Process Matters, Redux
Boorishness is not usually the norm for Harvest Homecoming in Floyd County. At least that’s what folks tell me. You see, this was my first Harvest Homecoming parade, and I found it inspiring.
Perhaps as the years pass I’ll become jaded about such things, but I cherish this first exposure to our community coming together for this one day, putting aside our differences to celebrate our common dreams.
Even though I’ve only been a New Albanian for a while, I found myself waving to friends in most of the marching groups and floats. It gave me a great feeling to see so many people having a great time. The kids in our group seemed thrilled to join with the grownups in such unalloyed fun.
For the most part, the brutishness and thuggery that has so marred the prospects for progress in Floyd County’s seat were set aside, if only for a day.
Yet, reports continue to filter in that some city residents, conditioned to the generation of random objections, saw in this unifying event an opportunity to pollute the atmosphere with personal animosity toward those with whom they purport to disagree.
Mayor James Garner and his lovely family rode near the head of the parade, beaming and smiling and waving at all the folks gathered along the route. The hate-filled few apparently thought this would be an appropriate time to curse and yell epithets of abuse, and to lift on high their objections to Garner’s attempts to clean up New Albany and to clean up city government.
Some have raised the point that these actions were unlawful. Far worse, they were boorish and rude. Fortunately, the only ones whose enjoyment of the event was damaged were the boors themselves.
While I would argue that it was stupendously inappropriate to inject personal animosity into such and event, political dissent has a long tradition in America. But these mannerless, cave-dwelling troglodytes forget the overarching principle of civil disobedience.
It’s true that an assembly on public property, particularly a political demonstration, requires a permit from the relevant government agency. There is no doubt, despite the paucity of numbers, that this was not spontaneous, and less doubt that it was politically motivated. Therefore, a permit should have been sought.
The principles of civil disobedience dictate that those who wish to defy governmental authority must be willing (nay, eager) to pay the consequences. That is, they must be prepared to go to jail.
Get the permit or not. But if you do not, be prepared to go to jail.
Yes, those are legalisms. And for Saturday’s events, a resort to legalisms is not the right path. Yes, it was unlawful. But mostly, it was inexcusably rude.
But then, isn't that the hallmark of all those who hide in the bushes and launch anonymous diatribes, of all those who refuse to be accountable themselves? Why would they make any efforts to be accountable to their fellow citizens?
Perhaps as the years pass I’ll become jaded about such things, but I cherish this first exposure to our community coming together for this one day, putting aside our differences to celebrate our common dreams.
Even though I’ve only been a New Albanian for a while, I found myself waving to friends in most of the marching groups and floats. It gave me a great feeling to see so many people having a great time. The kids in our group seemed thrilled to join with the grownups in such unalloyed fun.
For the most part, the brutishness and thuggery that has so marred the prospects for progress in Floyd County’s seat were set aside, if only for a day.
Yet, reports continue to filter in that some city residents, conditioned to the generation of random objections, saw in this unifying event an opportunity to pollute the atmosphere with personal animosity toward those with whom they purport to disagree.
Mayor James Garner and his lovely family rode near the head of the parade, beaming and smiling and waving at all the folks gathered along the route. The hate-filled few apparently thought this would be an appropriate time to curse and yell epithets of abuse, and to lift on high their objections to Garner’s attempts to clean up New Albany and to clean up city government.
Some have raised the point that these actions were unlawful. Far worse, they were boorish and rude. Fortunately, the only ones whose enjoyment of the event was damaged were the boors themselves.
While I would argue that it was stupendously inappropriate to inject personal animosity into such and event, political dissent has a long tradition in America. But these mannerless, cave-dwelling troglodytes forget the overarching principle of civil disobedience.
It’s true that an assembly on public property, particularly a political demonstration, requires a permit from the relevant government agency. There is no doubt, despite the paucity of numbers, that this was not spontaneous, and less doubt that it was politically motivated. Therefore, a permit should have been sought.
The principles of civil disobedience dictate that those who wish to defy governmental authority must be willing (nay, eager) to pay the consequences. That is, they must be prepared to go to jail.
Get the permit or not. But if you do not, be prepared to go to jail.
Yes, those are legalisms. And for Saturday’s events, a resort to legalisms is not the right path. Yes, it was unlawful. But mostly, it was inexcusably rude.
But then, isn't that the hallmark of all those who hide in the bushes and launch anonymous diatribes, of all those who refuse to be accountable themselves? Why would they make any efforts to be accountable to their fellow citizens?
posted by All4Word at 6:55 PM
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