Well, you certainly canโt blame the fine folks on the city council of Edison, New Jersey, for lack of effort in trying to make the national news. If only that were a good thing.
In a viral video of comments made before the council, Edison resident Joel Bassoff, a lawyer, was kicked out of a meeting for using the U.S. Constitution and an American flag as โpropsโ to make a point, according to MyCentralJersey.com.
Council President Nishith Patel threw him out of the meeting โ which, not coincidentally, was in part to curb the use of โpropsโ in remarks before the council.
Residents were none too pleased with the proposal.
โTo consider the American flag and the Constitution a prop when someone raises it is an insult to what the flag is, what the flag stands for and what this country is,โ Maryann Hennessey said in her remarks.
โFor you to consider the use of the American flag a prop is disgusting.โ
Of note, MyCentralJersey reported that the council of the Middlesex County town, a suburb of New York City, was looking to curb what it called โoften-raucous meetingsโ of the council by reducing speaking time and eliminating props.
Bassoff, however, said in his remarks during the five-hour Nov. 25 meeting that โthe council wants to slash the publicโs speaking time because the comments often focus on a concern or complaint about wasteful spending, quality-of-life issues or a public safety issue the mayor and his administration have failed to address.
โBassoff said he objected to the councilโs attempt to โgagโ the public and tore up a copy of the ordinance and argued the U.S. Constitution gives the public the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances and every member of the council took an oath to uphold the Constitution.โ
Council president Nishith Patelk then said that the prop was in violation of council rules and that he was forfeiting his time.
โHe is in violation, he can be removed,โ Patel said.
Bassoff had also held up an American flag, noting that by stopping residents from such displays, the council risked legal action.
โIโm holding up an American flag to represent the constitutional values,โ he said.
โItโs my constitutional right to do this,โ Bassoff continued. โIf you get sued, you will lose. My suggestion to you is that you get a second opinion from competent counsel because you are wrong.โ
As residents clapped, Patel instructed officers to have the man โremoved.โ
โIโm ready to sit here quietly, and I will not interfere with your decorum โ so I have a right to be here,โ Bassoff said.
Fox News reported the meeting was then put into a five-minute recess so that Bassoff could be ejected.
Resident kicked out of town council in Edison, NJ for literally holding up a US Constitution pic.twitter.com/0kVop8nxPe
โ End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 3, 2024
The prop ordinance doesnโt specifically mention either the Constitution or the U.S. flag, but Patel said that โany props will be considered not conducive to good order and as the president, I am making that call.โ
Bassoff wasnโt the only person unhappy with the councilโs decisions.
โOne woman said it was unfair that while council members can speak as long as they want, residents are limited in their time to speak,โ MyCentralJersey reported.
โResident Sue Malone-Barber said sheโs upset with the councilโs attempt to control the public, when the disruptions are only caused by some people coming to the meetings. She said the council meetings have become โa three-ring circus.โ
โShe said the council and mayor are โhellbentโ on controlling the public which is โludicrous, rude and juvenileโ and will only make meetings worse.โ
โResidents wonโt forget how they were made to feel and how things were handled,โ she said. โFlags, really a prop, you going to throw me out?โ
Pretty much! As weโve seen in meetings like this across the country, elected officials donโt want to be answerable to the public just so long as they get the votes necessary to retain their position. Anything more and theyโd just rather not be bothered.
Are there cranks and curmudgeons who show up to these meetings? All the time! Welcome to America! I donโt know whether John Bassoff is one of them, although I do know that he seems to be making a relative amount of sense here by reminding the council citizens have the opportunity to โpetition the Government for a redress of grievances,โ as stated in the First Amendment.
Did anyone involved in throwing this guy out think they were making a good career or electoral move? Did they think that, in the digital age, this wasnโt going to be a viral thing? Well, now it is, with the Constitution video alone on the @EndWokeness X account garnering over 432,000 views in less than 24 hours after it was published on Monday.
And yes, Edison meetings have gotten weird in the past; as WKXW-FM reported after the November meeting that an Oct. 9 gathering saw โat least two men [who] wore Guy Fawkes or โAnonymousโ style face masks, while a third often wore a full wrestlerโs mask.
โA fourth man was dressed as a giant cannabis bong, cradling a baby doll dressed in a similar costume.โ
However, one resident reportedly said this was the doing of โa handful of disruptive individuals,โ as per the station. So where they decided to really draw the line was โฆ the lawyer with the Constitution and American flag โprops.โ
Iโm sure this will end well for them.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
The post Watch: Town Council Kicks Man Out of Meeting After He Waves American Flag appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
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