Jackson Jambalaya

There's a thread at the Jackson Free Press where Donna Ladd decides to drag Melton's wife into his fainting spell at the courthouse yesterday, as Melton's son (identity unconfirmed) posts a reply to her post blasting her for dragging his mom and family into the story. Some of the replies to him are pretty ugly:

The part that makes me the angriest is that Melton—clearly a very sick man on several levels—is surrounded by cultures and enablers who haven't gotten him help or encouraged him to lead a safer, healthier lifestyle. I mean, his wife is a doctor for God's sake; can she really not convince him to live less stupidly??? Why isn't she on his doorstep every night until he goes home to Texas where she can help him take care of himself???Plus, there's the issue of him endangering others, including kids, with the drinking. I think everyone of his enablers should be tarred and feathered. Posted by: ladd on Jan 07, 08 6:38 pm

Be careful Ms. Ladd you are treading very thin ice its one thing to openly disagree with the way someone runs the city. I dont think you know Mrs. Melton at all to say the least. I mean have you ever even spoken to her. It sure is easy to get on here and say what someone should be doing when in fact she has tried. He chooses to live in Jackson because he has always felt like that was his calling to help people. Needless to say seems like you must be perfect yourself I wonder if you have ever had any issues, seeing what you just wrote you couldn't have you must be perfect to get on here and discuss someone's marriage and if i sound too personal maybe its because you are speaking about my parents. I try to ignore somethings but you dont know my mother so by all means BE QUIET. Posted by: MattMelton on Jan 07, 08 8:49 pm

Well MattMelton, What is your family doing about frank's bad habits? You know your father is a public figure, and there are no family secrets until he leave office. That is the cost of being a Public Official. Therefore, if someone voice a concern about the Mayor's lifestlye that is directly related to his health. I hope the public can rely on the 1st lady (???) to get control of the of the Mayor's lifestyle where it relates to his health. So, WE can have a healthy Mayor to carry on with the City's business for a better Jackson. So if you're not contributing to help this problem, and you are his son, YOU BE QUIET. Posted by: Roc on Jan 08, 08 7:42 am

I think we all know your mother well enough, given her absence from Frank's life for many years Matt. Posted by: Ironghost on Jan 08, 08 8:47 am

It must be hard having to go to both the C-L's and the JFP's websites to chastise and even threaten people who dare to share their opinions about your father. Maybe you should stop and look the other direction and figure out exactly what it is that has people so unhappy with the job he has done as mayor. Fainting in public does not give him a free pass, and he deserves a lot of the critical comments he is receiving. Frank is a public official and even though you are his son and take this stuff very personally, you are old enough to know that being in the public eye has its pros and cons. The negative comments are one of the things that go along with the job, and you do yourself and your dad a disservice (if this is in fact his son posting) by reacting the way you have, especially with the comments you made on the C-L website that appeared to be threatening people whose comments you did not like. Posted by: lls32001 on Jan 08, 08 9:07 am

Matt, thanks for posting. I can't imagine how hard all of this must be for you to read, and your family has my prayers. I really, truly pray that you can all pull together and get your father some help before it's too late. Clearly, he is in WAY over his head, and he does everything possible to make his own health worse. I've seen it first hand—with no one around him doing a thing to stop him. Nothing. Nada.I've also heard him talk about the people around him, and how he is a very lonely man and feels like he has few friends. I think he is fully aware that most people around him are there from what they can get from him—and it is very, very tragic that he somehow prefers that to living a healthier life with his own family in Texas. If one could argue that he is actually sacrificing that to help the young people of Jackson, then it would be admirable. But he has proved hands-down himself that, even if he has those intentions as his top priority, he is doing little to help people here. If anything, he is pitting the troubled young people he prefers against those he despises.
I have tried to call your mother, Matt, and I would be happy to have in-depth discussions with her at any time should you care to pass on that message. But one thing I will not do is "be quiet"—either about the way that Melton has tried to run this city, or on the way I believe that people around him have enabled him to hurt himself (when I say that, I mean mostly the vultures here in Mississippi who want his money and whatever else they can suck from him), but I will continue to wonder why your mother has not come and taken him home and helped him through some very difficult problems. Sadly, Melton made his personal life the public's life, not only by running but by using his stories about his family as political fuel. That means that the public now has the right to ask these questions of him. I know that must suck for you, and I have full compassion for you and your sister in all this, but that does not mean that the questions will not be asked, by me or anyone else.
I second Big Tee's post: Talk to your father. He told me that he does not like being mayor. He's not good at it. We all know that. Ask him to do what's right for himself, his family and the city of Jackson: step down and go home to Texas and take care of his health. Please.Posted by: ladd on Jan 08, 08 9:32 am
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=15913_0_27_0_C#103953

Very classy. The editor decides to drag Melton's wife into a discussion about his health, implying she is negligent, and his son who is in college, defends his family. (Of course, if you are a politician's child, the best thing to do is not say anything as you cannot win these public debates). He's then subjected to some posts less than complimentary towards him and his mother. I want Melton gone NOW as much as anyone but this crosses the line. Notice how the editor mentioned she has tried to contact Ms. Melton. Not the first time she has tried to interfere in someone's family. Probably won't be the last, but I digress.

What she should have done was take down some of the more offending comments and issued an apology to Melton's son saying things tend to get heated when his father is discussed but instead defends them and appoints herself as the moralist-in-chief of Jackson. Frankly, I found most of these comments offensive and they are proof of how this bunch can use almost any reason to justify their treatment of anyone that has earned their ire.