Think about it--the appropriateness of your remarks often depends on where they are said and who is hearing them.

Hmmm.

Think about it.

What may be OK topics of discussion with a group of long-time drinking buddies may not be appropriate at a dinner party.

The trash talk exchanged on athletic fields is probably not good conversation fodder in an office setting.

What you may say to a spouse/BFF/significant other in the privacy of your home may be better heard there than to a group at a civic club.

And trashing someone, even if not called by name, at a public meeting probably would not be appreciated at a church service. (Well, that may depend on the church and the minister)

The Shreveport council rules of procedure have restrictions on comments that may be made by a citizen when addressing the council.

Members of the public speaking at council meetings are not to make personal, inflammatory, and/or profane remarks to the council, member(s) of the council, and/or the general public.

The council procedure rules do NOT contain similar restrictions on comments by council members directed at other council members, the administration and/or members of the public. Seemingly the restrictions on private citizen comments would apply to members of the council.

Robert's Rules of Order has guidelines for proper decorum at public meetings, and such comments, by either a member of the council or a citizen, are deemed inappropriate.

Councilman James Green has used his forum as council member to ridicule former police chief about his arrest for barging into a local optical shop during a council meeting.

Green has ridiculed a person who regularly attends council meetings and addresses the council during a council meeting.

Most recently Green, along with council members Tabatha Taylor and Alan Jackson, embarked on diatribes against a member of the media during a council meeting on matters not before the council.

Without addressing the merits of their comments, the question to be asked is whether or not they were appropriate in this venue?

Put another way, should elected officials trash private citizens, including the media, during a meeting of that elected body on anything, much less matters not on the agenda?

Most citizens believe that what may be ok to say in other settings, including social media, does not always hold true for comments made by council members during a council meeting.