“The Woman” offers a response…

I want the community to know the details of the series of events which I witnessed that resulted in the mistrial of the Honorable Mayor Zach Patterson’s lawsuit.

The trial began on Monday, July 19, and was still in progress on the afternoon of July 20. However, from the eyes of “The Woman” sitting in the third row ahead of Norman Gillis, an attorney and member of the Mississippi Bar, the events of the afternoon are quite different than those depicted in his statement.

Where can anyone get justice in McComb or Pike County Mississippi? The Mississippi-Tribune covered the trial of Mayor Zach Patterson versus the Selectmen of the City of McComb back in May, and to this date Judge Michael Taylor has not rendered a decision. It is pretty obvious at this point that the justice, or should I say “just-us”, system is definitely a part of this good-ole-boy network.

 The McComb Selectmen for the term period of 2007 through 2010, in my opinion, with few exceptions, have been a disappointment. Seven men have served as selectmen on the Board of Mayor and Selectmen since January 2007: Danny Esch, Wade Lamb, Robert Maddox, Melvin Joe Johnson, Robert Earl Smith, David Myers and E.C. Nobles. Nobles replaced Myers after he was forced to vacate his seat on the board in the middle of his term.

The majority of the selectmen have worked against the Black community in numerous decisions and actions with the exception of Johnson and Smith. Johnson has been the most consistent in his support of the Black community, as well as voting in the best interests of the city of McComb.

 This week members of the McComb board of Mayor and Selectmen were meeting together. Not in the board room of City Hall, but in a courtroom in Magnolia, the county seat of Pike County. And, I was there to witness what has to be, so far, the trial of the decade. The lawsuit by McComb Mayor Zach Patterson against the selectmen of the McComb city board was played out over two days at the County Courthouse in front of Judge Michael Taylor.

I am convinced that the trial was a result of a “runaway freight train.” That runaway train is those four selectmen (Danny Esch, Wade Lamb, E.C. Nobles, and Robert Maddox) and their good-ole-boy network that includes their defense lawyer, Dennis Horn. What a show. What a picture. To see them all there, testifiying and being made to answer for all the mess they created at city hall.

Tuesday and Wednesday, those selectmen had to answer, not only for their actions on August 26, 2009 when they held an improper and illegal meeting to authorize themselves to sign and issue checks to pay the city payroll and other approved city bills; but, they also had to take responsibility for their actions on June 9, 2009, when they stripped Mayor Patterson of his duties as mayor and gave that authority to themselves and their appointed city administrator. I’ve coined a statement that Mayor Patterson uses to describe what those selectmen did: “A nullification of an election.”

By Lonnie Ross Mississippi Tribune As Black history month comes to a close, I have something to say: Black history is history. You cannot have history without Black history. When I was growing up in the 1960’s, history was more about “his story” then it was about true and accurate history. History was told mostly from the white perspective. It was mostly “white history” and the story about Black people was often relegated to slavery or not highlighted at all. Thank God for change.

 American history for Black people and white people has been very different. But, we also have a lot of shared history. A common history. An American history. Indeed, Black history is American history.

Editorial: I am writing to Black people. If you are not Black and you are reading this letter, I recommend that you try your best to put yourself in our unique shoes before you judge what I am about to write.

The year is about to end. Indeed, three years are about to end. And we are wasting a great opportunity. With all that has happened to us, we have been given a chance to make things better. But, I am convinced that we are wasting that chance.

Our people have lived and survived a difficult history in this country.

Change can be good. Sometimes change is good even if some of us don’t like to change. It can be for our own good. That is what I have to say to the people out there who are making all this noise about Mayor Zach Patterson’s voicing his concerns about fairness in judging the floats in the Christmas parade.

Some people feel that this is a trivial matter and have a lot to say about the mayor being trivial. It’s just a parade they say. They want the mayor to focus on the issues and problems of the city. Well, I will say that he has been doing that (working on the city problems) since he was elected to office. He has tried to address a lot of issues and problems of the city, including some of the ones that previous McComb mayors had failed to address. And, now he is addressing another problem. That is his job. He is the leader of the city of McComb.

McComb’s racial and political unrest has received a lot of exposure over the past ten days. A lot. Beginning on the frontpage of this issue we have printed stories from and about people outside of McComb who are looking at what’s going on down here.

My interview with Roland Martin was very revealing. And the story written by Ward Schaefer of the Jackson Free Press was so revealing that we asked if we could reprint the long story in its entirety. It is a must read! Both articles, I believe point out a glaring problem we have here in Pike county.

What Should We Do?

Dear White People, I am continuing a letter to you that I started writing and first published in the September 25-October 1, 2009 edition of this newspaper. If you recall, you will remember that I talked to you about the main elements of the problem that you have and why there is still a significant racial divide between us. You believe that you are better than us. Superior.

Some of you believe this and hold to it much more than others. Not all of you. But so many white people feel this way, that the others who don’t, just accept it and many of you follow suit.

And, even if you are not one of the white people who believes that you are superior to all Black people, I say that you should check yourself again. Who do you choose as your most beautiful? What is the best way to worship God or preach to people about him? What’s the best food and what is the best way to prepare it? Who is the smartest? How does president Obama measure up to you when you compare him to other presidents (if you believe that president Bush is a better president or more capable than president Obama, then you have flunked the test or you are just stupid.)?

I believe history will be made again before the end of the year. Over 3 years ago, McComb elected its first Black mayor. This year, I am predicting that McComb will elect its first woman selectman. The first woman selectman ever! Now, that by itself is significant. But, what makes this even more interesting to me is the political change that this will most seriously bring about. The woman is Tammy Witherspoon and the she is running for McComb Ward 3.

Yes, that is the same ward of current selectman E.C. Nobles. I am not sure if Nobles is planning on running for selectman in ward 3 again. But, if he does, I am convinced that he will lose. I predict that it won’t even be close. Last year, I stated in an editorial that I wrote in this newspaper that Nobles couldn’t beat my five year old son in a re-election attempt. I stand by that statement. Nobles has not only done a horrible job as a selectman, but he has turned on his own people, his own community in the process. He has allowed himself to be used by people who apparently don’t care much about what happens to the Black community. Nobles has spent his time as selectman, carrying the water and the ‘chair’ for the white community.

 It seems to me that Pike County may have one of the most aggressive Tea Party movements in the country. Folks, don’t ever think that the Tea Party Movement you see on CNN, FOX and other news networks is not operating right here in ‘good ole’ Pike County, Mississippi. I would go as far as to say that Pike County, as it was in the 1960’s, is still one of the most racist communities in the United States.

I’m fully aware of the fact that what I’m writing is causing some folks (black and white) to cringe, but I believe in calling a spade a spade. It’s the ministry that God blessed me with, Truth-telling. We just finished celebrating black history last month, and in some churches, schools and other organizations (black or white) you won’t hear another word about black history, black unity, black empowerment, and yes, the need for a black political-economical empowerment agenda anymore this year.

By Darryl James

America loves its blame game. No matter what is going wrong in the world, all you have to do is point to someone else, blame them and then go about your business pretending that you are simply a victim.

We see this in many areas, including the ever problematic generation gap. Any of us with a working brain knows that today’s youth are failing to reach the mark set by previous generations, but unfortunately, yesterday’s generation is laying all of the blame at the feet of a generation that was largely abandoned and forced to find its own way.

Well, it’s a week to Christmas day. And, as always, we have so much to be thankful for. When I was a child, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Years were extra special holidays for me. They still have a special place for me, but not like it was when I was a child.

When I got older my attitude changed towards these holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. As a child, it was all about the special meals, all the food, the visitors to our home, the gifts and celebrating with my five brothers and my mother and father. It was about Santa Claus and the season of giving (even though I was mostly receiving at that time. It was about decorating the house, the windows and the tree for Christmas. I loved decorating the fresh tree my father would bring home (it was eventually replaced with an artificial tree) along with my mother and my brothers. These are wonderful memories for me.

But, I am no longer a child. I grew up. And I learned to give thanks everyday, not just once a year. I learned that everyday is the time or season for giving, not just during the holiday season.

The McComb racial and political situation is still receiving a lot of media exposure these days. Throughout Mississippi and Louisiana, people want to know the latest about McComb. Reporters, Internet bloggers and anyone else who just want to become more informed.

I wouldn’t be surprised if pretty soon, CNN and other national television outlets started investigating what all the fuss is about in McComb. Our newspaper has been covering this on going saga since our inception nearly two years ago. Some radio talk shows and television news stations in Mississippi and Louisiana have been covering news items related to what some are calling (and I agree with them) the battle between good and evil, that is, the new South (the good) vs. the old South (the evil) in McComb.

 The highlight of Monday’s Pastors Parents Educators Student Association (PPESA) meeting was the donating of a brand new dryer to a local halfway house by the Mayor’s Youth Council (MYC). PPESA is an community-based initiative of McComb Mayor Zach Patterson. This month’s meeting included presentations by some of the principals of the McComb School District, the MYC and from Kelvin Rankin, a partnership specialist for the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau . Mayor Patterson closed the meeting with brief comments.

Rankin spoke to the audience at the McComb Sports Park that also included pastors like Nathan Johnson, the local NAACP with vice president Rev. Frank Lee, and the Salvation Army represented by Captian Rick Boone.

 Dear Debra Lee of BET,

I’m Janita Patrick, a 15-year-old African-American female from Cincinnati. Recently, I watched the 2009 BET Awards and felt the strongest urge to reach out to the program. My family is of the typical middle-class variety; both parents and four brothers.

See, I’m a junior in high school (got skipped), so naturally EVERYBODY in my age group watches BET. I’m used to seeing the sagging pants, tattoos, lack of emphasis on reading and respecting women that makes up your videos. People in my class live this out everyday, while teachers tell us that we’re acting just like the people in your shows. In your shows. That struck me as odd, because I would think that with your show being the primary outlet for black entertainers and musicians, and considering the context of blacks in this country, there’s a social responsibility factor to consider.