Opinion Piece By Linda Sutter – November 16, 2021

Today I received an email from the Republican Party. Although I am registered as a Republican and support their values what I don’t support are their Rules of Decorum. Their rules of decorum definitely violate the First Amendment Rights of speech, which is an oxymoron since they are the first ones to shout out Constitutional Rights.

Of course, that is my opinion and it reminds me of when I went to the Academy to become a Correctional Officer. If you do or say this you will get fired. In the same likeness the Rules of Decorum which by the way are very subjective, threaten to have you arrested if you say something they don’t like. These rules were last updated in 2013 and If I was the Chair of that Committee I think I would carefully remove some things. But that’s me.

The people you need to look out for are Annette Short, Karen Sanders, and Angela Greenough. Yep, these gals are far from Objective, controlling, and resemble the Nazi ideologies. With that said, isn’t it time for some change in the Republican Party, and who governs it? Isn’t it time to stop the Stepford wife mentality and isn’t it time to especially change the Rules of Decorum to reflect the very values they think they represent? Here is a copy of those rules of Decorum.

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF DEL NORTE COUNTY P.O. Box 916 Crescent City, CA 95531 RULES OF DECORUM IN PUBLIC MEETINGS

In accordance with the By-laws Republican Party of Del Norte County, Revised 01-05-2009, Article 11.2, the Presiding Officer possesses the authority to enforce the following rules of decorum:

a. The Presiding Officer at all times shall exercise Roberts Rules of Order and manage public meetings in a fair, balanced, ethical, lawful, and respectful manner.

b. Central Committee. Members desiring to speak first shall address the Presiding Officer, gain recognition by the same, and shall confine themselves to the question under discussion, avoiding personal attacks and indecorous language. Each person shall limit his or her remarks to five minutes or the time established by the Presiding Officer for that subject. The Presiding Officer may set different time limits on the remarks of speakers on a particular subject, based on the number of speakers wishing to address a single subject and the number of agenda items upon which people wish to speak.

c. Interruptions. A Committee member, once recognized, shall not be interrupted when speaking, unless called to order by the Presiding Officer. Members of the Central Committee, after recognition by the Presiding Officer, shall hold the floor until completion of their remarks or until recognition is withdrawn by the Presiding Officer. Speaker would be limited to two opportunities to speak, once to speak on the subject and once to rebut.

d. Persons Addressing the Central Committee. The primary purpose of oral communications is to allow the public the opportunity to formally communicate with the Central Committee as a whole.

Each person, of the general public, who addresses the Committee shall do so in an orderly manner and shall not make personal, impertinent, threatening, slanderous, or profane remarks to any member of the Committee or the general public. Any person who makes such remarks, or who utters loud threatening, personal or abusive language, or engages in any other disorderly conduct which disrupts, disturbs or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of any public meeting of the Republican Party of Del Norte County shall, at the discretion of the Presiding Officer, be barred from speaking further and may be ejected from the meeting.

Further disturbance during the meeting may lead to arrest.

e. Members of the Audience.

(1) No person in the audience at a public meeting of the Central Committee shall engage in disorderly or boisterous conduct, including the utterance of loud, threatening or abusive language, whistling, inappropriate applauding, stamping of feet, or other acts which disturb, disrupt, or otherwise impede the orderly conduct of any public or closed Committee meeting. Any person who repeatedly conducts himself or herself in the aforementioned manner following one warning from the Presiding Officer may, at the discretion of the Presiding Officer, be ejected from the meeting and/or be subject to arrest. (subject to arrest for speaking out? wow)

(2) Members of the public may not bring signs or placards into the Central Committee meeting during a public or closed meeting. Such signs or placards may be displayed or distributed outside the building. Handouts or printed materials may be distributed at the Central Committee meeting prior to the Committee meeting or outside the building.

f. Addressing the Committee. During the “Public Comments” portion of the meeting agenda, persons wishing to address the Central Committee regarding an item which is on the agenda shall seek recognition by the Presiding Officer during the place on the agenda set aside for such items.

(1) During the “Public Comments” portion of the meeting persons wishing to discuss a non-agenda item may seek recognition by the Presiding Officer. No person shall address the Committee without first being recognized by the Presiding Officer. what this means is if they are afraid of what you might say then they will not acknowledge you thereby suppressing your freedom to express.

(2) All persons addressing the Committee shall stand up and state his or her name and organization, if any, which he or she represents; and, if during the “Public Comments” portion of the meeting, the subject he or she wishes to discuss.

(3) During the “Public Comments” portion, any subject which is not deemed relevant to the business of the Del Norte County Republican Party by the Presiding Officer shall be considered out of order and the remarks concluded.

(4) Each person shall limit his or her remarks to five minutes or the time established by the Presiding Officer for that subject. The Presiding Officer may set different time limits on the remarks of speakers on a particular subject, based on the number of speakers wishing to address a single subject and the number of agenda items upon which people wish to speak.

(5) All remarks shall be addressed to the Committee as a whole and not to any single member thereof, unless in response to a question from said member.

(6) Members of the audience may not request to be heard by speaking out during the Committee meeting, except in accordance with the procedures outlined in section f., (1) through (5) above.

Dated: 10/9/13