Abuse of authority

As reported in Must Read Alaska by Suzanne Downing, and the ADN, a state official acts as if there is no recourse for an abuse of authority.

Marti Buscaglia, head of the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights, saw a sticker on a truck, and acted with unjustified moral outrage to the graphic and content of the message. The offending graphic was that of an AR15 rifle and the message simply stated “Black Rifles Matter.”

Buscaglia took the graphic and wording to be racist in intent, hate speech and an affront to the Soros funded, Marxist inspired Black Lives Matter movement that has an estimated $100M in the bank.

How she would confuse the two is something one needs to ask her. No gun owning American would be so confused.

AS 18.80.050(b) plainly states that the commission shall “adopt regulations because of physical and mental disability.” AS 18.80.060(5) states that the commission may only study and make recommendations regarding the “problems” of discrimination. Buscaglia has no authority to enforce anything, beyond the statutory authority granted.

Defense of the Marxist Black Lives Matter Movement is not part of the portfolio of responsibilities of the commission. Nor, is regulating “hate” speech, as none are protected from being “offended” by the speech of another. 1stAmendment.

The truck to which the sticker was attached belonged to a commercial contractor who was doing roof repairs to the building that housed the offices of the probation office and the human rights commission.

Buscaglia enlisted the aid of Kendell Rhyne, Chief Probation Officer, to take her state business card with the following on the back of her card and leave it on the truck: “Please do not park this truck with that offensive sticker in this parking lot.”

Rhyne also left his state business card, which may make him complicit in the unwarranted and unjustified attack on the contractor.

Buscaglia then had a picture of the truck and the sticker placed on the State of Alaska Commission for Human Rights Facebook page, accessible to the public. The message denigrated the owner of the truck stating the message was racist, thereby impugning upon his character, integrity, beliefs and business reputation without a single word between Buscaglia and the contractor. Buscaglia also sent an e-mail to the owner of the building and asked that the contractor be banned from doing work on the building.

Members of the public who came across the Facebook post tried to point out that the sticker was anything but racist and had to do with the Second Amendment. Buscaglia and her staff publicly argued otherwise.

The attitude demonstrated by Buscaglia and her staff demonstrated an ignorance and prejudice that was unbecoming, improper and libelous.

The unreasonable attack by Buscaglia and her employees against the contractor was conducted using state computers, a state web page, while on state time. This is a serious abuse of authority and a direct attack on a law abiding businessman’s 1st Amendment rights, character, reputation and business without any reason whatsoever. No effort was made to ensure that their position was based upon truth and fact. They just acted out their zealous bigotry. Further, it appears that these state officials and employees overstepped their authority under statute.

This brings into question why we need a “human rights” commission when those employed and appointed are so limited in their objectivity that prejudice is practiced without compunction? How can this entity serve all the people of Alaska?

Buscaglia and her employees overstepped their authority in pursuing a prejudiced attack against the contractor that was based upon perception, not fact. At the very least, they need to be fired, as soon as possible.

The Governor needs to defund the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights. It serves no purpose when its employees can violate the constitutional rights of a law abiding Alaskan without cause. We are all equal under the law, and it is time we ended this commission that fails to respect and to treat all Alaskans equally.

The rights of those with disabilities are protected under state statute and federal code. The commission is superfluous.

Larry Wood has been a resident in the Lazy Mountain area for 65 years. This column is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman or its parent company, Wick Communications.