Apology from the Publisher
By Russ Greene
First of all, Jim “Pappy” Moore is unapologetic about what he wrote in his column last week.
In retrospect, The Mirror shouldn’t have published it, especially during Juneteenth week but really there is never a good time for such reckless rhetoric.
I have always been a strong advocate of the First Amendment. Moore’s words didn’t cross the line in that regard. But what he said appeared to be deliberately hurtful, especially since he “doubled down” in our subsequent email exchanges.
As the publisher of this newspaper, one got by me (maybe the last two, to be honest). I regret this and I will correct it by not ever running his column again short of some kind of acknowledgement by and contrition from the writer for the harm he has caused.
For those who think Phillip Williams is the publisher and want to blame him, he had nothing to do with it. It is all on me. I had the final say.
Again, I apologize.
Now please read the next “Breaking News” item on this site — Eric King’s brilliant explanation of the various ways Jim “Pappy” Moore went wrong in his infamous column.
Too little too late. The title alone should have been enough to know that this should have never been printed in the first place. First amendment protects the freedom of speech, it doesn’t guarantee that you print every single opinion column that is submitted. THAT was a choice.
I applaud your apology and public acknowledgment of fault. I was raised in the newspaper business, and I understand how this can happen.
Typically, in a small newspaper, canned columns bought on subscription go directly to typesetting. Because they are packaged by reputable distributors, it’s easy to assume they have been heavily-edited and ready to print.
This scenario is played out daily in newspaper outlets all over the world. I truly hope this is what happened. VERY unfortunate topic; VERY unfortunate print date.
Typesetting and graphic designers are not journalists, and certainly not editors. Read everything before they do.
I sincerely hope the backlash is not too bad. Good luck.
Kate Stow
Publisher & Editor
Hometown Press
Cass County, Texas
I applaud your apology and public acknowledgment of fault. I was raised in the newspaper business, and I understand how this can happen.
Typically, in a small newspaper, canned columns bought on subscription go directly to typesetting. Because they are packaged by reputable distributors, it’s easy to assume they have been heavily-edited and ready to print.
This scenario is played out daily in newspaper outlets all over the world. I truly hope this is what happened. VERY unfortunate topic; VERY unfortunate print date.
Typesetting and graphic designers are not journalists, and certainly not editors. Read everything before they do.
I sincerely hope the backlash is not too bad. Good luck.
Kate Stow
Publisher & Editor
Hometown Press
Cass County, Texas
You both owe apologies, but NEITHER of you mean them! You should have kept yours like Pappy did.
I have no idea who Comedian Chris Rock is, but if what Pappy Moore says he said is true, I have absolute agreement with that advice. It’s advice that applies to all people, and has nothing to do with race except for the race baiters who make it about race. It has to do with common sense, personal responsibility, accountability and respect.
What Pappy Moore said about ” the huge number of Black Men and Women in America” is undeniably true. AND, what he said about those at what he labeled “at the bottom level–the criminals, the grifters, those always with their hand out, always blaming the world for the mess their life is”, is equally true in the black community, as it is in any majority white, asian, or hispanic, or whatever community. What Pappy Moore said about the black boy who killed the white boy is also true, and was confirmed by a jury verdict. What he said about black people in America killing more blacks than those of other races killing blacks is also true, as well as the “slaughter” of blacks (babies) by their black mothers, as anyone who knows the origins and purpose of Planned Parenthood is fully aware. All these assertions are backed up through research by sociologists, criminologists, and more.
People calling for an apology from Pappy Moore for stating truth (though he didn’t cite the sources to back up the facts), and calling him a racist, OR calling the Gilmer Mirror racist for publishing it, or only revealing their own ignorance of the facts. The founding leader of the Civil Rights movement, the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., led NON-violent marches and protests in support of equal treatment under the law. While Jesse Jackson hung on to the Dr.’s coat tail, he identified strongly with Malcom X, and failed to carry out the legacy of Dr. King’s dream for “people to be viewed, and valued, by the strength of their character, not the color of their skin.” Dr. King wasn’t a perfect man, but he was a Christian, who called all people, but especially those of his own race, to strive to achieve a higher standard of character. HIS legacy is upheld today by his niece, Dr. Alveda King, not the hate driven hucksters that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton epitomize.
While I do not disagree in general with Pappy Moore’s concluding statement that no one can save the black community until “good” black people take back control of their community, I would daresay that the same is true for the white, Asian, Hispanic , etc. of EACH and every race and ethnicity in America today. What Pappy calls “Good” people, I call the Christian leaders in each community who will stand together to restore a strong work ethic, assume personal responsibility to provide for their families, take courage and TEACH how to resist the call to violence, the temptations to let themselves become addicted to destructive behaviors or substances, TEACH the boys and young men that they will be held accountable by a much higher authority than a police officer or a judge, TEACH the girls and young women to follow the Biblical model for femininity, which includes respecting and honoring their fathers and their husbands as opposed to competing with them or trying to replace them….in other words, lift each other UP through the power available to us all, rich or poor, every race or ethnicity, male or female, Gentile or Jew…the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. HE is the only one who can save us!
AMEN, AMEN, AND AMEN!!! MS CYNTHIA! JESUS SAVES!! YOU SPOKE STRAIGHT FACTS! I’ve been involved with the anti- abortion movement for 15 years, standing in front of planned parenthood praying against the killing of innocent babies. IT IS TRUE black women have aborted more babies than any other races in America, between 23-25 million since Roe 1973 that’s DOUBLE OUR POPULATION!!!
Thank you for bringing JESUS into this conversation HE’S always been about personal responsibility, church leaders need to ask their congregation to PRAY for Mr. Moore instead of causing further division in the community by spewing the same hate while using different words that cause the same harm as Mr. Moore and as a newcomer to Gilmer you’re sense of COMMUNITY is what led my husband and I to move here from another state, where racial division was amped up ALL DAY EVERY DAY! I pray that the Gilmer community doesn’t allow this to happen.
Let’s pray for each other, EVERYBODY TAKE A CHILL PILL!!! GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE!! LET GO AND LET GOD!! EVERY RACE NEEDS TO DO BETTER so instead of being offended let’s just try to be HONEST because without honestly acknowledging a problem exist you CAN NOT fix it! God bless
Pappy clearly has an issue with Black Americans. There are bad actors in every racial group INCLUDING HIS, yet he chose to focus his attention on Black Americans. Gilmer Mirror allowed him to spew his hatred more than one time. The first time could be viewed as an accident (though I will never be convinced that it was). Any subsequent reprint was intentional and that makes this “apology” empty. The paper is NOT sorry for printing and REprinting the article. The paper is sorry for the response to them putting their beliefs on full display for the entire community to see.
What’s remarkable is how often people insist they’re “just stating facts” while repeating an article that paints an entire racial group with the broadest brush possible.
Nobody disputes that crime exists, that personal responsibility matters, or that communities should encourage accountability. Those conversations happen every day in Black churches, Black homes, Black civic organizations, and Black communities. The problem is that Pappy Moore didn’t write an article about crime, accountability, or family structure. He wrote an article about Black people.
Notice the double standard: when a Black person points out systemic barriers, historical discrimination, or racial disparities, they’re accused of “race-baiting.” But when someone writes an entire essay cataloging the alleged moral failures of Black people as a group, suddenly it’s called courage and truth-telling.
And invoking Dr. King doesn’t rescue the argument. Dr. King didn’t spend his life lecturing Black people about their shortcomings while ignoring the systems that created unequal opportunities. He challenged both personal responsibility and institutional injustice. People love quoting one sentence about character while conveniently forgetting he also condemned poverty, segregation, discrimination, and structural inequality.
Most telling of all is that the article spends far more time criticizing Black people than offering actual solutions. If your message to millions of people boils down to “fix yourselves,” while ignoring economic conditions, educational inequities, housing discrimination, and public policy, you’re not offering wisdom—you’re offering a stereotype wrapped in a sermon.
The irony is that many of the same people applauding this article would immediately recognize the prejudice if someone wrote an essay describing white Americans as criminals, grifters, addicts, and morally deficient based on crime statistics and social problems. They would call it bigotry—and they’d be right.
Truth requires context. Statistics require context. And character requires applying the same standard to everyone.
Your Community, Your Family, Your Friends: People • Process • Purpose
Thank you, Mr. Greene, for your apology and for accepting responsibility as the publisher. In a time when many people refuse to acknowledge mistakes, I respect the fact that you did.
However, I am still left with the same concern.
To me, the issue was never simply Jim “Pappy” Moore. He wrote what he believed, and he has every right to hold his opinions. The larger issue is that those opinions were repeatedly given a platform through the Gilmer Mirror.
You acknowledged that this article should not have been published and that perhaps previous articles should not have been published either. That admission is important. But it also raises a difficult question: If these writings consistently walked that thin line between racism and personal prejudice, why were they considered worthy of publication in the first place?
A newspaper is more than ink on paper. It is a reflection of the values of the community it serves. Publishers make decisions every day about what deserves amplification and what does not. While Mr. Moore may have written the words, the Gilmer Mirror provided the microphone.
For me, the concern is not whether Mr. Moore has a platform. He is free to express his views. The concern is whether those views should have been given credibility and legitimacy through a newspaper that serves neighbors, families, customers, and a diverse community.
Your apology acknowledges the harm caused. I appreciate that. But it does not erase the fact that the decision to publish these articles was made more than once. That is what continues to trouble me.
I believe accountability begins with acknowledging mistakes, but it is completed by examining how those mistakes were allowed to happen in the first place.