Why I'm Voting For Ben Holder

The first time I actually met Ben Holder in person he had in his hand, leaked copies of the RMA report that was being used by city officials to ruin Greensboro Police Chief David Wray. Problem was: when myself and dozens of others read the report we quickly learned the expression, "If you only knew what we know," was all one big lie. So much so that no district attorney and no judge in the nation would even bother to take the David Wray case to court on behalf of the City of Greensboro.

Thus the reason the City of Greensboro finally settled out of court just this past month.

But I already knew who Ben Holder was as he and Danny Bayer had already won a journalism award for going under cover while working for the Carolina Peacemaker and putting their lives at risk in exposing Greensboro's Asian Massage Parlors as human slavery and prostitution rings.

Ben also stopped the sale of illegal drug paraphernalia in Greensboro convenience stores where it was being sold not only to adults but to minors as well.

Ben can often be found at Greensboro City Council meetings fighting to improve conditions in his own Greenwood Glenwood neighborhood-- a blue collar working class neighborhood that like my own east Greensboro neighborhood has too long been a victim of a city council that just doesn't give a damn about the working class.

A few years back I worked alongside Ben Holder in the employ of David Hoggard, owner of Double Hung Historic Window Replacement. It was there I got to know Ben as the father of 2 very beautiful mixed race children. Ben told me the story of how when he met their mother he never saw a black woman, he only saw a woman in which he was very much in love with and wanted to be a part of his life more than anything in the entire world. And he told me how she died soon after their second child was born leaving Ben to raise 2 children all by himself.

Ben didn't need to tell me why he does what he does. Ben does what he does because he wants Greensboro to be the best place he could ever raise his children. Because his wife would have wanted him to do the best he can do. Because like any good father, Ben Holder wants to make Greensboro a safe and secure city to raise a family.

And if my one and only child, my son, was still alive today I would want men like Ben Holder looking out for him.

To date, my other endorsements include George Hartzman and Katei Cranford.