(Thread) My remarks delivered at today's #AllLivesMatter rally in Albertville:

Let’s take a minute to reflect upon what we mean when we say a life matters. Because when we do, it soon becomes clear which side of this debate actually believes that and which does not.

Last week, a mob of antagonizers took over our streets, obstructed traffic, and disturbed the peace. They did so with effective impunity, having overwhelmed - by design - the ability of law enforcement to reign them in.

Unlike the organizers of our event, this group obtained no permit for a special event as required under our ordinance.

And by taking their performance onto our streets and blocking traffic, they violated not one, not two, but three separate ordinances along with a state statute prohibiting the obstruction of traffic by pedestrians.

Why does any of this matter? Because their lives are not the only ones which matter. The mother who was trying to make her weekly trip to Coburns that day, matters. The father who was late for his afternoon shift after being detained by this mob, matters.

The emergency vehicles which might have been held up for critical seconds in a life or death situation, matter.

Indeed, regardless of the particular circumstances, each taxpaying citizen has a reasonable expectation to use the roads they pay for without being detained by a roving band of agitators.

This group of activists will tell you, and have been telling us over the course of the past week, that the reason they say ‘Black Lives Matter’ rather than ‘All Lives Matter’ is because it goes without saying that all lives matter.

But it obviously doesn’t go without saying. Their conduct last week made that clear.

If you were that mother heading to the grocery store, they don’t think your life matters. If you were that father heading to work, that doesn’t matter to them either.

They’ll tell you to your face, and have been over the course of the past week, and will continue to from here going forward, that their list of grievances is so important, their message so essential, their cause so just, that whatever you have to do... does not matter.

As a city council member here in Albertville, I spend my time in official meetings considering the merits of permit applications, development applications, additions and changes to ordinance, planning and zoning. All these activities have a theme.

They’re part of a process which ensures that the free exercise of each resident's rights does not interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of their neighbor's property.

I don’t have the right to crank my radio as loud as it will go at all hours of the night... And indeed, I don’t have the right to plant myself in the middle of the street and force bystanders to listen to my speech.

I don’t have the right to do any of those things because my life is not the only one that matters. My neighbor’s life matters. The lives of those legally travelling upon our roads matter. All lives matter.

And you can tell which people... actually believe that...

The Left will tell you to your face that their ends are more important than your ends, that their supposed rights are more important than your actual rights. And that’s how you know they are insincere.

We have a chance to defeat them on November 3rd. And defeat them we shall.

Thank you, and may you bring glory to God in all you do.