The Pittsboro Town Board has condemned Saturday's assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the Arizona shootings that killed six people. An alderman in Carrboro, which may consider a similar resolution, says Pittsboro's resolution does not go far enough.
The resolution from the Chatham County seat supports the safety of public officials in open forums that are safe for civil debate.
"Now therefore be it resolved," the Monday resolution states, "the town of Pittsboro offers support for Congresswoman Giffords and its deepest sympathy for the victims of this attack. And further resolves to condemn the violence that was expressed in this attack ... as such actions have no place in a civil society."
In Carrboro, Mayor Mark Chilton asked his board members by e-mail if they would like to consider a similar statement at a future meeting.
"Absolutely," Alderman Randee Haven-O'Donnell wrote back, "civil discourse is to be respected and upheld, all violence condemned."
Alderman Dan Coleman suggested Carrboro consider a more strongly worded resolution.
"I would not vote against this, but I do not particularly support it. It strikes me as a fairly bland response," he wrote. "If we are to have a resolution, I prefer one that does not just single out he who pulled the trigger but also those who put the gun in his hand and aimed it."
The weekend shootings have got people asking whether political rhetoric has contributed to a breakdown in civil discourse. Former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin posted a video on her Facebook page today, accusing journalists and political analysts of inciting hatred in the wake of the Arizona shootings. Last spring, Palin targeted Giffords' district as one of 20 that the GOP should take back, each marked with the cross hairs of a gun sight, according to the Associated Press.
Comments
People here are condemning
Fri, 01/14/2011 - 01:39 — reasonablePeople here are condemning the Carrboro Board, and rightly so, but they ought to be condeming the Pittsboro Board too. Both should stick to governing the town they were elected to govern.
If a town council makes a statement on a national issue then two things can happen. One is that the statement can be something so uncontroversial that absolutely everybody agrees with it, like that of the Pittsboro Board. But if everybody agrees then what is the point of making the statement? The other is that the statement can be something that some people disagree with. In that case it is divisive and unnecessarily so since the local government has no power to act on national issues.
Just run the town you were elected to run. If you have views on other issues that you want to express then do so in some capacity other than town official.
Inappropriate comment
Wed, 01/12/2011 - 19:35 — tbuckner"arm yourselves for the anarchy they're bringing upon us?" That is the most inappropriate comment I can imagine given the topic of this posting.
Hopefully, Mr Coleman will read the comment and understand that a more forceful proclamation will simply fuel the fire rather than express our community's sorrow for the families impacted by this heart-breaking tragedy.
Yeah, oldwizr
Wed, 01/12/2011 - 22:03 — elvisboy77Don't be so inappropriate. Liberals are so bad about being inappropriate, why is that?
It is so refreshing
Wed, 01/12/2011 - 19:19 — elvisboy77To hear the well deserved and well put critical comments of most of the other posters. I wish you guys would run for office, it is way past time to run the current out of touch bunch out of office.
And this is why the
Wed, 01/12/2011 - 16:35 — oldrwizrAnd this is why the right-wing is running roughshod over America. Because the wussies on the left are content to pass resolutions and sing Kum-ba-ya. Lefties, it's time to take a page from the Third Right's playbook: arm yourselves for the anarchy they're bringing upon us. Has anyone read any of the internet rants that blame the shootings on Obama? Saying HE's the one who uses incendiary rhetoric, not Sarah Palin, the teabaggers, etc. Yes, that's how delusional these sheeple are. The U S of A is headed down a slippery slope.
For an example, look at the very next post.
Pathetic Alderman Coleman
Wed, 01/12/2011 - 15:38 — JustShutUpFunny, isn't it over in Orange county that demostrators shut down free speech?
Councilman do you know who put the gun in the gunman's hands and who did the aiming? Was there an accomplice in Tucson? Are you withholding evidence?
The Democrat Leadership Committe used bullseyes in their 2004 campaign along with "targeting strategies" and "behind enemy lines" when planning to execute the campaign. Not reported in this story but true.
Fruit loops are more than a cereal...
Our thoughts and prayers are
Wed, 01/12/2011 - 12:45 — bigheelOur thoughts and prayers are with Rep. Giffords and her family.
Meanwhile, the Carrboro board is once again taking up a pointless resolution. Apparently, they have time on their hands -- or, are they planning to put together a posse?
In case they haven't been reading the news, Carrboro was just named as a place people likely never heard about. So, it seems the outside world apparently doesn't pay much attention to Carrboro and its opinion.
What's it to Carrboro?
Wed, 01/12/2011 - 12:26 — BourbonStThe politicos in Carrboro should concern themselves with Carrboro issues. Last I heard those people in Carrboro have problems enough of their own without tryng to stick their noses into butts of others.
MISINFORMATION
Wed, 01/12/2011 - 12:17 — ncspamfishpalin identified some 20 places across the country where the gop should defeat then sitting senators/representatives. and the media along with lots of other left wing types have accused her of placing (rifle) cross hairs on these places...........ergo, suggesting that shootings or some other heinous act be committed to remove the people in those places.
WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
according to a radio broadcast by a talk show host....................
they are surveyor marks. check the US geological website. these symbols are used by map makers to identify prinicipal points. THEY ARE NOT CROSS HAIRS!!!!
so the media has once again screwed up by not fulling fact checking.
duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Spend more time worrying about Carrboro
Wed, 01/12/2011 - 12:16 — GordonTrenchardAldernan Coleman, your comments in regard to the resolution is crass, irresponsible, and unbecoming of an Alderman. While I beleive an expression of grief and sympathy with the victims and comdenation of the violence is appropriate from the Board, your comments seem to imply that the Board should play Judge and Jury in this case as well as grief counselor and sociologist. At the bottom of all this is a tinge of politicizatin of this tragedy from you by calling out who the people "who put the gun" in his hand. This issue is larger than you but you are injecting the Board's resolution power to make a political statement. You of all people should be above this behavior. Some of us long for the day when our elected officials possess the fortitude and integrity to put themselves at their own freewill above the fray of politcal backbiting.