Arrr, the scurvy dog, the Georgia reparations task force chair, be tryin' to silence his crew from speakin' to the media, blabbers a Fulton commissioner.
2023-07-24
Avast, me hearties! Fulton County Commissioner Bridget Thorne be raisin' a mighty ruckus! One of her scurvy appointees to the Reparations Task Force be told, it be said, to hold 'is tongue 'gainst the press. Aaarrr, a tale worth tellin' indeed!
A Republican commissioner in Fulton County, Georgia, is expressing her concern after two of her appointees to the county's Reparations Task Force were reportedly instructed not to speak to the media. The order came after a member of the task force, Mike Russell, spoke to Fox News Digital last month. Commissioner Bridget Thorne, who appointed the two members, expressed her preference for them to have the freedom to speak to the media, as they possess important information and closely follow the task force's work. Thorne was puzzled when she learned that Russell had been given the instruction not to speak to the media. The task force has been allocated $250,000 to investigate Fulton County's past and whether financial reparations should be made to its Black population.Thorne sought clarification from the county attorney, who confirmed that the attempted gag order violated the First Amendment and the right to free speech. However, when Russell argued his right to speak to the press, the task force chair, Dr. Karcheik Sims-Alvarado, responded with an executive order preventing all 14 task force members from speaking to the media. Thorne believed that this order was meant to limit public speech to Sims-Alvarado and vice chair Marcus Coleman. Thorne emphasized the need for dialogue and discussion, expressing concern that limiting voices would hinder progress. Sims-Alvarado later clarified that task force members were allowed to speak to the press as long as they did so in their own name.
Thorne also criticized the open-ended nature of the reparations discussions and highlighted pressing issues in Fulton County, such as the closure of a hospital and the need to rebuild jail facilities. She encouraged commissioners to come together and find a solution, emphasizing the importance of understanding the real problem. The due date for Fulton County's recommendations on reparations is October 2024.