The above is my “I Voted” sticker from the 2016 election. As noted, “I made freedom count in Walton County”. Well, my vote may have counted but it didn’t help win the electoral college for my candidate. So here we are, four lovely years later and I am watching the consequences of other people’s votes, the confirmation hearings for future SCOTUS judge Amy Coney Barrett.
While viewing, I thought about what it would be like if we voted for these justices. I would not vote for Barrett for many reasons, notably her kind of textual interpretation of the Constitution as inspired by Scalia. That “whatever is on the page, literally” thing is just not going to make sense to anyone who is aware of history, semantics/semiotics/lit-crit 101 or human nature for that matter. And while her professional cred is beyond impressive, I am not moved by the hymns of praise about her motherhood. I think I heard the word Mom mentioned 2,399 times today. What if she was childless and single? What if she was a live-on-her-own kinda gal? Who cares? I know, the conservatives love the nuclear family thing and the Kids R Us culture, but Barrett’s serial Mom-ness doesn’t move me to vote for her.
Oh, wait. I don’t get to vote for her.
I also don’t get to vote for virtually anything here on the Beaches of South Walton, a strip of unincorporated space. I do get to vote for school board folks, the mosquito control dude, and whatever a county commissioner is. But how about other public service positions? Take the current County Code Compliance Director. Did I vote for him? Was he on our little local ballots? If he was, I have forgotten the experience. Here is a bit of news related to that position:
There are currently only 10 beach code officers. Walton County announces they will be hiring more soon. Code compliance will be interviewing for “more” officers Monday. These workers are supposed to keep residents and visitors safe. According to the current Director, “the first step is getting radios”.
“The radios will give us more communication,” said Cornman (the director). “Anytime you got more communications, you got a better operation. So that will also have us better communicate with the sheriff’s office with water rescues so that when something is going on. At the same time, the code officers might not be trained in the water rescues; if we get there before the water rescue professionals, we can get to the area clear.” (quoted material from mypanhandle.com)
What did he say? Seriously, read that aloud and see if you can make sense of those words. Break it down . . .
Okay. Yes, radios will provide “more” communication if you’ve got zero now. But I do not get the odd fragment “so that when something is going on”. If something is going on, they can do what? Order pizza, have a beer, call MOM?? Finally, the water rescue points are head-spinning. If the code officers get there before trained rescue professionals, why does it matter that the officers get there “clear”? What does that mean? Arriving clear as opposed to fuzzy? And why even show up if they can’t execute a rescue? What is the point?
What is he saying?????
I did not vote for Cornman (his real name, by the way).
I am not "voting" for Judge Barrett.
But I am voting for a few people on 10/24, the first day of early in-person in Walton County. I do have the power to pick the people who pick the people who pick the other people who pick the other people who hopefully pick people who aren’t incoherent . . . or MOM obsessed.
Please VOTE; make your MOM proud.
XO
Joyce
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