This is to express my concern over the continued arbitrariness of our local “Officials” in our County and Towns.
Free Expression has long been an AMERICAN and a TENNESSEE tradition…so much so that the Second Article of our State Constitution begins: ” The people should not tolerate arbitrary power……” but most just shrug it off and mumble: “don’t mess with City Hall.” Where is the tar and feathers????
Officials lie, cheat, steal and mis-spend money with little consequence and often get re-elected. The people do not have short memories, they just tend to accept those who run for office as necessary and hope that they, the electorate, will not be singled out for some petty “amercement.” If you do not recognize that term, it should be forever in your vocabulary for it is the basis of American Government and the foundation of our Constitutions. That term used to be in our Tennessee Blue Book as a concept in the document signed by King John of England in 1215. Petty amercements were the charges brought by officials and the fines and punishments for little or nothing. You hear about “free expression” but like Life and Liberty, they are not free and were not free.
I had an issue brought to me last week by the Mayor of Pegram through the Codes Official about Emergency Vehicles not being able to “turn around” at the cul-de-sac at the front of my house on Scenic View in spite of the fact that I constructed a Y turn facility based on the National Fire Codes design plus I have constructed an adjacent driveway at my home which meets “Hammerhead” design for a 60 foot Fire Engine. It is just more petty, arbitrary, official amercement and harassment for FREE EXPRESSION. Pegram plans to close Highway 70 for an arbitrary celebration of Freedom.
I celebrate INDEPENDENCE DAY every day!
Thanks for all those who spoke up in last weeks letters to the Editor. If it were not for the Advocate, YOU may not even know that you were a target of some arbitrary issue which was just another petty amercement.
Thanks South Cheatham Advocate and Thanks for standing for freedom of expression with a Truly, FREE PRESS!
Art Asbury
Pegram