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Pastor Ray Hall of East Marietta Baptist Church, who works as the public affairs officer for the Highway Patrol Troop F in New Albany, sent the letter on church stationery before Tuesday’s vote in Booneville on legalizing beer and wine sales in the city.
Opponents defeated the measure by 21 votes – 1,362 to 1,341.
The effort for legalization was led by Citizens for New Business and Growth, and after Tuesday’s vote, it began a new push to gather signatures countywide for a vote on liquor and beer sales in Prentiss County.
The group’s organizer, Gary Walker, said that because of Hall’s state employment, the letter could intimidate some who wish to sign the petition again.
In his letter, Hall said, “As I look over the names of those that signed a petition to allow for a vote of beer sales in Booneville, I recognized your name.”
The letter was addressed to individual petition-signers, Walker said, and sent to them at their home addresses.
Hall returned a call to the Daily Journal on Friday morning, but when asked if he also is Pastor Hall of East Marietta, he seemed to have difficulty hearing the question and after a period hung up without responding.
Troop F Commander Capt. Mickey Baker said that what Hall does on his days off is his business as long as it’s not illegal and doesn’t reflect negatively on the Highway Patrol.
“He’s acting on his own accord, and he’s also a preacher at a church in Prentiss County,” Baker said. “That’s all I’ve got to say about the matter.”
But according to Walker, “People said they felt intimidated. They wondered how Trooper Hall would treat them if he had to stop them out on the highway.”
Walker said several people had called Hall’s commanding officer to lodge complaints, and he said they were told Hall was not in a trooper position where he would be patrolling state roadways.
As a public affairs officer, Hall is the person media representatives call for information about accidents and incidents on state highways and interstates. But he still is referred to as Trooper Ray Hall.
East Marietta was one of about half a dozen churches that bought full-page ads in the local newspaper and supported other efforts to defeat the beer vote.
Circuit Clerk Mike Kelley said he had two requests for copies of the petitions, which are public records, but neither of those requests came from Hall.
Contact Lena Mitchell at (662) 287-9822 or lena.mitchell@djournal.com.
Text of letter sent by Pastor Ray Hall on East Marietta Baptist Church letterhead:
“Dear Friend,
“I write this letter with a burden on my heart. As I look over the names of those that signed a petition to allow for a vote of beer sales in Booneville, I recognized your name. I do understand your right to sign a petition asking for a vote, however, I do not understand why anyone would possibly be in favor of beer sales. I dare say, you or someone in your family has been directly affected by alcohol abuse. There is no amount of money, tax, revenue, or businesses that can restore a broken home, an abused child, or a tragic automobile accident. Without a doubt, the more accessibility of alcohol, the more people become alcoholics and the more alcohol related incidents we create in society.
“I simply ask you, as the Bible says, consider your ways. Is it really worth it? We are all accountable for our actions. I sincerely ask you, please vote AGAINST the sale of Beer and Light wine sales on Tuesday, August 17th.
“All for HIS service,
“Ray Hall
“Pastor
“P.S. Our entire church family is praying for you and your city. Our prayer is this referendum will be defeated.”
Patrolmen just don't have it in them to admit when they're mistaken. When you succeed in convincing one that he has made a mistake, he won't concede, but will allow that he is "going to let you go with a warning this time. I could write you a ticket, but I'm giving you a break. You be more careful." Translation: OK, so I was wrong, but there ain't a chance in hell that I'm going to admit it.
Whether employed by the MHP or not, this was an astoundingly stupid and heavy-handed attempt to intimidate people who have exercised their legal right. He might as well have reminded them, "I know where you live."
I know this type of individual. Have worked and lived around some of them all my life. They can't distinguish being pig-headed from having principles, or altruistic attempts to help from attempts to control.
As someone else commented on this forum recently, "I'll pray for you" is a "Christian" way of saying, "**** you!"
I will stand by my statement that the problem here is Mr. Hall's being both a preacher AND a Government employee with potential control of the lives of ordinary citizens. If Mr. Hall, as the pastor of a Baptist church, wishes to expound on the morality issue of voting to legalize the sale of alcohol, he has that right. BUT he does NOT have the right to do that when in a position to take out his personal views on ordinary citizens with whom he disagrees.
Many of you may think I'm over-reacting. But this is how persecution of groups with whom we don't like get started.
Mr. Hall should be, at the MINIMUM, reprimanded by the Highway Patrol, if not outright suspended. The church he leads, if it TRULY honors the concept of separation of church and state, should remove him as pastor.
You CANNOT separate Mr. Hall's Government employment from his Church employment.
What exactly does he mean when he wrote "I write this letter with a burden on my heart. As I look over the names of those that signed a petition to allow for a vote of beer sales in Booneville, I recognized your name."
He should have just stuck to trying to convince the citizens to agree with his idea of no beer sales by knocking on doors or sending a letter to all citizens, and not write a letter of intimidation to those who disagree with his point of view and signed the petition.
Also the last time I checked the concept of accepting Christ as your personal lord and savior must be a personal, willing choice, and not forced feed by fear or intimidation.
Who belongs to this group besides the puzzlewit Gary Walker?
I am very concerned about the Mighty Journal even printing this article. Seems the paper is obsessed with trying to create confusion.
Ray Hall, as a private citizen has every right to his faith and to exercise his freedom of speach and religion. Only the Journal dedicated to god and humanity would publish an article that would question any ones relationship with his God.
I doubt very seriously if Ray Hall would violate the law by enforcing the law in an illegal manner. Only a drunkard would fear Mr Hall while he is on duty.
Any credibility the paper gives Gary Walker just deminishes the credibility of the Mighty journal.
We in prentiss county will defeat this measure to legalize alcohol and then maybe Mr. Walker will fade away.. Bring it on Mr. Walker, then SHUT-UP and quite pestering the folks of Prentiss county.
It is just plain disgusting that the Journal would even persue this story and even bother to check to see if Hall was a preacher. Actually since most of the journal readers agree with Hall, this does nothing to boost their circulation, because I personally know many of the people at the church that subscribes to the journal..FOR HOW LONG NOW?