B.J. FLETCHER: Looking forward, not into the rearview mirror

There are times that a person or community can get so discouraged that you don’t even care to step back and look at the big picture. Well, I am here to tell you, sometimes the rearview mirror isn’t the answer.

I hear daily that people are leaving this town. And trust me, some of the people who make this point don’t put it that nice. So I have often thought that one day I would look up and see in my rearview mirror the Albany City Limits sign for the last time.

I was born here, left here, and moved back here. There’s something about this place that makes you want to stay. Some are stuck. Some don’t give a flip. But there are many who proudly call this place home.

We know we are a town of racial division. When you have commissioners and radio hosts talking about “It’s just about us,” and you see other communities growing and we look like a tumbleweed trying to get blown away, it gets discouraging.

But Friday night something happened, and it really caught me off guard. I was working at my business, and here comes a well-known pastor heading toward my doors. He walked in as I was heading out, and he asked me if I had a minute. I said yes, and he pulled me to the side. He said, “I want to ask you something, but don’t answer out loud!”

I laughed because he sounded like my mom. She knew I was tone deaf; he didn’t. So I gave him a pass and lowered my voice to a raspy whisper. He asked me what I thought about the (Mike) McCoy situation, and I knew he wanted the truth. I wasn’t sure what his thoughts were, but I knew he expected the truth so I gave it to him, stating the facts as I saw them.

An opinion is one thing; facts are different altogether.

Basically I told him how Mike McCoy was, in my opinion, very healthy for Albany. I told him I had the pleasure of watching Mike, Mayor Dorothy Hubbard and (former city manager) Sharon Subadan represent Albany in Atlanta and Washington and how those three carried themselves while they were a part of the city’s government.

He never said a word.

I went on to tell him that if I could, I would push for a recall based simply on the racial remarks that have come from some of our county commissioners. Everyone knows (a recall) is a lengthy process and most likely won’t happen.

Then he spoke. This man is not stupid. And he let me know that many of the black leaders in this community are upset. They know the truth. They see beyond that seat Heard and the others sit in. They know what the gang of four is trying to do and whose pockets are getting padded.

He listed facts that no one can deny. He asked me did if I thought things would get better. I said, “Yes, sir. When people like you and others who have facts get engaged.”

I asked him if he was a homeowner. He said he was. I told him to get ready because there are about 35% of homeowners that shoulder the responsibility of the bills in this community. I went on to tell him the city and school board needed to be looked at. That his group needed to see just what not getting engaged is costing.

After he got his meal and left, I thanked God for allowing me to listen to him. To not judge him by the color of his skin. And you know what: It happened many times this weekend. People are waking up. Good morning, Albany. Don’t sleep through these troubled times. Let’s fight. Let’s stand together, black, white and brown.

Let’s not join the ones looking to the rearview mirrors, the ones that are destroying this community. Let’s stand up and come together. A crew can shovel more manure out of the barn if they work together.