Slander 101

So many people think that when they say, “I’m going to call my lawyer” that it’s going to make me stop doing or saying the things that I say, but it’s not. I’ve been down this road before and I wish people would take the time to look up the meaning of the word slander. That’s not to say that there aren’t any lawyers out there that would take up the case, but if you would look at the picture that’s attached to this post, you will notice that it’s an arrest photo that was taken in Meridian, MS. Some of you may not know this, but arrest reports and photos are public record and sharing this information is not slander. I also wonder why people think court cases are one sided because if and when I’m taken to court, I have a list of people that I will subpoena that will prove my case and not to mention the information that I’m hoping to find from my search of the arrest records in Hattiesburg, Petal and Meridian.
But those of you that read the Informer know that this is not the fist time and probably won’t be the last time I’m threatened with litigation. Again, I would like those of you that have mental defects (and men with the Ike Turner Syndrome falls into this category) please take the time to read the disclaimer that’s clearly posted on this blog. If you have a problem with what’s being said, then change the things you say or do. Since starting this blog, I have been threatened by council members (one of which wanted me banned from the library), county officials, city workers, church folk (is that what Jesus would do?), crack heads and their wives, and now the threats are coming from the police department. It’s getting to the point where I feel that I can’t travel the streets of Lumberton alone because you never know who’s going to try and retaliate and now I’m having to deal with the possibility of retaliation from law enforcement officials and our board of aldermen don’t think it’s a matter that needs to be addressed.
I know some of you might think that I am afraid of litigation because I haven’t blogged about our city clerk this year. Well, that is not true. I intentionally stopped blogging about the city clerk because people were using the post to say things that were not related to the subject of the blog. Amazingly, the “white” community rallied behind her to give her support when they felt that she was being attacked; they didn’t care if the allegations were true or not, the didn’t care if every black person that ever worked in the city clerk’s office was not a fit for Lumberton, they didn’t care if people were getting “special” treatment—all they knew was Code Glee—white girl down and there were prepared to go to battle. But when you look through the annals of history the “white” community has always stood up to protect the virtue of their women; even when it was questionable. Lynching had as much to do with the idea of gender as it had with race. But as I look over some of the comments that were left on this blog, I feel that I owe an apology to a woman that has stood the test of time and is a wonderful daughter, sister, aunt, mother and friend—Sheila Willis. I am so glad that she has evolved into this wonderful, caring and loving individual and I want to encourage her to never let anyone try to bring her down with things that happened in the past because she has a bright future ahead of her and despite the tactics of the enemy; all of her children will graduate from college and have prosperous and successful lives.
Last night, there was a comment submitted to this blog and it was about Sheila ( I don’t know if the person leaving these comments are trying to get to Sheila, Daniel, or their children, but I think the ultimate goal of the person making the comment is to get to Mayor Holder ) and I guess the person that made the comment thought I would allow the comment to be published. In the past, I allowed a disparaging comment to be made about Sheila and now I realize that I was being a hypocrite. I was blogging about how Bobby Gibson and Timothy Johnson allow others to denigrate our mayor, but I sat back and allowed someone to denigrate a sister by allowing their comment to be posted on this blog.(Maybe this was the lesson they were trying to teach me at church—but it’s hard to pay attention to the lesson when your own members are trying to put you out—again is this really what Jesus would do?) So, I was just as guilty as they are when they allow this to happen to our mayor. When comments were made about our city clerk, the “white” community were up in arms, shouting and screaming at the board meetings, two citizens proclaimed that there were going to sue me on behalf of the city clerk, (again with the lawsuit threats) and they even started their own blog. Why is this a natural response for “white” people but members of our community allow our mayor to be treated with such disregard, day after day, month after month, year after year? And the saddest part of it all is that the majority of the board members are married to black women. Where is the black man’s support of our women and children? It ain’t nothing but a us “thang”( I know that’s a double negative) and it’s time for our community to step it and demand respect for our mayor. If it wasn’t for our mothers there would be no brothers and if it wasn’t for our sisters there would be no misters. Our mayor is strong and that’s a fact, but now it’s time for us to take up the slack. There’s a way to disagree without being disrespectful, and sadly, Mayor Miriam Holder has been disrespected far too long. Our bloodlines and soul force are the same and we have a common fate—what happens to one happens to all.