Clips of hate mail that I have received over my comments on the Selma Fire Department

Here are some snippets that I have been emailed with people who hate what I have written on the current situation about the fire department here in Selma. Emailers' comments are in red, mine are in blue.

Well I would stay here and contend this arguement but you are not worth my time, nor is the Town of Selma

My answer: If the town of Selma has no say in your department, then why would you stick your nose in the fray?

I would just like you to know that the Fire Tax is deamed by the Federal Government not the town. I could care less who pays more b/c they have no choice but to pay the tax. Secondly the town does not pay for any of the gear, trucks, and so on. That is paid for by the tax payers and the Federal and State government. I know this b/c they I sell fire equipment, so I am very aware of where the money comes from for all Fire Depts to operate. There are a vast majority aprox. 50 to 1 Fire Depts. in NC are operated soley by Volunteers. Many of these are large townships.

My answer: >>>Secondly the town does not pay for any of the gear, trucks, and so on.<<<
You are incorrect on that. The town has a budget set aside just for that. Part of the revenue from every gallon of water sold in this town is put in a budget just for the purchase of fire equipment. The town gets its revenue from tax payers and utility customers, so YES, the town DOES pay for the fire equipment. To say otherwise is intellectually dishonest and playing semantics.

>>>There are a vast majority aprox. 50 to 1 Fire Depts. in NC are operated soley by Volunteers. Many of these are large townships.<<<

And this has WHAT to do with Selma? My big question is...SO????

yo dude. i understand how you don't know how things are run down here. i, a yankee myself, know the differance between the north and the south. just because you are ignorant and unacstomed to the style here doesn't mean that you have the right to dictate the way selma FD is run. You have no reason to tell the press about things you know nothing about about people you know nothing about. My philosophy on life is Live and Let Live and just because you like the way things were run up north doesn't mean you can dictate the way you think they should be run in the south. I know the way things are run down here and they have obviously worked up until now. People are happy.

I futher understand your want to have the FD become paid and, in your words, more professional. However, wouldn't your blood boil if you were pushed out of your retirement beniffits and insurance, etc... because the mayor is somebody who has never put on the turn out gear, so he decides how things are run? many of these FF have time and experience leading up to these benifits not to mention the love for firefighting. Try putting yourself in their shoes. How would you feel, with your "decade of experience and more training then most of those members" if you were messed out of your love and hobby and, if retired, your job? Think 'bout that next time and look at the poles and ask the citizens who aren't as hot headed as you are so they decide to sit at home and stew.

Here is how I answered this one:

I have been in the South and this area for almost 20 years. I was born further south than most anyone around here. Yeah, I know how things are done around here.

I am not dictating anything. I am commenting. Unaccustomed to the style here? You obviously don't know me. Ignorant? Doubtful...Just because you do not agree does not make those who you disagree with ignorant. There are some things about which I know a helluvalot more than your average bear. This happens to be one of those areas.

You said, "I futher understand your want to have the FD become paid". Where do you get that idea? I have said no such thing. If you can point out where I ever said that, I would like to know about it. One thing I would love to see, however, is the monthly stipend idea dropped and an hourly wage paid to our firefighters for showing up to training and fire calls. This will give them more money, give them an incentive to actually show up for training, and give them better legal standing in terms of liability claims. As to the rest of your rambling, it is made moot by your being "ignorant" of what I believe.

What difference does it make if the mayor has ever put on a set of turn out gear? He has never put on a police uniform, has never climbed a utility pole, or dug a ditch for sewer lines, either. The whole idea is to hire people who are able to do that with great skill. Therefore your argument there is fallacious. My boss has never done what I do for a living, she just knows that she needs skilled employees who can do the job for her. Common sense.

Sorry, but you are way off in your characterization of me as "hot headed". I take my time, make judgments, and form rational opinions. The hot headed ones are the cowards who dumped their gear in the mayor's driveway, have made brash comments on The Selma News web site, and call others ignorant with moot and fallacious points.

i wish you keep your dam mouth shut. i,m fixing a way to get rid of both of them. if you want to take sides with them fine. they better watch their backs...me and my friends are going to take care of them when they least expect it...charles hester and stan farmer are nothing but sob`s...i have also got a petition started to have them removed from office...

I emailed back and forth with this individual, but won't get further into the content. It is not worth getting into.

I understand that you may have fought fire up North but we work diff. here in the South. So I firmly believe that you should either Apply for the Fire Chief Position or join the town council. Then you can stand in line with the rest of the folks that will not be reelected

My response:

It does not matter that I did firefighting in New England. I can tell you objectively, however, that "up north", as you put it, the fire departments are light years ahead of the South. Even small towns in rural New England were ahead of cities like Raleigh when I moved to the South almost 20 years ago. That's a fact.

You go on and on about the town having control but in reality you are leaving out the residents living outside of the city limits. I do believe that they pay a Fire Tax also, so where is their say in all this. I also think you should not comment on what the other citizens of this town want. The larger majority stand behind the Fire Dept. Don't believe me ask the EX- MAYOR Harry Blackley.

My reply, which I will answer here rather than go into some lengthy detail or email responses (other than the two sentences below), is that Harry had some things going against him that were far more than just the fire department related politics. If anyone thinks that this was a primary reason for his not being re-elected, then they were not paying attention during the last election. Sure, the politics with the fire department had a part to play, but certainly it was not the ONE factor in all of this. I did, however, reply with this statement.

There are so many other issues that are of importance to this town. Anyone that would be so single minded and selfish as to think otherwise is a freakin' idiot and shouldn't be voting to begin with.

That last one sounded a bit harsh, but it is true none the less. If I had the power, I would change the eligibility requirements for voting at all levels of government, but that is another topic for another post.

Just when I was about to post, I got more hate mail. In response to my reply, "I have been in the South and this area for almost 20 years. I was born further south than most anyone around here." I got the following:

how far further south Cuba? no wonder you are ignorant, descpite what you think, others support my claim 'bout that, is that why your sounding retarted? you weren't born in country? Maybe I don't know you but I can get a good idea from your blogs and other emails you have sent to my friends. Ignorant yes, you don't know the chief, the FFs OR their wives. maybe you should take a second to learn why they are so passionate before making your biased and outrageous comments.

I guess that the fact that North Carolina is in what is considered the "mid-Atlantic" region means nothing and that just straight down I-95, which runs through this town, there are three other states south of here. Duh!

More incentive? FF and rescue are BIG around here. they love it and if you ask me that is all the incentive they need.

My simple response to that is "If that REALLY was the case, then it wouldn't matter WHO was chief, would it?"

You got to love this last one: Lastly, you obvsiouly don't take time to consider your arguements because you responded to my email with great speed.

I replied with this: Sure I took time to consider it. Thought does not have to move at the speed of smell. When you know the topic at hand, have considered it thoroughly, and have developed a well informed, logical, and rational approach and opinion, one does not have to consider and reconsider things in order to answer hypocritical, whining emails.