And now, for something completely different.
Jay McKim, Rick DeStephens and Me (Tim Weaver), decided to pay a visit to
Glendale's elected officials to protest the city's current weapons checking
policy. My account was play-by-play and rather boring, so what we have next is
the color commentary by Grand Master Rick:
The Three Hoarsemen of the Apothecary (uh, that's us - Tim) approached the
Glendale City Council Chamber ready to do some damage. It was after the Walmart
flare-up and the Chamber was no longer packed with irate citizens fighting
against low prices and blue vests. Our task: to spew forth three separate
speeches in the mandated five minutes each. Easy enough, except our speeches
were a good two minutes longer than that. We would have to talk quickly, and not
look back.
We sat down in the plush chamber. Sitting close, but not too close…if you
know what I mean. None of us offered to check any weapons, and I don't know who,
if any were armed. There were two PD Sgts sitting at opposite ends near the
back. We felt well protected. The meeting started and they went through the
motions of good government. A few TUGsters trickled in over time. The meeting
was broadcast over Public Access Channel 11 complete with Closed-Captioning. We
wagered that the captioner would not be able to keep up with us. After a
half-hour or so, it was time to get to the off-agenda stuff…that would be us.
Through near random chance, Jay McKim's blue card was pulled first, which is
how I would have wanted it. Jay gave a workman-like overview of the problem and
its solution. Nothing fancy, with language even a recalcitrant City Manager with
a PhD could understand. Jay speechified with precision. Nary a stutter. The
looks on the Councilmens' faces were very neutral, given away only by their
consistent head-scratches (some merely had mouths agape).
Then it was my turn. I approached the microphone and began to spew forth
words at about three-times normal speaking voice and probably about 50% faster
than I needed to. I tried to look up to make eye contact and each time lost my
place or omitted words. I found that the meaning of a sentence is totally
reversed if you don't read the word "not." My speech, unlike Jay's,
was not designed to lay out the situation. It was to lay out a work assignment
for the City of Glendale. I asked questions. Many, many questions and presented
several logical tests. Oh yeah, I requested that the City of Glendale conduct an
anonymous poll of line cops to see how many approve of this stupid weapons
checking policy. We'll have to submit the questions real quick-like.
I walked away as Tim Weaver's name was called. While Jay laid the ground work
and I spread the confusion, Tim hit 'em with both barrels of legal analysis that
named names and took no prisoners. In my favorite part, he took an excerpt from
a July 2000 council meeting where not one, but two councilmen showed their doubt
of then assistant and now acting City Attorney, Rick Flaaen's claim that
Arizona's CCW only allowed carry of handguns and did not apply to other weapons.
Tim showed that the councilmen's doubts were verified. And since Mr. Flaaen
got those parts wrong…. well, Tim could show how the other parts are wrong
just as well.
It was very ugly. Pin-dropping kind of silence. We received no commentary
other than the "Thank you, Mr. McKim/DeStephens/Weaver."
We sat back and waited. As Providence would have it, the next speaker was,
well, heaven-sent. She was a senior citizen. She (Ginny) was there to praise the
PD for their gang bust the week before. Kudos all around. Then she went off the
reservation and told the council that she was the victim of a violent assault
and since then had always traveled with her revolver (actually, the quote was
"my dog and my trusty gun" - Tim).
The Council braced. In short, she said that she was in agreement with the
young boys who spoke earlier (that would be us). She also told them that she was
once confronted by a Glendale PD Sgt. who told her that she really shouldn't be
carrying a gun. That Sergeant is one Mark Smith. You can tell Chief of Police
David Dobrotka how you feel by calling him at 623-930-3051 or 623-930-3059. You
can e-mail him at ... well, hell, here are a whole bunch of e-mail addresses for
Glendale.
Tell them what you think about the checking policy (gun taken miles away, not
brought back, you have to come get it and the keep the paper work with your gun
serial # on it).
Tell them that their police should not be telling crime victims to disarm...
The Big Whigs:
PD Chief
David Dobrotka
DDobrotka@ci.glendale.az.us
City Manager
Marty Vanacour
MARTY@ci.glendale.az.us
Mayor
Elaine Scruggs
MayorScruggs@ci.glendale.az.us
Assist City Manager
Ed Beasley
ED@ci.glendale.az.us
PD Sgt
Jim Toomey
JToomey@ci.glendale.az.us
PD Lieutenant
Matthew Lively
MLively@ci.glendale.az.us
Miscellaneous Glendale Cityfolk
Phil Lieberman
LIEBERMAN@ci.glendale.az.us
Tom Eggleston
EGG@ci.glendale.az.us
Joyce Clark
JClark@ci.glendale.az.us>
Jerry McCoy
MCCOY@ci.glendale.az.us
Manny Martinez
MMartinez@ci.glendale.az.us
Michelle Resler
MResler@ci.glendale.az.us
Pam Kavanaugh
PAM@ci.glendale.az.us
Steve Frate
SFrate@ci.glendale.az.us
See you Wednesday!
TUG Meeting
Wednesday, Jan 17
Country Harvest Buffet
s/w Corner Priest & Elliot
Tempe, Arizona
6-7 eat, 7-9 meet and only $8.95 for all you can eat (+ tax)
