Trump may (or may not) want to sell GNV’s federal courthouse.
I say may (or may not) because the building briefly popped up on a list of “non core” federal properties to be disposed of. But then the entire list vanished almost as soon as it had appeared.
But if the courthouse is to be auctioned off, I object! It’s a historic building, for goodness sakes. On at least two counts.
First, when it was built, in 1965, it made history by becoming downtown’s ugliest structure. (not sure if you’d call it brutalist or maybe Soviet-era architecture). That it replaced the beautiful, multi-columned, Athenian-style courthouse that now houses The Hipp, only added insult to injury.
Second, more important history was made in the new fed courthouse 50 years ago.
That’s when an enlightened GNV jury decided that the Nixon Administration was full of crap and quickly acquitted the so-called Gainesville Eight of plotting to disrupt the Republican National Convention in Miami.
It was historic because good and true GNV citizens stood up to the Tricky Dick gang and said “not today pal.”
Listen, all of the Nixon-era conspiracy trials were intended to discourage Americans from protesting the Vietnam War. The charges against the G-8 were bogus and the jury said so.
It was a GNV affirmation of the First Amendment.
Hell, they ought to put a plaque on it to celebrate First Amendment champions Scott Camil and the rest of his co-defendants.
Come to think on it, no wonder Trump wants to sell it.
FreeGNV 