The Concord Chamber of Censorship

Dear Henry: As you may recall, I mentioned in a previous letter how the Chamber of Commerce had the old town bulletin board destroyed and replaced with a lock-and-key display case.  Thus, whenever one wishes to exercise free speech and expression now, one has to obtain the holy imprimatur of the Town Manager.  Last February, I queried the Chamber of Commerce about stocking American Dissident flyers at the Concord Visitor Center, figuring the Concord-based literary journal might be of interest to visitors, especially those visiting because of Thoreau and Emerson.  It informed me “nothing offensive or illegal, or pornographic” would be acceptable.  The term “offensive” is nebulous and thus favored today by those seeking to control free speech, increase self censorship, and otherwise dumb down citizen discourse.  It also mentioned that one had to pay $75 per year for that privilege and suggested I try Thoreau Society at Shop at Walden Boutique.  But the latter refused to even respond to my request, being much more interested in stocking mugs and tee-shirts with your effigy, than free-speech flyers.  I know, Henry, you never would have approved of such idiocy.  The Chamber of Commerce revealed that the Center used to have a lot more “stuff,” but “it all got so cluttered.”  Sadly, image is its preoccupation, not the First Amendment.  Well, three and a half months and several subsequent visits later, I finally received a rather smug diktat from Executive Director Stephanie M. Stillman, who was probably hoping I’d simply give up:   

“We provide rack space, on a paid basis, for businesses which serve visitors to the Town of Concord.  We provide maps, restaurant menus, lodging information and historic site information to provide visitors with historical and logistical information to enhance their visit in Concord.  Your flyer does not fit into the ‘visitor services’ category and we will be unable to distribute it in the Visitor Center.” 

Why, Henry, must literature be historical to “enhance” visits?  Indeed, why has the Chamber of Commerce closed the doors to today’s literature of Concord?  Was the diktat specifically pronounced to keep exposure to my literary journal minimal?  Since I was willing to pay the $75 to exercise free speech at what appears to be a public space, one can only conclude that my ideas were “offensive” to Town Censor Stillman, whereas those of the United States Air Force Band of Liberty (poster hanging in the Center) tooting war all the time are not.  In a democracy, a town’s business leaders should not be dictating which citizen voices should be heard and which should not.  Yet that is precisely the case in Concord.  If the Chamber of Commerce, an independent non-profit organization, owns the Visitor Center, the Town ought to purchase its own, rather than accept arbitrary censorship. To change things, of course, one

would have to interest the citizenry, which unfortunately seems more concerned with making a profit than with democracy.  “Who can be serene in a country where both rulers and ruled are without principle?” you once asked, Henry.   Well, I, like you cannot...  Best,

G. Tod Slone todslone@yahoo.com editor of The American Dissident (www.theamericandissident.org).  May 5, 2005