It’s been an interesting week for former elected officials in Bell County. On Thursday, the headline of our lead story was “Former City Councilman charged with kidnapping” and on Friday, the ex-mayor of Pineville’s fate was finally revealed after a two-year long ordeal in which he was ultimately convicted of buying votes in an article, “Ex-Pineville Mayor and son sentenced to prison for vote buying”.

This is good and bad. It’s great that the wheels of justice are so clearly spinning. It’s great that, at least in these two situations (one tucked away and finished, the other still a medley of accusations and charges), some brave souls spoke up and sought justice, even in the face of imminent defeat by decades-old political machines.

In Pursiful’s case, police wouldn’t comment on the kidnapping charge, citing that the details of what they know will be revealed in court. We don’t know what may or may not have happened. We shared in the story all the information we could gather. Comments on the story have ranged from supportive, many say that the former Middlesboro City Councilman has a substance abuse problem and that this behavior is a “cry for help.” Others are not so supportive and allege a list of wrong-doings that they’re personally familiar with by the formerly influential community member — a man who was at one time a school teacher and also served on our city council.

Madon has been convicted and sentenced, and regardless of those that uphold him for his public service over the years, regardless of those that cry “Oh, what he did for Pineville in 1977!”, regardless of those who say that an elderly and sick man should not be in prison, regardless... the man is now a convicted criminal. No flood of water or praise should clean that off his record, as his slate was wiped clean in the late 80’s by a pardon by then Governor Wallace Wilkinson.

In fact, this shameful situation should not be forgotten by those of us that live here. To quote the federal prosecutor in the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Malloy, “There could hardly be a worse crime than turning people off of the electoral process.” It’s no secret that, in Bell County’s past, corruption at the polls was the standard. Your vote is one of the most precious and valuable gifts that you hold, and it should not be sold for a pill or for any amount of money. You may be just one person, but you are one vote. It’s time that we demand more and ignore less. It’s time that we get informed and take our county’s future more seriously. It’s beyond time to stand up for what is right and stop ignoring what is wrong, just because that’s the way it has always been.

The news this week was bad, in that one of our saddest cultural practices was revealed and even acknowledged by a federal judge, who said that vote-buying has been an accepted practice in Eastern Kentucky culture. It’s bad that this is a part of our past, but it’s good that we recognize it and have a chance to give our children a better future — one where true democracy and justice prevail.