More articles from "The Smithfield Heresy" on Hester and the ethanol plant

Here is an article about people who think that Hester's lynching comment was no big deal. Here is the Herald's editorial on the need to investigate an ethanol plant, as offered by East Coast Ethanol. I personally have offered to be one of the people who travels to visit, report, and be objective about it.

I do not believe that reaction to the lynching comment has been blown out of proportion, as was asserted by one citizen, quoted in the Herald's article. I also believe that it was not racial, contrary to the NAACP's assertion. I don't appreciate people explaining or excusing away Charles Hester's bad behavior. I also don't appreciate people automatically calling for his resignation, either.

Though I have offered to the majority of the Town Council members and town manager to be one of the citizen delegates to take up the offer to visit an ethanol plant, I doubt it will happen.

The Selma News covers Hester's lynching comment

I just wish that Charles Hester would be honest about his lynching comment instead of trying to perform damage control and denials. It was obvious to all in attendance who the comment was about. People are not as stupid as he is portraying them to be. It is insulting to read Hester's denials. Sure he has apologized repeatedly, and appropriately so. I am not against accepting the apology and moving on, however we should NOT tolerate the repeated offenses time after time. This crap is getting old.

From The Selma News:

Mayor’s comment garners much media, public attention
By Kelly Lake, News Editor 17.JAN.08


An off-handed comment made by Selma Mayor Charles Hester during a rezoning hearing last week has earned him much media attention. The mayor commented on the huge crowd that turned out for meeting and said maybe one day “we’ll have a lynching” and not have to worry about that anymore.

He apologized during the meeting to everyone in attendance and personally to one man who felt the comment was directed at him. Since the meeting, the mayor and his comments have been the subject of many print, web and television news articles. A video of the meeting, complete with his comments is posted on YouTube.

“I’ve apologized – many times,” said Hester. “That’s all I can do. I apologized at the meeting, to Council members, and to people I meet on the street. It (the comment) wasn’t directed at anyone.”

Public opinions about the mayor’s comments, for the most part, are the same – he shouldn’t have said it. However opinions seem to differ about what should happen now and whether or not the mayor’s comments had any racist meaning.

Hester says that he didn’t make the comment about any one person or race of people.

Others say it is time for Hester to step down as mayor and still others say it is time to let the issue drop.

Councilwoman Jackie Lacy said she expected the mayor’s remarks would grab media attention, “given the Jena 6 controversy.”

The word lynching carries with it a racial connotation, she said, especially when it comes from an official of the opposite race.

“Even though I believe he (Hester) is sorry, it still was an uncalled-for remark in public,” said Lacy.

Sylvia Cox, one of Selma’s black residents, said she doesn’t believe the mayor meant anything by the comment.

“I think it was a slip of the tongue,” said Cox. “It was not directed at black people. They (people in general) were lynching white people before they were lynching black people. Black people, in general, in this town don’t even go to the town meetings. There were maybe three or four at that meeting (rezoning hearing). They don’t even go to the polls for the most part. They have no right to complain.”

Cox said it’s time to “let it go.”

“Mayor Hester has apologized. Accept his apology and go on,” she said.
Others are worried about the image of Selma that is being portrayed on television, on the internet and in local news media. Hester said that while he shouldn’t have made the comments, he is not responsible for the negative media attention it has brought to the town.

“I’m not the one who got it on television or the internet,” said Hester.
Hester said a television news reporter tracked him down at church (Selma Baptist) last Wednesday and knocked on the door to get an interview.
Some people have called for the mayor to resign and have called on Council members to make that happen.

Councilwoman Cheryl Oliver said that elected officials are accountable to their constituency for the public remarks that they make and that remarks, such as the one the mayor made, are usually followed up on by the media as a matter of public record.

She said that she received one phone call after the meeting from a person asking the Council to consider requesting the mayor to resign. She was asked to pass the request on to fellow Council members.

“The comment was inappropriate and I am not expecting similar comments from the mayor in the future,” she added.

Councilman Eric Sellers took a similar stand.

“The mayor’s remarks were inappropriate,” said Sellers. “Our duty as elected officials is to carry out the business of the Town of Selma in a professional manner with the best interest of all of Selma’s citizens in mind. I do not believe that the mayor meant to offend anyone and I believe that he is sincerely sorry for what he said. It would be my hope and expectation that this type of incident would not be repeated.”

He went on to say that he has not heard from anyone asking for the mayor’s resignation nor would expect to.

“I certainly do not and cannot blame the media for picking up on this,” said Sellers. “That is a reminder to each of us regarding what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. At this point, I consider it a closed issue.”

Councilwoman Debbie Johnson could not be reached at press time.

The Smithfield Herald speaks on Mayor Hester's comments

First, a newsy article.

Some want mayor to quit
Comment made at Town Council meeting draws fire
By Jordan Cooke, Staff Reporter

SELMA -- Sylvia Henry had just settled into her seat last Tuesday night when Mayor Charles Hester called the monthly Town Council meeting to order.

Henry, of Jordan-Narron Road, had come to join more than 100 other people opposed to the rezoning of 106 acres near West Blanche Street. A South Carolina company was seeking the rezoning in hopes of building an ethanol plant on the land. The plant, if approved, would abut a parcel of land that Henry and her four siblings stand to inherit from their mother.

From her seat at the back of the meeting room, Henry didn't hear the next words Hester spoke. But based on the reactions from some in the crowd, Henry knew it must have been something controversial.

"All of a sudden, people in the audience were giving him up the country for what he said," Henry said.

Hester, viewed by some as a polarizing figure in town, had made the following remark: "We have a big crowd here tonight, bigger than we are used to handling. We have people in our community that stir up big crowds and we have one here tonight. Maybe one day we’ll have a lynching, and we won’t have to worry about that anymore."

Several people fired back at Hester, calling the remark rude and distasteful. One resident, Erin Downey of Campground Road, said Hester’s statement was a racial slur.

Hester apologized for his comment and, days later, told a reporter he regretted what he had said. "It was one thing I said, and I shouldn't have said it," he said. "I'm sorry."

But one man in particular said Hester's apology didn't go far enough. Tony Tetterton, owner of RVacation Campground on Campground Road, said he didn't consider Hester's statement racist. Rather, Tetterton said the comment was "a hateful remark" that was "unmistakably addressed toward me."

Tetterton said it was common knowledge that he had printed a flyer speaking out against the proposed ethanol plant. Tetterton said he thinks his efforts frustrated Hester.

Also, Tetterton suggested that Hester had a vendetta against him for speaking out against involuntary annexation last year. "I think what it all boils down to is that I was one of the people willing to point out that what the council did with the annexation was unlawful," Tetteron said.

Friends Tom and Kara Kuebler say they think Hester resents Tetterton for his passion for issues that concern him. "If there's an issue he’s concerned about, he voices his opinion," Kara Kuebler said of Tetterton. "He gets right in there and questions things like the annexation."

"That's been one of the big points of opposition with them," she added, referring to interactions between Tetterton and Hester. "There’s also been the quiet zone [for trains] issue. That was fine that they did not opt to approve that. But in my opinion, the mayor considers Tony ... he expects opposition from him. He expects things not to run smoothly because Tony questions things."

Tom Kuebler said Tetteron is just a "concerned citizen" whom Hester is trying to "demonize." He said Hester’s remark shows he is not fit to remain in office. Both he and his wife are among some Selma residents who want Hester to resign, he said.

"I would like to see him out of office," Kuebler said. "The thing that frustrates me is that he is deciding things for us that ... we don’t have a say-so in in any way, shape or form, except for what we can say at the town meetings."

"My mission is not to personally oust the mayor from office," Tom Kuebler added. "I'm just concerned about the decisions he makes because they affect us. He seems like a vindictive man, just for the comment he made. Here is a man with power that can abuse it."

Tetterton said he too would like to see Hester resign. He said Hester’s remarks at the Town Council meeting not only insulted him personally but also degraded the town.

"As an effective business leader for the community, what outside business would want to come to Selma now knowing they have to deal with someone like [Charles] Hester?" Tetteron asked. "He [Hester] has definitely tainted the ground. On a professional basis, he has tainted the ground with his remark."

"He should step down as mayor," Tetterton added. "You can't, in a public forum, suggest that someone should be lynched and expect that no one would be upset."

When asked by a reporter to respond to statements about his character and effectiveness as mayor, Hester repeatedly declined to comment. And when asked by phone if he had any concerns that his silence would add fuel to his critics’ fires, Hester responded in an unexpected manner.

He hung up.

And the editorial in the Herald.

Selma mayor crossed the line

Mayor Charles Hester thinks he knows what is best for Selma — say, an ethanol plant — and he has no tolerance for people who oppose his will. That is likely why the mayor wanted to lynch the person who rallied his neighbors against the proposed plant last week.

It's tempting in the aftermath to call for the mayor's resignation; he crossed the line when he called for a lynching. But perhaps demanding Mr. Hester's resignation goes too far. Recently, a Golf Channel announcer suggested that Tiger Woods' fellow players might want to lynch the world’s No. 1 golfer if they hoped to beat him on the course.

That announcer got suspended but kept her job.

Besides, Selma needs Mr. Hester and his leadership, particularly his fiscal conservatism. What it doesn’t need is a monarch, and we're willing to give Mr. Hester another chance if he now realizes he cannot impose his will on Selma. Last week, he faced a room full of people who did not share his vision for Selma, and while that no doubt frustrated the iron-willed mayor, we hope it opened his eyes too.

We hope also that Mr. Hester will take from this episode that running Selma is a partnership that requires compromise. Just as important, we hope that Town Council members now know that the mayor’s voice is not the only one in Selma government and policymaking.

Mr. Hester has been generally good for Selma. He has restored fiscal discipline while courting business investment in town. And if he truly learned a lesson last week, we think Mr. Hester will be an even better mayor.

Good job, Chucky. Thanks for bringing shame to Selma.

As I blogged earlier and shared on my internet talk show, Straight Shooting, Selma Mayor Charles Hester made an inappropriate remark at the last Selma Town Council meeting during the opening remarks. He made reference to a lynching. Specifically, he was referring to Tony Tetterton. Tony gets involved in local affairs and has again injected himself into this situation. I do not have a problem with this, by the way, and actually applaud him for doing what he feels is right. If more people would do this, our nation would see a lot more benefits.

Charles Hester denies that his remark was directed specifically at Tony. Of course we all know better. Tony is the one who really got the ball rolling, so to speak, on getting opposition to show up for the public hearing. The mayor has thought of Tony as a trouble maker for some time. We all knew that the comment was directed at Tony. Some at the meeting said that the comment was "racist". No, there was nothing racist about it. Negroes were not the only ones ever to be lynched in this country. As a matter of fact, they were not even the most lynched population in this nation. Anyway, enough about that.

There were at least three TV stations covering this story, from the angle of both the proposed ethanol plant and about the commentary by Hester. Just this morning on the WNCN channel 17 news was carrying the video of the remark. Yesterday, I met channel 17's reporter. By the way, Barry, the GM over at channel 17 has a habit of hiring beautiful women. I have seen it and had the opportunity to be around some of them a few times. Thanks, Barry.

Charles Hester's comment was inexcusable. He is an abrasive man, thinks it is fine to be obnoxious, and enjoys exerting power over others. I have seen this man throw a tantrum, purposely back his car into a political rival's car, make fun of others, insult people publicly, and try to remove knowledgeable and competent people from town boards. He has been a disgrace to the town with his methods and his attitudes. I am ashamed to have this man as our town figurehead.

Hester has tried to minimize the damage by saying that it was an accidental discharge, just something that slipped out of his mouth, and that it was just "Hester being Hester". He has also said that he did apologize at the meeting. He did, and I have to accept that he did, regardless of how sincere I believe he was at the time. I find it ironic that Mayor Hester decided to wear a suit and tie for the WRAL interview and even tape the interview outside of Selma Baptist Church, where he attends, helped build the church, and even teaches Sunday School (I am told. I am glad I don't and would never attend one of his lessons.)

He said that people taking the comment personally is just small town politics and that those claims are because people do not like him. HELLO, Chucky!! NOBODY is more guilty of small town politics than YOU are!! We who live here and have been around you for any significant amount of time know this for certain. In a small town, it becomes entirely obvious to whom Hester was referring. That is just plain hypocritical.

Here are links to the various stories on the web about King Charles Hester.

WRAL web coverage

NBC17 web coverage

WTVD web coverage

Who should be the one lynched, Mayor Hester? Keep that up then look in the mirror.

I was at the meeting. My audio recording started in the middle of the comment. Somebody else got the comment on video. NBC17 is carrying the story on their web site. Don't blame me, I voted for William Overby.

SELMA, N.C. - Some residents in Selma attended a public hearing, not expecting to hear Mayor Charles Hester begin the meeting with offensive remarks, resident Tony Tetterton told NBC17 in an email.

The comments were recorded on video.

City leaders held a public hearing to discuss the rezoning of a tract of land for industrial use for a proposed ethanol plant.

At the beginning of the meeting, Hester commented that there was "one" that "stirred up the crowd" and then suggested that there should one day be a "lynching".

The Mayor did apologize for making the comment.

NBC17 called the Mayor's office about his remarks, but has not received a call back.

The video is now on youtube.com.