JOHN E. SETTLE JR
Do you ever email your council representative using the Shreveportla.gov email address?
How about emailing a department head to report a water/sewer issue, big pothole or dilapidated house in the neighborhood?
Do you ever try to email and pay your water bill online?
Or maybe an email to the Metropolitan Planning Commission on a suspected zoning issue next door?
If you were blocked from using the city email domain -- which means all emails to Shreveport elected officials, department heads and other city employees would not be delivered -- what would your reaction be?
And to top off the discussion, let's assume you have been a long-time Shreveport resident, homeowner, taxpayer and a regular voter.
Does that mean that you must be careful not to be critical or to raise anyone's blood pressure or do any email fussing or complaining?
Is Shreveport in America or in China, Russia or some banana republic that suppresses freedom of speech with elected officials and government employees?
Think about it because it could happen to you!
Well, it can happen because it did happen to me.
My emails to Shreveport elected officials and Shreveport employees have been blocked for over two weeks starting May 4.
I was given no notice of the "blocking," much less a reason why.
Communications shared with me indicated that one or more members of the Shreveport City Council requested this action.
The actions to block my email access deprive me of fundamental American rights.
Additionally, they violate the Louisiana Public Records Act that applies to all citizens and allows them to request fundamental information on the actions/nonactions of government officials.
As a member of the media, I am being targeted, and these actions can lead to targeting other members of the media, be that TV, radio, newsprint, blogs, etc.
This could happen to you, John or Suzy Smith.
Think about it.
P.S. As of 5:30 p.m. on May 18th my access was still blocked.