After a transgender candidate was defeated in the Joplin City Council election earlier this month, Councilman Ryan Jackson, who was not up for election, felt the need to go to social media and offer some commentary.
"Let's not say she because he's obviously a man who has something (sic) psychological issues. We should not play into his mental delusion."
As you can imagine, this caused quite a stir among those who support the LGBTQ community.
KSNF/KODE reporter Dustin Lattimer followed up and Jackson threatened to reveal personal information (phone numbers/ addresses, etc.) about the station's employees to anti-LGBTQ groups includings something called Libs From Tik-Tok.
Tonight, it came to a head with a hearing to determine how or if Jackson should be punished for what he correctly said was his freedom of speech.
As someone who has been fired from two jobs for things I've written, I can tell you the First Amendment doesn't protect you from everything.
It has consequences.
Tonight, after listening from 10 citizens call for his removal from office, Jackson escaped a vote to remove him, with only four of the nine council members voting yes.
He did not escape a vote for censure. Eight council members, including Jackson, voted for his censure.
Jackson had an opportunity to make his case. He concentrated on the doxxing threat against KSNF/KODE and said he had apologized to Lattimer and that he was wrong.
What Jackson didn't mention, and what no one asked him, is if he felt so strongly about his freedom of speech, and I have to believe he did, why did he feel it was necessary to threaten the TV station that was helping spread his opinion?
You'd think someone who felt so strongly would take pride in his opinion.
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