"Guns Save Lives" advertisements are back up on bus shelters in Phoenix after a four year legal battle. The Arizona Appeals Court ruled the city unconstitutionally applied advertising standards to the ads.
In 2010, the gun-safety advertisements were put up around Phoenix. The city found the postings didn’t follow the 2009 standards and the ads were taken down. Alan Korwin helped create the ads and challenged the city in 2011.
Korwin said this is an issue of the First Amendment right to free speech.
“This speech idea that 'I’m offended so you can’t speak or you can’t act,'" Korwin said. "If you are offended, tough noogies. That’s your problem. But now they want to use offensiveness as a reason for you not to have your freedom to be to act."
Phoenix officials said they are reviewing the decision and will not comment. Since the appeals court reversed the lower court’s decision in May, Korwin was able to put up 15 advertisements at bus shelters in July, the five that remain will stay up until November.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been modified to reflect the ads are up at bus shelters.
Updated 8/15/2014 at 9:51 a.m.