Asheville News

In letter, Edgerton follows up on opposition to seating of Asheville City Councilman Bothwell because of his atheistic beliefs; ‘I shall confer with the Sheriff and Chief of Police about making a citizens arrest of the entire body if they continue’

Jason Sandford January 14, 2010

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

H.K. and his flag 2 Photo by Jason Sandford

Blogger Thunderpig offers up an open letter from H.K. Edgerton to attorney Kirk Lyons regarding Edgerton’s ongoing opposition to the swearing in of Asheville City Councilman Cecil Bothwell. Edgerton maintains that the state constitution prohibits Bothwell from serving because Bothwell is an atheist, despite the fact that numerous federal court rulings have found that to be unconstitutional in the broad (non-state) sense.

From Edgerton’s letter (click over to Thunderpig to read it all):

It is my belief that any and all business conducted by this Council with a vote by the disqualified member is null and void , and any grants, loans or actions, or policy decisions should not be binding.

I shall confer with the Sheriff and Chief of Police about making a citizens arrest of the entire body if they continue on this course without the matter being resolved in an Amendment of the State Constitution as prescribed by law, or a clarification by the State Attorney General as to the effect that what they do is legal.

Edgerton’s opposition made national news when he threatened a lawsuit to stop Bothwell a few weeks back. The furor died down, but now it appears that Edgerton plans to continue pressing the issue. We’ll watch and see what happens.

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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9 Comments

Asheville Momma January 15, 2010

Yikes- what absurdity. Nothing will come of this, of course, but it serves to illustrate how much attention that unbalanced people can attract.

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Half Full January 15, 2010

Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, lookin like a FOOL with your pants on the ground…. Gold in your MOUTH…..HAT turned sideways, lookin like a fool with your PANTS on the ground….

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Tebbe Davis January 15, 2010

Regretfully idiotic that we pay any attention to him.

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Jeff January 14, 2010

Additionally ~ Isn’t H.K. wearing the uniform and carrying the flag of an officially defeated adversary of the United States? What gives him and the Confederate States of America the authority to overthrow our locally elected government? Does the CSA have more legal heave-ho than say, the Cherokee?

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Jeff January 14, 2010

Let me see if I’m getting this right.. A black man– dressed as Confederate soldier(!)– is considering whether he should citizen’s arrest the entire Asheville City Council(!) And this is because "the entire body" performed in a governmental capacity while allowing a duly-elected non-believer to participate?

Bizarre theater. Wow.

Please oh, please let this happen!

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bill January 14, 2010

this aside from the facts, which, of course have never hindered Mr. Edgerton before, that Mr. Bothwell attends church regularly.

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Sean January 14, 2010

I agree. H.K. is a nutball. But is this really any more weird than Dixie Deerman and then-candidate Elaine Lite casting spells and prancing around a tree while talking to it? As for the publicity comment, I think Asheville’s "Freaks" do a much worse disservice to Asheville’s image than H.K. That’s just me, though….albeit I’m not tragically hip, nor do I bow down to the green gods.

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Al Schlimm January 14, 2010

Nutball.

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Get off my Lawn.... January 14, 2010

Have you ever tried to have a conversation with this guy H.K. Edgerton, just to be nice. I tried once and got some sporadic words and incomplete sentences. He is the issue here. All he is doing is bringing bad publicity to Asheville. Bothwell at least has his heart in Asheville regardless of his beliefs. Bothwell has a right to them just like H.K. Edgerton has a right to dress like a Confederate soldier and march around with a flag acting a fool. Bothwell could be a Muslim, Catholic, Baptist, Atheist, Confederate, or Yankee and someone somewhere would find an issue with it.

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