Wouldn't it just be easier for Mohave County government to post a sign advising residents which constitutional rights don't apply when they are at the county administration building in Kingman?
Just a guess on my part, but I suspect a number of people in the county - and not just Luca Zanna - might want to know about our "Constitution-free zone."
Zanna's photo graced the front page of the Miner on Nov. 15, and as the headline above him notes, he was not a happy camper. Nor were a lot of people at the meeting with Sen. John McCain, whom Zanna was addressing in the picture.
On the plus side, as the photos and story illustrate, the right to freedom of speech was not an issue inside the building that day. I guess that's something we should be thankful for.
The negative, though, is that Zanna and some colleagues who were handing out information on McCain's voting record outside the administration building were told to stop, Zanna says, by Supervisor Buster Johnson and a security guard.
McCain supporters who were handing out leaflets didn't get the same treatment, Zanna says.
We're all equals, it's just that some are more equal than others.
Hilarity ensued.
Zanna thought his rights were being trampled on, and he followed up with, he says, frequent calls to any number of county offices. Many, if not all, were not returned. All he wants to see is the county policy, in writing, telling him he was out of line.
An e-mail from the County Attorney's Office clarified that county property "is not meant to be a forum for constitutionally protected free speech." The specter of hordes of people handing out leaflets at the administrative building was raised by Bill Eckstrom of the County Attorney's Office, who noted, "Once we allow one person to do something like that, we have to allow others to do so, too."
Boy is he right on that one. The Miner doesn't have the county policy, and it takes me 10 minutes every morning to fight through the crowds handing out leaflets in our parking lot.
Not.
As a matter of fact, I can't think of one place in the county that's overrun with people handing out leaflets, with or without a policy.
Then Supervisor Tom Sockwell got into the act, pointing out in a letter in Thursday's Miner that a state law forbids what Zanna was doing that fateful day. Or does it?
Arizona Revised Statute 11-410, cited by Sockwell, read in its entirety sounds like a prohibition of electioneering practices by county employees and officials. Am I reading this wrong, or is Sockwell being disingenuous?
I suspect the latter. I suspect there is no county policy. I suspect Johnson was way out of line when he approached Zanna and told him to cool it with the leaflets. And I suspect this all would have blown over real quickly if someone would have contacted Zanna and said, "Hey, we messed up and we're sorry."
Instead, we get a snotty letter to the editor from Sockwell comparing Zanna to Hanoi Jane.
I think we deserve better from an elected official. And I'm grateful Luca Zanna didn't just shut up and sit down.
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Article comment by:
We Can Recall Sockwell
Folks, the recall is really charged up, we are raising money and getting signatures! This county has been under the corrupt thumbs of this BOS for too long, and they have gone too far. We can now remove Sockwell from office. Help us do this. Please go to RecallSockwell.com to help! We meet every week, we need your help, be part of history to clean up this county! RecallSockwell.com for info!
Posted: Monday, March 22, 2010
Article comment by:
Please Step Up and Help with www.RecallSockwell.com
To help with RecallSockwell go to www.RecallStockwell.com or email MohaveFreedom@Yahoo.com. We are getting stronger every day but we still need people to circulate petitions and we need donations. Now is the time for change and we can do it. Thank you.
Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Article comment by:
Jeff C.
Rich Thurlow,
Great article you "freedom lover you".
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
Article comment by:
Ray (Raymn8r)
What I've been saying in writing and in speeches, for over 15 years is, "Keep remind these elected politicians that they work for you, as public servants. If they don't like that, well, throw them out. Keep telling them, over and over, you work for me, sir or madam. Perform as your constituents want you to or we're throwing you out, and replacing you with someone who will represent us. Get everyone you know to target one politician after another, and keep pounding on them, and follow through, throw them out.
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
Article comment by:
Spartacus
@ The Watcher --
"Spartacus, we all say thank you for taking the initiative to get this political mistake out of office."
There are a line of others standing ahead of me who deserve thanks, most notably Luca Zanna and Bridget Langston. And I have a feeling that there are dozens of others, many of whom are not even aware of this present issue concerning Mr. Sockwell.
Still, I appreciate your thoughts. I hope that whatever I am able to do, or that any of us are able to do, will bring this situation out in the open where it belongs, and a fair analysis or ruling would pave the way for equal treatment of citizens and their elected representatives alike.
I want to say that I admire John McCain's service to his country. He is a hero in the eyes of many, and this is not to be taken lightly. I have a feeling that this, as much as anything else Mr. Zanna said or did, raised the ire of Mr. Sockwell, for better or worse.
However, as much as I admire and appreciate John McCain's service both in the military and in the U.S. Senate, I do not believe that entitles him to a free pass (as it were) when it comes to his voting record and its impact on Arizonans directly. John McCain, as a senator from Arizona, should be especially sensitive to the border issue. I would think the fact that Phoenix recently suffered a series of gang-related kidnappings and murders -- and still has serious border-related problems -- would cause him serious pause.
It wouldn't have surprised me to hear McCain say, in so many words, "I'll build the fence MYSELF if I have to, or a mile-high wall around THE STATE OF ARIZONA, if that's what it takes to keep my people safe and economically sound! The rest of you senators can do whatever you want that lets you sleep at night."
That wasn't what he said, though. His actions -- his pattern of voting -- was quite different, as Mr. Zanna attempted to point out.
I would venture a guess that if John McCain would take a hard line approach to the border, and tell anybody in Congress that differs with him to take a long and winding hike, he might be re-elected to the senate this fall. As it is, I don't think he will. If he does, and it's despite his watered down approach to the border, it will only be because the independent vote will be split, as is often the case.
In the end, I believe it's time for John McCain to call Arizona 'home' and act like it is, or leave us alone.
@ Woody --
As far as "taking the initiative to get this political mistake out of office" (The Watcher's words), I knew even before I contacted the AG's office that an investigation might be a long shot. It's just too easy to look the other way when it comes to one politician acting on information that might upset the career of another politician.
There are at least a dozen reasons I can think of that Terry Goddard would drag his feet, or worse, ignore it all together. Not saying he will, but analytically speaking, I can see why he would. I'm a practical man, but I'm also an optimist, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt until he proves that to be a mistake.
I believe the number of men and women who start a political career with the idea that they may not be popular with their peers, but they'll be popular with their constituency, is few. Too many say they'll be honest and upright, and actually start out that way, but give in to the deception that is all too common. Whether from lust for power or money, politics is a mistress for many -- impossible to serve it and remain loyal to those who put you where you are.
There are certainly good men and women in office. But sadly, they seem to be in the minority.
Terry Goddard is the one who has to face himself in the mirror. Same with Tom Sockwell. And all the other county and municipal officials who work for us. Sooner or later, they do what's right. If they don't, it's only a matter of time before we fire them.
Trouble is, 'a matter of time' can seem like an eternity when those we trusted with public office abuse us so unashamedly.
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
Article comment by:
parrot head
I think that Supervisor Sockwell may just be parroting what he himself has been told.
I asked my friend who works for the County what he thought of this brew ha ha. He stated the same thing that Sockwell claimed. "We have been told that it is against State law for anybody to pass out any information on government property".
I then explained to him that the law was meant to dissuade GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES from doing this. He didn't believe me.
Maybe Supervisor Sockwell and the County Attorney's office have been mistaken all these years. If so, they simply need to apologize to Mr. Zanna and then equally enforce whatever replacement plan they come up with.
This probably won't happen however, because as a previous post has pointed out... " most of Sockwell’s constituents of his district live and work in the Bullhead City, Mohave Valley and Golden Shores area..."
So I ask you County employees: Do you have the guts to admit you were wrong? It may be the only way for Sockwell (and the attorneys) to save face. Lets see if they will do it, or be pompous and pious and not apologize. If it be the latter, then maybe another dose of passing out leaflets is in order.
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
Article comment by:
Justin Case
My apologizes to all the constitutional scholars out there in the desert. When "Freedom Lover" and others refer to the "1st Amendment" and "freedom of speech", I naturally assumed they referring to the US Constitution. Whatever the AZ Constitution says in regards to freedom of speech is your problem, not mine. I don't live there. So as long as the 1st amendment to the AZ Constitution doesn't refer to freedom of speech, I think we can agree we're talking about the US Constitution.
The 1st Amendment to the US Constitution does NOT guarantee anyone's right to freedom of speech. Read it carefully. What it says is the CONGRESS shall pass no law prohibiting the freedom of speech. It DOES NOT say others can't write, enact, or enforce their own restrictions on free speech and there are plenty who do. The Constitution only says that CONGRESS can not pass any such law.
An yes to "I Read the Constitution", I'm sure you did read it and I'm proud of you. And yes, I know what "abridging" means (it means to condense, paraphrase or shorten something - which is what I did citing the 1st Amendment above) but I doubt your comprehension of its' use in the 1st Amendment.
And NO I'm not a Democrat.
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
Article comment by:
Woody
To ALL who have stated they will and have taken this matter to the AG, I say... GOOD LUCK! My opinion of him is the same one I share with eckstrom and gurtler down in Bullhead City. None of them want to do anything if there is nothing in it for them.
A few years back, we asked goddard to verify a "law," quoted by a lier and confirmed by the judge(?)in a trial over a land (Church property) dispute. The liers' opinion was that... "unincorporated associations can not hold title to land in Arizona."
Several people tried in several law libraries to find this "law". Some even called a few "local" attorneys. NO one had even heard of such a law. I wrote to gurtler and the court, as a private party and not as a defendant to inquire as to where I might find that "law" and under which ARS it was located. He did NOT answer the question and obviously got upset and ruled against us. (The Church)
I immediately contacted the AG office, asked the person I was talking too that question. She said she had never heard of that law and that the AG would get back with me with the answer. Which I still have not recieved.
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
Article comment by:
anonymous
there are several postings in today's Daily Miner with reference to this incident, which mention going to the Arizona Attorney General for investigation. I have some plans to do this in an unrelated case, but would be very interested to hear whether the AG has become aware of constitutional violations and criminal conduct by Kingman and Mohave County officials. This would include county supervisors and also the city attorney office here.
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
Article comment by:
Spelling it out
Justin Case, a citizen of the United States and member of the public was told by a county government official that he could not pass out flyers of the voting record of the Senator of Arizona during an open public town hall meeting in a building owned by the public.
Congress has not passed any laws but Mohave County came up with a few verbal policies supposedly construed from AZ 11-410 that are of question that prohibited and abridged freedom of speech that day.
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
Article comment by:
The Watcher
Spartacus, we all say thank you for taking the initiative to get this political mistake out of office.
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
Article comment by:
Spartacus
Good column, Mr. Thurlow. Thank you.
@ The Watcher --
I posted a response to this comment over on "Letter: Let's leave the '70s in the past", Sockwells letter to the editor.
I'll repeat it here:
"A letter writing campaign would work, assuming people remember what they read by the time the next election rolls around.
"The quickest way to bring down a county politician who abuses authority is to request the state's Attorney General look into the matter.
"If ARS 11-410 is directed at employees of the county -- not residents of the county -- Sockwell is in trouble, and it's a matter of getting Goddard involved. If Goddard reviews this, and determines Sockwell violated ARS 11-410 by allowing McCain to stump, at the same time prohibiting Zanna from doing the same, Sockwell should be removed from office.
"If that's the case, Zanna, Bridget Langston, and perhaps others as well, would have grounds for a civil rights suit.
"But that's assuming ARS 11-410 concerns county employees rather than residents. If it doesn't, then all this is moot. Sockwell remains an imbecile, unarguably arrogant and completely out of touch with the people who put him in office, but not in violation of the statute.
"I've contacted the AG concerning this, as have others."
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
Article comment by:
The Watcher
I know many of us believe Mr. Sockwell has sealed his fate in his next election and as Dave G asked, “Do you suppose this will remind all the other elected officials who they work for?”
The problem is most of Socwell’s constituents of his district live and work in the Bullhead City, Mohave Valley and Golden Shores area and only a few reside within the confines of Golden Valley. I would venture to say the majority of his constituents probably read the Mohave Daily News and Bullhead City Bee. Unless Sockwell sent his ranting letter to the two newspapers that service that area, not many of the people who voted for him even know of his tirades.
Sockwell is such an opinionated ignorant man who has lost sight of reality, appears to be spouting his mouth off before engaging his brain and even if he was issued a media specialist by the county to “put out the fires” he starts, I doubt he has the wherewithal to accept the individual’s recommendations.
Maybe the best thing for all of us to do is start a letter writing campaign and send letters to the editors of the two newspapers that service the largest portion of Sockwell’s District. Let’s “stir up the hornets’ nest for him.” If Sockwell’s wants to commit political suicide, maybe we all should supply the rope for him to hang himself.
Let all of his constituents know of his arrogant attitude toward the residents and how he has chosen to insult and berate citizens who simply exercise their 1st amendment Constitutional rights.
As said in the classic movie Pure Country, let Sockwell “dance like a chicken on a hot grill.” It is time Sockwell realize the citizens of Mohave County want him to be one of our public servants.
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
Article comment by:
Yes I read the Constitution
Pay attention Justin. The Constitution of the United States is the Suprme Law of the nation. The States indidvidual Constitutions are required to be in conformity with it.
As to whether the US Constitution all of the orginal amendments are not only a recognition of our natural rights as human beings but indeed they are a warranty against intrusion by the national and state government upon them. Look up the word abridging. It is interesting that you do not understand what it means.
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Article comment by:
Hey Clueless
Justin Case must be a Democrat!
Even after reading out loud or writing it down for himself, he stil doesn't get it.
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Article comment by:
Mervin Fried
Freedom lover is correct. During the townhall meeting, John McCains helper was behind Luca with a mic and was about to give it to him when Kingmans own, Joe Hart, located behind Lucas back, told the assistant not to give Luca an opportunity to speak. The assistant gestured towards Luca, and Joe Hart nodded. I watched this exchange from across the room and watched the assistant then walk away. The whole time Luca had his hand up waiting patiently to speak. I went over to Luca right away and told him what had happened behind his back while he was expecting to have his turn. I also shouted for Luca at the conclusion of the meeting to be able to have his say. He waited longer than most for his turn and was almost ignored completely. Thank you Luca for your patriotic spirit. Our country is in trouble. The people of this country must wake up and re-discover their spirit of liberty and re-ignite their desire for freedom before it is to late.
It is time for all good men to come to the aid of their country!
Mervin Fried
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Article comment by:
Loyd
So, how soon do they start digging the moat and putting in the draw bridge?
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Article comment by:
DaveG
It seems that Mr. Sockwell has sealed his fate in his next election! Do you suppose this will remind ALL the other elected officials who they work for?
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Article comment by:
Denube
Ohhh boy do the rats scurry when the lights come on!!! Funny how elected officials and the County Attorney can misquote (selectively??) 11-410!! Let us not forget this, and other crimes against the people come election time!!!
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Article comment by:
Justin Case
For all you 1st Amendment lovers out there might I suggest that you actually try reading the 1st amendment. It's not very long and not at all ambiguous. Nowhere in the 1st Amendment, nor anywhere else in the US Constitution, are you guaranteed the right to free speech. The 1st Amendment simply states that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech.
So tell me, whose 1st Amendments were being denied? Did I miss something? Did Congress pass some law restricting the freedom of speech?
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Article comment by:
No name provided
You think that's bad, a few years ago the sheriff (Sheahan) admonished department staff that they were not allowed to have a political bumper sticker on their private vehicle promoting another person running against him for sheriff. This goes along the same lines as telling jail staff that they needed his permission before getting a concealed weapons permit, a right that is granted by the state of Arizona.
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Article comment by:
citizen
The details of oppression have changed over time, as a brief passage from King George's Quartering Act bestowed upon the American colonies in 1765 attests - the Americans are commanded to furnish "the officers with fire, candles, vinegar, and salt, bedding, utensils for dressing victuals, and small beer, cyder or rum..." (to be fair here, the King specified a daily limit of 5 pints of cider per English soldier from their American hosts). Hmmm, no wonder that, in one of those historic patriotic speeches which, arguably, should be mandatory reading amongst American students of an appropriate age, Dr. Joseph Warren speaks in 1772 of some outfallings from the Quartering Act..."our children subjected to the barbarous caprice of the raging soldiers; our beauteous virgins exposed to the insolence of unbridled passon; our virtuous wives...falling a sacrifice to worse than brutal violence".
I doubt that the graphics here are lost, even upon a modern American reader. Hopefully, your virtuous wives and kids are safe enough now from the drunken predations of local officials whom you have been forced to pay, but still you should have the right to make known your opinions and speak from your experience and knowledge without being rudely addressed or slandered in traitorous terms..... From the pages of history, and yes, although I'm an American citizen, my family emigrated here from England.
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Article comment by:
No name provided
Don't worry folks I'm sure that the 3 kings are busy writing up a NEW policy that restricts Luca handing out leaflets on county property. You can always count on these idiots to come to bat with something to SILENCE THE MASSES of Mohave County. How else will they continue their total control of the communitty and keep doing favors for the SPECIAL PEOPLE in the area!
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Article comment by:
Voter
Right on Rich!
We need a written county policy and we need the call to the public back.
And two of our three BOS owe Zanna an apology.
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Article comment by:
BOS just apologize and take your medicine
Rich, I think you have very eloquently put the whole issue into a nut shell. I am sure there are people who will go off on tangents about this, but the bottom line is that a policy needs to be put into place, which EVERYONE should adhere to. Then a public apology to Mr. Zanna. What else could be done?
