Terry Holcomb Sr.,
pastor of Huntsville-based Crossroads Baptist Church has now added a second
arrest to his list of badges of honor in his fight for the freedoms our Founding
Fathers risked life and limb for in the American Revolution. Terry is accused
of disrupting the meeting even though I can’t imagine any citizen sitting in
the court had his peace disturbed.
Terry, in fact,
was speaking up for anyone there who might have the audacity to want to
exercise their free speech rights and address public officials. Terry was told by an elected official – yes,
you heard it right, an elected official – he nor anyone else would be allowed
to make comments at the regular portion of the public meeting.
“We’re not gonna
allow public comments today?” Holcomb said to the four county commissioners and
County Judge Fritz Faulkner of San
Jacinto County.
“It’s not on the
agenda,” Faulkner replied. And rather than correct what we can only hope was an
oversight and allow for comments, Faulkner doubled down. What a patriot. Not!
What an arrogant public official who has forgotten exactly who he is denying
opportunity to speak – the voters……
“That’s
unacceptable,” Holcomb said. If therere are any history buffs out there, this
is the kind of rebel rousing stuff Samuel Adams did that has made him known to
be the Father of the American Revolution. Even more so, this is the kind of
leadership heard and seen from the pulpit in the days of Washington, Franklin,
and Jefferson.
Faulkner with the
full courage he could muster knowing there was surely some lawman nearby then
told Holcomb he could “go outside and discuss it,” but the meeting was moving
forward with an executive session.
Saying again that
the situation was “unacceptable,” Holcomb accused the court of taking the
rights of the people. Dang rebel rouser….. there he went again with something
that sounds like the Constitution.
Terry Holcomb then
stood his ground inthe courtroom and waited for Faulkner to collect his thirty
pieces of silver and protect his fellow elected officials from a time opf
public questions. Oh, what a brave and patriotic commissioners’ court! Faulkner
mustered up the courage to then declare to Pastor Holcomb, “You’re dangerously
close to disrupting a public meeting.” It must have seemed odd to the average
person who attends public meetings to hear this…… after all any question Holcomb
would have asked could not have possibly disturbed the court as much as this
oppressive County Judge!
Holcomb told the
judge that he was denying the people their right to have their voice heard.
Faulkner responded
by saying, “You can go out there and talk to the people. We’re fixing to have
executive session.”
Still seated in
his chair, Holcomb said, “You didn’t want to hear from the citizens and you’re
gonna hear from them. You are gonna hear from me. You are not going to silence
us by your abuse.”
At that point,
Faulkner was not man enough to relent and give the people a time to speak as he
should have without any help from Pastor Holcomb or anyone else. Instead he called
for Pct. 2 Constable Roy Pippin Jr. to remove the Pastor from the meeting
chamber. Poor Pippin……
“You have been
requested to remove from the court,” Pippin told Holcomb.
“I am not leaving.
I am not leaving,” Holcomb replied.
Directing his
comments to the commissioners that had sat right there and not spoken up on
behalf of the citizens and a time for publc comment, Holcomb then said, “And
y’all commissioners that are allowing this, you are all cowards. All of you.”
Pippin implored
Holcomb to leave the room but Holcomb remained in his chair and demanded to
know what law he had broken. Poor Pippen…….
“No law is broken.
You were given an order to remove from court,” said Pippin, adding moments
later, “By not following my order, you are resisting arrest. Do you want to go
to jail for resisting arrest?”
Faulkner in an
effort to feel some sense that he was in the right told Holcomb that
commissioners court meetings are not a political stomping ground. What he
surely meant was “only us big shots get to stomp on this political ground”.
Outside of the
courtroom, Holcomb was confronted by Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Sowell who asked to
have a “private word” with him.
Holcomb asked if
he was being detained and Sowell replied, “You’re about to be,” prompting
Holcomb to ask if he had committed a crime.
“I didn’t say you
committed a crime,” said Sowell.
Sowell placed
Holcomb in handcuffs and escorted him away from the premises.
According to Pct.
1 Commissioner Ray McCoppin, Holcomb filed a written request to make public
comments at the meeting. However, comments were not included in the agenda.
Faulkner, told some
on the media Tuesday night that comments were left off due to an already
lengthy agenda. How convenient! Might we
expect all the agendas to be “too long” when the County Judge
does not want others stomping around his own personal political space? Faulkner
denied all citizens from speaking because, according to him, they may say
something political with an election going on.
Faulkner, the
Democratic incumbent county judge, is defending his position against Republican
challenger John Lovett in the November general election. Unless you are ate up
with being a Democrat loyalist, please consider ridding San
Jacinto County of
someone who does not believe in, and does not practice, our way of governing
here in the United States
Allowing comments
during commissioners court meetings are not required by law, but are a good
practice whenever possible, according to Liberty County Judge Craig McNair. In Liberty County Commissioners Court
meetings, the only comments allowed are those that relate to agenda items; all
other comments are denied.
After Holcomb’s
arrest, members of the San Jacinto County Republican Party expressed their
frustrations about what transpired.
“There was no
reason [for it],” said San Jacinto County Party Chairman Dwayne Wright. “That’s
what activates people like myself. That’s what activates people like Terry
Holcomb.”
Wright explained
that Holcomb specifically wanted to address a resolution regarding the housing
of illegal immigrants, which was decided against last month.
“He was upset that
[the] resolution he put forth was not dealt with,” said Wright. “The judge
prepared and substituted his own version [that] wasn’t even close to
[Holcomb’s] version.
Terry Holcomb at a
casual glance may seem like he is a bit too much for the average person. But
from personal experience I can tell you he is more like the average Texan than
the media and the men like County Judge Faulkner will ever admit. The media
will quickly point out Holcomb lost an election and Holcomb was arrested in
2013. But the real losers and the people who would look more at home in a jail
cell are those who do not see the signs of the times. The charges against Terry
Holcomb’s in his ongoing battle on behalf of gun owners and the Constitution
were dropped. As for Terry Holcomb spending
money and time out of his own pocket in an effort to represent this area in Austin, he should be
honored. His efforts were honorable and his message was 100% American.
Look past the
caricature the media paints of this man and you will see someone who has
decided to give his life to God and country. You decide whether we will stand
with him or play into the spin and the half truths used to make him look like
something different than he is. A patriotic Texan fighting the good fight for
the country we all love.
Right Judge Faulkner?