Posted on 02/05/2003 2:31:13 PM PST by Elle Bee
City says no to a war with Iraq
BY GINNY HALLER
keysnews.com
KEY WEST - The city commission has said no to a first strike military action by the United States against Iraq. The moment after City Commissioner Carmen Turner introduced a resolution that asked for a multilateral diplomatic approach to Iraq, the audience in Old City Hall stood and cheered.
"I have a 23-year-old son," said Mayor Jimmy Weekley. "My greatest fear is to lose my son over a conflict that I believe to be about oil."
Speaker after speaker uttered words of peace and wishes for the city motto of One Human Family to be extended to the rest of the world.
"Sixty two cities have passed this resolution, and the entire state of Maine," said Stuart Petersen, a Key West High School student. "Let's make Key West the 63rd and extend our motto to the rest of the world."
But Douglas Jones said the resolution was circumventing his rights as a citizen of Key West for the city commission to say his voice will not be heard on a national level.
"Please don't make my opinion not matter," said Jones. "It is not the point tonight to give in to a loud majority to disenfranchise our community."
Commissioners Merili McCoy and Harry Bethel were the dissenting votes, McCoy reluctantly cast a no vote as she supported the concerns of the audience.
"I will write a letter to the President about this issue," said McCoy before she reluctantly cast a no vote. "But this is a curious resolution, that we take a stand for all of the people in the city. I feel as if I have been put in a position of being a war monger if I don't support this resolution."
Bethel said no one wants a war, that he respects what was said last night, but he must support the choices of the president and U.S. Congress.
In other business, the commissioners gave a unanimous vote of confidence to City Manager Julio Avael with a three year extension of his contract.
"When I first became a commissioner I wanted to duke it out with Julio Avael," said Commissioner Tom Oosterhoudt, who added that he is impressed with how Avael is able to see the big picture of all the issues in the city.
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Definitely not the sort of people you would trust with foreign policy or national defense.
LOL!I got a Conch Republic t-shirt when we were down there in Jan. of 2001. Nice place, but I wouldn't make a special trip back. Typical liberal enclave; we've got ours, don't anybody come in here and bother us!
And there are some VERY poor areas just off tony Duval St. There were roosters and chickens walking all over the place!
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