Sometime back, in 2009, when the leader of the recall effort against Councilperson Jacquelyn Thompson decided to bring a video camera into the council committee room and film (which was and is a right) I saw how its use was skewed to favor the viewpoint of the one doing the filming, to their own ends. The committee room is where things are discussed amongst each other in regard to issues/problems in the city and the legislation that accompanies them. To that end, I believe a little political space is needed in order to accomplish that goal and yet, on the other hand, everyone there should be able to exert political courage and say what they must, regardless of the camera’s presence. It is really in the hands of the person filming/reporting on things to use a modicum of reason, sense and restraint in the use of what they film, for the sake of our legislative body’s ability to discuss freely what they must for the benefit of the city itself. I don’t believe this restraint was shown, at least insofar as Jacquelyn Thompson and Leslie LaCorte were concerned, because restraint didn’t serve the needs of those leading the effort to recall Councilperson Thompson. It is evident in video titles like, ‘How many Chihuahuas = 1 Great Dane???’, ‘I’m NOT pulling my legislation!!!’ and ‘”Show it to me BOB!”‘

https://www.youtube.com/user/cjot1/videos

Therefore, in the 9 years I’ve been going to city council meetings, while I could’ve taken a camera into the committee room, it was something I didn’t really want to do, for all the above-mentioned reasons. I felt it was corrosive to the process, putting a chilling effect on our elected leaders to do, and say, what they must to get the job done. Then came the March 6th meeting where I expressed concerns regarding the legislation which had to do with peddlers and solicitors. Seen here…

https://youtu.be/Z5shmtwa8zg (starting at 1:04:50)

I made a strong argument for my position which also included questions and concerns, those which weren’t addressed by my representatives on council. That which is well reported on in this blogpost:

https://votedixon.com/2018/03/21/the-bullsht-of-our-whitehall-city-council/

Ultimately my questions and concerns, which included concerns regarding our U.S. Constitution, were not addressed or answered in public for myself and the rest of the citizens to hear. That was the straw that broke this camel’s back. Despite my meritorious and rightful criticism, they still owe the citizens answers to their concerns and questions. It says a great deal about them that they withhold it because this citizen says things they don’t like. Their duty isn’t reliant on what level the electorate praises them or how often they turn a blind eye to their behavior, it is reliant only on their obligation they entered into with free will, that which they owe the people 100% of the time, not just when it suits them. So, sadly, all those years I believed that if I did my duty and went to them with issues, questions and concerns that they would respond in the professional manner their offices required but, it apparently was nothing more than a fool’s game on my part. I, one of the very few people who has his eye on them, sees, knows and publicly reports on their actions and behaviors, is the one person they disrespectfully swat away with impunity. Well, I’ve had it. I have done what I’m supposed to do as an American citizen, by the book. I spoke at council meetings, I protested on street corners, I wrote letters to my government representatives and offices and I’ve sent letters to the editor. All the normal avenues for citizens to ‘petition their government for a redress of grievances’ (as enshrined in our 1st Amendment!) I have respected and honored. It is they then who have not honored their positions and offices and obligation to citizens, all of them, even the critical ones.

So then it is that they simply don’t deserve that consideration I gave them for 9 years. My being considerate of the processes which they willfully ignore and disrespect through their silence, is over. That is why the camera was brought into the committee room. They want silence from both themselves and citizens, for their political aspirations. They don’t respect the citizens rights they’re supposed to be honoring, so then it is they, and they alone, who have furthered this situation. It is they themselves then who have forced the camera into their committee space and they have no one but themselves to blame for it. The memes, the rightfully angrier tone, the move to parody, whatever it may now be, is their doing, that and the sleeping citizen who doesn’t hear the alarm clock going off. This is my hometown, these people, too many of and too often, have hijacked it. They don’t work for you, they work for themselves and as long as not too many people make a fuss and what you speak up about is favorable to them or in line with their ‘visions’, then you will be in like Flynn. Call them out, speak out publicly about their  wrongful behavior and you are persona non grata.