The Folly of Fools

Pictured above is a screenshot of a post made by the husband of deputy clerk, Melisssa Nightingale. A few people sent me the screenshot and today I decided to address it because I think it’s representative of Kent Crider’s supporters. I don’t monitor Greg’s posts or interact with him on social media because I knew at some point, he was going to show his true colors. Keep in mind that whenever we interacted at city hall it was Mr. Jonathan this and Mr. Jonathan that but people have a tendency to show you who they are via a keyboard. Thankfully, I made a wise decision to limit my interaction. Proverbs 26:4 NKJV offers this advice: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him.”

When I first received the screenshot message, I glanced over it and deleted the message. After receiving it from more people, I took the time to read the message. Afterwards, I realized that some of the statements contained in this post were posted anonymously under previous posts. Ironically, Melissa was having a back and forth with an anonymous commenter, calling that person a coward for posting anonymously. Interesting!

The purpose of this post is to advise supporters of Jonathan F. Griffith to refrain from such foolishness. If Kent Crider felt he won fairly, his supporters would not feel the need to post trash. Those in the Griffith Camp are winners and we will conduct ourselves in that manner. It seems that the city clerk, Merlene Wall, mustered some keyboard courage and signed off on this foolishness. I wonder what truth she’s talking about? The truth that she lied and said I was stalking her already prevailed when she lost the lawsuit she filed against me. The fact that nothing in my blog was proven false, in a court of law, is another example of the truth prevailing. She lies so easily that she lied and said I “tried to trip her” in a room full of witnesses, reporters, Chief of Police and surveillance cameras. She convinced the board that cameras were needed for safety reasons and they ended up being my salvation because she needed proof to support her lie and I’m sure she rolled back the tape and tried to convince people if they close their left eye, put their hand over their right eye, turn their head to the side, hold up their left leg and say Bloody Mary three times with the light off and the computer monitor facing the wall, they could see where I tried to trip her. Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids.

I don’t know what Crider’s biggest supporters thought was going to happen. Did they think I was going to stop attending the board meetings? Even though the results were not what we wanted, there’s steps being taken to ensure that errors that took place during this special election will never take place again. It’s amazing that Merlene would agree with this message but the fact that I noted she’s incompetent led her to file a lawsuit against me. At least the comments I made are true. The fact that someone has to rely on rumors from 2003 shows they have nothing of substance. Next time you talk with Cora, Tommy and Bobby, try and get some updated gossip. In life you learn that the biggest noise makers are the ones that couldn’t run for office, write a speech or sustain a blog for as long as I have with an audience of intelligent readers; but the tares grows with the wheat. Well, look at the good side….2017 will be here before we know it. Crider has served for 6 years as an alderman. There are people now advising him that he shouldn’t be like Ben Winston, the candidate he supported by voting for everything he presented. But now we have the Crider Commitment and can gauge his accomplishments and/or failures. According to the Crider campaign platform, it was necessary for him to be in office because he presence is essential to securing the $2.5 million dollar sewer improvement grant (Cora already started the process to apply for the CAP loan but Crider said it couldn’t go through without him as mayor—we shall see).

Crider also made claims, via his daughter, that the Lamar County Board of Supervisors would not work with the City of Lumberton if I was elected. Since Crider has such a great relationship with the Lamar County Board of Supervisors, I expect the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office to take over the Lumberton Police Department after the February, 2016 regular scheduled board meeting. Crider’s an experienced politician, he’s been working for the City of Lumberton as an elected official for 6 years, so there’s no need for him to play catch up. So let’s give him a tentative deadline. The Army Corp of Engineer grant was offered to the City of Lumberton February 19, 2015. On February 19, 2016 we should know if the loan for the matching funds were secured (it don’t take a bank that long to approve or deny a loan but we’re just giving them enough rope so to speak). And by February 2, 2016 Crider should have an interlocal agreement in place with the Lamar County Sheriff’s Department and they can take over patrol duties for the City of Lumberton since the Lamar County Board of Supervisors are so willing to work with him and not me. Since he allegedly has the inside scoop, Crider should be able to get Lamar County to invest in at least one of our vacant industrial parks. Synchronize your watches. Tick. Tock.