I've had just about enough of this holier-than-thou act...

I got this in email from a friend or two, and I am just now reacting to it.

Richard Fields has done a lot of good things, brave things for this city and county through the years. Few would have had the guts to represent those attempting to desegregate our schools, and he has an accomplished record with civil-rights cases. For that, he is to be commended.

However, in his later years, he has developed a deep resentment of anyone named Ford, judging by his actions in the Ophelia Ford voting rights situation, and given that he once ran in the primary against John Ford.

He apparently bought radio spots under the nom de plume Shelby County Voter Education Committee, and advised voters that a vote for Walter Bailey or Cleo Kirk would be throwing away their vote.

Ahem. He knew perfectly well that, had either Bailey or Kirk won their races on May 2, the Shelby County Democratic Party Executive committee would have appointed someone to fill those slots.

You remember them, don't you? They're the little group that had to FORCE Fields to leave for coming to the aid of a Republican nominee AGAINST a Democratic nominee in the Ford case. He continues to fight this meaningless fight despite the fact that the session is at end and Ford no longer serves in the Senate, a fact that will most likely be changed after the August and November elections.

Why, per chance, has this once-legendary civil rights warrior been so fixated on this case? He tells TV5 this:

"The Democratic party has to stand for something. And one of the first things it has to stand for is fairness in voting. And there are people within the party who just don't believe in that. We don't want to be known as the party of dead voters, the party of people voting from outside the district or the party of people who have candidates who can't serve," says Fields.

Jesus H. Christ on a sausage biscuit, is he kidding? Where has this champion of voters rights been when the fucking Republicans have been harassing our voters at the polls, intimidating very minority voter possible? David Cocke, who represents Ophelia Ford, has spent countless hours (I believe, at his OWN expense) at the service of minority voters who are attacked simply for trying to exercise their legal right to vote. I've seen him do it.

Mr. Fields, you have (until recently, anyway) a record of service to the public, but this is misguided and short-sighted. I have come to realize that you're not going to be satisfied until there are NO Fords in office in Shelby County, and it's really sad.

Every attack you make on Terry Roland's behalf, and against party leaders like Bailey and Kirk, helps the Republican Party. In case you've forgotten, they are NOT our friends.

The voters spoke, and they decided to go your way. Great, good for you, but remember this: There's a REASON that we had misgivings about JW Gibson, and I believe he is just using us for higher gain. There's also a reason that, despite the fact that Cleo Kirk couldn't serve, that many of Shelby County's labor unions STILL endorsed Kirk over someone who actually LED a labor union for years!

Well, you got what you wanted. As lots of people have said in the past, be careful of what you wish for, you just may get it.