Community Rights Gathering Excludes State Rep
A Community Rights legal group (www.celdf.org) plans to demand their “collective rights” at town meetings across Maine, NH and Mass., as stated in their invitation to meet this Saturday.
According to their website, “The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit, public interest law firm providing free and affordable legal services to communities facing threats to their local environment, local agriculture, the local economy, and quality of life. Our mission is to build sustainable communities by assisting people to assert their right to local self-government and the rights of nature.”
Interesting. There’s that phrase again which raises a BIG red flag — “sustainable communities”. Does this mean Regional Planning Commissions and Water Sustainability Commissions now have their own built-in cheerleaders for Agenda 21, claiming that it is their “right to local self-government”? This of course, would seem to be a perverse misrepresentation considering all that we know about regionalism being top down, undemocratic decision-making by the unelected appointees of the aforementioned commissions. Talk about hijacking the meaning of words.
Sustainable Communities Initiatives are ANYTHING but “local self-government”.
A sitting State Rep asked to RSVP but this is what he was told…
“Would you please remind me where we met and your connection to the community?” wrote Gail Darrell of the organization.
Hmm, community? We all live in NH, isn’t that considered “community”? And a sitting legislator to boot, who represents 3,000 people.
The respondent from CELDF went on to say in part…
“The invitation was posted on the online newsletter known as the Forum (covers Nottingham and the vicinity) in error and without my request and I have been getting a lot of responses from folks that I do not know.
And this gathering is not open to the public, sorry. It is meant to be for Democracy School graduates and those who are working on campaigns across New England.”
Democracy School graduates? Apparently being a sitting state rep is not good enough to gain entrance to a planning session for town meetings.
Here are the details for those interested…
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First Annual New Hampshire Community Rights Gathering– join us!
When: Saturday, August 18th, 2012
1 pm – 5 pm
Where: Webster, NH at a local farm
What: Community Rights Gathering
Why: You’re not going to want to miss this first, annual community rights gathering. Folks who have passed rights-based ordinances, as well as those who are working toward next year’s Town Meetings in Maine, NH and MA, will have an opportunity to get to know one another, trade stories and sharpen skills, as we work together to create state Community Rights networks.
Directions will be sent out once we receive your RSVP to confirm attendance.
Refreshments will be served – potluck style
Agenda will be sent out August 1, 2012.
To assist with travel costs – Those who travel over 100 miles roundtrip will be reimbursed mileage.
Contact: Gail Darrell gail@celdf.org 603.269.8542 for info / RSVP
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Community rights? Collectivism? We’ve heard of natural rights, which pertain to individuals. But what do they mean by the “rights of nature”? Does this mean we give trees and rock precedence over people?
Sounds like it.