Liberty Minute July 26 2013

Joseph Grabko of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was briefly employed at a pizza restaurant called The Wild Tomato before quitting over issues of hygiene and finding drug paraphernalia on the premises. After leaving the restaurant, Grabko posted a critical review of the restaurant in the Yelp social network site. When it was deleted, he reposted it, and included pictures that he said supported his claims.

Shortly thereafter, Grabko ? who is autistic and lives with his parents ? started to receive threatening phone calls. The owner of the restaurant threatened Grabko with a ?harassment? charge if he didn?t take down the reviews within 24 hours. Shortly thereafter Grabko received a call from Officer Hallie Miller of the Lower Paxton Township Police Department, who told him that his online opinions ?can be construed as harassment? if they are considered ?derogatory.? The officer said that rather than expressing his opinions in public, Grabko should file a complaint with health inspectors and then ?you should probably drop it.?

Pennsylvania has a very vague harassment law, but it?s clear that it doesn?t apply to negative restaurant reviews. And enlisting the help of armed strangers to intimidate a critic isn?t merely harassment ; it could be considered a form of state-assisted terrorism.

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.