Jackson Free Press

I saw this letter to the editor in the CL today and it really hit home with me.

My focus today is on the 7-year-old child who lives in the Maple Street Apartments and who was escorted from his home by a man wearing police attire and with guns strapped on his side. Television stations and newspapers carried this story with pictures of the child from behind ("Absent student, 7, gets help," Dec. 8).

Does anyone seriously think that this child's identity was protected or that other children from his community or school did not recognize him?

This was a total breach of confidentiality and even more damaging than his missing "that day" from school was the public announcement that his house was dirty and that he was sleeping on the floor. The child did not deserve this — nor did his parent.

The constant grandstands taken by this administration laced with 45-second sound bites and photo-ops must stop! We cannot exploit and sacrifice poor kids for selfish motives.

The Department of Human Services should be commended for exploring this case and letting the community know that the child was not in truancy violation nor was he being neglected or abused, saying "The child is poor."

One of the hardest lessons I learned when I started in the field of social work was learning that "being poor is not a crime." People don't deserve to be harrassed because they are poor. Children don't deserve to be man handled by the police because they are poor.

This child now has to go back to a school where, more often the not, the other children already know he was pulled from his home on the news. This is really conducive to him wanting to return to that school, dontcha think?

People deserve help, but there is a way to do it that does not include pulling children away from their home with cameras and cops.

Previous Commentsshow

Isn't this why Melton "bought" the family when he had another "photo-op" just before Chistmas regarding their new home. Sure it had a happy ending; but the end did not justify the means...

pikersam

Jan 4 2006

Didn't some of us know beforehand that Melton was crazy? I remember telling some of his constituents or supporters I hope the City of Jackson has some good legal representation. I think what we're really saying now is he's crazier than we thought. I always wondered how he could bring about the promised abrupt and enduring changes without the red tape or the city council's participation. Now I know it's because he has crowned himself "King Melton." With this I have lost my prospect of getting a job in the administration.

Ray Carter

Jan 4 2006

I forgot to mention how wrong it was to expose any of the children in such a grotesque way. This is why Melton needs good advise and counsel. And he needs to listen to someone besides himself. His objective was probably good. You can never run the government like you run your personal company. I saw him on Channel 2 last night. He's mad at the media now for not understanding and supporting his actions. Something is wrong with everybody but him. Harvey Johnson probably needs medical care to cure the injuries he has sustained for laughing so hard the last several months.

Ray Carter

Jan 4 2006

I totall agree. This man has made Harvey Johnson look like one of our best mayors. Frank exploited everyone's love for kids and community to make himself look like he had the answer to our problems. Slowly but surely Jackson had began to turn around under Johnson's administration. It was just slow and he didn't broadcast it. Plus Frank tried to make everything that he did look bad. Mayby Johnson didn't have such a bad idea about carefully thinking before he acted (although he was sometimes TOO slow). I have not seen anything like this mayor in all of my life. Talk about a wolf in sheep's clothing! I think that it's sad that he cannot look around and see that he is slowly destroying this city. Our previous two mayors did not need armed security with them 24-7. Does he think that he is really that important, or is he that afraid that someone will lash out at him for his stupid behavior? I wonder what Frank would have said about Johnson if he had been parading around town wearing bulletproof vests and fake badges? He really would have had a field day with that! Children are our future. They are not to be used to hide behind. If he (Frank) really wants to make things right for the children, then be an adult and set the path straight for these kids to travel. p.s. Has anyone seen Frank in the crime ridden areas that he complained about so much before being elected? I didn't think so.

lance

Jan 5 2006

way too many businesses leave Jackson because police investigators do NOT pursue crimes. i know personally someone who has had a armed robbery, 1 arson and 2 counts of larceny where he gave the police plenty of leads and they simply did not follow through. Then you see cops doing this kind of publicity stunt and you have to wonder, what kind of example is Frank Melton setting? What are priorities for police action?

Izzy

Jan 6 2006

A strong Melton supporter told me today, lance, that it took six month of Frank Melton to show him just how good a mayor Harvey Johnson really had become in his last four years. I've said it before: I think Johnson's legacy is going to be just fine, even if the city is being set back and turned into a circus—at least so far—by his replacement. I will say it again, though: Everyday citizens shouldn't be ashamed of drinking the Koolaid Melton supporters concocted, but the media should be damned ashamed for spoonfeeding it to the public without showing the other side -- which was there for everyone to see if they wanted to. We tried, but this last campaign, we couldn't break through all the chatter with the whole picture—and we were attacked mightily, libeled, lampooned and lambasted for just trying to put the facts out there—facts that most people now realize are simply true. I have a feeling more people will look for the whole picture next time, and they will get it in the JFP. Lessons are being learned every day. The media's job is to report the facts. If it's a political race, you report the facts on candidates without regard to whether the facts "make him look bad." If they do, it is the candidate's fault. But subjective corporate media try to shape candidates into these equal parts, when often they just are not equal. Mr. Melton showed nothing in the campaign that indicated that he would be a better *mayor* than Mr. Johnson. Louder caviler? Sure. More charming agitator? Absolutely. Wealthier philanthropist? No doubt. Public servant? In no form or fashion. The most urgent chore for us all right now is to do everything possible to ensure that Mr. Melton doesn't get his way and halt downtown development, including the King Edward, plans for Farish Street and even the Convention Center. You have a City Council that is determined to block his demolitions, so to speak, but they need your support. He was on WLBT the other day trashing them. We really can't let this man tear down what everyone has worked so hard to build up. And that is the friggin' bottom line.

DonnaLadd

Jan 6 2006

We will learn soon whether he's crazy like a fox or as a bat. My money is on the bat scenario. I'm certainly wide opened to be proved wrong.

Ray Carter

Jan 7 2006