Ellington

... is that sometimes it isn't true. Read what a political science professor has to say about Frank Melton's antics on his blog:

Meanwhile, a follow-up to a post I made to this site over the summer: Frank Melton, the Nancy Grace-with-official-government-power-ish mayor of Jackson MS–and like Nancy, a former TV celeb (only at the local level, but …) who has practically zero respect for the American justice system and the Constitution. Frank, as anyone outside of his cult could have predicted, has been indicted, in this case on charges of burglary and malicious mischief, etc., in connection with the unathorized demolition of a Jackson duplex. The Melton story, it appears, is like "Network" meeting the real world of public policy, at the grass roots level. It's horrible.

And while I'm sure readers from elsewhere might think, Well, look where he was, Melton was not a native of the city or state. And what people loved about him was the straight talking bit that too many people think equals "honest person."

As noted here before, the Zen Buddhists were (or rather, are) onto something in seeing the limits of language, something thoughtful people can't help but notice in the era of hyper-PR. What is not as often thought, however, is that laconic speakers, or straight talkers, can be just as misleading as the hopelessly verbose. Mix TV imagery, immediacy and simplification of complex issues in with the built-in limits of language, in a city with a serious crime problem (and, certainly, a thorny racial and political history, although I don't think it's at all the most important variable here), and you end up with a Frank Melton.

Previous Comments

ID

89379

Comment

The use of the word "cult" is intriguingly accurate, eh? That's certainly what Melton apologists act like.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-10-11T21:25:25-06:00

ID

89380

Comment

Cult is very telling, indeed.

Author

Ironghost

Date

2006-10-11T21:39:04-06:00

ID

89381

Comment

One of the key features of a cult, according to a book I read many years ago, was the need/desire to be cut off from the rest of society. This prevents outside ideas from coming in and contaminating the brains of the devotees. Seems to me in this case, it's true. But it's a willful separation from facts/reality, rather than a simple physical removal from society (Jonestown, Waco compound, etc.). Takes a real mental effort to continue to believe in Melton, after all that's come down. I also really like that he points out the fallacy inherent in the notion that "straigth talk" = honesty.

Author

kate

Date

2006-10-13T11:16:49-06:00