Stepping up to the plate
Posted: Friday, May 10, 2013 5:00 am | Updated: 7:28 am, Fri May 10, 2013.
Morrisville Borough should have conducted a background check before issuing a permit for Saturday’s demonstration in favor of background checks for gun purchasers.
Had officials done so, they might have discovered that we’re smack dab in the middle of the Little League season. And that 600 or so kids play baseball every Saturday at Williamson Park, where the Bux-Mont Coalition for Peace plans to stage its rally — with the borough’s senseless blessing.
As if that conflict weren’t bad enough, counter-demonstrators worried about their Second Amendment right to bear arms are planning a show of force as well. The fear was that the pro-gun folks would be brandishing their weapons as they’ve done at gun rights rallies across the country. Commendably, organizers with Concerned Gun Owners of Bucks County say they have not directed members to carry guns. That’s not the same as telling members to leave them at home, but who’s going to argue with gun guys?
Nonetheless, that’s good to hear. Even better is that Little Leaguers and their families should be long gone by the time the dueling demonstrations get underway at 3 p.m. Thanks to the efforts of Morrisville Little League President Dan O’Connell, the eight baseball fields at the park should be vacant by 1 p.m. That’s because morning games will start early, at — yawn — 8:30 a.m.; afternoon games were canceled and rescheduled for another site at a later date.
It shouldn’t have had to come to that. Baseball leagues exist thanks to the efforts of volunteers with not a lot of time to spare. They have enough of a challenge trying to keep ballfields playable during the usually wet spring season. Rain-outs play havoc with already tight schedules. Some canceled games are not replayed as the season runs out of days on which to schedule makeups.
Perhaps nobody bothered to run a background check on that situation either.
In our view, the Coalition for Peace should have sought a peaceful end to the conflict by rescheduling. That they paid $1,000 for a permit, portable toilets and police protection was their reason for stubbornly — selfishly? — refusing to reschedule. Understandable perhaps. Not understandable is why the borough didn’t step in. They made the mess and should have resolved it by rescinding the permit and refunding the money.
That didn’t happen and so give credit to baseball officials for stepping up to the plate.
14 comments:
I disagree with this editorial. The criticism is misplaced. The common denominator in the trouble is the counter-protesters, in particular those who bring guns while many kids are present. If they take the high road and leave the guns at home, there's no real controversy. It's almost like everyone is conceding that fervent 2nd amendment supports who would bring firearms to the event aren't capable of compromise, so they expect the other parties to bend for them, in ways that trample on the 1st amendment.
The boro might make its share of messes, but I'm not buying it that this is one.
It would have been a bigger mess if they denied a permit to the Coalition for Peace.
I disagree. They could have simply stated that the park is booked by the little league for the day and prevented any politics from intruding upon this. They didn't, and now we are a national story, giving the boro another black eye. Once again, a complete failure of foresight, planning and leadership by the impotent people in charge.
Stop making excuses for these people and enabling their destructive, self-serving behaviors that wind up costing all of the citizens. Vote for some new blood at all levels of the local government.
Regardless of who is really at fault, the town leaders appear inept. The power of the press at work.
The boro shouldn't be held to a standard of being Nostradamus when the first group came in for a permit.
The suggestion is that for the entire little league season, Williamson Park (a community park) be closed to it's residents and anyone else who wishes to enjoy it? That it be exclusive to Morrisville Little League only?
What about events such as the Arts & Events activities that have taken place at the park during baseball season for years, the spring Easter Egg Hunt or the carnival that will be in Williamson Park
May 14th-May 19th, as well as the vaious other birthday & grad parties that are held in the park each year? What if the Labor Day Picnic and/or the Morrisville All Years Reunion ends up being on the same day as a game? Should these be excluded in the park as well.
I really mean no disrespect, I'm just trying to understand what is that is being said above.
Where is the line drawn as to who and when people are allowed to be in our community park? If discretion in renting the park is allowed, it could lead to what/who someone likes opposed to what is equal/fair for everyone.
"They could have simply stated that the park is booked by the little league for the day"
"they?"
the park is never booked for little league for their practices or games.
I agree, you cannot just book an entire community park up for little league games, otherwise most events would not take place because they would run at the same time. Thats ridiculous and blaming council is ridiculous as well. the little league booked their games and will likely be rained out some on saturday anyway so moving games was their choice, not anyone elses. the peace group booked the park, paid their fees just like anyone else. the party crashers are the real ones at fault here to cause such a ruckus.
Looking good in the national news
MORRISVILLE, Pa. (AP) — An eastern Pennsylvania youth baseball league may have to call off games this weekend because two groups on either side of the gun control debate plan to hold opposing rallies in a community park that's also home to the league's baseball diamonds.
Morrisville Little League president Dan O'Connell said he's not taking a side — other than that he's unhappy that the events planned for Saturday at Williamson Park in Morrisville are large enough that authorities have asked to have games cancelled.
O'Connell said Monday his organization has been holding games in the park for 60 years and he hopes the groups will reconsider the timing of their rallies.
"It's enough for children to be impacted and hear this stuff on the news," said O'Connell. He said he learned of the rallies late last week.
A group advocating for universal background checks first scheduled its event and obtained a permit. An opposing group planned to counter.
A Morrisville code enforcement officer told the Bucks County Courier Times the BuxMont Chapter of the Coalition for Peace Action had the proper permits to use the park.
Rev. Bob Moore, the executive director for the coalition's office in Princeton, N.J., said former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell was scheduled to take part in the event billed as the "Pre-Mother's Day Gathering, March & Rally vs. Gun Violence."
The rally is scheduled to begin in Trenton, N.J. with a march across the Trenton Makes Bridge into Pennsylvania, where it would conclude with the rally at Williamson Park. The permit is for 200 people, Moore said.
The group wasn't made aware there were Little League games in the park when it applied for a permit, Moore said. When asked if the group would consider rescheduling, Moore said in part it wouldn't be fair because of the roughly $1,000 invested in the event, and extensive planning.
He blamed opponents for what he called a planned disruption of their gathering.
"We've been planning this for months," Moore said. "We don't go to the NRA's events and counter-protest. We don't harass them."
On its website, the group Concerned Gun Owners of Bucks County posted information about a "Second Amendment Preservation & Gun Control Protest Rally" for Saturday afternoon on the Pennsylvania side of the bridge. A flyer for the rally said attendees would hear from speaker and then "peacefully meet and mingle with the gun control groups."
The Associated Press left an email message Monday on the group's website.
O'Connell said he had heard from a couple people planning to attend the opposing rally that it would be peaceful. O'Connell also said he's been informed that it's illegal to carry a weapon in the park.
On Monday night, O'Connell was in the midst of considering alternatives for Saturday's roughly 25 games, which usually run into the evening since the league invested in lights for the field.
The league might be able to play morning games before ending early, at 1 p.m., because of the rallies, he said.
A spokesman for Little League International in South Williamsport said an official had been in touch with the local league and offered any logistical help if needed.
O'Connell said he has nothing against either side, but that the events may deprive children of a day on the field.
"Let the kids have their park," he said.
"organization has been holding games in the park for 60 years and he hopes the groups will reconsider the timing of their rallies."
and
"The group wasn't made aware there were Little League games in the park when it applied for a permit, Moore said."
But hey, this isn't bad planning at all by the boro. Nostradamus indeed!
At least Dan gets it right:"Let the kids have their park,"
The Nostradamus part comes in if you expect the boro to knee jerk assume that some pro-gunners with guns will automatically come to the park if what I'll call the peace group for shorthand gets its permit comes to the park, and deny the permit to the peace group.
I still believe it was not wrong for the boro to issue the peace group the park permit. It could very well have been wrong to deny it.
The boro denying the permit under some essentially B.S. bureaucratic rationale that could be challenged in court if the party had the desire and wherewithal would have been much more Barney Fife dumbass.
The park is open to the public and little league does not have exclusive use. Why is anyone blaming the Borough for this? And how does the upcoming election have anything to do with it?
If anyone feels that little leaguers should not be witness to the American ideals of peaceful assembly and freedom of speech, then maybe they should buy some land and build private fields solely for use by baseball.
Blame the gun toting thugs that are threatening to disrupt a legal and proper display of opinion on an important topic - reasonable background checks for gun ownership. The rally participants aren't even talking about limiting gun ownership, so what is the beef that these idiots have?
Are some saying here that the Borough should have foreseen a counter protest? Do you really think the Borough would have a legal right would to deny the permit, because they "thought" a rally by peace activists would bring trouble?
I concur. Too many people these days think the sun, moon, and stars all revolve around them, and that the ends justify the means.
Yeah, because there's nowhere else in town these protesters could have rallied. Why is common sense so uncommon?
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