Lots of things happened at Thursday night’s Danville City Council meeting. Let’s think randomly about the bizarre night…
Let’s pull out a Big Board.
- The Confederate flag isn’t moving from the museum grounds… for now. This issue will resurface sooner or later.
- The flag supporters did not win the decision based of the merits of their argument. They won because of a legal technicality.
- If you’re not from Danville, your opinion about a Danville-centric issue isn’t going to carry as much weight as a Danville resident’s will.
- The Civil War, slavery, discrimination from the 1960’s and the lack of black characters in Disney movies have nothing to do with the flag issue.
- If you’re going to address City Council, talk to City Council. Don’t make your presentation to the audience because they’re not voting.
- If you’re going to address City Council, wear at least a nice golf shirt or more. Clothes make the presenter. Your image can either strengthen or destroy your point.
- If you’re going to address City Council, don’t wear a hat. Especially don’t wear a Confederate soldier’s hat.
- The people who raised their Confederate flags when flag opponents were speaking were jerks.
- A three-minute time limit for speakers works great when it doesn’t look like it was pulled out of your ass for one specific floor debate.
- A three-minute time limit for speakers works great when somebody actually enforces that three-minute time limit for speakers.
- Buddy Rawley doesn’t take ████ from anybody.
- Someday, James Buckner will say more than “Yes” or “No” during a council business meeting. Heh.
- Deputy City Manager Ken Larking hasn’t said anything during a council meeting in the last two months, though.
- Larry Campbell went rogue last night. His idea to go against the city attorney’s advice caught everybody off guard.
- Larry Campbell’s idea was a bad idea.
- Why did Sherman Saunders go along with Campbell’s idea in a failed effort? For the first time in a long while, Saunders actually weighed in on a floor debate (although with a meaningless “This is a no-win vote” remark). He offered no explanation on why he thought there should be an up/down vote on the flag.
- I think there was enough votes on council last night to take the flag down if that had been an option with no potential legal consequences.
- Where was Tola Adamson & WSET for this meeting? WDBJ, WSLS & WGSR all had cameras there.
- If you’re going to leave the council chambers after your topic of interest has been discussed (and doing that is bad form), do it quietly. Don’t hang out in the echo chamber hallway and talk loudly.
- It’s sad enough that one police officer is always on duty during the city council meetings, but I can understand that. Last night, we had two additional officers there.
- Sadly, people on both sides of the flag issue made threats against council members.
- I fully expected a recess after the flag issue was decided. That didn’t happen but the meeting turned into a Speed Round after that.
- I felt sorry for Angela Fowler. She had a very nice presentation and it was totally overshadowed by the flag issue.
- Danville’s Emergency Response Plan is over 500 pages long. Is there any surprise that plan is required by the federal government?
And that’s some RandomThoughts about the meeting. Or was that a BreakDown? Ah, we’ll call it RandomThoughts!
More coming up on SouthsideCentral!
I agree with every point mentioned above Bruce, except the notion that the flag issue has nothing to do with slavery, discrimination, and so forth. As a responsible minded black citizen, how can I possibly visit the Sutherlin Museum with a Confederate flag prominently flying outside its doors. Having said that, I also realize nothing I say will give you no more insight as to why every black citizen in the city of Danville cringe at the very sight of it. So if I’m compelled to see it from a distance while driving along Main Street, so be it. But know also I would never, not ever, sat foot inside while such a symbol of inherent racism and blatant bigotry greeting me. So, I’ll just go on about my business, while never visiting the museum due to reasons mentioned here. Further, although that defeats the purpose of a museum attracting citizenry of all races, I sure some of the citizens will get great pleasure in saluting it everyday.
PS… I had sworn to stay out of this, however, by saying nothing, and doing nothing is too bitter a pill to ignore. And just think… every black citizen in Danville, all 21,000 of us, have these feelings, all while harboring a slow simmering inner rage.
More veiled threats from the militant-wing of the black community. Nice.
Help me understand, what is the difference between being inside or outside, on a monument or on a wall or in a display case, in an exhibit about the history or on a monument about the history?
That goes equally for everyone, doesn’t it? It’s either important or it isn’t.
I’m just curious as to what Jerome thought of history books and lessons concerning this period of history. There are many symbols of historical times. There are even some that started off good, but didn’t end up so good (ie: swastika). Although I agree it should not necessarily be flying outside, it is a part of history and should be enclosed in a display inside. Some history IS offensive …. but the only way to change offences of the past is to learn and grow. Why would anyone want to simmer in anger? That’s heartbreaking =/