Pull the plug on meeting disruptions
"When the student is ready, a teacher appears." — Buddhist saying
"Class. Class? Class ... SHUT UP! Thank you." — Sister Mary Elephant, Cheech and Chong
Today's teacher is a beautiful blend of ancient and more recently expressed wisdom. We think Donna Goodwin speaks for a great many otherwise silent and respectful citizens.
See what you think.
Let’s take back our Idaho
As a 50-year resident of Kootenai County I wish to suggest some changes to our community, which is under siege.
Our citizen groups on the school and library boards, the various city councils don’t deserve to be treated this way. In fact, isn’t it their right not to have to put up with abuse? With threats? With screams? With profanity?
Please let us try to fix the problem of handling disruptions during meetings of various governmental agencies: school and library boards, city councils, to list a few.
A few simple rules should help.
- All attendees must sign in with legible name and address.
- Each attendee must sign a behavior sheet. This sheet will spell out decorum /behavior expected during the meeting. There will be no raised voices, booing, profanity. There will be no threats or bullying behavior. (Come on, you have the right to vote someone out of office without threatening/bullying).
Definition: disrupt / ( dɪsˈrʌpt) / verb (tr) to throw into turmoil or disorder (tr) to interrupt the progress of (a movement, meeting, etc.) to break or split (something) apart
- If an attendee can’t abide by acceptable behavior they can then be temporarily banned from all in-person meetings throughout the county. They can still submit their opinions in writing. Think of other attendees who also have rights!
- Disruptors can be sent to anger management/anti-bullying classes and only upon successful completion may they have another chance at attending in-person meetings. The choice is theirs but always they can submit their opinions in writing. This is called accountability.
As an “elderly” person in my 80s, I don’t wish to put myself in the dangerous position of attending these contentious meetings. I am sure there are many citizens who have opinions and they don’t wish to be in the same room with this disgraceful behavior — behavior that we wouldn’t accept of a first-grader. (With elementary kids it is called "time out.")
Also, citizens don’t want to be threatened. There are those with anger management issues who are armed. What a danger that is!
Where are our rights? Where are the rights of our citizens serving on the boards?
A message to those of you arrogant newcomers who moved here to take total control of our community: I say “NO!" What gives you that right?
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Donna Goodwin is a resident of Hayden.