After the council meeting on 5th May 2010

AFTER THE COUNCIL MEETING ON 5TH MAY 2010. - WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

Some very offensive material using my private name, which for very good reasons of self-protection, having taught some dangerous prisoners at one stage in my life, I do not use on the internet, had been published in my name.

The published material contained a gratuitously insulting text and then two photographs of the rear of a man’s behind with the cheeks pulled apart, one with a carrot stuck up it in glorious technicolour.

The then Rutland Chat Forum, which seemed to have at the very least one or two Councillors, or close friends of Councillors, contributing some rather offensive material about Martin Brookes and others, had continued to publish tasteless material without let or hindrance. I went to see Richard White the Town Clerk after I’d seen the very offensive material published in my private name.

Richard White claimed that whatever Councillors did in their private time was purely private and nothing to do with their duties as public servants. The Town Clerk admitted he was aware of the material. Feeling that something more might be known by the Town Clerk about the material, I extracted two hairs from my head and left them on his desk, saying: ‘If you want to split hairs, knock yourself out.’

Last night I copied the offensive material in order to show the substance of my complaint and delivered a copy to some Councillors. There are I believe some Councillors, with a modicum of morality, who would find the material offensive rather than funny. On the back of the photocopy I wrote:

‘This offensive material, purporting to be from me to Martin Brookes, was posted on the internet.

Under the Freedom of Information Act I require all references (in hard copy) made about me on Council Computers to be furnished to me within 21 days.’

The offensive material was published on Flick’r under the URL:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigmamacass/ The Flick’r account was set up a full month before the pictures were published. Martin only ever published pictures in the public interest and in good taste. Yet Councillors and Council Officers were able to close his Flick’r Accounts. To my knowledge no efforts were made to close the ‘bigmamacass’ account, but perhaps a search of the Council computers will tell me something different.

I very much hope that this material and other references to me are searched for on all Council computers, both new and old, before the Town Clerk returns to work.

But perhaps it is too much to hope for a little justice and transparency and some interesting times ahead. After witnessing some of what was said last night the mood of the Council appears to be to protect employees at the cost of democracy, public accountability and to protect the privacy of Councillors no matter what they do, rather than arrest and prosecute the constant victimisation of Martin Brookes.

The next council meeting will be held in the Victoria Hall on Wednesday 12th May at 6pm. This is a general meeting and there will be ample room for the public to attend.