Originally Posted by Andrew S. Quinn:
From the Benton County Sheriff's office Facebook page....
The Benton County Sheriff's Dept did not put up the barricades at the racetrack. That was something the commissioners instructed the county highway dept to do.
Neither I, nor any of my Deputies, have trampled Mr. Daugherty's civil liberties. Unfortunately we only get to clean up the mess that everyone else starts.
Mr. Daugherty brought attention to himself knowing advertising discounted tickets for seniors over 60 (the at risk covid group) and children (the asymptomatic group) would be a controversy. He advertised on FB how big the event would be. He, in turn, threw all the other race tracks like Peru's Circus City Track under the bus saying well they're racing why can't I. This was during his conversation with ISP which brought the attention of the Governor and ISP to the entire race track network of Indiana.
Look I get it, everyone is ready to get our freedom back. I am right there with you. So make sure you understand the bigger picture. The Cease and Desist order came from the State. It was by the direction of Governor Holcomb handed down to ISP directly to their Superintendent. It was only after Mr. Daugherty said "unless i get a Cease and Desist order I'm racing" that he forced their hand.
So if you want to waste your saturday afternoon at
Benton Co. Sheriff's Dept.
105 S. Lincoln Ave.
Folwer, IN.
then come on down and hang out. Keep 6 feet apart, practice social distancing and keep your groups smaller than 25 people. It's supposed to be a nice day and we are all in this together. Just make sure you get the facts and not one person's perspective.
Thanks,
Sheriff Don Munson
Sheriff Munson is THE highest public official in Benton County; the same as every sheriff in the country. His words convey that he doesn't seem to realize that he is above the commissioners, the highway department, ISP, their superintendent, and even the Governor. His Facebook post is a deflection of his duty to uphold the rights of the citizens he serves. He just would rather everyone play nice, don't ruffle any feathers, and then his job is easy.
BTW, I'm sure a few of you reading this are getting a good chuckle- good for you! But instead of getting a laugh at my expense, maybe try looking up the powers of a county sheriff. You may think this sheriff shouldn't waste his time defending Mr. Daugherty
this time, but please realize that sheriffs are our last line of defense against tyranny. If Sheriff Munson won't get off his keyster this time, will he get off it when it really matters?