Can you say "restricted community"?

[cassidyrose]

My head hurts. I wonder what kind of "restrictions" will be placed on who gets to purchase property?:

Pizza Magnate Seeks Catholic-Governed Town
- By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, March 1, 2006

If Domino's Pizza founder Thomas S. Monaghan has his way, a new town being built in Florida will be governed according to strict Roman Catholic principles, with no place to get an abortion, pornography or birth control. The pizza magnate is bankrolling the project with at least $250 million and calls it "God's will." Civil libertarians say the plan is unconstitutional and are threatening to sue.

The town of Ave Maria is being constructed around Ave Maria University, the first Catholic university to be built in the United States in about 40 years. Both are set to open next year about 25 miles east of Naples in southwestern Florida.
...
During a speech last year at a Catholic men's gathering in Boston, Monaghan said that in his community, stores will not sell pornographic magazines, pharmacies will not carry condoms or birth control pills, and cable television will have no X-rated channels.

...

Gov. Jeb Bush, at the site's groundbreaking earlier this month, lauded the development as a new kind of town where faith and freedom will merge to create a community of like-minded citizens. Bush, a convert to Catholicism, did not speak specifically to the proposed restrictions.

More at the link of course.

I am not sure what is more disturbing--the fact that this thing is being created or the fact that Jeb Bush endorses it. Just what we need...faith-based cities. So much for the ostensible separation of church and state.

Oh, yeah, this is all going to turn out well.

The US is becomming more and more embrassing by the day.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

How is saying "Only Catholics Allowed" different from "No Jews"? I can't imagine they can keep people out, and if they do manage to control what merchants can and can't sell, enough non-Catholics in there (or even moderate Catholics, there are lots in the US) would alter the votes after not too long.

[cassidyrose.livejournal.com]

They may not be able to keep people out, technically and legally, but I am sure that there are plenty of ways to do so otherwise. It all gives me the creeps. And my guess is that non-Catholics and moderate Catholics wouldn't chose to live there. However, the very fact that the intention is to run the town by Catholic doctrine is enough to really, really creep me out. Not because it is Catholic, but because it is headed in a frightening direction.

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

a new kind of town where faith and freedom will merge

Like ammonia and bleach!

[cassidyrose.livejournal.com]

Perfect!

one of the many places I boycott

[dragonflylover.livejournal.com]

this is the main reason why I never buy pizza from Dominoes and why I frickin' hate them.

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

On the bright side, after they get 'em all behind the walls and barbed wire we can change the name of the town to "Ave Maria Private Sanitarium," keeping all the nuts in one place.

[dandelion-diva.livejournal.com]

*snort* Best response I've seen so far.

Gessi