☀️Afternoon Sun

Friday, May 27, 2022 - Vol. 01 No. 03

May 27, 2022

☀️Musk and Marysville

Elon Musk is not reported to be in negotiations to build a new Starbase in Marysville. He has, however, made recent headlines in seeking to purchase Twitter for 44 billion dollars. Not only does this appear to make minimal sense as a financial investment, Musk himself said that it has more to do with preserving free speech.

This is national news, not local, so why bring it up? Whether or not Musk successfully acquires the social media site it provides an opportunity to highlight the need for free speech so that there may be free citizens.

Defining the “free” in free speech is critical. In this context free speech does not mean having the right to say whatever one wants any more than a free citizen has the right to do whatever he chooses. There are always limits, whether acknowledged in legislation or enforced by mobs. Criminal laws prohibit murder, but that doesn’t mean non-murderers aren’t free. Likewise, pornography, plagiarism, and defamation are not protected forms of speech, yet there is freedom within these boundaries. Freedom does not mean the removal of all boundaries.

Free speech especially gives power to the citizens to speak out against the government when it attempts to suppress content critical of the government. This is the intention of the First Amendment.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (source)

There are reasonable debates about differences between public and private platforms, as well as disagreements about rules for content moderation. But fights for free speech are fights against suppressing questions when those questions directly concern a government’s grab for more power of the citizens. Recent examples would include the extreme restrictions imposed by the government related to COVID or about suspicious voting activity. These are public issues and should be debatable in public.

A publication such as the Marysville Sun can express thankfulness for many of our city officials and law enforcement officers. Our leaders have demonstrated an ability to do better than many other cities in Western Washington. Our approach to homelessness and our refusal to allow marijuana shops are important for our city’s health and freedom.

Washington’s governor has been ranked 50th. The State legislature continues to require voters to repeal more and more laws (they averaged creating five new laws per day in one month in 2020!), mandating explicit sex-ed curriculum for elementary school students, and using COVID as a cover to keep many of their sessions closed to the public. The point is that for Marysville citizens to be free we need more, not less, talk about politics, more posting online, more praise of the good and more push to punish those who do evil.

We need informed citizens who are able to support, and push for, city leaders who are willing to stand out from surrounding cities and to stand up for our freedom.

☀️Make Guitar Music Great Again

[NOTE: As a reminder of the Sun’s ad policy: WE DON’T DO ADS! The following is the first of (hopefully) many spotlights on local work. The goal is glad promotion, not promotion for pay.]

Music makes culture. It’s certainly not the only art, but it plays a key part. It can also be a sign of a culture’s health, or demise. Perhaps cultural/musical downfall is not so much to be seen in lyrics or a low style, but in the lack of people learning to make it.

David Harsh founded GuitarSuccess4U in 2019 with his wife Whitney. Their family moved to Marysville in 2008 and has been committed not just to making Marysville great again, but to making guitar music great again. #MGMGA

David has three decades of guitar experience, built on a college degree in vocal performance, and has studied with multiple acoustic guitar teachers in Europe and in the US. He’s led worship at numerous churches in the area and still tours and performs throughout North America. His business is built on his love for the Lord, his love of music, and his love for helping others learn.

He provides a self-paced, online course relevant and accessible to all kinds of players at all levels, whether worship guitarists and worship leaders, hobbyists, stay at home moms, retirees, or creative types who don’t just want to become better guitar players, they want to become better musicians. This is international expertise without the international expense.

☀️Wait, There’s More

Evangel Classical School Spring Concert, Tuesday, May 31, 6:30pm at Word of Life Lutheran Church. Cost: Free
Public Safety Town Hall, June 8, 6:00–8:00pm, at the Marysville Opera House, with Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney and Snohomish County Councilmembers Nate Nehring and Sam Low. More info here
The 90th Annual Marysville Strawberry Festival, June 11–19. See the event website for a schedule of all the activities.