Me? A master of deceit?
The Greensboro Times, which bills itself as "The African-American Voice," calls me a "master of deceit" in its April edition. If you read this blog much, you know that calling me names is hardly cause for a separate blog post. However, given that State Rep. Earl Jones is publisher and editor of the Times and that he's the one who called me that, it's worth a note.
Jones doesn't like our reporting on Project Homestead. He thinks, as John Hammer has written in The Rhino, that because the District Attorney said that he lacks evidence to charge anyone with criminal wrongdoing, that Homestead has been exonerated and that our stories have been lies. Note that Henderson distinguishes between unlawful and right. And why Henderson concluded what he did: Henderson blames the lack of evidence on Homestead's shoddy bookkeeping, commingled accounts, King's 2003 suicide and the bad memories of board members and former employees. Here's the statement.
Then Jones goes on to write: The N&R rather than being an objective, balance (sic) and fair publisher of the news, has over the past five years manufactured false and malicious and defaming articles regarding Homestead and has harassed, and bullied investigators, prosecutors and the Homestead organization.
No evidence given, which I regret because I really want to know who felt bullied by us. I've known both investigators and prosecutors and have yet to meet one who pushes easily. Jones even goes so far as to write that we solicited City Council member Tom Phillips "to aid and abet in their deception to the public...." I suspect Tom would read this as an insult on a variety of levels.
So much of the coverage is so transparently silly that I wasn't going to comment on it at all, but the idea that a public official ought to be accountable for his words still sticks with me, even in these times.
That, plus the fact that the photo of me on the front page is the old one with the mustache. So, I'm back to staying clean shaven.
Comments (1)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
Mr. Robinson, I could have stopped reading this article at the mention of the authors name and that would have said it all. Earl Jones was neck deep in the muck of Project Homestead from all I have been able to determine. I truly hope the decent people of Greensboro keep the pressure up until something is done and we don't fall for the baloney of not being able to see the investigations reports. Why weren't any of the city council members but Sandy Carmany questioned? What kind of an investigation was it anyhow? What a farce! I wasn't here to see the N&R's reporting, but I understand it was outstanding investigative reporting. Thank you and your staff for keeping a public record of just what Poject Homestead was all about since it will probably be all we see. There are just too many of the power struture involved and covering up.
Posted on April 7, 2006 1:07 PM