Corruption plagues little league

Carrie Reeves
The Reflector

The Reflector learned Wednesday that The 2 Live Crew show at Remington's Hunt Club was canceled under apparent pressure from the mayor and other city officials. After the initial shock that city officials could do something so blatantly disregarding our First Amendment right to peaceable assembly, we began asking questions.

We, later, found out that the show was canceled in response to an exchange of information between Starkville and Oxford officials about the show in Oxford two years ago. The performance in Oxford was full of profanity and other obscenities, yet The 2 Live Crew agreed to do a clean version of the show for The Hunt Club. This is not the only violation by officials of Starkville‹The Home of Mississippi State University. The city has put ordinances into effect discouraging strip clubs and prohibiting the sale of cold beer.

Recently, the Board of Aldermen voted 5-2 in favor of the extension of the sale of beer and light wine in bars on football game nights. Yet, this "win" by the students may not even materialize. The mayor, who strongly opposes this legislation, has the power to veto the ordinance, yet the veto can be overridden by a vote of at least five members in the next board meeting.

MSU students and Starkville citizens alike spoke at Tuesday's meeting in favor of the ordinance. This legislation was prepared for the city as well as for Mississippi State, and the mayor is highly opposed to it.

Mack Rutledge professes Starkville to be The Home of Mississippi State University. Look at the facts. If the mayor cared about Starkville, he would see that standing in the way of things like this ordinance alienates MSU students from the city. If MSU and its students mean as much to him as he says they do, let the university and students have more of a voice and an active role in the city.

Starkville is a part of the United States and a democracy. Rutledge is acting as a dictator by taking away the people's choice in these matters. The people this legislation affects are all adults. Adults are generally thought to be mature enough to make decisions for themselves, even decisions about cold beer, drinking that cold beer until 2 a.m. and watching bands such as The 2 Live Crew perform.

If Rutledge is concerned about decreasing the quality of life in Starkville, he need not worry. The quality of life will not decrease if the hours to sell beer are extended or if a controversial band performs at The Hunt Club. People will do what they are going to do whether it is midnight, 2 a.m. or listening to 2 Live Crew. With the heavy-handed persuasion to cancel the concert, Rutledge stepped over the line. He cannot control who comes through this city. He cannot control who settles here or what band decides to play here. The merchants and citizens let Rutledge take too much power, which only they can take away. Action should be taken so an incident like this does not happen again.