The 4th of July in the United States is a day to celebrate independence and everything we gained from it including free speech. There are parades around the country celebrating the day which often times are open to anyone who wants to have a float, performance, or another sort of spectacle. In Columbus, Ohio the Doo Dah Parade featured the above vehicle with a poster saying “I’ll Share The Road When You Follow The Rules.” As you can see, it’s insinuating that if you don’t follow the rules of the road as a cyclist, he is going to hit you. It is quite a surprise that the organizers of the parade ever let this person in as it is definitely a question of a true threat versus free speech that even courts have struggled to distinguish in the past. Regardless of if this person is under the protection of the First Amendment, it is still a clear message that he is trying to spread to not only cyclists but the community as a whole including children. For starters surrounding this, regardless of what the laws and rules say whether it is out on the road or what you can and can not do/say/portray in a parade, common sense should be used to avoid hitting a cyclist as well as to avoid riding on busy or dangerous roadways. No one should ever have the intention of endangering someone else’s life and if they do, they are the ones in the wrong and should be seriously educated whether it is in driving a vehicle or anything in life. Let us know in the comments below what you think of this. Should this have been allowed in a parade? And is he allowed to make threats like this?
