When members of the Herndon Town Council joined a tea-party style protest at a fundraiser featuring Gov. Tim Kaine, 81-year-old Ruth Tatlock of Herndon didn't like it one bit.
She showed up at the next town council meeting to complain, but she was interrupted by Councilman Dennis Husch. And the confrontation was videotaped.
Just a few minutes into her remarks, as shown on the video, Tatlock was silenced. "May I continue please?" she asked the council. "No, you may not!" Councilman Dennis Husch replied. In the video that's posted online, Husch says his constituents don't have the right to comment on what he does on his own time.
That, he says, would be the equivalent of slavery. "And while I work for the citizens of this community," he tells the audience, "You don't own me. The 13th amendment [to the U.S. Constitution] made that clear."
At one point, after Tatlock had left the speakers podium, Husch shouted "Stay out of my business!" at her.
Tatlock has been attending council meetings in the town of 23,000 for more than a decade. And though she's often disagreed with town leaders, she can't recall ever being berated by one of them in public.
"I have disagreed with the other members," Tatlock says, "But they are civil and I can talk with them."
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
When Tatlock returned to the town council last night, she received no response from Husch, who also refused to comment for this story.
Listen to the complete story at wamu.org
Several other incidents between Husch and residents have been posted on YouTube. Watch the confrontations below:
Copyright 2009 WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio. All Rights Reserved.
