I attended the town meeting tonight, my first in 18 years of living here.
Now I know why I have avoided any contact or communication with that
stuff!
There were lots of great, encouraging comments by folks who took the mic and shared their thoughts. Many of those people said it was also their first meeting to attend. Now the word "negativity" was used oh, around 10,000 times during the meeting so I will keep that going for a minute and tell you what I (remember, a first timer at a meeting) got from this event.
So long as praises were being sung it seemed the timekeepers watch had stopped and the 2 minute rule didn't exist. Ok, that's ok since it did allow folks to share some positive encouragement. Toward the end or what caused the adjournment of the meeting was when a gentlemen wanted to speak and he began to tell of a time when he was in the trucking business and he drove his truck home and the GM told the police to go give his wife a ticket. Now I hope I am getting the story right but I am not sure because as this man was talking the GM began to walk toward him in a very defensive way and when he got to the man the GM jerked the mic out of the man's hand. REMEMBER, lots of first timers attending ALL watching this. Police take the man who was speaking out and the GM then addresses everyone. I want to know why this man was not allowed to speak as everyone else had? If he is known for losing his cool, then maybe the GM should have remained in his place and allowed police to handle if the speaker got out of hand. Now there were some using their phone to video the scene and shouted that they got it on video. I sure hope they got the ENTIRE thing on video, from the GM jerking the mic through police taking the speaker out. I kinda doubt it tho. So, the GM addresses several people and after his show the meeting disperses. Since I have never met the GM and wanted to discuss a couple of things with him, I approached him, introduced myself and begin asking some questions. He answered my questions in a respectful way and when I expressed to him a suggestion that at the next town meeting he might consider apologizing for his behavior in grabbing the mic from the speaker, particularly because that single incident more than likely caused more negativity than anything else said tonight, he agreed and said he would do so. We then continued talking and another lady (sorry, terrible at names so not sure of her name) who was behind me while I was talking to the GM begin to ask a couple of questions also. When the GM's voice raised a bit her husband walked up to her and stood by her side. The GM was apparently threatened by this and told him to leave. Because the GM apparently has police guard at these meetings, the Chief was right beside him the entire time I spoke to him and when the other lady was speaking with us. The husband, in a calm, normal voice manner, stated to the GM that he didn't like the smirk on his face the GM immediately got angry and begin to threaten the man. Police then had to take the GM away from the situation as the GM was yelling at the man "if you don't like it come and take it off". I was there the entire time and the man never, ever disrespected the GM nor did he raise his voice. He was standing beside his wife who the GM was raising his voice to.
Here is one of the main problems:
We have a GM that has some serious anger management issues. Apparently he has martial arts schools and perhaps his confidence level is a little too much in these situations and anger is the result. I don't know. What I do know for certain is that his behavior did more to cause NEGATIVITY than anything else I witnessed. Now I understand exactly why the police have to be at his side. He seems to start a lot of trouble and wants to back it with anger and threats.
Ok, back to my story...... so I never got to ask the GM why the man wasn't allowed to speak, nor why the GM approached the man jerking the mic, nor why his behavior should be acceptable, all because the GM had to be restrained by police as he was yelling at the husband. I truly feel for those folks such as Joel and his officers who aren't really allowed to do their job and who have to provide security detail for the GM. Law enforcement needs to be allowed to do law enforcement, not be "yes" men and security guards. I failed to mention that one of the things I spoke to the GM about was my comment on a discussion in this social media in which he called out a lady, Sharon Carr. It was the discussion about the GM following someone from the gate to their home because they didn't have a sticker (which police was aware of and aware of the special circumstance). I acknowledged to him that I meant what was said in my comment then and now. I discussed this with him based on many that said if you have a problem with someone, go to them and work it out privately. Since he had called out several individuals personally and publicly I wanted to address it and let him know I meant it and why.
I will be at the next town meeting, I will be respectful just as I was tonight, I WILL speak and I WILL NOT be hushed or taken out of the room by anyone. My voice is just as important as any other property owner, the board or the GM!
I did not start this discussion to create any more NEGATIVITY but to point out as a first timer at a town meeting what the REAL problem appears to be based on my personal experience. Folks we are in for a long, rough, bumpy ride until the anger can be controlled. The GM should be a leader by example, and tonight was a very, very poor example.
There were lots of great, encouraging comments by folks who took the mic and shared their thoughts. Many of those people said it was also their first meeting to attend. Now the word "negativity" was used oh, around 10,000 times during the meeting so I will keep that going for a minute and tell you what I (remember, a first timer at a meeting) got from this event.
So long as praises were being sung it seemed the timekeepers watch had stopped and the 2 minute rule didn't exist. Ok, that's ok since it did allow folks to share some positive encouragement. Toward the end or what caused the adjournment of the meeting was when a gentlemen wanted to speak and he began to tell of a time when he was in the trucking business and he drove his truck home and the GM told the police to go give his wife a ticket. Now I hope I am getting the story right but I am not sure because as this man was talking the GM began to walk toward him in a very defensive way and when he got to the man the GM jerked the mic out of the man's hand. REMEMBER, lots of first timers attending ALL watching this. Police take the man who was speaking out and the GM then addresses everyone. I want to know why this man was not allowed to speak as everyone else had? If he is known for losing his cool, then maybe the GM should have remained in his place and allowed police to handle if the speaker got out of hand. Now there were some using their phone to video the scene and shouted that they got it on video. I sure hope they got the ENTIRE thing on video, from the GM jerking the mic through police taking the speaker out. I kinda doubt it tho. So, the GM addresses several people and after his show the meeting disperses. Since I have never met the GM and wanted to discuss a couple of things with him, I approached him, introduced myself and begin asking some questions. He answered my questions in a respectful way and when I expressed to him a suggestion that at the next town meeting he might consider apologizing for his behavior in grabbing the mic from the speaker, particularly because that single incident more than likely caused more negativity than anything else said tonight, he agreed and said he would do so. We then continued talking and another lady (sorry, terrible at names so not sure of her name) who was behind me while I was talking to the GM begin to ask a couple of questions also. When the GM's voice raised a bit her husband walked up to her and stood by her side. The GM was apparently threatened by this and told him to leave. Because the GM apparently has police guard at these meetings, the Chief was right beside him the entire time I spoke to him and when the other lady was speaking with us. The husband, in a calm, normal voice manner, stated to the GM that he didn't like the smirk on his face the GM immediately got angry and begin to threaten the man. Police then had to take the GM away from the situation as the GM was yelling at the man "if you don't like it come and take it off". I was there the entire time and the man never, ever disrespected the GM nor did he raise his voice. He was standing beside his wife who the GM was raising his voice to.
Here is one of the main problems:
We have a GM that has some serious anger management issues. Apparently he has martial arts schools and perhaps his confidence level is a little too much in these situations and anger is the result. I don't know. What I do know for certain is that his behavior did more to cause NEGATIVITY than anything else I witnessed. Now I understand exactly why the police have to be at his side. He seems to start a lot of trouble and wants to back it with anger and threats.
Ok, back to my story...... so I never got to ask the GM why the man wasn't allowed to speak, nor why the GM approached the man jerking the mic, nor why his behavior should be acceptable, all because the GM had to be restrained by police as he was yelling at the husband. I truly feel for those folks such as Joel and his officers who aren't really allowed to do their job and who have to provide security detail for the GM. Law enforcement needs to be allowed to do law enforcement, not be "yes" men and security guards. I failed to mention that one of the things I spoke to the GM about was my comment on a discussion in this social media in which he called out a lady, Sharon Carr. It was the discussion about the GM following someone from the gate to their home because they didn't have a sticker (which police was aware of and aware of the special circumstance). I acknowledged to him that I meant what was said in my comment then and now. I discussed this with him based on many that said if you have a problem with someone, go to them and work it out privately. Since he had called out several individuals personally and publicly I wanted to address it and let him know I meant it and why.
I will be at the next town meeting, I will be respectful just as I was tonight, I WILL speak and I WILL NOT be hushed or taken out of the room by anyone. My voice is just as important as any other property owner, the board or the GM!
I did not start this discussion to create any more NEGATIVITY but to point out as a first timer at a town meeting what the REAL problem appears to be based on my personal experience. Folks we are in for a long, rough, bumpy ride until the anger can be controlled. The GM should be a leader by example, and tonight was a very, very poor example.
Diamondhead Property Owner,
Kerry Bratton
