It’s the wild west on Facebook, a place where even elected officials use the popular social communication outlet to share ideas, information and even political preferences. Consider this recent Facebook post by Missy McArthur, an elected member of the Redding City Council.
fyi, McArthur wears another hat as a member of the Steve Carlton for District Attorney campaign committee. That second hat might explain this recent post she broadcast to her 215 Facebook friends, including yours truly, in which she explains why she’s voting for Carlton rather than Jerry Benito, the current district attorney. McArthur’s post, below, is a reply to Donna C., one of McArthur’s Facebook friends. Here’s their exchange on Facebook:
“Hello Missy: I wondered if you could enlighten me, you appear to endorse Steve Carlton?? Not sure, but asking. I have observed two debates, one at the Redding Tea Party and one at Candidates night in CWD. He concerns me with not finishing a thought or sentence clearly! I liked Adam Martinez very much, but does that really warrant Mr. Carlton’s behavior?”
Thanks for asking, Donna.
Mr. Carlton is analytical and actually goes to court and tries cases all the time, unlike the current DA. (He doesn’t feel ‘special’ like he shouldn’t take off his shoes at the courthouse, even though he was the DA for about 10 yrs.) Steve Carlton is used to carefully considering his words before he speaks and is not used to “politic-speak” so many in public office (not me, I hope!) seemingly use to schmooze us.
I’m voting Carlton because I saw the horrible caricature the current DA allegedly had drawn by his staff on OUR TAXPAYING dime sent on OUR TAX-PURCHASED computers depicting a female defendant as a horse being ridden by a male prosecutor. I’m voting Carlton because I want my tax dollars used by someone who will go into the courthouse, even if it means taking off shoes, to do the job he was elected to do. I’m voting Carlton since I heard a story about a DA sending his investigator (illegally) to give a Sheriff Deputy a parking ticket in a legally parked spot, and then (illegally) tearing up the ticket when realizing the first error. I’m voting Carlton because of a woman prosecuted when her daughter died in a car accident, but a man was not prosecuted when a loaded gun was left untended: both are tragedies, what does prosecution do when grief does it all in both cases?
Then the Martinez case is the frosting on the cake. I watched the video. Martinez and the woman are against a speaker so he leans in close to shout-talk the way you do when the music is too loud. The guy walks up and hits him from the side; Martinez doesn’t see it coming. Martinez drops like
a sack of potatoes and whacks his head on the concrete, and later dies. No prosecution. Yeah, I’m a mom. That one is the final, final, FINAL for me. In short, I’m voting Carlton because of Steve Carlton’s integrity and he believes in “Justice for All!”
Again, thanks for asking, Donna!
Independent online journalist Doni Greenberg founded what’s now known as anewscafe.com in 2007 with her son, Joe Domke of the Czech Republic. Prior to 2007 Greenberg was an award-winning newspaper opinion columnist, feature and food writer recognized by the Associated Press, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and E.W. Scripps. She lives in Northern California in the tiny town of Igo.
