There is an old adage that there is a time and place for everything.... Earlier, we posted on the upcoming debate to ban smoking in Florence City. Our stance then and now is that both sides have a point, and that we would remain neutral on the issue. It is still the same now. When issues like these come up, there will be the chance that voting will not fall on party lines. That appears to be the case, as GOP councilmen Buddy Brand and Glynn Willis both voted to ban smoking indoors.
Before the vote, possibly in an attempt to bully them into changing their votes, the Florence County GOP passed resolutions against both Brand and Willis for their stance. Now, disagreeing on an issue is natural, and it will happen - a lot. Being upset is fine, and letting your elected official know that you disagree is the American Way. However, we think the FCGOP went waaaaaaaay too far in publicly admonishing Brand and Willis in a party vote.
A public party vote against one of your own is a serious thing, and it's limited to actions (usually personal conduct) that bring shame or a bad light on the party. To give you an idea of how limited it is (or should be), when Mark Sanford took his Argentinian vacation, the county party didn't censure him. To have a vote take place on an issue that is obviously up for debate shows that the FCGOP has some growing up to do. Secondly, if members of the party are willing to dump Brand and Willis for a smoking ban alone, they are morons. One vote is not a councilman make, especially this one...
Yeah, freedoms are going to be limited, but the last time we checked, the Right to Smoke wasn't on the Bill of Rights. You'll get by. They've had this law up here for a decade, and smokers have adjusted. The bigger issue here is the FCGOP's reaction to the vote of Brand and Willis. They overstepped their bounds, and in the end, the current leadership will pay for it. We're all on the same team - start acting like it, and stop being the Party That Eats It's Own.
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