If you read through our forums or the Morning Advocate, some of this may not be news to you. One of our site members (Braman) notified us that the Mayor of Gonzales (as well as the city council) recently pushed to make skateboarding illegal… Braman posted a news article detailing the archaic thought processes that the Gonzales government evidently wallows in. Just to be sure and recieve confimation, I sent an email to the contact person on Gonzales’ official website… here’s the letter:

Hi, my name is Neal Boyd, and I’m writing to you in regards to some news that I just found out about… I simply wanted to confirm what I read.

In the Friday printing of The Advocate (from June 30th), the following was published:

“During Monday night’s Gonzales City Council meeting, Mayor Johnny Berthelot made an announcement reminding residents that skateboards and people skateboarding on any city property-including city parks-is against the law.
Berthelot said the Gonzales Police Department will be out enforcing city ordinances that outlaw the street surfing pastime.”

I just wanted a confirmation that your city officially deems skateboarding as an illegal activity (notably on public property), and that your mayor is planning on prosecuting children and adults for taking part in that particular activity.

Also, if you don’t mind, do you happen to have the ordinance online or available in a digital format? I’d like to publish the information on our website so we can make sure that unsuspecting kids from our area don’t make the mistake of going to Gonzales and creating a distraction for your police officers.

Thanks,
Neal

This morning I received two emails back from the contact person for Gonzales’ city government (these are unedited… they’re copied and pasted as I received them):

Email One:
tammy@gonzalesla.com
Sec. 8-96. Skateboarding; in-line skating prohibited.

It shall be unlawful for any person to skateboard or in-line skate on any city-owned property, including but not limited to, sidewalks, jogging trails, rights-of-way, swimming pools, recreational areas, ball parks, tennis courts, amphitheater, civic center, or any embankments, retaining walls, and hand rails.

(Ord. No. 2711, 12-10-01)

Email Two:
tammy@gonzalesla.com

MR. BOYD ALSO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MADE THAT ORDIANCE BECAUSE THE KIDS WERE TEARIING UP THE PARKS, THE RAILINGS ANS THE STUCCO.

THANKS!

You have to love the mentality over there… skaters were “tearing up” rails, so let’s make it illegal for them to ride down a sidewalk!

Everyone, let’s join together and do Gonzales a favor… don’t go there, ever. Don’t spend a dime in the city, and don’t stop in it for any reason whatsoever. This goes out not only to the skaters reading this, but the parents and friends of skaters as well… don’t spend a dime in a city that would go out of its way to ensure that its youth are considered criminals.

To Mayor Berthelot and the city council of Gonzalez, I say this on behalf of the skateboard community:
I sincerely hope you’re democratically replaced with people that have a clue as to what your kids so obviously need. I understand that you see skateboarding as a problem, but by turning your kids into criminals, you’re making the problem worse. I’d recommend that you take a lesson from Mayor Foster and the Hammond City Council on the right way to respond to the needs of skaters.

Until better people take over your current elected offices, we here in Hammond will be more than happy to accept the kids you choose to demonize. Unlike the city of Gonzales, we actually know that skateboarding is a positive activity for local youth to take part in… so by all means, send them to us. Not only will our skateboard community accept them with open arms, the city of Hammond will also appreciate their contribution to our local economy (skaters have to eat and drink, y’know).

If you’re a parent or a skater old enough to vote… remember this day, and remember the city of Gonzales. Do your part to vote out the archaic cavemen they have in office and replace them with people that give a damn about the kids in their city.

Pass this article around and let everyone know… avoid Gonzales at all costs and spend your money and time in a city that actually appreciates you.

P.S.

Skateboarding is not a crime.