A Word of Truth

Smart911 reaches year mark
December 16, 2014
NEWSMAKERS
December 16, 2014
Smart911 reaches year mark
December 16, 2014
NEWSMAKERS
December 16, 2014

A month has passed since a local television program came to the defense of a local veteran who alleged that he was mistreated at a La. Highway 311 convenience store.

How the topic of veterans really ended up as part of the exchange between a veteran who is now a doctor and the clerk is mysterious.


The doctor injected it into the conversation, according to his own account, and was wearing scrubs, not so much as an overseas cap.

But the exchange turned ugly when the clerk uttered ugly words. HTV owner Martin Folse, on his “Bayou Time” television show, took up the banner. During phone calls to his show, viewers added their ire to the mix, and the result was veterans and their supporters gathering at the convenience store to warn away potential customers, declaring the owners to be anti-veteran.

Folse had made statements concerning his view on that convenience store – and others – as well as stores where artificial marijuana and other illegal substances had been sold, and in most cases raided by authorities.


Folse himself did not encourage or discourage people from going to the store to express their views.

The problem was that while much of the anger was based on viewer prejudice against people of Middle Eastern descent – the doctor had identified the clerk as being such – in reality neither the clerk nor the owners hailed from that troubled part of the world.

Folse did say he will not vote for any official who would patronize such a store, in particular mentioning the Parish President. He also encouraged viewers to ask employees or owners of convenience stores to show proof that they are really Americans to deserve their patronage.


It should be noted that Folse has since attempted to clarify, in his own way, what occurred on the airwaves and cable. None of this would be worth dredging up again except that at the Parish Council meeting last week a fellow named Andrew Dean spoke, chiding council members for not taking a stand on what he perceived as divisive speech, or “lack of a response/involvement of the council and the parish president regarding the Martin Folse controversy.”

He asked that the Council “stand up,” and confront Folse over the issue that was presented.

Councilman Danny Babin said the Council has no jurisdiction regarding the opinions of others, noting that Folse’s speech is protected by the First Amendment. Babin did make a statement regarding the Council’s high regard for all veterans and that, for the record, the Council has no bias against anyone living in the parish.


Claudet spoke as well, noting that he received telephone calls from people disturbed by one side of the matter or another, viewing the problem as a Martin Folse issue rather than a parish issue.

Is it the duty of a government body to make clear, perhaps in a resolution, that all people living in its jurisdiction are valued, that a Yemeni immigrant or guest worker, or one from Nepal, is no less a citizen due to their heritage?

If it were, then the Terrebonne Parish Council deflected entrance into a ticklish controversy, when it clearly could have made some statement.


But the wisest statement about all this came from Council member Beryl Amedee, in an interview after the meeting, when asked about the idea of boycotting “certain businesses.”

“The parish government is a government entity,” she said. “If the parish government contracts with any business for goods or products the parish government is bound by law, and so the parish government would not be able to pick and choose businesses based on the country of origin or race or ethnic background or religious belief or any item someone would judge another person by. Our bid laws are in place in order for us to do business as a government entity.”

Personal decisions having nothing to do with government, she said, are another matter.


“People are free to do legal business with any individual based on whatever criteria they choose,” she said. “It is their money. There was a convenience store she chose not to do business with for some time, because she was offended by its use of a moldy mop for cleaning, which gave it ia bad smell.

“It is your money, and you should spend it where you see fit,” she said. “Nobody should be able to tell you what criteria to use.”

The sentiments Amedee expressed are simple. But at times like these, when sensitivities on all sides of some difficult issues are aroused, they make a lot more sense than most of what a lot of people have had to say.


JOHN DeSANTIS

Senior Staff Writer