Seller of President Barack Obama condoms arrested again in New York

[Praxius]

Seller of President Barack Obama condoms arrested again in New York | News.com.au

A NEW York street merchant has been arrested once again for selling condoms in wrappers bearing the image of President Barack Obama.​

Jose Andujar, 43, was arrested on Friday in Times Square for selling his "Obama" condoms. It was his third arrest in a year for unlicensed peddling, police said, reported the New York Post.​

The arrest came despite a State Supreme Court justice ruling that Andujar's condoms are protected by the Constitution's guarantee of free speech. The decision said the condom wrappers should be treated like books, which do not require a vending license.​

The city vowed to continue to bust Andujar, pending the outcome of an appeal.​

Andujar typically titillates tourists with his slick sales pitch, "It's the ultimate stimulus package for hard times."​

I don't understand how you can relate condom packaging to a book..... packaging is a means of advertising a product, it's typically not reading material. And he is not selling a book or magazine, he's selling a packaged product, ie: condoms.

 

[SLM]

This is interesting.

Ordinarily I would endorse as broad a definition of freedom of expression as is possible. I tend to think that anything that skirts the border of censorship can be a dangerous, slippery slope. However, there has to be some consideration for intention. This guy does not have the intention of expressing himself, his ideas, his opinions. His intention is to make money selling condoms. So I'm not so sure that it qualifies as freedom of speech/expression.

So while I always endorse freedom of speech, I also think it's very important to not allow people to use this principal for personal gain because that discredits and demeans the principal itself.

 

[petros]

Where is picture of the box or wrapper?

 

[YukonJack]

This is interesting.

Ordinarily I would endorse as broad a definition of freedom of expression as is possible. I tend to think that anything that skirts the border of censorship can be a dangerous, slippery slope. However, there has to be some consideration for intention. This guy does not have the intention of expressing himself, his ideas, his opinions. His intention is to make money selling condoms. So I'm not so sure that it qualifies as freedom of speech/expression.

So while I always endorse freedom of speech, I also think it's very important to not allow people to use this principal for personal gain because that discredits and demeans the principal itself.

Following your logic all the best-selling authors, whether fiction or non-fiction, cared nothing about money and profit, they just spent hours and days and nights at their keyboard, just to express themselves? Are you saying that they should not have been allowed to publish what they wrote, because it might make them some money? Are you saying that if their motivation was earning a living by writing their books, they should be silenced?

 

[mentalfloss]

Most dudes are just jealous they're not as big as Obamers.

 

[SLM]

Following your logic all the best-selling authors, whether fiction or non-fiction, cared nothing about money and profit, they just spent hours and days and nights at their keyboard, just to express themselves? Are you saying that they should not have been allowed to publish what they wrote, because it might make them some money? Are you saying that if their motivation was earning a living by writing their books, they should be silenced?

No, I guess what I'm trying to say is that a package wrapping (regardless of what the package was for) is not what I would normally call self-expression. It's marketing.

There is nothing wrong with a writer making a living out of writing books, or a musician making a living out of music, etc. The fact that they are also protected as works under freedom of speech is not a contradiction. They can be both.

Can marketing also be considered self-expression? Maybe it can be, sometimes. Other times maybe not. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the fact that it is a marketed product needs to be a consideration as well when determining whether it qualifies as self-expression.

 

[petros]

Most dudes are just jealous they're not as big as Obamers.

They are available in two sizes.

Shlong and shlort.

 

[JLM]

Seller of President Barack Obama condoms arrested again in New York | News.com.au


I don't understand how you can relate condom packaging to a book..... packaging is a means of advertising a product, it's typically not reading material. And he is not selling a book or magazine, he's selling a packaged product, ie: condoms.

Why not a book? There's "books" of tickets "books" of life savers. They could be put up in books of 365 called the "Yearbook" or in books of 144.....................oooooooooooh that would be gross. :lol:

 

[petros]

They could be put up in books of 365 called the "Yearbook"

365 used rubbers makes a Goodyear,