Tears and Laughter: Let the burden of hate be on the hater, not the state of Alabama

Prior to last week I would have said the worst thing a writer can be is boring.

I was wrong.

There is some debate still as to whether 80-year-old Goodloe Sutton is a sly fox or a fool. In the days after his controversial editorial last week he gave several interviews – most of which we’ve all heard or read by now – saying that while he would do it again, it was meant to be sarcastically ironic. He claims he is finished with the newspaper business entirely and intends to go drink enough to think he can chase young women…or something along those lines.

The page will turn now on Goodloe. And the new publisher he selected, Elecia R. Dexter, certainly has her work cut out for her as she tries to salvage The Democratic Reporter’s reputation and readership in Linden and points beyond.

I guess one of the beauties of journalism is how as soon as one article publishes, it is on to the next. There is no time for dwelling. And let’s be honest, they can’t all be gems.

All writers hope to be read and want their work to stand out and in order to accomplish that there has to be a willingness to push the limits. It is necessary to be controversial from time to time. To be a strong writer it almost has to be a part of your nature to be okay with making people mad. And if you do it long enough you will find that some of the same people you anger one week, will come back around to supporting you again once your opinion falls on their side of an issue again.

To the same extent that a journalist has to be bold, they must be equally, if not more so, sensitive. There are few subjects that can’t be addressed, just not in vain. There is always an acceptable approach when intentions are pure, but one rule is to never make light of hurt.

I think I can speak for about everybody in the state when I ask this, but if there is anyone else considering the option of putting their newspaper up for sale, how about not trying to take Alabama down with you on your way out the backdoor.

Let hate be the burden of the hater, not the state of Alabama. Shocking headlines may grab our attention, but we see kindness every day. I have witnessed it and I live in Wilcox County. I am the only white woman on my road, and I know we love one another. If you want to hate, then that is on you. But the rest of us are going to continue to grow kindness. We are going to be considerate of one another, and accepting of one another. Often, all you have to do is smile.

Everybody understands, as was made clear by reactions last week, that disrespectful or slang talk about the KKK conjures up negative feelings. It immediately makes people—especially people in the black community—defensive. It makes white people nervous too. The Klan was a form of domestic terrorism. It scared the hell out of everybody.

Words like Sutton’s take us back to dark places of the past. To the parts of history that are disappointing and heartbreaking. For many of us, our age will only allow our minds to go back to a time we are only able to know through the memories of others. His words made the rest of the nation look at our state once again as if we are something we are not. Alabama is still healing, but we don’t hate one another. Not after all this place has been through. We’ve got more crazy than we do hate, as Mr. Goodloe has exemplified…but if you are in Alabama, you have love all around you.

Amanda Walker is a contributor with AL.com, The Selma Times Journal, Thomasville Times, West Alabama Watchman, and Alabama Gazette. Contact her at Walkerworld77@msn.com or at https://www.facebook.com/AmandaWalker.Columnist.