Emily in Loveland, CA

I am a nurse who lives in Loveland, Colorado — a city of about 45,000, some 50 miles north of Denver. Around a half a year ago or more, my daughter Emily (now 12) was appointed to the city of Loveland’s Youth Advisory Commission (YAC). Emily wanted to interest the YAC in actively opposing Loveland’s youth curfew.

At that time, I looked around the Internet and was impressed with your site—particularly the page that explains how to stay out after curfew by exercising First Amendment rights. I took the text, modified it to suit local conditions, and Emily took it to the YAC. She also handed out a couple dozen at a youth rally and made up a few T-shirts (“Repeal the Loveland Curfew” and “Hanging Out is Not a Crime.”)

Nothing much happened after that, that we’re aware of. The YAC got diverted by a ski trip, etc. Emily thought she would wait until good weather to pursue the curfew issue again, but she found that while the YAC members are anti-curfew, they are not strongly committed to repeal; many other kids in the community are, however.

Then Wednesday night, it appears a city councilor and the city attorney came to the YAC. The councilor had a letter from the chief of police. They warned Emily in particular against handing out any more flyers, that she was breaking the law, etc. (inciting to misdemeanor?) They questioned Emily about who wrote the flyer and said she may be breaking the law by plagiarizing.

I suspect that the few flyers Emily distributed spread, in underground fashion, through the schools. Kids here may indeed be defying the curfew, judging from the chief of police’s involvement. I’ll be going to police HQ’s to inquire about curfew citations. I will also see about contacting the ACLU. We will, of course, keep you fully advised of developments here.

Thanks for your inspiration.

All the best, Linda, Loveland, CO