2011
04.01

In recent weeks the LaFayette Underground has taken a lot of heat from locals who don’t appreciate some of the things being said on this Web site and on the LU Facebook Page. Some of the criticism is appropriate; certainly there are going to be those who disagree with the opinions and perspectives expressed here and anyone who feels that way is welcome to say so in a civil manner. One goal of the Underground is to get people talking and thinking about local issues, so if you’ve done that we’re satisfied even if you don’t agree with 100% of what’s here.

There are others, however, who don’t disagree in a civil manner. Some have resorted to attacking the Underground through Facebook complaints, closing down two profiles in a period of two weeks. Others have made violent threats against The Underground, threats to break out teeth or even murder those who dare speak their mind online. One young man has sent messages to Underground Facebook participants threatening to follow them around in his car – and now another gentleman has threatened to destroy the business of someone he suspects of being involved with the LU.

We’ve said it before and have to keep saying it again: when people have no defense for their own actions or the actions of those they love, the only defense remaining is to destroy the messenger. We are continually accused of lying, of destroying the city, of making things up – but none of the ones making those claims have been able to prove us wrong or refute what’s been said. Without justification for their actions, they turn to violence and hatred even as they bash us for being hateful. Destroying individual’s private lives, unrelated businesses, careers, and families just to hide their own involvement in corruption.

There should be no doubt now as to why many participants in The Underground have chosen to remain anonymous.

One recent charge against the Underground relates to this Web site, particularly the cityoflafayettega.com domain. According to some, potential businesses check this site for city information and see nothing but negative news about the town. And admittedly much of the news here is bad – not bashing, but revealing wrong that happens beneath the surface; information that potential investors and residents won’t be finding on the city’s own Web site or in the local newspaper. But nothing discussed on the LU Web site is anything that wouldn’t be made obvious with a quick tour of the city or a brief talk with residents.

Hiding the truth would do nothing to change the truth – as Winston Churchill once said, “The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.”

The LaFayette Underground has only existed since 2008, and the Web site wasn’t a factor in local news until early 2010. Before that point the city had already lost major employers like Barwick, K-Mart, Dow-Reichhold, and Sweetheart. The community’s image had already been destroyed by the likes of Brent Marsh, Sam Parker, and Bart Huskey. These things didn’t happen because of a Web site not in existence at the time, and it’s a real stretch for leaders who bear some responsibility for those disasters to begin blaming us for what’s wrong in town today.

Earlier this week Chattanooga Times Free Press executive editor Todd Foster was asked about criticism his paper has taken over articles they recently published about gangs in the Scenic City. Foster said “we hold up a mirror to society. If you don’t like what you see in the mirror, then change your society.” At the Underground we’re not claiming to be a legitimate newspaper by any means, we have a limited network of sources and no budget – but the same comment still applies. If you don’t like what’s said here, if you don’t like the things we’ve written about, fix what’s wrong or produce evidence that corrects something we’ve said in error.

Obviously if people are going to these lengths to accuse and attack the Underground, something being said is hitting home. If there was nothing to the LU, it would be easy to dismiss or ignore. Based on that, we are making progress.

But as one commenter noted, “..this site does a good job of the seed, but where’s the roots?”

And that’s a good question. Lots of seed being sown, lots of things brought to light, lots of people thinking about things they hadn’t considered before. But seed alone are useless without ideas taking root. Roots are not the responsibility of the LU but of LU readers.

Like much of what’s referred to as Facebook activism or Blog activism, most support for the Underground is five-miles wide and a half-inch deep. Simple seed-planting isn’t much without roots that grow from implanted ideas and actions taken in response to what’s said. If people read the LU site and the LU Facebook, go “well yeah I guess so” and then keep voting the same way they’ve been voting (or continue to not vote); continue to not attend public meetings; continue not to call or e-mail their city councilmen, state legislators, or county commissioner; refuse to be that better candidate for local elected office; and never say anything to anyone ever… It accomplishes nothing.

Standing up for what’s right isn’t always easy, especially in an environment where so many are hostile. The people of LaFayette and Walker County have to not just read but stand up and fight – with words, votes, and peaceful action – to give root to the seed we’ve sown here. We need YOU to respond, to pick up the torch and move things forward, to put effort into changing LaFayette and Walker County for the better – otherwise we will forever continue on the current downward trajectory.

Do you care enough about the community’s future, about the next generation, about those who will live here twenty years from now and those who lived here fifty years ago? Do you care enough to stand and do something? A few of us have begun to speak out, but we – without you – can only do so much. If you want to see these seeds bear fruit, you have to do your part to help them grow.

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  1. Well said LU!

  2. What you are struggling with is that LaFayette tends to be a community without a culture of openness. It’s hard to talk about certain things. It’s seen as mean, or impolite. This permeates families, churches, and the greater community. It’s HARD to live in openness. There are always things that we’d rather not talk about. And the opposition to raising certain subjects then ends up creating the atmosphere that it fears. Many object to openness because they fear meanness and then the objection to openness makes it hard to get anything said without sounding a little mean. Add to that the inevitability of all of us blowing it in our communication at one time or another and there can be a lot of resistance to pulling the lid off of the can.

  3. Well said Pastor Hutchinson. All this avoidance of controversy, avoidance of change, fear of rocking the boat would be more understandable if things were going well in the community, but obviously what we have now isn’t working for most people.

    As we said in the very first LU blog post in 2008: “In a place with record-setting unemployment, widespread spiritual / emotional poverty, a school dropout rate flirting with 50%, weekly incidents of arson and child abuse, and an insane drug problem, the status quo is the last thing we should be striving to preserve. If the current condition of this community is the end result of unity and ‘lets all get along’ then we should all be in favor of disunity and not getting along anymore.”

    I don’t want people at each other’s throats, violence in the streets and whatnot, and we’re not about offending just to offend. But I’d rather offend you and make you think, maybe make you cry or make you mad, than run away in fear of rocking the boat and let the town continue descending into nothingness the way so many others are happy to do.

    Thanks for your readership, thoughts, and comments.

    — LU

  4. I think that this is a part of Southern culture. I think a little of this exists everywhere but much more prominent here in the South.

  5. I can’t believe how many times you used the word “bash” in that entry :)

    Other than that, very very good

  6. Hey, I’m quoted …

    Regardless of some folks wanting to keep things always the same, unfortunately, the world keeps on evolving. And even in the smallest of crevices, like Lafayette, opinion, facts, lies and rumors are amplified by the Internet and the quick adoption of social media.

    The LU is not the only one to ride this train; over the past few months I’ve seen politicians, lawyers and news-makers take to the Web and the press to expose, criticize and call out others. It’s happening with Hutchenson, it happened with the proposed convention center on Lookout Mountain; and the Messenger’s Website is the only local site I know where you can comment on the stories, and the people in the articles talk back–like Martez Eastland or Les Coffey.

    The good news is that you still get to choose what you believe in.

  7. I am glad that you haven’t allowed the threats and things to stop you from doing what you do. You are putting some spot lights on topics that a lot of people are very sensitive about. I had a rather unpleasant experience the other day myself. I was talking with my cousin in the Shop-Rite parking lot about one of the previous posts on here, namely the Wasted Potential post, which wasn’t really very inflamatory. Either way though, I believe the person just heard the phrase LaFayette Underground and started spitting curse words and threats towards us, as readers, for even mentioning the name and saying “Well done.” I don’t understand this hatred towards people telling the facts, and some moderate opinions, when anyone would know this information if they just payed attention and did a little research. I thank you and most definitely applaud you for bringing this stuff to the surface, I can only hope that people will begin to understand that EVERYONE is allowed the right to free speech, but use it in a more appropriate manner, especially if you are “trying” to defend someone.

  8. Once again, someone has attempted to reveal the face underneath the bag. I was just told that an unknown person hired a PI and found the secret identity of L.U.

    Who is the mystery citizen? None other than Mr. Sherman Gibbs.

    Sure, he’s been implicated a dozen times before, but this was a PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR!

    Mr. Gibbs, you did a fine job convincing us that you and LU were two different entities. You’re either a wonderful actor, or you really do have multple personalities. Maybe even both.

  9. That PI owes “an unknown person” their money back…

    — LU

  10. Maybe the PI can tell us who the “unknown person” is?

    Come on PI, tell us who hired you, I guarantee we won’t tell!

    That’s funny … someone hiring a PI.

    Oh boy ..

  11. And of course, even if a PI went to the trouble of running IP addresses down, he would still not know whose fingers were actually on the keyboard. I don’t blame these PI’s for taking the sucker’s money, I think they get what they deserve.

    Remember kids, you too can become a Private Investigator
    http://www.beaprivateeye.com/

  12. I can understand someones curiosity in knowing the identity of the author of this site, but not for negative reasons, thats just silly. I have disagreed in the past with some of LU’s postings/opinions, some of them specifically about myself, but I actually enjoyed reading the material whether I agree with LU or not, atleast it made me aware someone was looking and paying attention and the whole country needs more of that, not just the local governments. If someone’s getting angry its probably because LU turned the lights on and sounded a horn for everyone to look and listen, and that person was not thrilled about being in the light. I know some of the things posted may not be perfect but it does make good reading. Can’t wait for the next round!

  13. LU – Keep fighting the good fight!

  14. Some of you might be interested about a problem in the south Walker county, Cane Creek area below twin bridges. We have a huge annual fish kill in this area for the lack of water in the creek. This started a few years back, been happening each year since it started. Each year our fish population gets smaller and smaller, and the size of the fish gets smaller. Now we have no fish big enough to catch. Until this happened, the creek never went dry in our area according to the older people, this had never happend until this started. We have been here for 45 years, and all of a sudden we have water problems. Does anybody have any ideas, I would be glad to talk to anyone that is interested or anyone that cares? I hope the golf course is green, and all the kiddie pools are full.

  15. Could this be the same area where hundreds of crossties were burned? Where the fire dept, newspapers, local government and state tried to keep it covered up, After many people in the area complained of respiatory problems. Some residents even had to go to the doctor with their breathing problems. Nothing was ever done about this.

  16. Far as I know all the county and city water here comes from springs, not the creek – but overusing the springs might impact the creek if it’s spring-fed. Most places locally are having the opposite problem, normally placid waterways that flood because of overdevelopment along the banks and poor planning for storm water runoff.

    Haven’t heard anything about burning crossties – was this recently? Last week the a contractor was collecting old removed ties from the railroad redo project but they’re a national company, doubt they’d be doing anything hinky. Railroad belongs to the state, if the state demanded they leave them somewhere and then burned the pile itself.. But the smoke from that many burning crossties would turn the sky black for days. Whereabouts did this happen? If you can point me to an exact address or specific lot of land I might be able to get more information.

    Thanks for reading and posting the first comments in weeks – we’re working on some new stuff to get up soon.

    — LU

  17. Perhaps you don’t know about the huge well on old highway 27, just past Old Lee School road and old 27. At one time the road fell in close to where the well is. It is just a short distance to Cane Creek going south, where the creek is going west, out of sight from the road. Twin Bridges, to my knowledge has never went dry. Further south from there is where the fish kills are. The creek completely drys up for a few days, then starts running again, with no rain insight. This has been reported, was told as always will check on it, but nothing ever gets done. Will be glad to furnish more info to the right people.

  18. LU the blogger that wrote that about the crossties, failed to mention that it was done during the Chapman regime. You can go to Oakton road, stop on bridge and look South, there is no way you could see any smoke from there, because there is a hill on both sides of railroad tracks. They were burnt along side of the creek, and it was more than 100, many more. A local paper had a reporter on scene, with camera in hand and said it would be on the front page of local paper, but never made it. Also the Fire dept was on scene, they claimed it was just a few splinters in a ditch that was burning. The people from Atlanta did not want to get involved in Walker Co politics. It wasn’t the railroad that was burning them, it was a local contractor. A Big Chapman supporter.

  19. Why do all three of you have the same e-mail address?

    ..

  20. LU,What difference does it make who uses the same e-mail address? Do you want facts or cover up the real culprit? Could you be involved in the political cover up of this post? I will talk to you, I will meet with you, and I will show you the places, what else can I say? There are several people that have access to this computer, and I don’t know if they are using it under my address or not? By the way, I have talked to DNR andI have called Atlanta, there story was that Walker County is to political to get involved in. Give me a phone number and I will be glad to discuss this with you.

  21. Well three random people debating each other on the same issue don’t normally provide the same e-mail, and wouldn’t know the other posters’ e-mail addresses either unless there was some kind of collusion going on. Just makes me suspicious. Our e-mail is lu@cityoflafayettega.com – you can contact us there with any relevant information and I’ll see what we can do with it. We don’t give out phone numbers for obvious reasons.

    — LU

  22. The only conclusion that we have is to maybe stop the fish from being killed, and the creek from going dry. It is so odd that the creek can be dry, and a couple of days later it will be flowing again, with no rain whatsoever north of here. What would be wrong with people complaining about kids not having a place to swim and fish? Places that have been used for years and years, and all of a sudden this happened. Do you reckon some good non toxic dye would settle this problem, and tell where the water is going?

  23. It might be worth a complaint to the DNR, Department of Natural Resources… I don’t think you could legally put in the dye without a permit. And it’s probably happening way upstream or beneath the surface. Have you tried driving or walking along the route of the creek to see if it’s dry upstream too? If you can find a point where the water drops out you can figure out where it’s going.

    –LU

  24. I can’t find any stories on the net that indicate Bart Huskey was ever charged with state charges for the actual rapes and abuse of “Tara.” While I’m very glad the Feds nailed him for the production and distribution of child pornography, the stories make it quite clear that charges for the rapes and molestation themselves were to be state charges. All the stories I can find say that “state charges are forthcoming,” but I can’t find any that say the state charges were actually filed, that it went to trial, and if so, what the results were. This case happened in 2008, it is now 2011—has the state trial taken place? If not, does anyone know why? I would think the abundance of photographic and video evidence, not to mention the man’s confession and the victim’s statement, would *surely* be enough evidence to proceed with a state trial right on the heels of the federal trial. Has it happened yet?

  25. James Bartholomew Huskey pled guilty to manufacturing, distributing, and receiving child pornography. His admission to “manufacturing” also equated to admission of raping and molesting his daughter from ages six to nine. He was sentenced to serve 70 years in prison. His attorneys contested the sentence because it exceeded the maximum amount of time allowed for manufacturing child porn (360 months) and distributing/receiving same (240 months each). They wanted it changed to 30 years, or 360 months. The sentencing judge said 70 years would not exceed the maximum sentences if all three were served consecutively instead of at the same time. Not sure how the appeal went, but he’s definitely in for 30 years at the least.

    I don’t know about the decision making process, but prosecutors probably figured 30-70 years was sufficient, especially since a rape case would have further traumatized the child. OR the plea agreement where he admitted to making the pornography called for them not to prosecute him for the rest… It saves the state money, there’s no point prosecuting a 40-year-old man to tack more time on top of a 30-year sentence, much less a 70-year one. And I’m sure his child is glad not to have to go through a courtroom experience.

    Mr. Huskey is probably being raped in prison now every day, and will be for the next thirty-plus years. Can’t complain too much about how this one turned out.

    Thanks for your insightful comments and questions.

    — LU

  26. Thank you LU. My concern is that we often hear of prisoners paroled early for “good behavior,” or for various other reasons. While the idea seems ludicrous at the moment… who’s to say that 15-20 years down the road, once public awareness and the immediacy has died down, that he and his lawyers won’t attempt to get him released early? Especially if he’s been able to exhibit model behavior, and/or if they find some mental health person to claim that he is “cured”? Sex offenders have been released before, for just those reasons—especially when a prison facility is overcrowded and/or under-funded. Sometimes, in the midst of all that, the existence of additional convictions prevents the parole.

    On the other hand, the points you made are quite valid, most especially the trauma to the child, should she be called to testify… IF her mental health professionals decided it would be traumatic, rather than strengthening, and for that, it depends on the individual.

    Sometimes victims *do* get to a point where being able to vent their anger and feelings at their abuser reinforces their self-esteem; but it’s a very fragile battleground, especially for a child. Most likely it *would* be additional trauma for the little girl, even if it was only relating her experiences and leaving the courtroom, or relating them as testimony to be presented without her presence… but I did want to point out that we can’t take that 100% for granted, either, even for a child, because sometimes confronting your abuser, or simply telling about the abuse to someone who *believes* you, can become part of the healing process.

    My point is, in cases like this I think the decision on that should be weighted heavily by the mental caretaker’s evaluation, and even possibly by feedback from the child herself on what *she* wants to do. After all, part of the trauma is in having no control over your body or what’s being done to it—I can see how being allowed to have a say in what you do or don’t do, in regard to your abuser’s trial, might help rebuild a child’s feeling of being in control of her own life and her own body.

    I hope and pray this little girl gets every ounce of help she needs. The internal scars never fade… but many do find a way to live a near-normal life despite those scars.

  27. Does anyone know how much the county charges for mowing down signs on the sides of the road? The mowing crews have cut down several in my area.