Free speech is the bedrock of our democracy.

While the speech it protects can often offend others — from a radical difference of opinion, the use of vulgarities or spreading of lies — the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution allows citizens to criticize their government without fear of reprisal.

Mark Williams, a resident of Connoquenessing Township, has a strong opinion about his township's plan to build a sewage plant off Walsh Road.

To express that sentiment on a sign on his property, Williams, like other residents who wanted to post what is considered a political sign, was required to get a permit. He had to pay a $30 fee and a $50 refundable deposit to the township. As required, he removed his sign after a certain period of time.

“I felt the sign ordinance was being applied in a way that restricted residents' liberties or freedoms to communicate an issue within the community,” Williams told the Butler Eagle.

Williams reached out to the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which agreed.

Municipalities cannot control non-commercial signs on private property — they are a unique and protected form of speech, according to a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015.

“Unfortunately, it's pretty common,” said Rich Ting, an attorney with the state chapter of the ACLU. “A lot of ordinances are still on the books that have those types of restrictions, and they just haven't been updated in a long time.”

This turned out to be the case in Connoquenessing Township. When informed by the ACLU of the violation of the First Amendment, the township acknowledged the court ruling on non-commercial signs.

Township solicitor Andrew Menchyk told the Eagle the ordinance was enacted in 2013.

“Never at any time has the township taken any act to infringe on its residents' right to free speech,” he said.

We applaud Williams for standing up for his rights and those of his neighbors. We applaud the township for acting on the notification and immediately deciding not to enforce the antiquated ordinance.

Menchyk said the township supervisors will likely move to rewrite the ordinance.

And Williams went out Friday and exercised his First Amendment right, planting two signs.

That's how democracy works.

— DJS