The First Amendment is under attack 

Dear Editor,

Travis Weik must have been in a different courthouse in a different county from the one we experienced last week. By implying that people worried about their home values, their health and their lives being forever altered negatively by something they have no control over, have been “unruly, uncivil, barely holding back violent behavior,” he is spreading untruths and showing his own bias. He could have shown more balance with even a little compassion for those 40+ people, representing hundreds more, speaking up for their lives, their homes and yes, the entire county’s future. Instead he chose to demonize citizens for showing up and speaking up. And people wonder why Americans say the First Amendment is under attack…. It does not state that only one side can speak out freely….

In reality, these valiant, brave citizens, who previously assumed that business concerning Henry County citizens was being conducted fairly and with unbiased representation, have shown remarkable restraint at meetings where they have rarely been allowed to speak. Just figuring out meeting date/time changes, what will be discussed and when the public is allowed input is a never-ending challenge, making an occasional burst of emotion not seem unreasonable. And when half this nation condones people “protesting,” wearing masks, carrying disgusting signs, injuring innocent people, including policemen, damaging property and blocking roads/ bridges needed by first-responders to access emergencies, our group looks pretty darn tame.

For Mr. Weik to imply pro-winders feared physical harm was irresponsible, false and ridiculous. Per a sheriff deputy, they were there to make us ALL feel safe. A member of Congress encouraging people to “get in the faces” of people they don’t agree with, screaming, yelling and preventing families from going anywhere outside their homes without being stalked, harassed and threatened….now THAT would be something to get upset about …if we used those kind tactics. But we haven’t and we won’t.

PRO-wind people aren’t “afraid to show up.” They already know they don’t NEED to show up, don’t have to present their side of the debate and don’t have to convince anyone of anything. Why? Obviously they feel the Commissioners have their backs. Once other citizens realized what was happening and began attending meetings, only a few pro-wind showed up, but if they had been worried about a bad outcome, then we would have seen them in droves. Money talks louder than the mounds of information from all over the world, given to county officials on the negatives of wind energy, which went mostly unread. Meanwhile, the wind companies’ fancy (if skimpy) pamphlets, extolling the “virtues of wind” are decorating the offices of those elected to protect Henry County citizens. If wind backers are intimidated by a group of people (average age around 60) and their pleas to be heard and protected, they have pretty thin skins. Perhaps they are just embarrassed to face the people whose lives and futures they are determined to forever change negatively, for their own profit.

Sincerely,

Ginny Marsh

New Castle

EDITOR’S NOTE: This letter is in response to a column written by Courier-Times reporter Travis Weik, which published in the Aug. 10, 2018 edition of the newspaper.