July 15th is almost here! Cullman County will be heading out to the polls to vote for their choice of Sheriff for the next four years! May I suggest MATT GENTRY as your choice!!! Matt has run a wonderful up beat campaign taking the high road and sticking to the facts that matter to you! While Mike Rainey has sunk to the old standards we see in every election with 99% of politician running. Finger pointing, bad mouthing and mudslinging that leaves us brain dead and not wanting to vote!!! Milk Rainey’s supporters have even attacked me for supporting Matt Gentry and voicing my opinion!! Accusing me of selling my opinion in support of Matt Gentry! Crawling in bed with politician is not a job for a Missing person advocates but more along the lines of a big time lobbyist for a large Pharmaceutical Company!!! My reasons for Supporting Matt Gentry are far less sinister than all that!!! Let me explain. On June 14 2014 a garden for a Missing mother from Cullman County Alabama Tabitha Lynn Franklin was set to be dedicated at Dodge City Park and I had called Sheriff Mike Rainey’s office in advance and invite the sheriff to come and meet with the family of Tabitha Franklin and myself to help bring awareness to Tabitha’s case, I also invited Matt Gentry and the media! When driving to Dodge City Park that day I turned at the red light by Jack’s and saw Sheriff Rainey Campaigning on the corner and just up from him was Matt Gentry and he was also campaigning. Feeling sure both men would be on down to the park which was less than a mile away from the dedication I waved and passes on by! I really wanted to meet both men in person and speak with them to see how I could better serve to help bring about awareness to Tabitha‘s case, But much to my surprise only one man would show up and that man was Matt Gentry! Matt met with me and agreed more could and should be done on Tabitha’s case that now was over 4 years old! I found him easy to talk with, much like an old friend. Matt listened carefully to my concerns for Tabitha’s children and family who are left with no answers and my ideals to help bring about some form of closure to them. I was quite put out that Sheriff Rainey would not give Tabitha’s family or me an advocate the common courtesy of showing up!!! When he had been less than a mile away only 30 minutes before! So put out I was, that I forgot the speech that had taken me hours to write when it came time for me to speak!! I had long heard of Mike Rainey’s disrespect of Tabitha and her family but now I was experiencing it for myself, the fact that Tabitha’s case is not on Sheriff Rainey list of Priorities is mind boggling! Tabitha’s case file sits on the desk of investigators in the Cullman County Sheriff office where Rainey is the administer over all caseloads and he could not give a crime victim, the crime victim’s family or a missing person advocate the time of day! That made me realize why so little has been done for Tabitha and her family, lack of concern and dedication by the sheriff who is responable to make sure every investigation is carried out to its full extended! No Matt Gentry has never asked for my support or asked to buy my support!!! If my opinion was bought and sold it was done on June 14 2014 by Mike Rainey himself. Rainey bought my opinion of him that day with his actions and a hundred other reasons however Rainey sold me short that day by thinking I would not remember his lack of commitment to a crime victim the crime victim’s family and the community he swore to protect and serve!!!!!!!!!!! That day Matt Gentry gained my respect! Not only did he show up where he was not required to but He was asked if he would like to address the 60 or so family and friends who had gathered for the dedication. Matt declined, missing the opportunity for some free media converge as channel 13 who reported on Tabitha’s dedication event at the open of the Ten o’clock News that night and also the ears of the potential voters on hand. Matt realized there is a time and place for all things and Tabitha’s garden dedication was not the place for politicking! That’s why I support Matt gentry for Cullman County Sheriff!
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 22:48:40 +0000