Betrayal?


In 1991 I would never have thought that I would be saying this about the first African American mayor of Memphis, but I feel a sense of betrayal. I feel this for an entire city. For those who voted for Herenton and for those who did not. I feel a sense of loss and a sense of relief. I feel sadness and anger, but mostly I feel betrayed.

Herenton stood before this Great City and its people and asked for one last term. He said there were things he wanted to finish, that he wanted to continue serving this City as Mayor. Many fateful Memphians, people who refused to join the choir of naysayers, listened and once again gave Herenton the most precious gift an American can give, and that is their vote. What did our Mayor do with this gift? He cast it away like a used wad of paper, no longer needed now that it has served its purpose.

There were many speculations to why Herenton decided to run for a fifth term. My view was it had nothing to do with me, you or the City of Memphis. Herenton ran for Herenton. He ran to show those who had had enough of “Willie” and wanted him to leave, by choice or by force, that no one could push him around. I feel this was the ultimate reason for him seeking a fifth term.

In the end it is the City that will suffer the most. In a time where every moment wasted not focusing on the daunting problems we are facing is the loss of another child lying in a pool of blood, another family loosing their home, another senior going without needed care and another former Memphian leaving our City out of frustration, and fear.

I feel betrayed.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen!

Reginald the first thing I wanted to do this morning was come to your blog. You summed it up!

This is just how many people feel today.

Anonymous said...

FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST!

THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, WE ARE FREE AT LAST!

Anonymous said...

In the last election herenton got my vote. It don't make any sense for someone to trick people like this he has made me really mad.

Anonymous said...

If a person is only running to show people that they can leave office when
they get ready to, that is not a reason to run in the first place.
We should have the right motive behind
anything that we do in order for them to work for us. I am glad I did not vote for him.

Anonymous said...

What does this mean for the City of Memphis?

Anonymous said...

Only God knows what is in this man heart. I feel he has been a good mayor and I am sorry he is leaving. It must be hard doing his job.

My prayers are with you Mayor Herenton.

Anonymous said...

If he wasn't going to keep the job why did he run again? Now the city has to pay for a whole new election. These political games make me sick.

Reginald Milton said...

8:02 AM

This means another election at the tax payers expense.

8:15 AM

Yes, Mayor Herenton has done a lot of good for this City, and I agree it is a difficult job.

Anonymous said...

to all u that voted for this man again, saying that u would rather have a black instaed of a white person running, you voted because of racial grounds, so i say to you, when you say that you feel betrayed, you are mad well this is good for you because you know as well as i do that this man should not have been put back into office so as the saying goes you get what you pay for so suck it up !!!!!!!!!! i am black and i approve this message

Anonymous said...

Ok lets go down the list...

These people seem like they will run for the mayor seat in alphabetical order.

Carol Chumney (Had your chance)
James Harvey (Maybe)
Thomas Long (Maybe)
Myron Lowery (Maybe)
Herman Morris (Had your chance)
Kenneth Whalum Jr. (No Racist)
A.C. Wharton (No backdoor deal)
Ford (There's always one of them)

That's my view. James Harvey did lie about were he lived when he ran for County Commissioner that I don't like.

Anonymous said...

I went the Mayor Herenton's rally on Elvis Presley in the South Gate Shopping Center. He talked about what he planned to do for the NEXT FOUR YEARS. My family voted for him thinking this was his last term and we felt he deserved a chance to correct some of the mistakes he made. We believed him. Now it turns out he never ment to do those four years. He new all along he wasn't going to do those four years. These elected people just use us over and over again. If Herenton worked out some deal with A.C. they can forget about it. Fool me once!

Anonymous said...

I am sick of these politicians thinking they can play games with us. We got to stop letting them play us.

Anonymous said...

Now Herenton is trying to blackmail the City. If they don't give him the Superintendent job he want step down from the mayor position.

This guy has got to go. He shouldn't be the Superintendent, he shouldn't be the mayor. He needs to go and go now!

Anonymous said...

I love Mayor Herenton, he has gotten my vote every time. He is a man of GOD and much of the growth in this city is because of him.

What he is doing now is wrong, I hope GOD turns him around before it is too late.

Anonymous said...

King Willie has spoken. Give me the Superintendent's job I command it! To all you people who voted for this man, tell me how much crap will you take until you say enough!

Anonymous said...

When we put our trust in man we get the feeling of "betrayal" when things don't go the way we anticipated. When we trust in God, betrayal goes out the back door because God is truly in charge regardless of who is in office. He will never leave us nor forsake us regardless of who the Mayor migh be. We are to pray for our each other and our elected officials that we can live a quite and peaceable life. After all, they do make decisions concerning us. Listen to the comments from former Mayor Dick Hackett, a man who has been there and done that, he truly understands.

Anonymous said...

7:00 am "I hope GOD turns him around."

9:40 am "God is truly in charge regardless of who is in office."

Nice words but at the end of the day God gave us the ability to use our minds and if we keep doing the same #$@*&*!!! then what do you expect? Based on your reasoning we could put Hitler in office and it would be ok because God is in charge. I disagree. We made this mess and we need to clean this mess up.

Herenton needs to go!!!

Anonymous said...

Saw him on the news tonight the report kept asking him, "...and you will serve the full four years?" Herenton wouldn't answer him. This mayor is sick. The city is in a crisis and we don't know if the mayor will leave or stay. Other potential candidates who could step up and serve this city are left like the rest of us in the dark. And he has the nerve to stand there and smile about it. I hate this guy I really do.

Anonymous said...

He's not going to get the school position so you know he's not going to give up the mayor position.


Prepare for four more years of Herenton. This nut's not going anywhere.

Anonymous said...

I hate this guy I really do.

March 25, 2008 10:40 PM

Oh my, your are a dangerous citizen if you really hate someone. Are you one of the haters Mayor Herenton shook off?

Love is the answer.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Herenton is a great man I think the pressure of being mayor is what is making him act this way. He doesn't want to be mayor anymore. I hope he retire and live out his life in peace. To all you haters. You drove this man to this point, are you happy now?

Anonymous said...

I voted for Mayor Herenton every time, but I won't anymore.

Anonymous said...

I respect Mayor Herenton and he has my support.

Anonymous said...

It's fine if Herenton wants to run for head of the school system but he should get in line like everybody else. The school board was right in saying they would continue with the search. No one deserves favoritism. If he is the best then fine but be fair.