Thoughts and Links on Saturday Morning

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the meeting because of coaching commitments, but I watched the relevant portion of the video as soon as it was available. I too was repulsed at Mr. MacKinnon's behavior at the Lewisville City Council meeting. After a representative from the American Cancer Society spoke in favor of the ordinance, Mr. MacKinnon "objected" to her being allowed to speak, and the people with him applauded this "objection". You can watch his comments below:


Let me make a few things clear:

Firstly, the last time I checked, Mr. MacKinnon does not have the power to decide who can and cannot speak at a Lewisville City Council meeting. It's amazing that people so adamantly claiming their "rights" were being violated were so willing to restrict our most basic right, free speech, because they disagreed with the opinion expressed. The idea that this was simply because she wasn't a resident is ridiculous: If non-residents were not allowed to speak at meetings, many (if not most) business owners in Lewisville would not be able to speak about projects that related to their businesses. Additionally, the American Cancer Society represents doctors and patients around the country, including in Lewisville. Their interest is at least as viable as Mr. MacKinnon's, if not more so.

Mr. MacKinnon demanded that another person's freedom of speech should be limited, whined about "gross intrusions into our rights", and didn't seem to notice the steaming pile of irony he just laid on the podium. He seems to lack a basic understanding of what "rights" are, and I encourage him to learn the basics before returning to speak at a Lewisville City Council meeting. More importantly, I want to point out to anybody who might have heard Mr. MacKinnon's vile remarks that they do not represent Lewisville in any way. I was born here and grew up here, and I can assure you that the vast majority of us treat guests (as the representative was) with nothing but respect.

I can't apologize for Mr. MacKinnon's remarks, but I hope that the American Cancer Society can look past his bloated, inaccurate comments and see Lewisville for what it really is: a great city with leaders dedicated to a safer community.
-BC