Hello all!
I moved to Roseburg, Oregon. The Jehovah's Witnesses are allowed to set up a display and man it right outside of the local library, and they are there every day and hour the library is open. I have never seen any religious group allowed to do something like this.
I sent an inquiry to the county library and received the following response to my personal email:
To: Marie
I am [redacted], the director of the Douglas County Library System and wanted to respond to your website email of December 11, 2015. I have consulted with the county attorney’s office about your concern about Jehovah’s Witnesses’ use of the front porch of the library building in Roseburg, and my understanding of the law is as follows.
The front porch of the library building is a traditional public forum. Because the building is owned and operated by the government, the government cannot make decisions about who can and who cannot use the public forum based on the content of the message that the user wishes to convey. This is not a separation between church and state (or Establishment Clause) issue, because the government is not endorsing the speaker’s message. Rather, it is a Freedom of Speech issue.
The government can regulate the time, place, and manner of the use. We do that in order to avoid conflicting scheduling. We also require that users not block or hinder access to or recess from the building. We also do not want users to harass our patrons. So far as I know, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ use of the front porch of the library has complied with all of these non-content-based requirements.
If you wish to make arrangements to use another portion of the front porch of the library building yourself, you certainly may. As with other users, we will not make a decision about whether or not to allow your use based on the content of your message. Feel free to contact me in order to make such arrangements.
Sincerely,
Library Director
Douglas County Library System
I do not understand how this can be allowed. Does anyone have any useful information? I would love to set up something with "apostate" literature.
Thanks!
Mariet