Bellamy-Small, Recall Effort Organizers, and Pulpit Forum Leaders Behave Irresponsibly

A post at the News & Record's Inside Scoop blog lets us know that the Pulpit Forum has a press conference planned for tomorrow (Friday, July 27th).

At that press conference, the Pulpit Forum will announce "its strategy for opposing the Aug. 21 recall election of Councilwoman T. Dianne Bellamy-Small."

Pulpit Forum Secretary Gregory Headen, pastor of Genesis Baptist Church, wrote, "The situation with T. Dianne Bellamy-Small is another glaring example in Greensboro of how those who speak out for the poor are demonized and marginalized by power."

T. Dianne Bellamy-Small, the recall-election organizers, and Pulpit Forum organizers all have some responsibility for the situation we now find ourselves in.

T. Dianne Bellamy-Small has had several incidents that have raised legitimate concerns about her fitness to serve as an elected official.

During the almost 20 years that I've paid attention to Guilford County's local politics, there have been others whose fitness for office has been at least equally questionable.

There are at least a few individuals who have done far more and far worse than Bellamy-Small to earn a recall effort against them.

Unless my memory's just not serving me well, I can't recall any other recall effort in Guilford County during the last 20 years.

There are even some prominent African-American leaders who have not been fans of how Bellamy-Small has handled herself as an elected official.

But instead of simply supporting an opponent, the recall organizers have foolishly created an unnecessary, inflammatory situation that has turned a vulnerable council member into a martyr for some citizens who otherwise might have also supported an opponent.

Recall organizers may ultimately ensure a Bellamy-Small victory rather than her defeat.

Now, the Pulpit Forum appears to be wasting precious time and energy supporting Bellamy-Small against the recall effort.

There are four other candidates for the District 1 seat on the Greensboro City Council, and any one of them might ultimately be a better representative than Bellamy-Small.

By working against the recall effort, the Pulpit Forum may convince enough voters not only to oppose the recall but also to support Bellamy-Small in the actual District 1 election.

Is the Pulpit Forum automatically planning to support Bellamy-Small's reelection efforts? (If not, why waste time fighting recall efforts against her?)

After working against the recall effort, would it be possible, should the Pulpit Forum end up liking one of the other candidates more, to make a sudden shift of support from Bellamy-Small to that opponent?

In other words, in responding to the recall effort, is the Pulpit Forum looking ahead to what happens after the recall election (just as recall organizers failed to look ahead to such a soon-to-come-anyway election)?

Most importantly, by so strongly working against the recall effort, is the Pulpit Forum allowing its attention to be diverted from more important, more deserving issues?

I think that last question's really worth considering and answering.