1) Keep your priorities in order and,

2) Know when to act without hesitation.

A Navy SEAL was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a member of the ACLU. One day he shocked the class when he came in, looked to the ceiling, and flatly stated, “God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I’ll give you exactly 15 minutes.”  The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, “Here I am God. I’m still waiting.”

It got down to the last couple of minutes when the SEAL got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold. The SEAL went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence.

The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the SEAL and asked, “What the hell is the matter with you? Why did you do that?”

The SEAL calmly replied, “God was too busy today protecting America’s soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid shit and act like an asshole. So He sent me.”

posted by tkm

In all actuality Open Town Meetings are the purest form of Democracy, and we, who reside here in Portsmouth, are unfortunate not to have this form of government. By our City Officials and the community leaders not encouraging open discussions Democracy in the city of Portsmouth is not present. The ultimate opportunity to truly educate and bring factual information to the voting community is circumvented and the chance to bring the community together for the betterment of Portsmouth is gone.

A successful Town Meeting doesn’t necessarily mean everything progresses without argument. Honest debate and discussion, sometimes emotionally so, is common. And it should be. At Town Meetings all attendees should have equal say and participation. You should have the right to speak your mind, ask questions, and even offer modifications to items on the agenda.

There is nothing more frustrating to me than City Council Meetings or Town Meeting with low attendance and which control participation and the expression of opinion. Town Meetings are where the communities should come together and develop and nurture all important decisions. With few exceptions all big financial decisions should be discussed at Town Meeting. Also, many city ordinances, prior to passage, should be discussed at Town Meeting.

We need to work together as a community to ensure the best for our city. So, get involved.

If you have any question, comments and/or would like to join in the fight for our city and our community contact:

The Concerned Citizens Group of Portsmouth and Scioto County
PO Box 1966
Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
or
Email: concernedcitizensgroup@gmail.com

posted by tkm 

I received a copy of this letter by email and thought others might like reading it. 

Fear Wins, The Public Loses,
Chamber Public Issues “Forum” Limited to Issue Proponents

written by Kevin Johnson–4-17-06 

This morning’s Portsmouth Daily Times front-page article, entitled “Issues forum set for Tuesday,” left me angered and bewildered. Has Portsmouth so become fearful of a small group of people who shout to be heard and denigrate others in their public “participation,” or of certain politicians who seem totally unaware and unconcerned about public opinion, that we now toss away, as inconvenient, one of the basic rights of Americans?

This issues “forum,” hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, is restricted to allowing only the proponents of various City ballot issues to speak. No other points of view are to be allowed. Only written (and obviously screened) questions will be allowed from the audience.

The Chamber has selected Police Chief Charles Horner to talk about a proposed Charter amendment to increase the City’s income tax by 2/10 of one percent to pay for his Drug/Major Crime Investigative Task Force, Council President Howard Baughman to discuss the two recall amendments, and Mayor Jim Kalb to discuss the referendum for repeal of the Marting’s building ordinance.

This is a charade. Each of these individuals is a recognized proponent of their particular issue. And, according to Chamber Administrator Lisa Carver, “There will be no one giving an opposing viewpoint of the issues…” Though Chamber President Bob Huff states “It is not our intention to take a position on any of the upcoming issues,” they definitely have – simply by their design of this so-called public “forum.” If it quacks, it’s a duck.

That the Chamber of Commerce and the Portsmouth Daily Times would call this meeting a “forum” is insulting. The definition of a forum, in this context, is: “a public meeting or assembly for open discussion; a meeting or part of meeting set aside for an open discussion by recognized participants on subjects of public interests.”

In 1943, after toiling night and day at his easel for seven months and losing 15 pounds, the Saturday Evening Post published his monumental Four Freedoms series. The inspirational paintings were based on postwar principles for universal rights as declared by President Roosevelt in a January 6, 1941, message to Congress:

1. Freedom of Speech
2. Freedom of Worship
3. Freedom from Want
4. Freedom from Fear

Public reaction to the Four Freedoms was overwhelming. Rockwell’s paintings touched internal chords important to free people everywhere. The government reproduced the works as posters that reinvigorated populace aid in the war effort. The Treasury Department toured the four originals to sixteen cities. Almost a million and a quarter war-strapped people appreciated them in person. The $130,000,000+ of bonds raised subsequent to the Four Freedoms was instrumental in shortening WWII.

Here in Portsmouth, however, it seems that there are those who are working hard to eliminate, for all citizens of Portsmouth, our freedom of speech and freedom from fear. Perhaps we should alter Norman Rockwell’s painting to show the gentleman with tape over his mouth. In fact, that is exactly how I will be attending this “forum”: with tape over my mouth.

“Forum/Town Meeting” – Tuesday, April 18, 2006
7-9 p.m., Scioto County Welcome Center – 342 Second Street

posted by tkm