Haters gonna hate in 2019

Haters gonna hate in 2019

By Ralph Hardin

Michael, you know I'm an eternal optimist. No matter the situation, I’m always going to be the “everything is going to be all right” kind of guy.

Now, having said that, and having embraced the concept of this whole point/counterpoint, I’m going to do the reverse of that old song and accentuate the negative. Not because I necessarily believe it, but because there are so many negative people out there, and I’m sort of hoping to take the wind out of their sails and bring up all their negativity early in the year and get it out of the way.

Let’s start with your list right at the top and the brandnew hospital. Before the doors of Baptist-Crittenden even opened a couple of weeks ago, the doomsayers were already out in full force… What, no maternity ward? There’s only 12 beds? They just want to keep you alive long enough to get you over to Memphis!

How come they don’t have (insert ridiculous thing that a person uneducated in the field of health care might say… because I promise you it’s been said)?

The truth is that BMH-Crittenden is a wonderful new facility that will only get better as the powers that be figure out what works and what doesn’t for this community.

Big River Trail? What a waste of money, right? No one will use it! You’ll probably get raped and murdered if you go at night! How is that going to help us?

Well, it turns out that it’s not a waste of money. Thousands of people have used it. No one has been raped or murdered… not even a little. And there’s still a ton of potential for tourism.

People like to scoff at any project like the mega-site because, well people like to complain. The biggest one if heard is that they don’t really have an investor lined up. And that’s true, but if we don’t build it, they won’t come, so why not seize the opportunity and be ready.

Plus, you’ve got West Memphis, Marion, and the Crittenden County leaders working together!

Now, here’s the big one, Michael. There’s no denying you and I both took the news of Marco McClendon’s election as a possible disaster. But we’ve also discussed at length that it does not have to be. Like you note, has McClendon has an excellent opportunity to prove everyone who doubts him wrong.

He can’t do it because he’s a criminal, or because he’s not smart enough, or he doesn’t have the right mentality, or he’s going to put all of his friends into important positions… and, of course, he can’t do it simply because he’s black. Sadly, that’s what is being said and except for the fact that he is indeed black, the rest of those issues are McClendon’s to overcome.

Just to give you an idea of how some people can find something to complain about no matter what, look no further than Sheriff Mike Allen, who had to fend off a challenge from Rob French at the polls. Allen has proven himself time and again as a capable “top cop” in the county, but some folks wanted a change. Well, Allen cruised to re-election and is poised to lead law enforcement efforts in Crittenden County for four more years.

Things are looking up. Let’s hope for a great new year!