By Letha Henderson Wiley

Guest Columnist

I am writing to voice my concern over the issues of Quitman County Development Organization (QCDO) and Mr. Robert Jackson. Having served as CEO and being the State Senator of District 11, I am deeply hurt over how cruel and disrespectful some people can be, no matter how hard your work to try and improve conditions in your District 11, and try to help people in low income housing and put together a program for children after school to have a safe haven to hang out off the street.

I have known Mr. Robert Jackson for quite a while, and all I can say is that peoples should be ashamed of how they treat their fellow man, the very one you hurt (mistreat) may have to lend you a helping hand or give you a drink of water someday when you are in need.

Two wrongs don’t make no right, and to read what the peoples are saying about Mr. Jackson it seem to me as if it is a very personal matter, and I for one don’t care to be a part of no wrong during, or even care to support anyone that do.

People are talking big time to bad mouthing Mr. R. Jackson for no real reason, if you are going to fall out over money. It’s not yours anyway, who is going to benefit from it, and why should we, as so call Christian, fall out with someone over something that is really not yours to begin with. The Love of money is the root of evil, and to those of you who are trying so hard to take down Mr. R. Jackson, you better think twice about it. God is watching, you may get by, but you will never get away. How can you go to church on Sunday and call yourself a Christian and mistreat your brother in Christ who have tried over the years to do nothing but good deeds to make things in his District 11 a better place to live in and raise your family.

Did any of you offer to lend a helping hand to work with Mr. R. Jackson? Did any of you go out of your way to do a good deed for anybody and being loving and caring for anyone without always wanting to be paid? I can assure you, not so, no one cares about people and their true concern any more, not even the parents who have children. They wants something for nothing. Everybody helps do what they are supposed to be during, but not, and you want to take this man character down because you couldn’t get your way with him.

Did you ever try and come to Mr. R. Jackson and talk with him man to man or man to woman about anything to let him know that you appreciate the good he has done for you over the year and you would like to subject a few ideals with him to help make what he is during a better deal? We are very quick to criticize someone what we do drong? Or have you thought you are not a saint?

We are all human and we all have feelings and we all bleed the same blood. Mr. Robert Jackson is not a one man show. He has a committee that works with him to do the things that he has been during and still trying to do.

How many people you know that is going to take a van load of children from Marks to Batesville and buy them all some shoes, no strings attached? Nothing is said about the little things he does, he didn’t have to do it, but he did.

I, too, have almost made the same mistake being too loving and caring for people who don’t care about how much good you do for them, they just keep on take, take, and taking and never give anything back. But, he don’t mind, he just keeps right on doing and going on his way became he knows one thing for sure, that God is on his side. No matter what man does to him, God got if from head to toe, be care of the stores that you are throwing at Mr. Robert Jackson, somebody out there is going to do the same thing to you, and you are not going to like it.

There are people who laugh and talk with Mr. Jackson and pretend to be his friend, sit on the same board with him, and probably attend the same church, and all the time they are knifing him in his back. A true friend don’t turn their back on a true friend when he’s in need of your support to be there through thick and thin.

I have never heard of any problem that District 11 have had in the past in any form or fashion, not until now. It seems to me that there is something personal going on to do this to this man who has gone out of his way to make a difference in your life. I can be one thing for sure, you are not going to find no one else like him to do this. You won’t miss your water until your well is gone dry. May God help you all.

I am not a Quitman County resident, born and raised in Panola County. I have served over 50 years in the seven counties of Mississippi working as a volunteer in Delta Hill Head Start as a parent rep and a board member; the Council on Aging, Batesville Job Corps, Concern Citizen of Panola County, just to name a few, and my own Out Reach Ministry in helping people with used clothing, furniture, etc., non-profit, helping people all over several counties at no charge.

And now this? Lord have mercy, we need to stop this, what do you have to gain?

We as peoples have come a long ways, and we still have a long ways to go. When some of us get a little more than others we look down on them and try to hurt them in some way. Then we go to church on Sunday, call ourselves Christian and going around ruining peoples reputation, who has not done anything but try to make a difference in you life. Shame on you.

We need to come together in love and unity and reach out to help our fellow man in times like these.

It’s praying time people, we are living in the end time.