Land of the….let’s see now, how’d that line go again?
Sorta bookends the aforementioned Eyrie outing, seems to me, albeit in a small, petty way.
MINOR QUIBBLE: Actually, that woulda been about forty-fitty years ago if you ask me. Not that you did, of course.
There’s an old saying about how you can’t fight city hall. I’ve always rejected it, in part because I’ve seen too many people do so successfully, but one has to understand that local governments can be particularly malicious when going after those who criticize it.
I, personally, had a number of suspicious run-ins with local code enforcement officers after I started taking issue with the local government here, for example.
But one woman is getting some help from FIRE after her fight with city hall got out of hand.
Legal help is reportedly on the way for an Arizona resident arrested for criticizing her city government during a public meeting last week.
On Monday, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a First Amendment advocacy group, indicated plans to sue the city of Surprise after its mayor had local activist Rebekah Massie detained for scrutinizing a city employee during the locality’s Aug. 20 City Council meeting.
“The First Amendment protects every American’s right to criticize public officials,” FIRE Attorney Conor Fitzpatrick said in a statement given to The Federalist. “The last thing people should fear when they go to a city council meeting to make their voice heard is leaving in handcuffs.”
During her testimony, Massie “questioned the city attorney’s performance and compensation,” according to The Arizona Republic, before being stopped by Mayor Skip Hall, who accused her of “attacking the city attorney personally” and violating rules governing public meetings.
Massie called the guidelines “unconstitutional” and alleged that by refusing to allow her to speak freely, Hall was “violating” her “First Amendment rights.”
Hall subsequently threatened to have Massie removed if she did not cease her criticisms. Following a short back-and-forth with Massie, Hall asked an attending police officer to remove her from the meeting.
Now, understand that Massie was clearly taking issue with the city attorney as pertains to his role as city attorney. There was no personal attack. The city is funneling a ton of money toward an attorney that Massie, as a citizen, thinks exceeds what is warranted.
When you work for a city, your pay is public and people are free to opine over that.
For Massie to be arrested because she attacked his performance as a taxpayer-paid attorney is beyond ridiculous. It’s vile.
I’m glad FIRE is coming to help her.
As am I, although I must confess myself utterly appalled that there’s any need for such assistance in the first place. Much more from Knighton at the link, every last word of which commentary is spot on.
This story is about as revolting, maddening, and beggaring of belief as it gets. Arrested, cuffed, and hauled out physically for…confronting her local-yokel overlords during the public-comment period of a public meeting, no less. More from Rob Zimmerman of Beyond The Black, a top-notch blog which has heretofore been inexplicably absent from Ye Aulde CF Blogrolle—an unpardonable lapse which will be duly addressed anon.
Today’s blacklisted American: Woman arrested in Arizona for publicly criticizing a public employee
They’re coming for you next: While making a public comment criticizing the town’s attorney at the local city council meeting for Surprise in Arizona, Rebekah Massie was ordered to either shut up or be arrested by the town’s mayor, Skip Hall, because the council does not allow citizens to make such criticisms during the public comment period.When she had the audacity to note quite correctly that she was entirely within her first amendment rights to say whatever she wanted, Hall then had her arrested.
I have embedded the video of this event below. It is egregious beyond words.
Ain’t it, though. Ain’t it just. Onwards.
As Massie states, her right to speak and say whatever she wants has been repeatedly confirmed by Supreme Court rulings. When Hall reads to the council’s rules against any such criticism during public comments, she responds, “That’s all fine and good, but that’s a violation of my first amendment rights.” When he claims she agreed to these rules she repeats, “It is unconstitutional.” His response illustrates his complete ignorance of and contempt for the law and our basic rights under the Bill of Rights, “It’s not unconstitutional.”
When still Massie refuses to be silenced Hall orders her to be removed. When she refuses to leave she is then violently arrested. Hall claimed she was resisting, but Massie later explained, she was “not resisting, my daughter is here, I don’t know what’s going on, you say I’m being detained, but I don’t know what for.”
Massie has an extremely strong case for suing Hall and the entire city council of Surprise for a lot of money. Her arrest was unnecessary for her to win and was probably a mistake on her part, but it makes no difference. The city council’s rule forbidding any criticism of any city employee is absurdly unconstitutional, and to use it to silence Massie makes Hall and that city council very liable for damages.
Zimmerman helpfully provides a photo of and contact info for the execrable thug Hall, which I heartily encourage one and all to make best use of. I will not hector you folks as to the tone, language, or politesse of any such missive, because doing so would certify me as just about the biggest fake, phony fraud (thank you, Bob Grant!) in all of human history. As CF Lifers know by now, that simply ain’t the way I roll; never has been, never gonna be.
Let Mayor Fuckface have it full blast, with both barrels and two (2) reloads of buckshot, sayeth moi. Inarguably, the bipedal rectal polyp has earned that and a whole heck of a lot worse. As have all too many power-drunk ProPols across our beleaugered land, vanity and megalomania have turned his head entirely; he’s gotten way out over the tips of his skis, and badly needs to be—nay, MUST be—put in his place, at soonest.
Around these parts, a perennial head-scratcher going all the way back to the excruciating and interminable Senate tenure of Juanny Mav McStain has been: Exactly what the actual fuck is wrong with Arizona, anydamnedway? Sad to see that the question remains every bit as germane as ever it was.
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