City of Decatur Commission Meeting
08/19/2013
Requests and Petitions

Good Evening. My name is Chris Billingsley,

It has come to my attention that the city has issued an alcohol serve permit for a fundraiser to be held in the Decatur cemetery on September 7. As a life-long Decatur resident and homeowner, as well as someone who has family and friends buried in the cemetery, I want to state my reasons for opposing this permit.

The cemetery is our Arlington, where we continue to honor the sacrifices of more than forty members of the armed forces who gave their lives so we could live in freedom, peace and comfort. But it also much more. It is the final resting place for many Decatur citizens. For almost two hundred years, both great and near great men and women have been laid to rest here. They and their descendants believed that this sacred park would be treated with reverence and that all official activities would reflect the quiet dignity associated with this purpose. City sponsored events, especially those that do not reflect this purpose, should be subject to the strictest scrutiny by city officials. I do not believe that this function, which has nothing to do with the primary purpose of the cemetery, passes this test.

My biggest objection to this event is the inclusion of alcohol. I believe it sends the wrong message to young people, suggesting that it is sometimes permissible to drink alcohol and party at the cemetery. We already have a problem in remote parts of the old cemetery, with teenagers and young adults, consuming alcohol and engaging in dangerous behaviors at night. This event will allow for the excessive consumption of alcohol. There is no limit on the number of drinks a person could consume. Some of the guests will leave this event intoxicated, driving their vehicles onto Church Street, a road well known for excessive speeding and dangerous driving habits. This also sets a precedent for more alcohol related functions at other locations, such as Glen Lake Park and McCoy Park. I do not believe it is prudent to allow this in our public spaces that are primarily reserved for family activities.

I am told that this function will be held around the pond, an area that is not really part of the cemetery. However there are more than a hundred graves in close proximity to the event location. My parents and two sisters are buried nearby on the hill overlooking the site. I knew quite a few of those buried here but one stands out, a Decatur High School graduate who was killed by someone driving under the influence. Does the city not dishonor the memory of this student by allowing the consumption of alcohol nearby?
(In addressing the commission, I changed “city” to “permit” thinking that it was better to criticize the permit rather than the city government).

In the future, I hope that you deny alcohol serve permits to events planned at the cemetery and all city parks. Thank you for allowing me to share my views on this important subject. If possible, I ask that my comments be submitted into the official record for this meeting.
Chris Billingsley

Decatur, GA. 30030
08/19/2013

I didn’t mean to sound hyperbolic (not sure if that’s a word, either…), nor do I consider the comments to be the height of those negative descriptors. It’s just that I view DM as a neighborhood discussion site, and I guess my expectation is that neighbors treat each other better than we often do here (I’m not excluding myself; I am just as guilty). I realize I should not be surprised when people say hurtful things to each other here, but I guess I am.

Anyway, you are correct that DM comments are more respectful than 99% of what’s out there. But sometimes I still find myself disappointed at the occasional mean streak some of us possess.