By Warner M. Montgomery
Warner@TheColumbiaStar.com

Ed Latimer (l), national board member of Torch Clubs International, thanks Kay McClanahan for her talk to the monthly Torch Club meeting.

It was just another night of inflammatory rhetoric at the monthly Torch Club meeting. Kay McClanahan, twice S.C. Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and president of the Richland County Landowners Association, blasted radical environmentalists, Smart Growth proponents, and the Palmetto Conservation Foundation.

Claiming that farmers were the first legitimate environmentalists, McClanahan outlined how a national "conservation" movement is threatening property rights in Richland County. "National organizations with preservation appeal are crafting laws to take over our property," she said. This includes the Endangered Species Act, local conservation easements, and county zoning regulations.

Even though many "Green Groups" are well- meaning, McClanahan said, they are being misled by national consultants and local politicians. Local regulations being passed to enforce the Town and Country Plan will take away property from black landowners by lowering land values and increasing property taxes, thereby forcing landowners to sell their property.

Devious methods have been used to silence those who oppose the land taking, she said. This includes killing and stealing pet animals, hit and run accidents, and denying them the right to speak before Richland County Council. McClanahan concluded: "This violation of property rights is a greater threat than terrorism or nuclear war."

The Torch Club, established in 1924, is an international organization dedicated to free speech and open debate. Members of the Columbia club meet monthly over dinner to hear a member speak on a topic of their choice. A lively debate always follows. For information, contact Ed Latimer at 803-776-4765.