Committee of Safety explained

Just what is a "Committee of Safety?" I answer this question often. The answer is both simple and rather complicated.

A Committee of Safety is, very simply, We the People. We are a group who have gathered together to observe and watch over the various government entities in Grant County. We are a group of people who have gathered together to coordinate and assist the various action groups, commonly referred to as "sub-committees," in our localities.

Historically, there will be a Committee of Safety in each community in a county. There will also be a Committee of Safety in the county, made up of representatives from each of those community committees. Then there will be a Committee of Safety in the State, made up of representatives from each of the county committees. Ideally, there will be a United States Committee of Safety, made up of representatives from each of the State committees.

The Committee of Safety does not actually take any actions directly, except to coordinate and assist actions taken by the various action groups in the area they oversee. An example of that might be spreading the word and coordinating an action started by, as an example, the Grant County Preppers to glean a field of a crop for distribution to various food banks and others in need in the county. If the Preppers don't have enough manpower to effectively pick, box and transport the crop, the Committee of Safety will ask for help from the other action groups in the area. One project being coordinated at this time is to remove and replace a sidewalk for a person with terminal cancer.

Recommend, coordinate, and report. Those are the functions of the Committee of Safety in most cases. The Grant County Committee of Safety meets every fourth Wednesday (except December, 2013,) with the public meeting starting at 7 p.m. At this time, meetings are held at the Fire Station on 3rd in Moses Lake.

Robert E. Carter

Chairman, Grant County Committee of Safety