OPEN FORUM
Time To Draw A Line In The Gravel
By DENISE ROBERTSON
Published May 6, 2009
My grandfather used to tell me a story about his childhood. He was raised in a small town and went to a one room school house. The children, who attended the school, were tormented by a bully named Beanie. Beanie would chase my grandfather and his younger brother, stealing their marbles or candies or whatever he could get his hands on.
One day the two boys’ father witnessed this from a distance. He saw “one” boy chasing his “two” boys. Later that night, he taught his sons that two is more powerful than one. He told Grandfather that if he ever saw him and his brother running away from Beanie again he would give the two boys a licking himself.
My grandfather was more afraid of his Father than he was of Beanie. Sure enough the next day, grandpa and his brother found themselves running for their lives, (and marbles) from Beanie. My grandpa looked up and thought he saw his dad’s horse and buggy. Grandpa knew he was in trouble. So he stopped, and drew a line in the gravel.
When Beanie got closer. Grandpa yelled to Beanie that if he crossed that line he and his brother would give him a beating. Sure enough, Beanie crossed the line and grandpa and his brother jumped on him.
Grandpa says, “I was bawling the whole time.”
They eventually turned Beanie around and started chasing him. Soon word got around about grandpa’s courageous event. The other children, upset about losing their marbles and precious things, started to torment Beanie. For the rest of the year, the tables were turned and Beanie was the one running for his life.
This story relates to our Valley and the situations we are in with the local government. I wonder if we were a country and Commissioner Tom Collins was our ruler, what type of government would we have? Would it be a Democratic Republic? Or would we be subject to a Dictatorship and Tyrannical rule?
I feel it is time to figuratively draw our line in the gravel and tell the bully NO MORE!!!! According to the Clark County Election Office, 85,929 people voted in District B race. According to the Secretary of State’s website 25% of the total number of people who voted in the contest can recall the commissioner. This is the democratic course to follow when we have a leader that is not representing the Citizens the way that the leader should. We do not have to be subject to tyrannical rule.
We need to draw a line in the sand, for any type of ruler that does not allow us as citizens to give opinions, without fear of retribution. The retribution that we feel most recently is the Logandale Pool closure. According to the local Parks and Rec office the decision did not come from their office. It is like we are being told by the commissioner to keep our mouths shut or other privileges will be taken away. What a bunch of “hogwash” as my grandfather would say.
We must require our ruler to count our vote. The local Commissioners’ decision about the recent town board straw poll leads me to believe that votes do not mean anything to these men. This is our first voice. This blatant disregard for fundamental rights is not something that we should not allow. The line has been drawn. NO MORE MR. BULLY!
We must not allow our rulers to take over decisions. I am confident, Town Boards in the various local communities, would have had a meeting of the minds and come up with town boundaries acceptable to all. However it seems that Commissioner imposed deadlines were the justification for Dictator Commissioners to “step in” and “bully us around.” Enough. What is the urgency? WARNING: be afraid of rulers that self impose deadlines. There might be hidden agendas.
Democracy is a process. Maybe the commissioners should be reminded of that. This process cannot be ignored. We must draw a line in the gravel about this issue, commissioners cannot take over.
The Democratic solution to this problem would be a recall. I am not sure that this is the solution but the only one available to citizens in the democratic process. When there is “one” bully chasing many, we need to draw our line in the gravel.
I am grateful to a grandfather for taking the time to teach me life’s principles and lessons. I am also grateful that my ancestors taught about love of one’s country and patriotism. I am also grateful for Founding Fathers that established this great nation and the Democracy that we enjoy. Life is good and we are blessed, however, we cannot allow leaders to take away our precious liberty.
