Poverty, health issues, failing schools, rampant crime, shootings…and the biggest issue for Occupy Pensacola, Rev. Nathan Monk and the Pensacola City Council is whether Sam Hall should apologize for cutting off Monk two minutes early on his speech last month? Really?
Form over substance. A melodrama that took attention away from real problems. The kid in Attucks Court or Pensacola Village could care less about the feelings of Monk or the grandstanding of council members. These kids are struggling to read and understand why school matters. Where are their next meals coming from? Can they go out to play today or will they get hit by a stray bullet? Do they have coats to wear today?
People are hurting.
How did this silly incident between Hall and Monk become the focus of Occupy Pensacola? …and the City Council?…and Rev. Monk?
You embarrassed and berated Hall…so what? Next time you will get to speak a full three minutes to city council. Hooray!
Ponies & Balloons…I expected more from Monk and Occupy. As far as the city council, it looks like 2012 for the council won’t be much better than 2011.
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Rick – I look at this as important moment in Pensacola Government history. I’ve been attending Government meetings for almost 16 years. I’ve watched over and over the meetings more about the elected official than the actual citizens.
So while the list of issues that concern this city is endless, at least we can now refer to the Monk/Hall 1st amendment dispute to keep our elected politicians straight and focus on the voice of the people. I think for now they’ll be facing the citizens in meeting forums for awhile and won’t be able to forget. That’s a good thing don’t you think? For that – Father Nathan Monk can be a local celebrity for “awareness” – time to get to work. See you at the meetings. Thanks for your conversation right here on ricksblog.biz – I enjoy it.
So happy to move onto real problems. I have long appreciated the things that Fr. Monk has done and I also like what he usually stands for, but this was a bit melodramatic for me. Glad to see its over.
did anything of consequence get accomplished at the City Council meeting on Thursday night?
Rick,
I don’t normally read the comments on articles where I am mentioned, much less comment on them. I learned a long time ago that if I stressed about every misinformed public opinion about myself and tried to stomp out every potential fire then I would never get any work done. I guess my philosophy over the last few years has been that if anyone truly wants to know what’s going on they are welcome to come by the church or stop by our food outreach.
But that being said, I thought I would take a moment out to say that I agree with you. There are far more important issues going on in this city than me. There are children and elderly that are hungry, and while we all complain about electric rates going up, there are folks freezing outside sleeping in the cold. There is violence that goes unaddressed and the fact that we live in a city where we still have to ask the question of, “if this happened to a white guy would they be handling it the same way?” is truly a shame.
We have generational poverty, not simply talking about the issues of wealth, but of education. There are so many issues and sadness that I truly find myself overwhelmed. I find myself having to balance my deep desire to see Pensacola become all that I know it can be while juggling a family, a congregation, and a homeless outreach.
I certainly don’t have the answers but I am glad we are at least able to ask the questions.
As I said to Sam Hall last night, I’ve never asked for Sam Hall to apologize to me because I had forgiven him a long time ago. Everyone makes mistakes, but also some mistakes reverberate more then others.
If anything good can come out of this event I hope and I pray that it is this: That when the issues of poverty in our city comes up, when (God forbid it happens again!) something happens like what happened to Victor Steen, when something shady goes down with the management of the CMPA and when all the important issues that you cover week in and week out, get brought before our city, I hope the citizens are heard and that the city responds.
As for me personally, I will be taking a hiatus from City Hall and will be hitting the streets with a newfound zeal. Speaking about the issues in our community will certainly bring awareness, but the only way to actually make the change is to pick up the hammer and paint brush yourself and get started. I hope, God willing, I will be more of that person and less of a sounding gong.
What is this “first” apology you speak of, Mr. Outzen ?
The one that supposedly came about in a private meeting between Monk and Hall at WEARTV3 ?
In which Hall later insisted that there would be no apology from him ?
This entire incident is all on Hall.
The longevity, duration and the childish actions.
Please note that my previous comment did not assert the need for further controversy, rather, observed what your blogsite statistics confirm: top rated posts 1-5 are regarding this story. What we pay attention to, we get more of, so it should not surprise us when the controversy continues. I totally agree that we need to do something “meaningful” about these serious issues, the question being who, what, when, where, and how?
Thank you always for your vigorous defense and provision of a forum for discussion.
Dixie,
I am a vigorous advocate for free speech, Sunshine Law and government transparency. Is freedom of speech any better protected after Sam Hall’s second apology than after his first apology?
Remember had any of the other council member spoken up and defended Monk’s right to speak then, this would have been resolved immediately. Instead two members walked out.
This episode garnered more attention for Fr. Nathan and Occupy Pensacola than anything else that has occurred. It highlighted the sort of sclerotic, high-handed lack of responsiveness that revealed the lack of respect for dissenting citizenry outside the mainstream. The most striking aspect, for me, was the rapid response from people of diverse perspectives, who said that regardless of issue, people have a right to be heard. This broad-based vigorous defense of free speech is somewhat reassuring. The Occupy movement is eliciting a profound response from any number of people that are fed up with the status quo. Things are simmering now, but I expect a long, hot summer.
This may be simply a case if choosing to first address what may be possible. The city council has not demonstrated anything more than a false, fleeting interest in poverty, education, or crime ridden neighborhoods let alone the pressing health needs of the community. But they can be pressed to comply with federal statute, and citizens are denied their right to present their values and expectations to local government officials then you may as well deny citizens the right to attend council meetings.
I makes sense to me that Occupy would pick up on this freedom of speech issue as they need something to appear relevant again, assuming they were relevant in the first place, that is.
As far as Mr. Monk goes, perhaps the pubilicity has helped him garner support, financially and manpower, so that he can go back to helping people again.
He certainly does seem like a selfless individual.
Rev. Monk does good works.
My point is when do we move beyond theatrics and focus on the shootings, hunger, diabetes (other health issues) and illiteracy. Hall was wrong, but others have made mistakes, too.
When did we start believing we can only forgive those who apologize?
Thank you Rick! I agree 100%. It seems that a Rev. would be more worried about helping those in need, than arguing with a grumpy ol’ man. I got his point the first go around…stop beating a dead horse! To many people are letting this silly argument consume them when there time and energy could be used to a greater cause. Mentor a child in need. Cook a meal at the shelter. Start a fund raiser to open a center. If everyone at occupy around the world would mentor one child in foster care or volunteer with the literacy group, can you imagine what a difference could be made.
We need to take back our community take care of our children and the elderly. We as a community need to be doing this instead of expecting the government to do it. One person can change the life of another.