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Members of the public and Rockdale Democratic Party called for the resignation of the Republican member of the elections board Jonny Brown at Thursday’s elections board meeting after an editorial Brown had written came to light.
About 10 people spoke about the editorial that had been posted online on a local website. All but two of the comments were against the editorial.
The piece, dated Nov. 19, and titled “The Little White Plane,” described a metaphorical plane called the Spirit of Rockdale that was painted in white and went on to describe last year’s election campaign. (Editor’s note: The full text of the editorial can be read to the left of this article online at www.rockdalenews.com)
Rockdale Democratic Party Chair Doreen Williams said, in a letter read aloud by party secretary Carole Copeland, “Members of the Board of Elections are specifically charged with making sure all elections are carried out in a fair manner without regards to race, religion, gender or sexual preference or any other means of discrimination. With the publishing of this editorial, I seriously question Mr. Brown’s ability to assure the voters of Rockdale County that the election concerns can be and will be heard fairly and accurately. I will call immediately for Mr. Brown’s resignation as Republican appointee.”
Rockdale Republican Party Chair Don Williamson also wrote a letter that was read aloud by Lynn Brown. “In response to the Rockdale Democratic Party Chairman requesting our representative to the BOE resign, please note the following. 1) Jonny Brown has the right to a personal opinion as an individual and will continue to do so until Obama signs another executive order taking that away as well. 2) To everyone that has made the same remarks and requests that Mr. Brown should resign, you seem to have the uncanny ability to make the association that Jonny Brown is speaking for the Republican Party. Some have gone as far to state that this is a Republican party problem. We do not subscribe to the group or herd mentality and maintain that if Mr. Brown wants to state a personal opinion, that is not speaking for the Republican Party in any manner, shape or form.”
Lynn Brown, Jonny’s wife, a vice president of the Rockdale Republican Party and a former member of the elections board, also spoke as a private resident.
“There was nothing in that story racist,” she said, which brought reaction from the audience. She continued, “The definition of racism is: the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a person is superior to others. 2, Discrimination or prejudice based on race. That was not racist, according to Webster’s.”
Resident Cheryl Board said, “Comments like those need to be left in the closet with the hoods and scowls and sheets that go with it. If those are truly the beliefs, then those people need to go back to the closets where they belong.”
Pastor J. Philip Baker said, “The comments that were made by Mr. Brown if not racist were ignorant. They did not substantiate what the majority of this community believes. I wanted to address these issues to the chairman that if he allows Mr. Brown to sit on this board unchallenged, it not only impedes on the credibility of Mr. Brown, but also questions the integrity of each members that sits on this board.”
Pastor Luke Boswell said, “No the board should not have to vote for this young man to remove himself. If he really cared about the spirit of Rockdale, he would remove himself. That’s what people do that have conscience. That’s what people do who care about the true big picture of what’s going on in our community.
Jim Roppo spoke about how he and his wife had sat through many elections board meetings over the last three years and did not see the many attendees at Thursday’s meeting, especially through a year where Judge Sidney Nation ended up removing two of the board members.
“I have mixed feelings about what Mr. Brown wrote,” said Roppo. “On one hand I recognize through the bill of rights through the first amendment of the constitution that he has the right to say whatever he wants to say. On the other hand I would say being a member of a board like this, just like I’m a member of a different board in this county, you have to be a little more circumspect. If anything I’d say that’s the case where he didn’t do a very good job.” But he added, “I think we need to be consistent here… Mr. Brown may have made the mistake. But other mistakes have been made here too,” he said.
Elections board Chairman William Todd closed out the meeting. “I have to be careful about speaking my opinion on personal things, because I may be needed to vote on something very important. My impartiality cannot be subject to question. I cannot say what I really think about any of this. I just wanted to make sure everyone had an opportunity to be heard.”
Copies of the elections board bylaws were handed out and attendees were encouraged to see if any sections applied to the situation.
After the meeting, Elections Supervisor Cynthia Welch said that no action was taken by the board, since Brown had not violated the terms of the bylaws.
The board, through its attorney, can petition a judge to decide whether or not to remove a member only if the member was violating the bylaws, such as failing to perform his or her duties, not showing up for meetings, convicted of a felony.
The local parties themselves can not remove their appointees, Welch said.
The next elections board meeting is Feb. 14, 4 p.m. at 1400 Parker Road.
Jan. 18, 2013 11:24p.m. EST
Calls for resignation at elections board after editorial
Michelle Kim
Rockdale News
Members of the public and Rockdale Democratic Party called for the resignation of the Republican member of the elections board Jonny Brown at Thursday’s elections board meeting after an editorial Brown had written came to light.
About 10 people spoke about the editorial that had been posted online on a local website. All but two of the comments were against the editorial.
The piece, dated Nov. 19, and titled “The Little White Plane,” described a metaphorical plane called the Spirit of Rockdale that was painted in white and went on to describe last year’s election campaign. (Editor’s note: The full text of the editorial can be read to the left of this article online at www.rockdalenews.com)
Rockdale Democratic Party Chair Doreen Williams said, in a letter read aloud by party secretary Carole Copeland, “Members of the Board of Elections are specifically charged with making sure all elections are carried out in a fair manner without regards to race, religion, gender or sexual preference or any other means of discrimination. With the publishing of this editorial, I seriously question Mr. Brown’s ability to assure the voters of Rockdale County that the election concerns can be and will be heard fairly and accurately. I will call immediately for Mr. Brown’s resignation as Republican appointee.”
Rockdale Republican Party Chair Don Williamson also wrote a letter that was read aloud by Lynn Brown. “In response to the Rockdale Democratic Party Chairman requesting our representative to the BOE resign, please note the following. 1) Jonny Brown has the right to a personal opinion as an individual and will continue to do so until Obama signs another executive order taking that away as well. 2) To everyone that has made the same remarks and requests that Mr. Brown should resign, you seem to have the uncanny ability to make the association that Jonny Brown is speaking for the Republican Party. Some have gone as far to state that this is a Republican party problem. We do not subscribe to the group or herd mentality and maintain that if Mr. Brown wants to state a personal opinion, that is not speaking for the Republican Party in any manner, shape or form.”
Lynn Brown, Jonny’s wife, a vice president of the Rockdale Republican Party and a former member of the elections board, also spoke as a private resident.
“There was nothing in that story racist,” she said, which brought reaction from the audience. She continued, “The definition of racism is: the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a person is superior to others. 2, Discrimination or prejudice based on race. That was not racist, according to Webster’s.”
Resident Cheryl Board said, “Comments like those need to be left in the closet with the hoods and scowls and sheets that go with it. If those are truly the beliefs, then those people need to go back to the closets where they belong.”
Pastor J. Philip Baker said, “The comments that were made by Mr. Brown if not racist were ignorant. They did not substantiate what the majority of this community believes. I wanted to address these issues to the chairman that if he allows Mr. Brown to sit on this board unchallenged, it not only impedes on the credibility of Mr. Brown, but also questions the integrity of each members that sits on this board.”
Pastor Luke Boswell said, “No the board should not have to vote for this young man to remove himself. If he really cared about the spirit of Rockdale, he would remove himself. That’s what people do that have conscience. That’s what people do who care about the true big picture of what’s going on in our community.
Jim Roppo spoke about how he and his wife had sat through many elections board meetings over the last three years and did not see the many attendees at Thursday’s meeting, especially through a year where Judge Sidney Nation ended up removing two of the board members.
“I have mixed feelings about what Mr. Brown wrote,” said Roppo. “On one hand I recognize through the bill of rights through the first amendment of the constitution that he has the right to say whatever he wants to say. On the other hand I would say being a member of a board like this, just like I’m a member of a different board in this county, you have to be a little more circumspect. If anything I’d say that’s the case where he didn’t do a very good job.” But he added, “I think we need to be consistent here… Mr. Brown may have made the mistake. But other mistakes have been made here too,” he said.
Elections board Chairman William Todd closed out the meeting. “I have to be careful about speaking my opinion on personal things, because I may be needed to vote on something very important. My impartiality cannot be subject to question. I cannot say what I really think about any of this. I just wanted to make sure everyone had an opportunity to be heard.”
Copies of the elections board bylaws were handed out and attendees were encouraged to see if any sections applied to the situation.
After the meeting, Elections Supervisor Cynthia Welch said that no action was taken by the board, since Brown had not violated the terms of the bylaws.
The board, through its attorney, can petition a judge to decide whether or not to remove a member only if the member was violating the bylaws, such as failing to perform his or her duties, not showing up for meetings, convicted of a felony.
The local parties themselves can not remove their appointees, Welch said.
The next elections board meeting is Feb. 14, 4 p.m. at 1400 Parker Road.
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