I would like to correct a misstatement that was attributed to me in the article "County action sought" in the Aug. 14 edition of the Butler Eagle. While the Eagle has the right to edit my statement, it should not take the liberty to interpret my statement.

In the article, the Eagle stated: "(Commissioner Dale) Pinkerton and (county solicitor Julie) Graham on Wednesday told Eckstein he was out of order when he compared the commissioners to Nazis."

Reading from prepared text, what I actually stated was the following: "When I was talking to a friend about the incident (our near arrest in Diamond Park) yesterday, she said, "Maybe you can relate the commissioners' actions to the Nazis' fascism."

Of course, both of us knew they weren't Nazis. We were referring to the commissioners' actions in government.

The commissioners seem to embrace one dictator, and the other two are just along for the ride. They also believe in suppression of the opposition. It seemed to me that they were pretty eager to arrest me under their unconstitutional ban on free speech.

The purpose of my address was the sense that citizens of Butler County are being deprived of their rights of free speech, free expression and peaceful assembly by our county commissioners and county employees.

At the commissioners meeting in June, I was ruled out of order for reading newspaper articles containing Pinkerton quotes prior to being elected and his political stances since being elected.

While seeking office, Pinkerton said he would not raise taxes; after being elected, he supported a tax increase.

Prior to the election, Pinkerton called Nathan DeSantis, a World War II merchant mariner, and stated that should he be elected, he would do what he could to have a plaque placed on the county's World War II Memorial to honor the mariners.

That was then.

Now, Pinkerton says the commissioners won't force the committee to add the plaque even if the court rules the county has the authority to control the monument.

On June 2, the mariners held their first petition drive in Diamond Park. John Cyprian, county veterans affairs director, ordered the mariners to stop petitioning and distributing their literature without a permit. Cyprian called the city police, but they refused to come.

Then Cyprian had county employee Carl Butler tell the mariners to move their signs.

On Aug. 5, the mariners (all in their mid-80s or older) and I were threatened with arrest for placing signs in front of Diamond Park. On each of these occasions, the mariners and I were respectful and peaceful.

At the Aug. 13 commissioners meeting, Graham and Pinkerton called me out of order for reporting county employee Butler's actions on Aug. 5.

Apparently, our commissioners favor free speech only when it is complimentary to them.