Posted on 10/05/2007 5:49:29 AM PDT by Red in Blue PA
CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- A business owner shot and killed himself during a City Council meeting Thursday night after members voted against his request to rezone his property, witnesses said.
Ronald "Bo" Ward, owner of Bo's Barber Shop, had told the council his business would go under if he couldn't get his home rezoned as commercial. After the 5-7 vote Thursday night, Ward stood and walked toward the council.
"Y'all have put me under. ... I'm out of here," he said before shooting himself in the head with a small handgun.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Sounds like a very good guy. So sad.
Bo Ward admired as true patriot
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071005/NEWS01/710050371
Guy had some serious problems.
Bo spoke in class today
Well, damn. Guess that’ll learn ‘em...
That’s very sad. The poor gentleman must have been unwell.
Good guy or not, stupid move.
Public suicide (and a messy sort like this) has got to be one of the most anti-social actions one could take.
Well, that’s that.
"If a soldier came in and said he needed a haircut but didn't have any money, Bo would cut his hair and tell him to pay him when he could."
Absolutely. Hence, all the more pointless and sad.
They're damn lucky he didn't decide to take a few of them with him.
L
Well, hemanaged to get the mayor to change meeting rooms, anyway. What a waste.
So is the theft of a person's livelihood—which is what had just happened to the guy.
It was quicker and less painful than going through the appeals process. Poor man thought he still lived in a free country.
Bureaucrats treat zoning flippantly even though it controls major aspects of individuals’ homes and businesses.
“What, the sidewalk is across the street rather than on your side of the street?!”
“Well, sorry, but your business can no longer operate there...”
And when the bureaucrats say “No,” the individual is out of luck and options.
Zoning is overrated, anyway. Look at Houston for a counter-example!
Bud Dweyer Ping
Sorry. I've known lots of folks who didn't get promotions, got fired, or even had to close doors on their own businesses that they started from scratch.
Suicide wouldn't have solved any of those issues.
Life can hurt sometimes. Things aren't always fair. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps and find another way to make a living (people do this all the time, BTW). If you wanna shoot yourself don't make a roomfull of innocent people have to witness it.
Those people in that room were not innocent. Actions have consequences. Push a guy over the line, and you just might have to witness his suicide.
My sympathy is with the dead guy.
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