Civil Liberties
Perhaps because of the large number of outspoken and thoughtful people in our community, we have often found ourselves at ground zero in battles over civil liberties. In the 1980's Chapel Hill elected the first openly-gay elected official in the state, but Carrboro bested that by electing North Carolina’s first out mayor a decade later.
More recently, Chapel Hill grappled with free speech issues in the wake of 9/11, approved and then dismantled red light cameras in 2003-4, and was challenged by fundamentalists over support for gay marriage in 2005.
Guest Post by Alan McSurely
The Grassroots Impeachment Movement (GRIM) began Four Months Ago in the 4th congressional district when we learned President Bush and Vice President Cheney had ordered the National Security Agency (NSA) to violate the 4th Amendment of the Constitution with an unconstitutional domestic spying program. Up until January 2006, the sporadic calls for impeachment were driven by northern anti-war activists. Bringing criminal charges, or impeaching Bush and Cheney seemed impossible. But the news about massive phone taps, in the wake of Katrina, torture, the Downing Street Memo, and profiteering illegalities in Iraq, caused many ordinary citizens to say, "Enough." We all realized together: 2008 Is Too Late! By mid-January a grass roots impeachment movement had spontaneously begun to spread here and a few other areasâ€â€a movement that now has taken roots across the country. A February poll showed 53% of Americans wanted to conduct investigations that would lead to impeachment.
To hear local patriot Terri Tyson describe this community, it's a wonder we don't have a Taliban party primary for Orange County Commissioners. Her diatribes in the local media are truly a last ditch effort to save Chapel Hill's soul. But unfortunately the backs of our cars reveal that it may be too late:
Every politically successful conservative position gets twisted. Now peace is patriotic and the phrase "God bless America" has been corrected to include a blessing for every nation on earth.
...
One bumper sticker proclaims that the real axis of evil is Bush, Cheney and Ashcroft, not the terrorists. This is blatantly anti-American.
...
The village in Texas that is missing its idiot, according to one bumper sticker, should admit that the Yale graduate, professional baseball team owner, Texas governor, and two-term president has gone a long way.
- Terri Tyson, letter to the Chapel Hill News, 5/7/06
According to the N&O Chatham regularly invokes Jesus prior to its Commissioner meetings. Bunky is saying Jesus taught him to pray, Outz says non-christians can leave the room, Emerson says his Jewish friends don't care...do you?
"I always thought if they didn't like [the prayer], they could step outside," Commissioner Carl Outz said.
"I talked to a Jewish person about it, and he had no problem with the Lord's Prayer," Emerson said. The Lord's Prayer begins, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name."
Doesn't seem like a very friendly and welcoming place to me. So, who wants to go to the next commissioner's meeting?
In light of recent events, please join us in sending the message that domestic violence will not be tolerated in our community.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COMMUNITY VIGIL
Thursday, April 13, 2006
6:00 p.m. – Rain or Shine
Franklin Street Post Office, Chapel Hill
For additional information, please call (919) 929-3872.
Organized by the Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County and Family Violence and Rape Crisis of Chatham County
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