Philly Jesus Fights for First Amendment Rights

Michael Grant

Michael Grant (A.K.A. Philly Jesus) is somewhat of a local celebrity in the city of Philadelphia. Grant dresses up as Jesus of Nazareth and preaches to those around him; he has made appearances at numerous city events, parades, and is seen wandering the streets. In the past, Grant has been the subject of controversy.  Prior to his reputation as Philly Jesus, Grant was a Heroin addict. Since he began his so-called preaching career, he has been accused of homophobia and was arrested in 2016 for defiant trespass and disorderly conduct when he refused to leave an Apple store.
Now, in 2020, Grant is back in the headlines and is once again having difficulties with police.
However, this time is a little different. Instead of facing charges, Grant is trying to charge the city of Philadelphia with violating his First, Fourth, and Fourteenth amendment rights. 

On December 21, 2020, Philly Jesus was preaching outside of city hall while holding a sign that read "If you die, are you going to Heaven? Find out here". He also had a basket for donations to his cause. Grant claims that police approached him and told him to "stop preaching".  Grant says that when he refused to stop, two police officers "dragged" him across the street, put him in handcuffs, and issued him a citation for "failure to disperse".  Philly Jesus claims that his First Amendment rights were violated when police officers limited his speech in a public space. 

If Grant's version of the story is accurate, then the officers were definitely guilty of violating his First Amendment rights. Grant claims that he was expressing himself in a peaceful manner in a public forum; there is no reason why this should not be allowed. However, I can't help but wonder if there is more to the story.  There has been public outcry over police actions in the past several years, but I think that it is important for us not to automatically assume that the police officers are in the wrong. I think that the incident needs to be further investigated before a decision is made in the case. 


An Article on Michael Grant's Lawsuit

Information on Michael Grant's Previous Arrests

EOTO Technology: The Typewriter and the Working Woman

Christopher Latham Sholes first developed the idea of the typewriter in 1867, but it wouldn't be until 1874 that the original typewriter would hit the market. Sholes partnered with E. Remington and Sons to manufacture the first typewriter, the Remington. The first model lacked a shift-key mechanism and was therefore only able to type capital letters. By 1878, the typewriter had developed to include a shift-key function and was able to type capital and lowercase letters as a result. Certain features of the original typewriters are seen in more modern technology. The keyboard of the first typewriters had the characters arranged in a nearly identical way to how they are positioned on our modern laptops and computers.

To many of us today, the typewriter may seem like an outdated and useless device. While the typewriter is no longer used in everyday life, it has had a profound impact on communications' culture. The advent of the typewriter led to an overall rise of professionalism. The typewriter led to a standard communication system; typed papers were far easier to read than those written in various penmanships. As a result, there was an increase in document legibility. The typewriter also increased the efficiency of writing; typing was faster and appeared more professional than handwriting.

Additionally, the typewriter led to a rise in administrative work. The ability to type became a trained skill and a professional commodity. As a result, more women entered the workforce as assistants and secretaries. In one sense this was a step in the right direction. The typewriter gave women an opportunity to work without the pressures of manual labor or factory work; women were able to work alongside men in a professional setting. Secretaries became common in the workplace and were especially valued for the number of the words that they could type a minute. However, secretaries were also valued for something other than their typing ability.

Women who took on administrative roles were typically seen as objects of desire who were valued for their sexuality. Secretaries were frequently painted as sexy women who had semi-romantic relationships with their bosses. I have personally seen several older films in which the secretary was depicted as nothing more than a typewriter with legs. The idea of the "office wife" began to emerge in American culture. Secretaries were seen as office wives meant to serve their office husbands and cater to their every need. This reinforced the subservient image of women throughout society.

Background on the Typewriter


More Information on the Typewriter and Professionalism

Details on the Typewriter's Connection to Gender

An In-depth Look at Women in the Workplace