Was He Set Up?/How to Lose Your Family

For the past two days, we've looked at the case of Dwayne Charles Holcombe, former vice president of the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Waterloo. We continue to receive e-mails indicating that Holcombe was set up--asked to falsify records or asked to take the blame for those who actually did falsify the documents.

What would you do if you were asked by your janitor/secretary/co-officer/president to modify records illegally? We hope you would refuse. The worst case scenario would be that you would lose your job. You would not go to jail, lose your family (we hope), or have to repay money which you didn't take. You would also be able to apply for a position elsewhere that was similar to the one you lost--something Holcombe is not able to do since he is now barred from working at any licensed bank in Alabama.

If Holcombe is indeed innocent, he should have shouted it from the rooftops when he was first accused. Of course, his attorney may have advised him to remain quiet until he was legally charged with the crimes. We're glad that Mr. Holcombe has so many friends to come to his defense; but we don't believe they're looking at the facts of the case with an unbiased eye. If Dwayne Charles Holcombe is innocent, we hope he proves so in court, as well as implicating the guilty party/parties.

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We always solicit guest commentaries. Sometimes we receive a guest blog that we hold until an appropriate subject arises. This is the case with our guest blog today by Bailey Quarters, a regular contributor:

The Re-Attached Limb

I've had many friends over the years who have committed crimes. These were honest people who made a mistake, some more serious than others. A good friend once killed her boyfriend. This friend had experienced more tragedy in life than most of us ever will, but she did have a large extended family. She lost the support of most of her family when she committed her crime.

After she had served her sentence of many years she tried to reconnect with her mother and children. It wasn't easy and she has never been able to restore these relationships fully. She once told me it was like a severed limb that had been reattached. It was there and had some feeling, but would never function as it should completely.

Before anyone commits a crime, they should ask themselves how their family will feel when it comes to light, as it almost always does. It's not just the person who commits the crime who suffers, it's their entire family. I'll add here that many times the family is also guilty of not giving the support their relative needed before the crime. They are the ones who raised him or married him. They have to share the guilt. They should also be the first ones to forgive.

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Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) announced today that he will hold a Town Hall in Killen on Thursday, June 30, from 6 to 7:30 PM. The event will be held at the Killen Town Office at 231 J C Mauldin Highway, Killen, AL 35645. Congressman Brooks said, “I’m looking forward to meeting with folks in Killen to talk about the issues that are important to them. The town hall is a question and answer session, so please come with your questions. All resident from the fifth district are welcome to attend.”

The town hall will open with brief remarks by Congressman Brooks, and the remainder of the event will be devoted to Q&A with the audience. For questions or directions, please contact the Huntsville District Office at (256) 551-0190.

Shoalanda