Gastonia City Council hood winks their voters and approves Proclamation for Gay Pride Month
By Deanna Rudisill
“For any American that had the great and priceless privilege of being raised in a small town there always remains with him nostalgic memories… And the older he grows the more he senses what he owed to the simple honesty and neighborliness, the integrity that he saw all around him in those days.”
– President Dwight D. Eisenhower
USA: Gastonia City Council, in NC, passed a new proclamation in support of Gay Pride Month yesterday by cutting out public opinion and refusing to answer questions from their constituents.
Mayor Pro-Tem Dave Kirlin
Gastonia Mayor Pro Tem Dave Kirlin said the council purposely omitted the proclamation from the Gastonia City Council Agenda for last night’s meeting to avoid controversy. In other words, to avoid public opinion altogether.
The voting public of Gastonia that was present was told that the board would not answer any questions.
Bylaws state that a board is not allowed to vote on any matter not included in the agenda. The agenda allows the public to read over the material days before a meeting and put together a public response prior to the vote. This is the order of the judicial process.
In Gastonia, however, the uninformed public was not allowed to address the board on the matter until after the vote, making their statements futile.
The proclamation passed by a vote of 4-2, according to Kirlin.
“There were a lot of mixed signals and emotions,” Kirlin stated, “Last year the same proclamation was denied.”
Kirlin pointed out that Mayor Walker E. Reid made a mistake, declaring the proclamation approved after the first four voted in favor and therefore negating the two nay votes.
This may not matter if the proclamation is challenged because a vote outside of the agenda is illegitimate.
Members of the public complained that people out in the county were not allowed to attend the meeting and the attendees were told that if they addressed the board, they would not be allowed to quote any Biblical scripture.
An elderly man addressed the board. He talked of the heroes that went and fought in WWII.
“They went and sacrificed their lives for our country. They get one day – Memorial Day. Why should LBGTQ+ get a full month?” he asked. “This I cannot stand for.”
He continued by saying he is not concerned with people’s private lives… what they do in their own homes. He respects individual freedoms.
Whether you agree with his opinion or not, constituents in the United States of America use to be free to state their opinions to and ask questions of their elected officials, use freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and have their politicians follow the laws and procedures of the land.
He asked the board a simple question. How many of the Gastonia City Board members were native to Gastonia? They refused to answer his question and he was told he was not allowed to ask questions of the board. My question as a journalist was – since when? This statement broke precedent.
Here is the man’s answer:
Mayor Walker E. Reid is a native.
Board Member Robert J. Kellog is not a native.
Board Member James Gallagher is not a native.
Board Member Jennifer M. Stepp is a “life-long resident of Gastonia.” Native status unknown.
Mayor Pro Tem David Kirlin is not a native.
Board Member Charles M. Odom is a native.
Board Member Danyel Barber is a native.
His question was relevant. Who is leading our city and our county away from the culture and values of the natives of Gastonia?
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers. Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.”
– Proverbs 11:14
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DeAnna Rudisill is a U.S. Army Veteran and long-time journalist. She left a 20-year jaunt in the secular media to write the unadulterated truth and bring God back into the public forum, finding her niche at Blue Ridge Christian News / BRCNews.Com.
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