As most of you already know, Northampton County Council member Kelly Keegan responded to the recent assassination of right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk by calling him a "monster ... . [H]is wife and kids are better off without him as is the rest of the world. Hopefully her next partner will respect women and children." Although NorCo Council took no action against Keegan at their Thursday night meeting, they did adopt a completely toothless resolution (you can read it below) , drafted by Tom Giovanni, that in essence calls on all of us to be nice. Isn't that nice? Of course, the resolution was adopted unanimously. A seemingly tearful Kelly Keegan, speaking from her phone and out of sight of the public, made it clear she wanted to second it. What I want to draw your attention to, however, is Jeff Warren's typical lengthy speech in support of it.
Warren said he was "very disappointed with [Keegan's] extremely, extremely insensitive comments."
Really?
Last year, one of Keegan's most virulent critics passed away unexpectedly. survived by a mother and a sister who loved him. His name was Ed Reagan. When he was alive, he was critical of several elected officials, including Keegan and Easton Mayor Sal Panto. He filed a RTK request with the Easton Srea School District, where Keegan works as a school nurse. At the time of his request, Keegan's husband was also a school director.
What Reagan learned is that Keegan posted 112 social media posts and 23 emails about political issues, including marijuana and alcohol, while she was on the clock. He contended that this violated school district policy. I have no idea if there is such a policy, but if there is, she has continued to violate it. She declined to address his allegations.
When Reagan passed away, Keegan posted this on Facebook:
She actually celebrated his death. And one of those who "liked" her complete lack of empathy was none other than Council member Jeff Warren.
During his homily, Warren took President Trump to task for failing to "exercise calm," "to be reserved," "to try to bring some discourse together." He's right. Trump is divisive. But Warren could have done that, too, when he saw the extremely cruel remarks that Keegan posted about Ed Reagan's death. Instead, he "liked" what she said.
The Kumbaya Resolution
WHEREAS, political violence, intimidation, and threats against public officials and private citizens are destructive to a functioning democracy and public discourse; and
WHEREAS, the United States has a long tradition of resolving political differences through civil debate, dialogue, and peaceful processes; and
WHEREAS, political intimidation and violence have a chilling effect on democratic engagement and threaten the ability of citizens to participate freely in the electoral and political process; and
WHEREAS, public officials, community leaders, and all citizens bear a responsibility to model acceptable public behavior against acts of violence, regardless of ideology or political affiliation; and
WHEREAS, law enforcement agencies and the judicial system must investigate and prosecute all incidents of political violence to ensure accountability and rebuild public trust; and
WHEREAS, strengthening civic education and encouraging civil debate are crucial steps toward building resilient communities and reducing polarization;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Northampton County Council unequivocally condemns all acts of political violence, intimidation, and harassment, no matter their target or justification
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Northampton County Council reaffirms our commitment to upholding democratic values, including freedom of speech, assembly, and expression, as the rightful means for resolving political differences.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Northampton County Council calls upon our members and all citizens to publicly reject violent and hateful rhetoric, condemn unlawful behavior, even when committed by those with whom they typically agree, and support peaceful, constructive engagement in all political activities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Northampton County Council commits to promoting civic engagement and civil discourse as the foundations of a healthy democracy.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Northampton County Council urges all elected officials to lead by example, tone down inflammatory rhetoric, and dedicate resources to protect free and fair elections and public officials.
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