I generally don’t blog on the weekend but while working on one subject; another subject matter was brought to my attention. I was researching some information about having individuals put out of board meetings. At the last board meeting, a resident had some questions and after Kent Crider whispered in his ear, Mayor Ben Winston threatened to have the person removed, forcibly, by the Chief of Police. I have searched high and low and could not find a legal justification for having a person put out of a public board meeting for expressing their freedom of speech. I was so concerned about this matter that I actually contacted the ACLU and gave them an overview of what happened. After speaking with a representative, I was told that a person cannot be put out of a board meeting for talking. I was informed that a person can be removed from a meeting for threats and acts of violence; not freedom of speech. It would behoove Mayor Winston to ask that residents attending the board meeting follow the protocol but when he run a board meeting where he allow certain individuals to speak whenever they please and others are required to raise their hands and essentially ask “Mayor, May I?”; there’s a tendency for others to disregard the arbitrary methods employed when addressing the board. However, I do have the information noted and I actually have a representative that has documentation of what happened and was told that they would love to file a case on behalf of anyone that is forcibly removed from a meeting for talking. So, if Mayor Winston wants the board meeting to have order, then he too must realize that EVERYTHING must be done in decency and order; and that includes the Mayor, the board of alderpersons and his selected set of supporters that seemingly have carte blanche when it comes to making statements throughout the meetings.
Another incident that was being investigated was the fact that Mayor Winston has banned the celebration of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas on city properties. I heard this rumor over a month ago, but I guess he finally decided to send down his proclamation. I drove past city hall and noticed all the Halloween decals had been removed. So, I was wondering, when did this ordinance pass? I know Ben, excuse me, Mayor Winston, is feeling his oats because he finally secured his three pocket votes on the board (McGraw, Crider and Dukes). But he must realize that the only authority he has is what he is given by the board and I do not recall anything on last month’s agenda about the banishment of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations/celebrations? Since he is becoming the dictator of what is done in the City of Lumberton, will the employees have Holiday pay for Thanksgiving and Christmas? If they are not permitted to put up decorations, I am quite certain they will not be getting a Thanksgiving Turkey or Christmas Ham. If he does not want to celebrate those holidays, that’s all good, but how in the two empty industrial parks are you going to demand the cessation of the celebration of holidays that have been on the calendar for eons. I don’t celebrate Halloween but that does not give me the right to stop others for celebrations. In actuality, the manner in which all holidays are celebrated, there is something that could be traced back to a Pagan tradition, but I am certain people are not thinking of that when they are out asking for candy, setting the table for Thanksgiving, putting up the Christmas trees or when dying eggs for Easter (or what is now being referred to as Resurrection Sunday). Most of the Pagan traditions have been replaced with other methods of celebrating the holidays. For instance, most churches still pass out Easter eggs but the tradition of the dying of eggs stemmed from a fertility ritual. However, that hasn’t stopped people from dying eggs. I am feeling some kind of way when I discovered that these innocent celebrations have been banished in a city that has very little left to celebrate. If you want to ban the celebration in your home and in your church, that is your call, but to ban the celebration of these holidays for an entire city is overstepping the guidelines of your duties and responsibilities. Hopefully, he will reconsider his actions and realize that he was not elected to serve as the Pastor of Lumberton, he was elected to serve as Mayor of Lumberton. FYI, at last month’s board meeting, the hours for trick or treating was set for October 31, 2013 from 5:30 p.m. -8:00 p.m.
I generally don’t blog on the weekend but while working on one subject; another subject matter was brought to my attention. I was researching some information about having individuals put out of board meetings. At the last board meeting, a resident had some questions and after Kent Crider whispered in his ear, Mayor Ben Winston threatened to have the person removed, forcibly, by the Chief of Police. I have searched high and low and could not find a legal justification for having a person put out of a public board meeting for expressing their freedom of speech. I was so concerned about this matter that I actually contacted the ACLU and gave them an overview of what happened. After speaking with a representative, I was told that a person cannot be put out of a board meeting for talking. I was informed that a person can be removed from a meeting for threats and acts of violence; not freedom of speech. It would behoove Mayor Winston to ask that residents attending the board meeting follow the protocol but when he run a board meeting where he allow certain individuals to speak whenever they please and others are required to raise their hands and essentially ask “Mayor, May I?”; there’s a tendency for others to disregard the arbitrary methods employed when addressing the board. However, I do have the information noted and I actually have a representative that has documentation of what happened and was told that they would love to file a case on behalf of anyone that is forcibly removed from a meeting for talking. So, if Mayor Winston wants the board meeting to have order, then he too must realize that EVERYTHING must be done in decency and order; and that includes the Mayor, the board of alderpersons and his selected set of supporters that seemingly have carte blanche when it comes to making statements throughout the meetings.
Another incident that was being investigated was the fact that Mayor Winston has banned the celebration of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas on city properties. I heard this rumor over a month ago, but I guess he finally decided to send down his proclamation. I drove past city hall and noticed all the Halloween decals had been removed. So, I was wondering, when did this ordinance pass? I know Ben, excuse me, Mayor Winston, is feeling his oats because he finally secured his three pocket votes on the board (McGraw, Crider and Dukes). But he must realize that the only authority he has is what he is given by the board and I do not recall anything on last month’s agenda about the banishment of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations/celebrations? Since he is becoming the dictator of what is done in the City of Lumberton, will the employees have Holiday pay for Thanksgiving and Christmas? If they are not permitted to put up decorations, I am quite certain they will not be getting a Thanksgiving Turkey or Christmas Ham. If he does not want to celebrate those holidays, that’s all good, but how in the two empty industrial parks are you going to demand the cessation of the celebration of holidays that have been on the calendar for eons. I don’t celebrate Halloween but that does not give me the right to stop others for celebrations. In actuality, the manner in which all holidays are celebrated, there is something that could be traced back to a Pagan tradition, but I am certain people are not thinking of that when they are out asking for candy, setting the table for Thanksgiving, putting up the Christmas trees or when dying eggs for Easter (or what is now being referred to as Resurrection Sunday). Most of the Pagan traditions have been replaced with other methods of celebrating the holidays. For instance, most churches still pass out Easter eggs but the tradition of the dying of eggs stemmed from a fertility ritual. However, that hasn’t stopped people from dying eggs. I am feeling some kind of way when I discovered that these innocent celebrations have been banished in a city that has very little left to celebrate. If you want to ban the celebration in your home and in your church, that is your call, but to ban the celebration of these holidays for an entire city is overstepping the guidelines of your duties and responsibilities. Hopefully, he will reconsider his actions and realize that he was not elected to serve as the Pastor of Lumberton, he was elected to serve as Mayor of Lumberton. FYI, at last month’s board meeting, the hours for trick or treating was set for October 31, 2013 from 5:30 p.m. -8:00 p.m.
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