Residents are also upset that the mailer displays a group of children with the caption who will protect them. And the caption reads John Farmer will protect them. If a picture paints a thousand words - what's on your canvass of conversation about the mailer vs the chicken... Cockadoodle doo or just a bunch of poo. Let's see if this mailer will be addressed by the local newspaper as well. Now- Here's that WT's article.
"False flier angers both sheriff candidates - Resident upset by racial overtones."
Shelly Walston of Wilson said she didn't know what to think when she went to the mailbox a week ago, and got a flier that she believes has negative racial overtones.
"There was this pink flier in the mailbox saying our attendance was required to get out the vote thing for Calvin Woodard and it was hosted by Willie Williams," Walston said. "It told us who the main speakers would be. But what was strange was this reference to fried chicken being served. I thought to myself, 'What year is this?' You would think people would be ashamed to do something like this." Woodard and John Farmer are running for Wilson County sheriff.
Walston, 72, lives with her daughter and son-in-law. She moved here from Ohio a few years ago. She said the flier is offensive to her and she wishes people would stay focused on who would be better at the job of sheriff, not on racial issues. The flier, which said the event was Sept. 28, named G.K. Butterfield and the Rev. William Barbee as keynote speakers. Walston said she believes whoever put out the flier misspelled Barber's name. William Barber is the state president of the NAACP. Willie Williams, former Wilson police chief, said he and his wife did host a fundraiser in their home on Sept. 27 but formal invitations were sent in the mail.
"We would never have used fliers," Williams chuckled. "And Rev. Barber was never invited to the event. I don't have anything against him, but he wasn't invited to this event. G.K. Butterfield was invited -- he was a sponsor, but he sent a representative." Woodard, the Democratic nominee for sheriff, said not only did the flier have misinformation, it was distributed illegally.
"First of all, it is against the law to put a flier of any kind in mailboxes -- we don't do that," Woodard said. "And all of the official information that candidates put out have their names on it, claiming the information. This particular flier has no person owning up to it."
What both candidates for sheriff said they would like to impress upon Wilson County residents is not to listen to rumors or believe messages on fliers put in mailboxes. John Farmer, the unaffiliated candidate for sheriff, said although he knows each person on the flier as do many people, this was the first he had heard of it.
"I am running for the office of sheriff. I would ask people to vote for me, not Calvin Woodard," Farmer said. "I respect all of the people named on that flier, including my opponent, Calvin Woodard." Farmer said that when a person runs for office it's like having a target on your back. He said people may think they are helping candidates when they put out false fliers, but they don't help at all.
"What people should do is let the candidates and their committee handle the campaigning and putting out information," Farmer said. "If a person wants to help, just vote." Woodard said the race for sheriff is about issues in Wilson County.
"It serves no purpose when people try to cause trouble in the sheriff's race," Woodard said. "What we want as candidates is to discuss the issues. This race is about what would be best for the people of Wilson County and keeping the county safe."
* Article written by Janet Conner-Knox Times Staff Writer
5 comments:
If I understand things correctly, Mr. Faarmer was 2nd in the line of command when he retired. The previous article hinted at racial biasby Mr. Farmer. I know mut of us have heard or read of the alleged sexual encounters that occurred at the WCSD by two of its emloyees. Well the fact is when it surfaced was brought to light or what ever happened, when the dust settled only one emloyee was still working and he was a white male. the employee who no longer was working was his-spanic female. This seems like not only racial but also sexual discrimination. If the offense was serious enough for one to quit or resign or be fired how can it not be serious enough for the other participant to be allowed to stay? Well I always have heard actionns speak louder than words... in this case it says Farmer will protect the white males in his department.
@ Anonymous...that some deep critical thinking going on there with you. And it makes sense how you analyzed that...cause it's the facts as is and the truth. I hear the yound lady now works in the Raleigh area. No matter what you say or what you do...what it is that you are will eventually come out. One way or another...Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
This story just doesn't seem to go away which tends to lend some validity to it. I too have heard the stories circulating. And no, she doesnt work in Raliegh area, still arouund Wilson area. But she is not the issue for whether she was fired or resigned, seems she paid for her part in the story as she lost her job. She paid a price for her part in it. The thing I wonder about is, whatever really happened, if it was bad enough for her to leave her job, why did he not share her fate? A lot of things we dont know,but it seems from what we "DO KNOW", is too many people are telling the samestory, about sexual encounter at work on the job. Same two people in all the stories. Prettyuchsame thing is supposd to have happened in all the things I have heard. But when it all came out only one lost their job? How can this be? Iknow someone else wroteon here about the Highway Patrol thing a few months back, andhe was a Major or something? He lost his job and t was for only sendingemailsand texts! There seems to be a big diffence in the level of conduct that is acceptablebetween theWCSD and NCHP. We all know phone records canbe looked at, text messages and emails can be retrieved. If a fraction of what I heard is true the WCSD could look into this if they wanted. One ofthe things Iheardis that is what happened. Someone disocved phone andtext andemail records. So the proof issaid to beout there.... Just seems the powers to be and power that used to be (FARMER) chosetolook the other way.
Hopefully it won't go away until it is thoroughly investigated. I wish there was more the citizens could do to get somebody's attention.
I think we all need to continue to send message to the WDT and let them know they need to cover this racially biased flier. It stunned me when I received it. It is very strange that only certain "white" people received it of which I am one. This is just another example of what a poor decision maker John Farmer is. I will send them another copy of this flier, maybe now that the debate is over, they can concentrate on this flier. United We Stand, Divided We Fall, let's all send a note to WDT that we are offended by this flier.
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