Ave Maria, Florida

CNN has a story about Ave Maria, a private community based on Catholic ideals, in which shops will be barred from selling porn and doctors will not offer abortions. It’s the brainchild of Domino’s pizza founder Thomas S. Monaghan. I suspect pizza will be widely available. (Somewhere in the back of my mind: “In Domino’s Factory, et Cheesy, et Spearmint Ice Tea, 15 minutes.”)

A rep from the ACLU suggests that this is unconstitutional, but I’m not entirely sure how that would work. If it really is a privately held community, it seems to me that they have a lot of power in controlling what happens on their own property. I suspect they couldn’t stop doctors from performing abortions as house-calls (nor pagan rituals in the home), but CC&Rs can be pretty restrictive.

A big part of me loves the idea of city-states and intentional communities, and so I would be disappointed to see this stopped. As long as people can leave (and go to Sin City, which will inevitably open up nearby), I think this would be great. (Via Jess.)

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7 Comments

  1. Posted 3/3/2006 at 1:48 pm | Permalink

    Not that I like Neil Stephenson, but he can at least say “I told you so!” I’ll move to Mr Lee’s. How about you?

  2. Jerry
    Posted 3/16/2006 at 4:11 pm | Permalink

    I could agree with the ACLU and all the rest who are a little concerned about the religious overtones if the government or anyone was holding a gun to your head and forcing you to move there or even visit.. Best advice.. get a life. And as for the All Communist Liberals Union…no hope for them. They should be forced to live in their idea of utopia (USSR)

  3. Posted 3/16/2006 at 4:21 pm | Permalink

    Um, I don’t think they would dig the USSR. They aren’t really into authoritarian regimes. That is why they fight against things like government detainment, warrantless searches, torture, free speech “zones,” etc.

    That the US feels increasingly like the Eastern Block has nothing to do with the ACLU, it has to do with conservatives who are not–strangely–very conservative.

  4. Anonymous
    Posted 3/17/2006 at 4:42 pm | Permalink

    when can I move in. sounds safe and great. you mean no sex slavery trade–great!

  5. Walter Dutton
    Posted 3/30/2006 at 7:03 am | Permalink

    Our society and hope for our youth in America is deteriorating. A town like Ave Maria is a breath of fresh air and hope. I mean just turn on MTV or listen to gansta rap music (which I hope one day will just go away)and video games our kids sit in front of for hours and hours. What is going to happen to these kids when they become adults? I have to say as a new parent I am concerned.

  6. Posted 3/30/2006 at 9:07 am | Permalink

    Not to mention the rock-and-roll and those new-fangled radio boxes. We know what that did to the last generation: total f*-ups. Looks like we’re in for it again.

  7. Posted 6/15/2007 at 10:25 pm | Permalink

    videos of the entire community can be found here http://www.naplesdailyphotos.com

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