ref: Residents chatter about the December 1 City Council meeting around Gadfly’s water cooler
Gadfly:
It is more than a fair point that council is subjective regarding length of call-in time. Malicious? I don’t think so. Favoritism? It certainly can be argued. Simple solution, council, take more care for equity AND explain that it is within the President’s purview to extend times – if in fact it is.
Having said that, LV”GN”A HAS maligned, insulted, and spread fear rather than understanding: undefined and unsupported knee-jerk classifying epithets (from shared online posters and the Gunther Walsh radio program) – “Marxist”, “Marxist Crusade”, “Radicals”, “Far Left”, “Leftist”, “Oddball”, “Indoctrinating”, “Infiltrate the government”, “Master Plan”, and “Power Grab” are manipulative, bullying, dangerous fear-mongering attempts serving to incite, suppress, and divide.
To express an opposing opinion is the Constitutional RIGHT OF ALL. Having said THAT, slander and libel — “Marxist” and the like — are crimes.
Could defunders and abolitionists put things less shockingly, i.e., “read the room” better? Of course.
So LV”GN”A and it’s supporters COULD educate themselves about and/or acknowledge the damage to our city, nation, and species of the “inter-generational trauma” of slavery, Jim Crow. and its modern legacy, IF the leadership existed among these extreme factions, entrenched in past repressive “norms.”
So our ancestors could have NOT enslaved, abused a people. Wrongs to be righted, STILL.
Yes, there is much suffering outside of our minority family. But NOT because of these brothers and sisters.
Let’s have the humility, respect, and wisdom to ASK WHY defunders and abolitionists no longer soften their complaints!
THEY have been and continue to be oppressed. LV”GN”A, in their shoes, you’ve demonstrated you would strike outwardly, in your own defense. So THEY have spoken.
To ignore the opinion and argument of another is undemocratic as Pope Francis reminded us of the golden Rule — and so much more fundamental to being truly “Good Neighbors” — in his 2015 address to the joint session of Congress*, a timely reminder and rebuke of our base, selfish, fearful, and materialistic failings.
Let’s unite to recognize our common challenge. You might find the Pope’s words are a good guide for our path forward in continued coexistence.
Greg Zahm