Mayor, Council Members, and Fellow Citizens,
I come before you today not in anger, but in defense of truth and civility.
Recently, both the Mayor and another council member made false public statements about me. When I approached them—in a public place, calmly and without threats—simply asking for a conversation about these falsehoods, I was accused of “assault.”
Let’s be clear: disagreement is not assault. Asking someone to explain their words is not assault. The law defines assault as an act that causes another person to fear imminent physical harm. At no point did I raise my voice, use threatening language, or make any physical move toward anyone. The only thing I brought with me was a request for honesty and accountability.
Calling a civil conversation “assault” is not just a misuse of the word—it’s a dangerous distortion. It silences public discourse. It weaponizes fear. And it attempts to paint political disagreement as violence.
This is a small town. We all live here. We see each other at the grocery store, the post office, and the park. We must be able to confront lies without being slandered ourselves.
Public officials should be held to a higher standard. If they misrepresent a citizen, that citizen has every right—every responsibility—to seek clarification and defend their name.
I’m here tonight to say: I will not be intimidated. And I hope this council understands the difference between disagreement and aggression. Our community deserves honest dialogue, not fear-based accusations.
Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment