Note: we are republishing this story, which originally made the news in May 2019.
There have been claims of America having a ‘free speech crisis’ where people are saying it’s rampant on the internet and college campuses. The crisis involving seeing protesters being pepper-sprayed and social media posts being reported or even controlled.
This said crisis can be seen possibly anywhere in the United States, including Florida, where 23 year old Dillon Shane Webb was pulled over for a decal on his car. Webb was asked to pull over by a sheriff’s deputy in Lake City, who said his car sticker was derogatory.
Webb’s decal was plastered on the back window of his vehicle, which read in big, bold letters I Eat Ass. The arrested civilian disagreed with the officer’s classification of his decal, where he asked what was so derogatory about the sticker.
As a response, the deputy mentions a sample scene of a 10-year-old child who might see the decal and ask his mom what it means and how the parent is supposed to explain that. Webb responded back to the officer saying it was the parent’s job and not his, thinking the arrest for his decal was not warranted.
Webb was even asked if he could remove one of the letters “s” on the decal so instead of saying I Eat Ass it would read I Eat As. He was asked before the deputy made a move to arrest him, but when he did refuse, Webb was charged with resisting arrest and obscenity.
Andrew Bonderud, Webb’s attorney, says that his client’s refusal to take down what he thought protected his right or freedom of speech was a show of bravery. He added in his statement that Webb showed courage on his part.
By Thursday, Webb’s charges were dropped, and a statement was released by John Foster Durrett, the Assistant State Attorney. In his statement, he indicated that the Defendant, Webb, had a valid defense to his arrest raised under the United States Constitution’s First Amendment.
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