The Libertarian Party of Morgan County condemns the removal of a citizen from a public hearing

_{For immediate release: 3/16/2020}

Libertarians have a saying, “Good ideas don’t require force,” and it’s true. Persuasion is far more effective than forcing people to do what you want. It’s a guiding principle for us. On Thursday March 12^th at a Public Hearing in Madison Township force was used to make a point. After several hours of hearing a presentation and listening to government officials dodge questions Mr Harrison had had enough. He spoke up expressing his displeasure with the board, their proposal, and their refusal to answer the public’s questions. Sure, it was not ‘his turn’ to speak. He was ‘out of order’, but he’s also a taxpayer. He deserves to be heard. Rather than rely on the merits of their arguments, or even using basic customer service skills, the board chose to have him forcibly removed from the meeting.

This use of force to silence a taxpaying citizen is very troubling. Whether intended or not, this action impresses on citizens that the board is not actually interested in the public’s input. It also serves the purpose of intimidation as every other taxpayer with an opposing view has seen what will happen if they don’t follow the rules to the board’s satisfaction. The premise behind such an act implies that the board does not believe their proposal is a ‘Good Idea’ or else they wouldn’t need force to sell it. At the end of the day government officials should always seek to resolve conflicts through civil discourse and good customer service. Force has no place in a public hearing where no one was being threatened by anything other than an opposing idea.

_{The Libertarian Party of Morgan County seeks a principled and innovative approach to local government, inclusive communication with the public, and accountability for our officials.}