Nine year old Miriam Gustafson made a splash at the October 13 Dickinson County Board of Commissioners meeting, pushing back against a proposed dress code for attendees and those who wished to address the board.
The dress code is part of a series of proposed changes to the meeting protocols, and would require attendees and speakers to “be dressed in proper attire.”
The proposal specifies that anyone “wearing inappropriate clothing such as halter tops, bare midriffs, bathing suits, inappropriate shorts or skirts or caps, sunglasses or the like shall be excluded from the meetings.”
Miriam was among ten other individuals who spoke during the public comment time.
Fresh from swim practice, Gustafson told the commissioners, “Yes, I do have a swimsuit under my shirt.Don’t worry I am not going to cannonball into the meeting. In school we are learning about the first amendment, you know, Free Speech. It means people can say whatever they believe even if someone doesn't like it. Nobody said anything about needing to wear approved clothing to have an opinion. So, when I heard you might ban swimsuits, I thought, really? Once you start banning one thing, where does it stop? Clothes don’t talk, people do. If what I am wearing doesn’t hurt anyone why should it matter? When I speak you should listen to my words, not my wardrobe. Honestly, if the most outrageous thing that happens at a public meeting is a kid in a swimsuit under her tee shirt then I think we are doing ok.”
The crowd remained silent as the young girl addressed the five county commissioners, but burst into cheers and applause after she finished.
Miriam’s mother, Cassandra Gustafson, said the idea for the speech came after Miriam overheard a family conversation about the proposed changes. She began to ask questions and when someone joked about “not wearing her swimsuit at the next board meeting,” the idea for her speech was born.
The proposed dress code follows a tense situation at the board’s September meeting, when chairman Dan Harrington asked Sheriff Aaron Rochon to remove resident Jay Gibbs before commenting during the board’s public comment time because Gibbs failed to remove his hat at Harrington’s request.
During the discussion about the proposed changes, Commissioner Joe Stevens, the only Democrat on the board, asked Prosecuting Attorney Abbey Anderson if she drafted the proposed changes. Anderson answered, “Yes.”
The five member Board has a 4-1 Republican majority. Chairman Dan Harrington, and Commissioners Pastor Kevin Sullivan, Peter Swanson, and Victoria Jakel all unseated more moderate incumbent republicans last year.
In January, the new Republican majority voted to implement prayer before the start of each board meeting. Sullivan, the pastor of Family Baptist Church of Iron Mountain, prays before every board meeting. Members of the public may pray after Sullivan’s prayer as long as time permits.
Since taking office, the new Republican majority has also reduced the number of public meetings from three to one per month, and voted against funding for the county’s MSU Extension and 4-H programs, prompting Jason Gibbs to sue the board in February.
As for Miriam, she said she spoke out because, “We need to say something when people make rules that aren't good for the community.”
The nine year old who is also on a local swim team hopes to be an Olympic swimmer when she grows up.
