(Part 2 is here)
Councilman John Gonder, in his own words.
Commentary to follow. Just remember: These are Democrats. Democrats on all sides, whether Gonder, Coffey, Dickey, Nash or Gahan himself.
This is the machine, at war with itself. The chief casualty? Progress.
Although it seems a long time ago it was just last Monday, June 1, that the City Council chamber erupted in a surreal display of short-circuitry. Epithets were pitched, and caught by the electronic glove of WAVE TV’s news cameras. Seemingly settled expressions of tolerance were recanted, then tossed onto the chamber’s floor to be beaten into unrecognizability, as though an errant snake had slithered under the door.
Since then, a trip to the hardware store yielded this observation, “the City Council in Jeffersonville is pathetic too“. (emphasis added)
At a public event for a Historic Society, “if a Republican had uttered the same kind of intolerant, homophobic remarks, (as were heard at the City Council last Monday) the Democrats would have crucified him, and the entire party. Looks kind of like a double standard.”
A chance encounter with a fellow Councilman opens with, “how’s it going, you lyin’ piece of shit?” Je suis L.P.O.S.?
As a result of the purposefully obtuse characterization of my attempt to reach a bit of compromise on the issue of spoken prayer at a Council meeting, I’ve been called a racist, anti-prayer, in cahoots with un-named forces outside the Council, and beholden to a society-destroying agenda promoting human rights. I’ve also been reminded that thousands of voters will remember that I was out to strip prayer from the City Council. I realize this controversy is not about me. But, as one maligned in such a ridiculous campaign to hoist the flag so the Christian Soldiers could March to War (by way of vote centers), I’ll simply say, I’m sick of it.
