I attended my first Eureka Springs City Council meeting on January 27.
I have no shame in confessing that I am a dull person. After around 15 years living in Carroll County, my social footprint is still quite small. Nevertheless, on the 27th, I felt that I had achieved minor celebrity as I joined the audience as an interested citizen.
My time in the spotlight began within minutes of my arrival, when I was singled out and chastised at my seat by a city employee for not being respectful as someone spoke. As I had not raised my voice or done anything out of the ordinary prior to being confronted, I was startled and confused. There were many raised voices in the audience. Was she mistaken?
It seems they were very sure about their incorrect ID. We were not done. Later in the meeting, I was approached by yet another quick-moving city employee, who firmly grasped my arm as she reprimanded the row of people I was sitting on. Some were actively voicing their disagreement with the speaker. Some (myself included) were not.
Again, I felt singled out, without quite understanding why.
I would like to respectfully request that Eureka Springs employees be aware that suddenly grabbing someone’s arm is not acceptable. The person could have any number of conditions that are not obvious: PTSD, an arm injury or infirmity, or even a sore arm from a recent shot – as it was in my case.
In addition – and I speak for all us dull people – please avoid embarrassing your meeting attendees when you target those who are not disruptive.
Shannon Magee