America First Republican Club

By Hope Horning

LW contributor

The America First Republican Club will host two candidates who will speak at its monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 15, in Clubhouse 3, Room 2. Social time begins at 4:30 p.m. and the meeting begins at 5.

Club members will no longer bring dinner items for alternate meeting dates. Members are asked to bring more snacks or their favorite hors d’oeuvres to share during the social time. Visitors or prospective members are always welcome.

Guest speakers are Gracey Van Der Mark, who is running for State Assembly, 72nd District, and Noah Von Blom, candidate for U.S. Congress, 42nd District. All Leisure World voters residing in these candidates’ districts, are welcome to attend the meeting.

The club’s mission is to educate, engage, and activate its members in their duty as citizens to not only vote but work to elect like-minded candidates to local, state and federal offices.

In this election year with campaign season commencing, the membership is reminded of the importance of civility in discourse with others who disagree with their political perspectives. As Get-Out-The-Vote efforts begin, folks will be going doorto- door distributing campaign literature and engaging in conversations supporting various candidates. These efforts are not considered soliciting, and every year residents are reminded that such activities are allowed in Leisure World. It is a violation of the Davis-Sterling Act to remove opposition literature from neighbors’ doors.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that door-to-door vote activities are protected political speech under the First Amendment. It is not commercial solicitation and cannot be subjected to bans, permitting,

REPUBLICAN, page 27

Gracey Van Der Mark

Noah Von Blom REPUBLICAN

from page 14

or municipal ordinances. In Leisure World, no GRF or Mutual policy can restrict these activities.

The two major political parties are setting up information booths outside of Clubhouse 6, and it is expected that civility in discourse will be the norm. Residents need to abide by the Leisure World Code of Conduct and to act in a civil, respectful manner, avoiding disruptive or threatening behavior. Inappropriate behavior will no longer be tolerated and a report will be made to Security.