Minutes 08/25/1970 - Laserfiche WebLink

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[:;0 TUESDAY AUGUST 25, 1970 The regular semi-monthly meeting of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia, with Mayor F. T. Renick, M.D., presiding, was held Tuesday, August 25, 1970, in the Council Chamber, City Hall, beginning at 7:30 P.M., all members being present, viz., Mayor F. T. Renick, M.D.; Vice-Mayor Francis T. West; Harry L. Boaz; W. Donald Hartford; and William D. Hobson. After the invocation, Council approved as recorded the minutes of its regular meeting held August 11, 1970. Prior to considering the regular agenda for the meeting covered herein by these minutes, Vice-Mayor West presented the following prepared statement relating to the August 20th meeting held in the Council Chamber by persons reportedly interested in organizing a local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union: All but a finite minority of our citizens, I believe, give no credence to the venom which was spewed forth in these very chambers on August 20 by one Larry Selden and one Ellis Hodgin. 11m confident the reaction of our fine people was one of utter disgust; confident, too, that our competent police force and our esteemed judiciary need no defending to the populace on account of the virulent braying of these two individuals. Nevertheless, I feel an incumbency as a city official to publicly state that I recoil totally from such vitriol, and lambaste all such individuals whose only purpose is to attempt to stir up trouble; and it's doubly damning (and the ultimate in bypocrisy) that they do so under the guise of exercising IIcivil liberties". The people of Martinsville should understand thoroughly that Larry Selden is paid his salary for stirring up trouble and sowing seeds of discord. If he isn't doing this he's out of a job. As for Ellis Hodgin, he's had his day in court - his case was present and found to be lacking. Now, it appears his search is for a forum where he can mouth his opinions with very little chance of rebuttal. The right of qualified citizens to use city facilities for the purpose of holding meetings is basic - itls their property. However, in such usage, some decorum and restraint ought to be assumed. I question this right when desecration occurs. Hence, in my judgement, it should require a court order before the likes of the Messrs. Selden and Hodgin (and their ilk) should be arbitrarily granted the use of city meeting facilities again.