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Thursday, December 03, 2009
Buncombe County Commission "Knocking on the Doors of Hell"
Citing the Forsyth County case, the Buncombe County Commission will no longer precede its meetings with an official prayer, opting for a moment of silence instead.
The board's attorney said in a statement, "On November 9, 2009 a magistrate judge with the US District Court for the Middle District of NC issued a recommendation of judgment against Forsyth County as the practice violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution .... The Forsyth case is based on facts establishing that out of 33 invocations prior to meetings only 7 did not contain some reference to Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ, Savior, or the Trinity, and none of those 33 invocations invoked another deity associated with any faith other than Christianity. Such statistics are no doubt common here in the Bible Belt and I believe are also fairly representative of such a sampling before our Board."
To be legal prayers before the opening of a government body must be non-sectarian in nature and not endorse one faith or denomination over another.
Naturally, such a decision, even in Asheville, could be guaranteed to invite the raining down of hellfire, starting with the recently defeated right-wing former town councilman Carl Mumpower and local conservative "activist" Don Yelton, who said, modestly and with hardly any hyperbole, "I am reminded of what some [Jewish] friends told me, they did not know how fast it could happen. Hitler. We are knocking on the doors of hell right now. Please get your pastors to get awake and take a stand."
The board's attorney said in a statement, "On November 9, 2009 a magistrate judge with the US District Court for the Middle District of NC issued a recommendation of judgment against Forsyth County as the practice violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution .... The Forsyth case is based on facts establishing that out of 33 invocations prior to meetings only 7 did not contain some reference to Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ, Savior, or the Trinity, and none of those 33 invocations invoked another deity associated with any faith other than Christianity. Such statistics are no doubt common here in the Bible Belt and I believe are also fairly representative of such a sampling before our Board."
To be legal prayers before the opening of a government body must be non-sectarian in nature and not endorse one faith or denomination over another.
Naturally, such a decision, even in Asheville, could be guaranteed to invite the raining down of hellfire, starting with the recently defeated right-wing former town councilman Carl Mumpower and local conservative "activist" Don Yelton, who said, modestly and with hardly any hyperbole, "I am reminded of what some [Jewish] friends told me, they did not know how fast it could happen. Hitler. We are knocking on the doors of hell right now. Please get your pastors to get awake and take a stand."
Labels: Buncombe County, Forsyth County, religion and politics
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Buncombe to Tighten Steep-Slope Regs
Following Jackson County's lead, no less.
Labels: Buncombe County, Jackson County, steep slope hazards
Thursday, March 19, 2009
NC Appeals Court Throws Out Buncombe County Zoning
On a technicality. Amazing how 24 hours can become a gigantic clod in the churn.
Reaction from Asheville's Scrutiny Hooligans.
Reaction from Asheville's Scrutiny Hooligans.
Labels: Buncombe County, Scrutiny Hooligans, zoning
Monday, November 10, 2008
Watauga, Jackson & Buncombe -- Oh My!
Asheville Citizen-Times reporter Joel Burgess takes an extended look this a.m. at why three lone North Carolina counties in the western mountains went for Obama, while all around them was red hot for McCain/Palin. Answer: young voters. All three counties contain a major state university.Didn't your mother always warn you that a little larnin' was a dangerous thing?
Interesting factoids:
Of the Democratic-leaning counties, Watauga has the largest percentage of 18- to 25-year-old voters — 31.3 percent. Jackson is next with 15.4 percent, then Swain with 12.7 percent and Buncombe with 11.6 percent. Obama won all but Swain by differences as large as 57-43 percent.
We got us a new Generation Gap, folks!
Labels: Barack Obama, Buncombe County, Generation Gap, Jackson County, Watauga County
