Editor, The Smithfield Times:

239 years ago America’s Founding Fathers enshrined a Bill of Rights in our Constitution, clarifying a right to free speech (First Amendment), to bear arms (Second Amendment) and other checks and balances that favor democracy. They knew a powerful government controlling both pen and sword would easily descend into tyranny, so they ensured the people access to both.

Here in Surry County, modern government struggles with these issues. The people can at times be annoying, ignorant and worse, but the Bill of Rights was designed to help governors and governed seek a more perfect union. Surry County has rules for public speakers, and limits on firearms, in dynamic tension with the requirements of the Constitution. This tricky balance requires limiting both citizens AND those who govern them as we seek government of, by and for we the people.

At the August board meeting — a meeting originally intended to arm supervisors against a disarmed citizenry — two supervisors attempted to control citizen speech. One citizen was browbeaten with the relevance clause, which allows the board to silence comments deemed irrelevant to county business. Another citizen was also interrupted, violating the county’s bylaws prohibiting back-and-forth interchanges between citizens and supervisors, while the county attorney, whose job depends on her relationship with the board and county administrator, sat silent.  

Two supervisors also violated Robert’s Rules of Order, abusing point of order to interrupt and deny factual statements (which is not how a point of order works). When I stated that the county administrator had expressed that African Americans in leadership positions “are discriminated on big time” and that some citizens “just don’t like the way we look,” Supervisor Walter Hardy interrupted with the chair’s blessing, stating, “That was not communicated in any form.”  

What might be more accurate is to say, “That May 24 message was leaked, and it’s embarrassing.” But the supervisors have an entire meeting to control the narrative. For three minutes per speaker during citizen comments, supervisors need to respect that it is their turn to be silent, or even attentive.

 

Dr. Daniel Shaye

Surry