Angry and upset at what has transpired 4-15, I register to speak on Wed 4-17. I also go by and try to speak with councilmember Davis or Judge Hill at city hall on the 5th floor. I tell her city secretary that I had video recording and I was about to take this to the media. Davis secretary seems nice at first but after going and talking with the councilmember she comes out and says Davis is in a meeting right now and shes not available. The day before the 4-17 councilmeeting, the city secretary calls and says the mayor wants all citizens to arrive early because he wants to try and adjourn before the afternoon. I arrive early. When I show up at a council meeting, the security at the council meetings are no longer pleasant but treat me with contempt. Scott Griggs smiles and looks to the city manager. G. Allen as he speaks smiles at me as if hes been vindicated by my conduct. Hill eyes me angrily. City attorney and first city manager AG smile while other city officials on the side snap photos of me as I look over my notes. I can tell they have all received word about the incident with security. AC goes over to seargent Anderson, a really big security officer and is sitting on the councilmembers side. AC goes over to the security officer, looks at me, then leans down to whisper something into the ear of Anderson before posturing up and looking at me smiling again. They stare at me and its obvious they are looking directly at me and want me to know or think security in the council might take action like security had taken in the courts if I got up to spoke about what had transpired in the courts. Naturally, I think that AC has instructed the security guard with special instructions regarding who I am and what to do if I get up and start speaking. The thought crosses my mind that AC has either done this to try intimidating me, thinking I might believe the security guard would remove me from council when I spoke or in fact gave the security officer instructions that if I got up to speak the mayor or councilperson would announce I had a warrant and that would be the security officers cue to remove me from the council chambers. Regardless, I smile back at AC to give the acknowledgment that I am on to his tact. His smile immediately dissipates and he becomes very serious, his face turning red as he looks away from my direction and he knows hes been caught like Atkins. The council does not adjourn early at the secretary assistant had claimed. Before executive session convenes, Councilmember Caraway comes up to me in the audience. He shakes everyones hand around me. I avoid looking at him. But he extends his hand and asks how Im doing, a frown on his face just as Atkins had had a frown on his face when he came to talk to me on 4-2. Later, Councilmember Allen approaches AC behind the horseshoe. He, like AC and the other councilmembers like Caraway must have anticipated I was speaking. They look and laugh at me while talking amongst themselves. Allen pats AC on the shoulder, as if to contratulate AC, and says something like that was dirty, but in a good sort of way. Allen then says that was just perfect timing; he was in the view of the cameras this morning and everything. AC shrugs his shoulders and smiles, giving the body language that says, Hey, what can I say. Im rightly angered knowing that AC had something to do with knowing or initiating having me removed from the court because of my video recording as well as the video recording by city staff that took place of me in the court after I was rightly upset. People continue to file out of chambers and when most people have left, I move over a few rows and sit next to other speakers waiting to speak. Caraway is talking to these other speakers and citizens. Caraway comes up and shakes my hand; like Atkins before, he did not look pleased and he asked how I was doing: it was obvious he was fishing for information from me like Atkins had. He looks at the security officer, and again asks how Im doing. I say things could be better, but they could also be worse. Before I could get another word in he says, Well, we dont want things to get any worse--not explaining if that was an implied threat or not, whether he knew what had transpired on 4-15 in the court or not, but it was clear he did know. Caraway asks me if I were speaking today. I said yes and that theres things I want to talk to you about. Do you have a card? He says, Oh yeah and then asks me Whats your about? Just as I had paused when Atkins had asked me what my speech was about, I pause, obviously again rightly doubtful that he really wants to help. He says, Well, it doesnt matter--probably thinking about my previous speech and the video recording that was done by the city to discredit me. It is clear the impression is that --following my speech and following my interactions with the security at the courthouse--the council really doesnt think what I have to say matters.Unlike previously when the council was afraid of what I might say, now no one seems threatened or upset I might speak at council as if the court had successfully accomplished its goals of discrediting me and nothing I would say thereafter would be accepted as credible. Caraway gives me his card and then turns to say Do send me what you have, his head turned back toward me and his arm stretched out and pointed in my direction. I see him go over to exit the councilmembers side of chambers and call the city attorney and city manager and pull them into the hallway. They follow and I expect they were preparing to discuss what they might say during the planned speech I was scheduled to give after executive session. It was obvious to me now that if I emailed Caraway, he would not help any more than Atkins wanted to help. I would simply be providing information the city attorney and manager could use against me. At the same time these thoughts crossed my mind, executive session is announced; the city secretary comes over and asks all of us to leave/return after executive session. She, too, has an angry look on her face and ushers all of the waiting speakers out to return in the afternoon. I know my testimony/credibility had been botched; it didnt matter what I had to say. I leave, knowing that Caraway and Atkins had both approached me to try and take advantage of me, knowing that they pretended to be interested in wanting to help, not because I was wrong but because I was right and they wanted to fish for informatiion I might say publically and then relay this information on to other councilmembers, city staff, and the city attorney--in order to prepare a response to my public comments were I to address the entire council. I left the council that day and informed the secretary and I didnt like the stunt that was pulled. I write a letter to the secretary saying I was upset by the stunt that had been performed and I would not be in attendance for the afternoon speakers. The secretary comes up with some rational explanation to make it appear I was called early for a good reason. She wrote as if she didnt know anything about my case. She says people can register to speak, but it is strongly encouraged they contact their councilmember first or try to resolve issue with city manager first. It was obvious like Caraway, and Atkins she wanted me to give any information I had to city mgr. or councilmembers rather than speak at the council first.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 04:22:48 +0000
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