In their natural form, ordinances protect the citizens’ rights in every parish. Every society needs rules and laws to ensure everyone’s safety. However, very recently, it’s come to our attention that certain parishes have passed ordinances without consulting the people they represent! Pearl Parish’s elected officials have done that very thing. Tyranny and oppression only favor those in power, so that is the question of whether or not that is their goal.
We got an interview with the very elected official that claims to have passed such an “ordinance.” The parish councilman was approached today at lunch and asked a series of questions on the matter.
How did you impact the passing of the ordinances?
“What I do for the ordinance, personally, I draft. It’s the only one so far; the rest of the ordinances will be covered at all of the public meetings we will be holding each night.”
For those who don’t know, what are these public meetings?
“The public meetings occur each night about within 30 minutes of us returning to the dorm; it’s just going to be a […] meeting where we debrief you on everything we discussed as parish leaders […] because we’re trying to draft more of those ordinances.”
Hear that? They’re trying to draft more of these “ordinances” without any consultation with the rest of their citizens. Can we have effective representatives when they pass whatever they’d like whenever they’d like?
On the afternoon of June 22, the Pearl Parish president posted in his parish group chat, writing, “Everyone, the Parish Gov has created our first ordinance. Please read the ordinance, as there are consequences for missing. Tonight and all other nights we will have a meeting 30 mins after the councilors dismiss us to go to our rooms. So thirty minutes after you go to your room, we will meet in the common area. If you miss, there are consequences.”
Funny how he mentions words like “consequences” numerous times when every parish is supposedly free? That’s an interesting way to put it…
We got another interview with a concerned citizen of the Pearl Parish community.
“What’s been bothering you about this entire ordinance situation?”
“The main thing that’s been bothering me really is that when all these guys ran these parish council members and the parish president, they really harped on the fact that […] I could trust them. I […] feel like I’ve been utterly backstabbed by these people. I mean, truly, I voted for these people because they said I was going to get a voice, and just the opposite has occurred. These people went behind our backs and made a bill that takes off 30 minutes of my sleep, which I would argue goes against the Louisiana Boys State idea of cruelty. [When] I talk to them about it, all of them speak very condescendingly to me, like they have a God-gifted right to this meeting, which I personally do not support.”
“So what do you think about the consequences that your president seemed to be passing if y’all didn’t listen to him?”
“So the public shaming, as I said earlier, just seems like it’s […] kind of cruel to be honest.”
Yes, it does seem kind of cruel, concerned citizen…
We took an interview with the Pearl Parish president on the entire situation. For the interview and more, please visit The Daily Magnolia Instagram, @labsdailymag, for all your news needs.