06.04.18- The NOT TO TICK OFF list
Of the list of people it would be a bad idea to tick off; I would think the one about to insert a needle into your arm would be near the top!
I donate blood regularly. I did so again over last weekend. The blood bus (do we call it Blood Mobile here?) was in my neighborhood and the stop was convenient to my weekend errands.
I was second on this particular day. The lady in front of me was a few minutes ahead in the process when I took my position on a donating station facing away from her.
Suddenly I hear some charged words and she requests another tech to handle sticking her. I started thinking to myself, “how smart was that?”
He complied and did an outstanding job starting my donation. Did I mention that she passed out or something when her donation was about over?
See? I told you that was the wrong guy to tick off!
06.05.18- To Be Self-evident
Rights: the foundation of the United States and, as the Declaration of Independence states, governments are instituted to preserve them.
Where did we lose our way on this basic principle? Wherever we lost that way, the United States Supreme Court put us back on the path of righteousness with Monday’s decision in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case.
In a 7-2 vote the court affirmed the baker’s right to refuse to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple based upon his sincere religious conviction.
It would seem a quick reading of the first amendment would have been all anyone needed to settle this. Apparently this was not the case.
But, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends…it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it.
I’m glad so far it hasn’t come to that.
06.06.18- EGAD! Free Speech Isn’t!
While we all have freedom of speech, it most certainly isn’t free and censoring it is downright expensive!
The Melbourne Eau Gallie Art District mural is back in play and we heard from the initial complaining store owner on Wednesday’s BML. She spoke out against the Matt Gondek “explosive art” mural across from her store on Eau Gallie Boulevard.
Then the social media art fans got active and her highly rated store was publicly trashed in ratings and comments on line. Free speech isn’t free from repercussions.
The city is paying attorney Michael Kahn up to $10 grand to fright the mural’s approval and have it removed. Fighting free speech is expensive.
If the city does this, they should also just dump the idea of the art district at all. Art can be, maybe should be, controversial. And if it’s not obscene let freedom ring…or sting your eyes.
If liking art is the criteria, nothing is safe from the whims of government.
06.07.18- THE VENGEANCE BOARD
The thought police are alive and well and their targets are our police officers and other public servants.
Our example comes from Orlando (the one with the REAL Orlando airport) and it’s from the Police Citizen’s Review Board.
An Orlando officer last year reportedly commented on social media that the kneeling NFL football players were “overpaid thugs.” The cop was suspended without pay and now the Review Board wants him fired!
Wait just a minute. What did he say that was deserving of termination? For that matter what was deserving of suspension? I would submit to you that nothing was.
His was an opinion on a social issue, that’s it. The Review Board disagrees. So be it. It has no impact on his job or how he performs it.
We don’t need the thought police after our police. For if we allow this, we will have no police officers and our thoughts are next!
06.08.18- Wasted Days and Wasted Nights
After Three and a half hours of a hearing that should have been unnecessary, Melbourne’s Planning and Zoning Board upheld previous decisions of the Historic and Architectural Review Board in allowing Matt Gondek’s “explosive art” mural on Eau Gallie Boulevard.
The 6-1 decision settles the issue unless city council would like to take the matter into the courts. That would be an immensely stupid move. We have already wasted a lot of time and money to get to this point. Either have the art district or don’t.
The thing that needs to be addressed is the process. It took three and a half hours because the public meeting required that the public be heard on the issue, but that the comments could not be considered. What a waste!
Council should refine this process, make it clear and simple and leave the issues of art to the artsy and the issues of beauty to the beholder.