What was that line from Cool Hand Luke?
"What we have here, is failure to communicate."
“You Will Not Speak On Flock Tonight”
Madison County NC
To discover who truly holds power over a society, pay attention to who people are unwilling—or not permitted—to criticize. In a free society, no government, institution, corporation, or individual should be beyond public scrutiny. Accountability begins where open criticism is still allowed.
Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. That phrase is easy to recite, but much harder to live by. Madison County Residents seem to be revoking CONSENT.
In Madison County, North Carolina, dozens of citizens showed up to speak about the use of Flock automated license plate reader cameras. Many came expecting the opportunity to address their elected officials during public comment.
Instead, they were told to select a single spokesperson. When members of the audience objected, the chairman responded, “You will not speak on Flock tonight.” According to the board, the public comment policy allowed them to streamline discussion by limiting a group sharing the same position to one speaker.
Residents argued they were not a single organized group, but individual citizens with different concerns and perspectives.
Whether you support Flock cameras or oppose them is almost beside the point.
Public trust depends on people believing they can stand before their government and be heard. When citizens leave feeling that their voices were limited on an issue they care deeply about, confidence in government can erode. Consent isn’t maintained by force or by procedure alone. It’s maintained when people believe their participation matters.
This isn’t just a story about license plate readers. It’s a story about the relationship between government and the people it serves. If citizens increasingly believe their concerns are dismissed rather than addressed, they may begin to withdraw something every government ultimately depends on: the consent of the governed.
www.wjcl.com
notthebee.com
. That kind of destruction should be regulated or something. Good thing there were no power lines in the pipe
www.thedrive.com
