Gail Anderson, 56, was riding the bus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was on a mission: She was proselytizing her religion to other passengers, trying to press literature and "The Book of Hope" Bibles on them.
When the driver asked her to stop, she refused. The driver again asked her to stop, telling her that county rules prohibited the distribution of "any form of advertising or literature" on the transit system. She again refused and was "escorted" off the bus.
Anderson filed a federal suit in Milwaukee's U.S. District Court claiming violation of her rights to free speech and freedom of religion against the Milwaukee County Department of Public Works, the DPW's transit division, and Milwaukee Transport Services, Inc., which operates the county transit system. She has asked the court to declare the county rule invalid and award her unspecified damages.
"Forcefully removing Ms. Anderson from the bus because she distributed the Bible was a humiliating experience," claimed her attorney, Mathew D. Staver. "Passengers don't shed their constitutional rights when they enter public transportation venues."
Freedom of speech is a primary right in the United States, but since when did it include the right to force others to listen? By insinuating herself upon a captive audience, she ignored the responsibilities that go hand in hand with her rights. The answer to "What Would Jesus Do?" is not, "File a lawsuit!"

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