Dow should stick to City Council issues

Editor:

Have you seen the recent information on TV about texting and driving? Ads tell that there were 145,000 recorded accidents known as a result of this practice last year, causing injuries and deaths. They state that the average time to read a text is five seconds. Most major cities in Montana now have ordinances prohibiting such practice. To enforce this, it is necessary to ban cellphone use so a violator can't tell officers, "I was talking, not texting," or "I was just holding my phone, but I wasn't using it."

Before his election to Havre City Council, Rick Dow wrote an opinion piece about his displeasure with this ordinance and how a person could get stopped for just holding his phone. To no one's surprise, after the election he got stopped for just that reason. Makes one wonder how many times he drove by the police station waving his phone in protest of the ordinance. He then demanded a jury trial, spending people's time and court's money.

One would expect that the reasoning might be that jury nullification is the hope and that it might encourage others to do the same thing and perhaps get this overturned. What an example to set when you don't agree with a law and to make it more difficult for local police to enforce. Maybe it might encourage those who don't agree with the driving under the influence laws to drive down the streets with an unopened beer waiving it about and saying, "I was just carrying it until I get home."

Seems like Mr. Dow is running for Congress, as he has brought up his conspiracy theories concerning the United Nations and his anti-gay letter for other councilmen to sign. One might expect letters at future meetings in support of Gov. Brewer for her anti-immigrant stance or for Congressman Akin for his statements against all abortions regardless of reason. Poor thing. Even his own party higher-ups who believe the same thing, as shown in the party platform, are running away from him with their support money.

My hope is that Mr. Dow will stick to Havre City Council issues and recognize the issue of texting while driving is serious and definitely a safety matter, not just "big government" controlling our lives.

Frank Peterson

Havre