Voters, not school board, should reject candidacy
Make no mistake about it, this newspaper is opposed to Charlie Cave's attempt to seek re-election to the Allendale County School Board.
We wish he weren't running. The fact that he is running means he still has not accepted responsibility for what he did.
By his own admission, he pulled out a knife while on school grounds, while at a school function. His quibbling over the length of the blade is just that. He violated the Safe Schools Act, which he as a school board member had a duty to enforce.
The Board's right to remove him from office has been upheld, and a Circuit Court judge ruled that Charlie Cave's actions on that fateful night in December, 1996 "rose to the level of misconduct in office."
He is still facing criminal prosecution, including a weapons charge and an assault charge.
He has absolutely no moral ground on which to stand, and anyone who votes for him also lacks moral standing. To vote for Charlie Cave will be to say you don't care about safe schools.
Someone else, anyone else from that district should step up and run for the seat.
But make no mistake about it, this newspaper is completely against the Allendale School Board's decision to fight Cave's re-election by any and all means.
This school board had the right to remove him from the board. It does not have any right to get involved in the political process. Right now, all Charlie Cave has done is file to run in a Democratic Party primary.
Since no one filed to run as a Republican or as an independent candidate, the election will be decided in the political primary.
We agree with the school board that Cave is unfit for this office. If he runs, the voters should vote to keep him out. We think if the voters put him back in office, then the School Board should once more remove him from office.
But we do not think that ANY governmental body or agency should start trying to control any election. That is absolutely not the way that things are done in the United States of America.
The School Board barely had enough members present last week to hold a meeting, and the vote to proceed with preventing Cave's election was divided, 2-1. If the other member had been present, it probably still would have been a successful vote. But the two members who voted to go ahead with this action have cast a vote for what can only be called repression. The government is trying to control an election.
We urge the school board to call an immediate meeting, reconsider this vote, and put faith in the voters of Allendale County. If the voters of his district want Charlie Cave to represent them, then they have to right to cast their votes for him without any government telling them otherwise.
If a government agency limits the choices we can make in an election, then it is controlling that election.
We cannot say it loud enough.
No.
Not here, not ever.
Judges' comments for CNI's Better Newspaper Contest Friday, July 30, 1999 Amicalola Falls State Park
Best Editorial Writing
First place: Stephen Guilfoyle, The Allendale County Citizen Leader: "Voters, not school board, should reject candidacy." From the first sentence, this editorial writer takes a strong position and continues to hold his ground throughout. You never doubt where the writer stands, and you can't help but read on after the first enticing paragraphs. The editorial contains enough background to fill in new readers and refresh familiar ones. The writer makes several points sure to make the reader ponder the issues involved. He is also brave enough to stand for democratic principles even when that stance probably won't sit well with some readers. I'm now curious as to how this whole process worked out. Well done.
The judge mentioned six "other notables (no awards given):" School board lawyer delays Cave indictment," The Allendale County Citizen Leader; and "Secrecy subverts justice," The People-Sentinel, were among them. I wrote those as well.
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