I think one of my first posts on this blog talked about the nature of public service being a pretty profound undertaking. (Here's the link to that post)From time-to-time I forget about that and take my responsibilities in a more light-hearted (okay, okay, okay...irreverent) fashion. Then....something like this happens.
The council approved first reading of the request last month, when Ward tearfully explained that his barbershop would go under — with most of the 101st Airborne deploying to Iraq — if the council did not approve the request.
“If this (zone change) doesn’t go through, I lose my home, I lose my shop, I lose everything I got,” he said then.
After Thursday’s 5-7 vote was cast, Ward stood and walked steadily toward the council.
“Johnny (Piper), I know I can’t speak,” Ward said over the mayor, who was telling Ward the public comment period had ended.
“Y’all have put me under,” Ward said, pulling out a small silver handgun.
“I’m out of here.”
A gunshot punctuated his sentence, and Ward fell at the feet of those sitting in the first row. He appeared to have pulled the trigger with the gun in his mouth.
What we do. What we say. The decisions we make affect real people in very, very real ways.
I don't think anybody could have done anything about what happened in Clarksville, Tennessee, last week. And, truthfully, not every applicant for rezoning is suicidal....as a matter of fact, this is the only case I've actually seen documented in my 30+ years of public service...but nevertheless..
The sober reminder is to treat all our decisions with dignity and compassion. To understand that in local government, more than any other governmental endeavor, we are directly affecting the lives of our friends, neighbors (and oh yeah, our political adversaries too).
The council approved first reading of the request last month, when Ward tearfully explained that his barbershop would go under — with most of the 101st Airborne deploying to Iraq — if the council did not approve the request.
“If this (zone change) doesn’t go through, I lose my home, I lose my shop, I lose everything I got,” he said then.
After Thursday’s 5-7 vote was cast, Ward stood and walked steadily toward the council.
“Johnny (Piper), I know I can’t speak,” Ward said over the mayor, who was telling Ward the public comment period had ended.
“Y’all have put me under,” Ward said, pulling out a small silver handgun.
“I’m out of here.”
A gunshot punctuated his sentence, and Ward fell at the feet of those sitting in the first row. He appeared to have pulled the trigger with the gun in his mouth.
What we do. What we say. The decisions we make affect real people in very, very real ways.
I don't think anybody could have done anything about what happened in Clarksville, Tennessee, last week. And, truthfully, not every applicant for rezoning is suicidal....as a matter of fact, this is the only case I've actually seen documented in my 30+ years of public service...but nevertheless..
The sober reminder is to treat all our decisions with dignity and compassion. To understand that in local government, more than any other governmental endeavor, we are directly affecting the lives of our friends, neighbors (and oh yeah, our political adversaries too).
