by Annette M. Gould, Publisher, The Watts Bar Lake Observer
posted April 18, 2004
Let me be perfectly clear. THE MEDIA IS NOT lying, BUT THE Rhea County Commission is.
The transcript of the recording of the Rhea County Commission's March 16 meeting is perfectly clear. They voted to ban homosexuals in Rhea County. They did not vote to back a state move to ban homosexual marriages. They were completely sure of what the issue was and THEY LAUGHED after they did it.
Their own words are choking them no matter what spin they try to adopt.
In this issue of the Watts Bar Lake Observer I am including a copy of the petition to make them resign.
Due to the volatile nature of the petition, I am sure local merchants will be reluctant to put the petition on their counters in their businesses. I admire and support anyone who has the guts to display or sign the petition and exercise their American right of choice. There is nothing more patriotic.
At the RC Commission workshop on Tuesday, a brave local resident read a statement calling for the resignations. It is also included in this issue. It met with no comment from the commission. They also did not look her in the eye.
Following the meeting the former County Executive and Clerk, Jimmy Wilkey, addressed the gathering with a testimonial to the integrity of his good friends… the commission members, and said that the entire homophobic fiasco was the fault of the media, especially local ones, claiming newspapers & TV had sensationalized a non-story…a “mistake.”
“There have been mistakes in the past but this one takes the cake. The press has sensationalized the issue. These are good men!” he said. ”They are not hate-minded men. If they had followed procedure this would not have happened.”
He also admonished the commission and told them. ”You should offer the people a sincere apology, but don’t even consider resigning.”
This attempt to minimize the action of the commission and lay the blame for their ridiculous action on the media is a very old ploy of officials to blind the public to their own terrible or dangerous behavior. In this case it is truly ridiculous since their own audiotape of their action shows the facts. They did it, they meant to do it, and they actually enjoyed it.
They made the news…WE DIDN’T. The media REPORTED the issue with the facts and there was no need to embellish the story. It was terrible enough on its own.
It is pathetic that the commission still doesn’t believe the public is not buying their “Poor little me,” routine. You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube and even if you smear it around and call it “Art,” it is still toothpaste. Their claim that they did not know what they were voting on is even more pathetic than the actual vote. How reassuring that our elected officials voting on our laws don’t know what they are doing! I guess they think that makes it all better. Somebody is stupid here and it’s not the public.
After the meeting and his attack on the media, I asked Mr. Wilkey if he had listened to the audio-tape or read the transcript of their words before making his statement about “These good men.”
He told me that he had not and had only heard the ten second sound bytes on TV. I was surprised to hear that because I have known Mr. Wilkey for more than 25 years, voted for him several times during his 32 years in office, and didn’t realize he would jump onto a sinking ship without knowing the actual facts.
I was also surprised that he or anyone else could believe this worldwide black mark on our community could be erased with a simple apology.
At this point, nearly a month after the homophobic vote to ban gays in Rhea County, an apology is way too little, way too late. The commission continues to lie and claim they made a “Mistake.” The only mistakes they are making is assuming the public is stupid, that this will all just go away, and that they have not had the class to get out so our community can begin to heal. They are stubbornly continuing to drag us through the mud with them. Of course, during their campaigns they all said they wanted what was best for Rhea County.
It appears the only thing the commissioners are sorry for is that they got caught wallowing in homophobia and trying to impose their personal morality and paranoid sexual views on the entire community.
The commission is elected to handle the BUSINESS of the county, like how much gravel to buy, or budgeting issues, not community moral or religious beliefs. What goes on between consenting adults in the privacy of their bedrooms is not the business of elected officials or anyone else. Running other’s sex lives is not in their job description.
What’s next? Ban all fat people? Ban single women or make them wear veils? Ban people with hair color that is not blonde or eyes that are not blue? (I believe Hitler did that!) Ban anyone who does not attend his or her own particular church? Sounds chillingly like Saddam or Iotella Homeni or Milosovich. When government begins banning those they disagree with, everyone is in peril.
The true measure of a man is his ability to admit when he is wrong with grace and dignity. These apparent homophobes do NOT represent the good-hearted people of this county.
If left in office they WILL do it again. They need to be stopped…NOW.
There will always be someone who wants to force everyone else to do things their way…some who are convinced theirs is the only way. That’s why our founding fathers left England when the King tried to force everyone to have only HIS religion. They made sure that would not happen again when writing our constitution. There’s a reason for the separation of church and state. Only those who want to take your freedom for their own purposes deny that.
I strongly urge everyone to sign the ouster petition. I am going to. I have never before taken a public political position or signed a petition. I will this time because I truly believe the actions of this commission are real threat to our freedom and privacy and right to be American.
I say to Fugate, Raper and the rest of the commission, “BE GONE! Before you do any more damage to our economic and personal lifestyles. Apologizing is not enough. I don’t trust any of you to fairly conduct the BUSINESS of Rhea County or to represent our citizen’s rights in any capacity.”
The action of the commission has insulted and damaged the good people and the economy of our home. They don’t regret their action, except for being caught, and continue to lie and whine
VOTERS BEWARE! There’s a much bigger threat here than having a gay person move in. The next time someone asks for your vote maybe your questions should be, “Are you homophobic? Do you hate dogs…or women …or children? Do you think you have any right to nose into anyone’s bedroom? Are you a BIGOT? Do you think Hitler or Saddam were right?” Then vote accordingly and VERY CAREFULLY.
This entire mess is the result of folks who don’t bother to vote or run for office, and those who vote by believing whatever they are told by politicians with hidden agendas. Shame on everyone too intimidated to declare the commission is wrong even if they believe it. We don’t need liars and cowards in charge of our interests. We do need REAL viable candidates with a grasp of what it actually means to be an American.
PORTION OF TRANSCRIPT - RHEA COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 16, 2004
FUGATE: FUGATE: Number two. I called the attorney today and tried to get a way to word this and he told me I couldn’t say it the way it should be said. But what it is pertaining to is these homosexual marriages that is going on across our country. I would like to make a motion that those kind of people cannot live in Rhea County or abide in Rhea County. If they are caught in Rhea County living together as such – that they be tried for crimes against nature. BROYLES: Commissioner Varner VARNER: well, well, well RAPER: Second PATTON: I would like to call on the County Attorney to give us his thoughts on that RAPER: Yes he can do that – he sure can do that FRITTS: If you are wanting – mostly that would be a – in the criminal code and what you might recommend – make that in the form a resolution and submit to your senator and representative and see if they will propose a bill for that to go in the criminal code and word it the way it should be worded – you know RAPER: That is what he said FRITTS: I Know. But – hey he asked me and I said about the same thing – you know – put the proper wording in there RAPER: that is what he said – that is what I…I heard J.C. say FUGATE: only I couldn’t say the proper words FRITTS: Well – hey – you know – they have got more power than we have RAPER: I believe that is what J.C. said, That the county attorney prepare a resolution to bring back to the next commission meeting FUGATE: Yes, let the County Attorney prepare a proper …. VARNER: Yep FUGATE: as long as it is approved by the County Commission tonight. TUMLIN: Put in on out of here SHAVER: ….inaudible BROYLES: Handle that tomorrow SHAVER: Okay BROYLES: Ahh VARNER: Any discussion RAPER: All in favor – aye BROYLES: To bring it back to the next commission meeting or …. PATTON: I didn’t really say – but I am not sure Gary but isn’t this something that the state will have to act on before the county can act on – what I am thinking this a state…. FUGATE: You mean we can’t adopt a private act FRITTS: You would have to submit it to them and see if they would – you can have a private act that has got certain things to it – but mostly anything that’s got like an ordinance – you know – that has criminal punishment or penalties – has got to be passed two times by the county – usually what you are adopting is adopting something state law – administered on a local level. Most private acts – they are more administrative in nature – they are not criminal. Private acts are usually an exception to the general law where local are mostly administrative things. FUGATE: Since we don’t have the power that God had – like he took care of Sodom Gomorrah for that stuff – uhhh. BROYLES: So we have a motion and a second VARNER: He is over there thinking real hard ain’t he BROYLES: Madam Clerk – roll call
VOTE: AYE: Broyles, Davis, Fisher, Fugate, Raper, Tallent, Tumlin, Varner NAY: None ABSENT: Barnes
Annette M. Gould, Publisher, The Watts Bar Lake Observer community newspaper, Spring City, TN
queenmum141@hotmail.com
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