{"id":1350,"date":"2011-10-24T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-10-24T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2011\/10\/cameras-at-lowndes-county-commission-11-october-2011.html"},"modified":"2011-10-24T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-10-24T12:00:00","slug":"cameras-at-lowndes-county-commission-11-october-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2011\/10\/cameras-at-lowndes-county-commission-11-october-2011.html","title":{"rendered":"Cameras at Lowndes County Commission 11 October 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

What does a bill of attainder mean, anyway?
\nPerhaps Lowndes County should ask their Attorney to look it up.<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/a>
\nHere’s an interesting presentation by a group of 4-H people
\nto the Lowndes County Commission in their Regular Sessino of 11 October 2011.
\nHm, first they said the pledge, and what’s that I see?<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

\nWhy look, it’s a camera!<\/p>\n

\nHere during the 4-H presentation,
\nshe’s moved up to the second row from the front, right side:<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

\nWhat seems familiar about that location?<\/p>\n


\n
\n<\/a>
\nOh, yes, that’s
\n
\nexactly where I was sitting<\/a> when Chairman Ashley Paulk claimed he was
\nthe legal opinion and:<\/p>\n

\n“The County Commission wishes from this day forward that any filming be done from the media area in the back corner of the room.”\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\nWell, maybe the Chairman just didn’t notice, being a busy man and all.
\nExcept he was looking straight at her:<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

\nAnd here’s somebody else with a camera a bit later:<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

\nShe’s sitting down holding up a camera directly in front of
\nAshley Paulk.<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/a>
\nHere’s
\n
\nwhat was supplied by the county<\/a>
\nin response to somebody else’s request
\nfor a copy of
\n
\nthe ordinance or notice or whatever it was the Commission passed
\n13 September 2011<\/a>.
\nI suppose somebody could argue that the Pledge isn’t really part of the
\nbusiness of the Commission, and maybe the same for a presentation.
\nBut there they are, right there on
\n
\nthe agenda:<\/a><\/p>\n

\n3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
\n
\n4. 4-H Presentation\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The “Notice” does have some weasel words about “unless otherwise permitted
\nby the presiding Commissioner.”
\nHere’s
\na playlist<\/a>; see if you hear any permission being given.<\/p>\n

\nAs we have seen, there was
\n
\nno reason given for the Commission’s vote<\/a> on the Notice (or was it an ordinance?)
\nother than the Chairman’s outburst of the previous morning, in which he
\ncalled me by name, and referred specifically to the LAKE blog.<\/p>\n

\nA cynic might consult
\n
\na law journal<\/a> about arcane phrases like<\/p>\n

\n“No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law will be passed.”
\n
\n—U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 9, paragraph 3\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

and learn that a bill of attainder is:<\/p>\n

\nDefinition: A legislative act that singles out an individual or group
\nfor punishment without a trial.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

James Madison (who probably wrote that clause) thought bills of attainder were<\/p>\n

\n“contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to
\nevery principle of sound legislation. … The sober people of America
\nare weary of the fluctuating policy which has directed the public
\ncouncils.”\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Well, I have to admit that the Chairman claiming to be code enforcement
\nor the legal opinion or otherwise to be the law
\nisn’t all that fluctuating around here,
\n
\nsince he’s done it repeatedly.<\/a>
\nBut Madison would probably still argue that bills of attainder
\nare contrary to the social compact and to sound legislation.
\nNot to mention to the decorum of Commission meetings.
\nHow is anyone to know when it’s safe to use a camera or when
\nthe Chairman or the Commission might choose to pass another ordinance against them, too?<\/p>\n

\nNow I can’t blame the two citizen photographers for
\n
\n<\/a>
\nwanting to record part
\nof a Commission meeting; I’ve been doing it for years, as has Gretchen,
\nand George Rhynes, and other people whom you may not have noticed.
\nHowever, since the Commission gave that fabulous award specifically to LAKE,
\nit seems to me they should either enforce it evenly, or admit
\nit was, in fact, a bill of attainder.<\/p>\n

\nHere’s
\n
\nthe video:<\/a><\/p>\n

\n