Tears and Laughter: Respect…Wilcox County style

Twenty years ago, before I moved to Camden, I wrote for The Clarke County Democrat. And as I would cover different meetings it was not unusual for Ivey Griffin, owner of Thomasville’s WJDB 95.5 Radio, and me to sit near one another even though we were very much competition.

And at most meetings he would refer to the Democrat as being a rag at least twice.

But I knew he was kidding, and he genuinely was.

A community can benefit from having both a newspaper and a radio station. They each offer features the other can’t. They can’t bind volumes of radio broadcasting and keep them for reference at the courthouse the way they do the newspaper, but then again a newspaper is never going to sing gospel music to you on Sunday morning either. See? Plus having both creates a dynamic that will often quickly yield some rather effective results when the two unite on an issue.

But the tone over here in Wilcox is different. The offices may sit near one another, but a cold wind blows.

So I wasn’t going to tell anybody – especially Mrs. Glenda Curl, owner of The Wilcox Progressive Era – that I will on occasion be persuaded to listen in briefly to portions of 90.5 Radio.

Nope. That was going to remain private.

But last week when the Wilcox County Commission Chairman himself, Michael Saulsberry, sat before an open microphone to attempt to explain why he voted against applying for a no matching funds grant that would have supported work force development training to the amount of up to $10 million, I had to tune in.

And after listening to him, not knowing him at all but just casually listening as a resident of the county to this man’s voice coming through the radio, and granted…it’s an ever changing story, but it seems like he voted as he did because he didn’t think the way the proposal was added to the meeting agenda showed him enough respect as chairman.

Mr. Saulsberry was also more than generous with his thoughts on Impact Wilcox, a concerned citizens group committed to squelching corruption within county government. He refers to them as the tea party and called John Matthews, the President of Impact Wilcox, an Uncle Tom.

He then said, “I’m not for these tea party people trying to put these black commissioners in jail. It’s not right about them trying to call us corrupt. We not going to let them come in and run this place when we have lived here all our lives.”

I encourage everyone to take a few minutes, no matter how long you have lived here, but especially those who have lived here all of your lives, along with all of the commissioners, and anyone running to replace them. Go stand out on the sidewalk in front of the Lena Powell Convention Center on Claiborne Street and take a look around. Count the number of vacant building. Notice how it looks like a business graveyard.

This county’s claim to fame as of late has been being poor and having the highest unemployment rate in the state. If respect is your priority, if that is what you are seeking…I’m not sure a position on the current day Wilcox County Commission is going to provide it.

Amanda Walker is a columnist with The West Alabama Watchman, AL.com, and The Wilcox Progressive Era. Contact or follow her at https://www.facebook.com/AmandaWalker.Columnist.