The World According to Oatney

Cocke County Sheriff resigns

THIS JUST IN: Cocke County Sheriff D.C. Ramsey has tendered his resignation to the Cocke County Commission, the News-Sentinel is reporting today. The news comes amidst a continued federal investigation into racketeering, payoffs, illegal gambling (including video poker machines), and cockfighting. The news comes on the heels of a story printed earlier today wherein Cocke County officials said there were no plans that they knew of that Sheriff Ramsey would resign.

As regulars have likely figured out long ago, I am generally no fan of the federales making their presence overly felt around here. I have always taken the position that if local authorities needed policing, the State could do it most effectively. However, if ever there were a need for an outsider to come in and clean house, the need exists in Cocke County. Cocke County is a place where the negative stereotypes of East Tennesseans and Appalachian people come to life. You can still get Mountain Dew in Cocke County, and lots of it-and I don't mean the bubbly caffienated variety. The Klan has held rallies there...that were rather well-attended. When Pope John Paul II died, a Newport church had a sign which read "there's no hope following a Hellbound Pope."

Does that mean that I think Cocke County is full of ignoramuses? Absolutely not. I have met some of the kindest, most thoughtful, intelligent people around who are from Cocke County...culturally speaking, it is no different there than anywhere else...people are great. Its government and establishment, however, have done ill by the people of Cocke County. Someone needs to bring justice to the place.

posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 7:28 PM