Council President Gibson writes Dan about 'derogatory flyer'

On the eve of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, I received an email from Council President Harold Gibson concerning an anonymous flyer recently passed around the community attacking me personally, along with several business people who are community leaders as well as a sitting Councilor.

Council President Gibson's email is printed below, following which is my response to him --

Dan:

I was recently made aware of a horrendous derogatory flier dubbed "Plainfield Gazette", which contained what I concluded as biased comments about you and several other Plainfielders including one current member of the city council.

I want you to know I feel this nefarious document has no place in our fair city. I have taken the time to visit one of the businesses where the document was delivered so I could put my law enforcement background to use in an effort to determine the source of the document. While I could not come to any conclusive decision as to the origin of the document or the identity of the person who dropped it off, I contacted Chief Santiago to express my concerns. He indicated the police were in fact investigating the situation. I further took the time to contact the council member who was named in the document to express my outrage.

On behalf of the members of the Plainfield City Council I take offense to the perpetration of such an act and take the position that political differences do not open the door to heinous activity such as the spreading of the highly volatile comments in the printed flier that prompted my sending this writing to you.

There is a point at which "Freedom of Speech" simply is not a basis for certain action.

Harold Gibson

And here is my reply to Council President Gibson --

Dear Council President,

Thank you for your email concerning the anonymous flyer recently circulated under the authorship of 'The Plainfield Gazette'. I thank you for your concern that it represents biased speech and 'has no place in our fair city.' Your forthrightness in defending freedom of speech in expressing political differences could not come at a more timely moment, as we as a community pondered the impact of Martin Luther King Jr. on the American experience.

It put me in mind of an incident at Resurrection City, the temporary tent city pitched on the Mall in Washington in May and June of 1968, as activists rallied by Dr. King (and led by the Rev. Ralph Abernethy after Dr. King's assassination) lobbied Congress for several weeks on poverty issues affecting Americans of every race and ethnicity.

As a participant, I witnessed one of the SCLC marshals in no uncertain terms dress down a volunteer who had made a disparaging anti-gay remark about another volunteeer, telling him that if he didn't mind his tongue he would be barred from further participation, and citing Dr. King as his authority for such a mandate.

As far as 'The Plainfield Gazette' goes, you should be aware that this is the third outbreak of this anonymous pamphleteer -- the first was in support of then-candidate, now Mayor, Sharon Robinson-Briggs during the contested 2005 primary; the second being distributed via the literature table in City Hall last year; and this third appearance by hand-delivery to at least two downtown business people as well as on car windshields in the City Hall parking lot.

It is refreshing that at least some of our elected leadership stands firmly behind the First Amendment and the right of citizens to air their opinions in the debate around issues involved in the betterment of Plainfield.

I wish you all the best as you lead the Council for the year 2008 in addressing the multitude of issues and opportunities that face us.

And thank you again for your personal interest in speaking up for residents' First Amendment rights.

Sincerely,

Dan Damon.

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• King Encyclopedia: "The Poor People's Campaign" -- 'Resurrection City' was the tent encampment that housed those who gathered in Washington as part of the Poor People's Campaign.
  

-- Dan Damon

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