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Civil Rights Groups: Murder Near Jay Not Racial
March 9, 2010
The recent murder of a Brewton teen at a late night party outside of Jay was not racial — that was the word following a civil rights meeting Monday night in Jay.
Ellison Bennett from the SCLC and Wayne Hodrick from the NAACP’s Santa Rosa County chapter held a closed-door meeting with Santa Rosa Sheriff Wendell Hall and Jay Mayor Kurvin Qualls at the Jay Town Hall. Each agreed that the murder was a violent act, but was not racially motivated.
Robert Franklin Floyd, 21, of Jay, is charged with an open count of murder for the shooting death of Getyron Lopez Benjamin, 18. Floyd is also facing three counts of attempted murder after he allegedly fired a rifle into a vehicle occupied by Benjamin and three other people that were leaving a party in Jay last Saturday morning. Floyd is white, while Benjamin is black.
There were allegations that the shooting could have been racially motivated, but many residents of Jay and Brewton say that race is not an issue in their town. News stories about the shooting on NorthEscambia.com prompted over 300 comments, while similar stories on the Pensacola News Journal web site also received hundreds of comments. On the two sites, as well as the sites of many other news organizations, many comments indicated that racial overtones exist in both towns.
A report aired by WEAR television included an interview with a white man that claimed to be from Jay. The man, identified by the television station as only “anonymous”, said that black people should not come to places that they are not wanted. That reported also led to a flurry of internet comments about racist claims concerning Jay.
Comments
18 Responses to “Civil Rights Groups: Murder Near Jay Not Racial”
Since I can remember even as a kid wear 3 has always got its facts mixed up and were always in the shadows of the broadcasting stations in Mobile,AL. The plain truth is it is cheezee reporting. Hurrying to get the story is one thing , but how about a little accuracy?
i know chan 3 news likes to make ppl look like idiots or otherwise i know form experience from a past interview with chan three news back when hurricane dennis destroted a fema trailor we had been living in since ivan they edited the interview so much and cut out everything i said except it was weird and made me look like a total idiot so i my self would not believe anything chan 3 news even puts on air most of it is crap and edited to make ppl look bad so ppl befor you believe any thing chan 3 news puts on air really think hard cause most of it is crap
I bush hog my lawn at least three times a year, whether it needs it or not
It helps me keep up with where the caravan is
David for doing what’s needed
“Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.” Proverbs 11:11
Just some food for thought.
SLB you are RIGHT. I agree!!
WEAR 3 could care less if that man was from Jay or not as long as they had something derogatory to report.
They could care less if that bit of news caused trouble,racial tension, or a big riot.
If chan. 3 was the only news station we had, I would pay big money to watch another station.
I would be willing to bet that the man was not even from Jay!?!?
I bet they paid that man a few dollars, a gallon of Vodka, and pack of smokes to say what they wanted him to say.
I think the town of Jay should sue WEAR 3 for thier actions.
Tim said: Just to make it clear the man that was enterviewed by TV 3 is not from Jay he is from the (Bahamas) and has no right to have any say, if you new him.TV3 needs to get there story straight before they report it.
Tim, if what you say is definately true, then it just confirmed my earilier thoughts.
I would think that a news organization, wether it’s WEAR TV3, newspapers or internet media that is covering a subject as sensitive as this was is, they would go above and beyond to make sure that they have all their facts in order. The news reporter on channel 3 should’ve requested to look at his drivers license to make sure his place of residence was indeed Jay, Fl. before giving him the benefit of an interview representing the views and opinions of Jay residents. The older man in Jay, Florida’s interview would have been sufficient enough to make a point. Apparently WEAR TV3 had a personal agenda going to find someone that would bad mouth the area to stir the pot. SHAME~SHAME
You go bill! Mow that lawn!!HAHA!! Nothing runs like a Deere!! I like mowing the lawn too!!
For all of you who are spreading negative comments about Jay, STOP SPREADING THE LIES!!!!! I witnessed a black family in Jay on Sunday eating at a local restaurant. They came in, ordered their food, was treated respectfully and left without any incident. Don’t judge us on our past.
I am from the town of Jay and I do not believe this is a raciest town I travel all over the world and every where I go I meet raciest people neither Jay nor Brewton is any different, Also I do not believe this was race motivated if you are a land owner any where you have the right to refuse any one white or black to be there,Iam very sad for both parties involved. Just to make it clear the man that was enterviewed by TV 3 is not from Jay he is from the (Bahamas) and has no right to have any say, if you new him.TV3 needs to get there story straight before they report it. My Regards goes out to both families.
Well, I used to live in Jay, and will again if I get the chance. It’s a great little town. I’ve seen blacks there, in the daylight and in the dark. Nobody bothers them. There’s no reason to, unless the blacks (or anyone else for that matter) MAKES A PROBLEM. The people of Jay are down to earth normal country folks who don’t put up with people raising hell.
I’m white and mow the lawn, I see lots of white people mow the lawn. Are you trying to say that it’s a disgrace for a black man to mow the lawn? Or maybe you just can’t be happy no matter what.
Bill likes the lawn mowed, looks better that way.
Well since the shurf, mayor and town manager have all put on the aura that there’s only harmony and no racial discord in Jay, maybe the town can quickly get that Haitian refugee shelter up and running. Also with the SCLC and NAACP lock stepping and coming out of the reticent get-together holding hands and singing Kum-by-yah with the trio, they’ll surly want to come on up from Pensacola to help Jay staff and run it. By the way, maybe someone will do a review of the town’s employment practices to see if it falls in line with common diversity practices. Nah, that would be a waste of time because all Jay will do is let ‘em mow the lawn.’
The white man who claimed to be from Jay that gave such an ignorant interview on WEAR TV# making claims that his views represented the Jay residents, is a flippen idiot and should be ran out of town. It is people like HIM that give a town a bad name. Does anybody recognize who he is? He could’ve just been passing through town and lied to get on TV. You cannot believe everything you hear just because it made it on a interview by a drama queen news guy.
Whodat are you calling this young man who lost his life over a senseless act of crime STUPID? IF SO, WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT YOU TO MAKE SUCH COMMENT? I’m very sure if he knew his life was going to end that night if he attend that party he never would have attended it.
RE: The Truth on March 9th, 2010 2:09 am ………………
Wow! Do you work for WEAR TV? They, like YOU will keep this up until there will be a RIOT.
YES there WAS, IS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE A RACE problem in USA, BUT it is people like you who seem to REFUSE to allow things to calm down.
I can just hear it now………live on WEAR TV 3…… They will have thier poll, call in and tell us what you think…….They will allow some stupid, dumb, racial hillbilly to be heard on live TV saying some stupid, ignorant, hillbilly racial remark, and there you have it folks……BUT have something smart, intellegent, NON-RACIAL to say and I bet you don’t get heard.
Being a white male, I wouldn’t go to a party on Sowell road on a Saturday night. There are some places common sense tells you that you don’t belong. A mistake was made that cost a young man his life. Thank God that stupidity isn’t contagious.
Racism goes both ways. There are black people as well as white people that are racist. All of it no matter what side it comes from Black or White is ignorance and only stirs hatred. Yes Jay is a white community but how is that any different from Prichard? I’ve always been told that whites are not safe there just like blacks have always been told they’re not safe in Jay. It all comes down to one thing and that is….. There are good and bad people in every race from every community and I don’t believe this was racially motivated but it was just teens with alcohol that fueled violence that took a young life and it is so sad and tragic.
Of course all the white men from ol’ Jay are going to tell the outstanding “people” from the NAACP they aren’t racist…lol