I must commend the Asheville Tribune’s handling of the last meeting of Asheville City Council. That was the meeting where a large number of people showed up to comment on a number of things related to a topic not on the formal agenda. Sure, they were a motley crew. Some had ties to the local coven, some were big advocates of pot. But they all came to advocate for civil rights. That’s good isn’t it?
Well, yes, except in those new, politically-incorrect scenarios where granny gets mauled and the mustachioed, gun-toting dudes shouting anti-American phrases scramble onto the plane. I don’t know what the underlying theme was at the last meeting. My notes from the meeting are still chilling on the desk as I don’t touch the issue lest I fall into a trap. The Trib people, instead of writing about the commentary, resurrected a letter almost a year old.
From the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, it reminded Asheville’s mayor and city council that a previous letter had warned them against adopting the civil rights ordinance that had been proposed by Cecil Bothwell. It was adopted without regard to the warning. The PBA said police officers must obey state and local laws that require criminal profiling. The city did not have the authority to override state and federal law. Worse, armed protectors of public peace who must be able to make split-second, life-and-death decisions, do not need to be put in the position of trying to sort out which contradictory law they need to be obeying at the moment.
