Bernard P. Fife was a lawman. He wore a badge—issued to him by Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry. On the lot where they shot "The Andy Griffith Show," Barney Fife was a lawman—so long as the cameras were rolling, he was acting within the script, and all the other actors stayed in character. In other words, he was a fictional lawman. Barney Fife also is the first example of whom people think of an overly-zealous, authoritative person who should not have even one bullet on his person.  

   When I was told there would be Super Bowl® police dispatched in this City, I was more alarmed than amused. First, I wanted to find out if it was true. I thought maybe the National Football League®, a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation, had hired a bunch of rent-a-cops to work security. There are personnel who work as rent-a-cops—officers for private security firms—who, I shall presume, are well-trained and competent. Indiana Code 5-2-1-9 sets forth minimum requirements for training for a law enforcement officer.

   Actually, I was told by a Marion County deputy that officers have been offered the opportunity to buy commemorative Super Bowl® badges for seventy bucks.

   So far as I can tell, the NFL® has not hired anyone. That makes sense. The costs of the Super Bowl® are being borne by the taxpayers of the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, as well as the State of Indiana.

   The Department of Code Enforcement is in charge of "enforcing the civil code to improve public safety and enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Indianapolis," according to the department’s website and the statement of its director. The "civil code" essentially means fines and tickets.

   Nonetheless, we already have seen those personnel deployed to enforce the signage restrictions in place for Super Bowl® 46. One business downtown was advised it had not received a permit to place a Super Bowl®-approved sign on its premises. Zesco, a restaurant supply company downtown, was warned by inspectors to get a permit or get a ticket.

   Also, in yesterday’s blog, I was incorrect about one point. I said Chapter 986 of the Revised Code of the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, under "LDL-3-Signs," requires a Limited Duration License ("LDL") for "temporary" signs. One must apply for a license, pay a fee, and obtain the license before she or he can display a sign PLUS twenty percent (20%) of the area of the sign must include THEIR (a/k/a the NFL®/Super Bowl’s ®) official logo. That only is for the Special Event Zones of Broad Ripple, Massachusetts Avenue, and Fountain Square. Downtown, the sign must devote sixty percent (60%)—that’s right SIXTY PERCENT—of its surface area to the Super Bowl® logo.

   There’s less that half the space on the sign left for the person to place any kind of message.

   I shall repeat my message of the past several days. Saturday, January 28, 2012, at 11:00 a.m., "Civil Discourse Now" will film one or more acts of civil disobedience, defined by Black’s Law Dictionary: "A deliberate but nonviolent act of lawbreaking to call attention to a particular law or set of laws of questionable legitimacy or morality."

   The conduct will address corporate greed and oppression in its campaign to extract as much money as possible from the people of this County and State while Super Bowl® personnel try to quash free speech.

   Mark 01/28/12 on your calendars. And watch this web site. Saturday, January 21, 2012, at 11:00 a.m.

   And here I can remember the first game, between Green Bay and Kansas City. Kick-off was at 1p.m. (as I recall) and the game was kind of a novelty. It wasn’t even called "Super Bowl."®