a murderer
Who knew Betsy Ross, creator of the American flag, was a femme fatale who killed three of her husbands? Or that Benjamin Franklin fathered 69 illegitimate children? Apparently, such historical inaccuracies have been perpetuated by certain tour guides in the city of Philadelphia, which prompted officials to pass a law requiring guides to take a history test and get a license before they talk to anymore of the thousands of tourists who visit each year.
But the new law is being challenged in court by three tour guides, with the assistance of the libertarian Institute for Justice, who argue that their rights to free speech are being violated. “Mistakes happen everywhere,” attorney Robert McNamara told the Associated Press. “But just because mistakes occasionally happen doesn’t mean the government can license who can talk. People have the right to decide who they want to listen to.”
Philadelphia is not the first city to regulate tour guides. But the lawsuit is the first to challenge such laws, and the outcome could affect similar ordinances in Washington, DC, New Orleans and Charleston, SC.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Philly Guides Sue over History Tests, Licensing (by Patrick Walters, Associated Press)
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