Given all that’s gone on lately — like Dolly Parton’s death and the 25th anniversary of 9/11 — the following is old news. But it has aged like milk, and I can’t get it off my mind.
Has to do with Knox County
Commission and some absurd “fishul bidness” involving Andy Fox, a lawyer and commissioner from South Knox County’s 9th District.
If I ever need legal representation, Fox will be the last person I’ll contact. In fact, I’d rather take my chances alone.
Nothing personal, you understand.
My opinion isn’t based on Fox’s looks or his manner of dress or speech, his religion or his favorite food, recreational pursuits, the neighborhood in which he lives, or any other criterion remotely associated with establishing a professional relationship.
Like Will Rogers, “all I know is what I read in the papers.” Which in my case is a daily print subscription to the News Sentinel.
So why my animus toward him as counsel?
Because it’s abundantly clear that in legal matters, Fox doesn’t know the recessed aperture in his gluteus maximus from a hole in the ground.
Conversely, if he is in fact fully aware of the laws of our land but doesn’t care what they say or mean, that makes the situation much worse.
Otherwise, why would he waste County Commission’s time and taxpayers’ money proposing a boneheaded ordinance that is indisputably (one observer called it “mind-bogglingly”) unconstitutional?
I speak of Fox’s proposed $1,000 fine for anyone publicly announcing an Islamic call to prayer.
“It is, on its face, absolutely a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution,” Ken Paulson, director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, told News Sentinel reporter Allie Feinberg. “I’m not sure I’ve seen anything that says anything like this or does it in the hateful tone this encompasses. It’s not a close call.”
Does this mean lawyer/commissioner Fox is unschooled in one of the basic tenets of American jurisprudence?
Emphatically, no.
You better believe Fox knew precisely what he was doing when he announced this idiotic plan. So what if he withdrew the fancily worded mandate within hours? No big deal.
Fox was content it had served its purpose: Throwing red meat to constituents who may be ignorant in matters of constitutional law yet are keenly familiar with the interior of a voting booth.
“Fellers, th’ communiss are riled at me a’cause ah’m tryin’ t’protect you, yo’ chil’den and all of us from ’em un-Christian Islamic heathens. So jest be sure to ’member yore ol’ buddy Andy come ’Lection Day.”
Yee-damn-haw.
Sam Venable is a native South Knox Countian. His column appears every Sunday. Contact him at sam.venable@outlook.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: A commissioner who’s ‘dumb’ as the proverbial Fox | Sam Venable
