Reflections on a ruckus

Dear Editor:

According to the City of Aspen code, Section XII talks about DECORUM. It says that the members of City Council must preserve it. One definition of decorum in Webster’s is, “the conventions of polite behavior.”

Last Tuesday night I attended the now “infamous” City Council work session. Hopefully, we will not be installing metal detectors.

As many know, prior to the opening bell, Mayor Mick, and Councilpersons Jack the Cat and Steve the Skad, decided to beat the hell out of Marilyn Marks for having the audacity to pay GrassRoots to film this current work session about “Burlingate.”

How dare she? Who does she think she is? Paying to film a public meeting ” run her out of town, I say! At least tar and feather her.

Luckily for the public, the “Three Amigos” tried to stop her. In their consistent “Bravehearting” (think Mel Gibson film) of Ms. Marks, tears almost came to pass ” not by Ms. Marks, but by one of her attackers. (To his credit, he did apologize later.) To the others’ discredit, not a word has been said. Why she makes them so uncomfortable confounds me ” but she does.

I must admit, I probably should have stood up and said “ENOUGH” about halfway through Mick’s tirade, but I didn’t. Sorry.

By 5:15, and after enough damage was done, the meeting started, and the filming began.

A short time later, I turned to ask Michael Conniff a question and was called out, slapped on the knuckles, by Mayor Mick. I had flashbacks of third grade.

Remembering the saying, “Never bring a ruler to a gunfight,” I responded ” pointing out to Mick that in his campaign he said he had changed, that he was not the same old Mick. I said a few other things, but that is not the point.

It is obvious to me that on Tuesday night the “old” Mick took over the “new” Mick’s soul, (think of the film “Damn Yankees”), which is a shame, because Mick is the mayor, and he represents Aspen all the time ” all of Aspen, including Marilyn Marks.

Andrew Kole

Aspen