Reflections

Cold Case Files Contain Names Of Real People

By Charles Cooper

Hello everyone, hope you had a joyous Christmas. It’s always so inspiring to hear from you and since I can’t answer each of you personally, I’ll just say thanks to all of you from the Cooper family and hope you have a happy and safe New Year.  

Speaking of being safe, I was disturbed by the recent murder of Jimmy Buford. While I didn’t know him personally, I did know some of the Buford’s years ago and from what everyone tells me he was a good man and a good neighbor.

Police tell us that any crime not solved within the first 48 hours becomes more difficult each passing day. They also tell us that in any crime, somebody saw something, even if it was one of the killers themselves and under the right circumstances can be persuaded to talk.  

Don’t misunderstand, I’m not lecturing the police department as I’m sure they are doing everything possible to solve this case.  However, I can recall cases over the last 60 years that have never been solved and I hope this won’t be one of them. I know they are just names in a cold case file, but they were real people who minded their own business, obeyed the law and deserved the right to live out their lives in peace.

I knew some of victims, such as Daniel Ponder, who was a bit eccentric, but never known to be a problem to anyone. Bill Mixon, who drove a mule and wagon for years, plowing gardens for people and never talking much. He minded his own business.

Brother Bob Myers was a Sunday School teacher, a lay preacher and founder of a little mission on Jones Street for over 50 years.

So I call on all of you citizens, black and white, and I include myself, even though I don’t live there to help. I own property and pay taxes and consider myself one of you. Listen for a careless word or suspicious behavior and notify your police department. You don’t have to tell them your name, but you might be the key to solving this case.

Remember, these days any of you are subject to being a crime victim and I don’t want to see your names on a crime report.  I hope by the time you read this the crime will be solved.

Next Friday we will start a New Year and and as always we hope it will be better than this one. Although this year has been a disaster, remember we are Americans and we have been the envy of the world. We have created the greatest country in history, and we’re not going to let a bunch of small minded, self-serving people destroy it.

I’ve been called arrogant because I have very little tolerance of these foreign countries who take our money and expect us to apologize to them. If they are so right and we are so wrong, why do they still plow their fields with oxen and live in mud huts, but have their hands out for our money? I can just hear someone saying, “Cooper’s started going political.”

In January I will start the 10th year of writing “Reflections” and I have tried to remain neutral on politics. But, I’m so concerned about the country we’re leaving to our children and grandchildren that I felt obliged to speak out. I’m sure most of you feel the same way.  

I’ve been researching a lot of material that I think you will find interesting in the columns to come. Your input is always appreciated and has helped keep this column going for the last nine years.

Let me hear from you either at my new email address, which is cncooper1@hotmail.com, or write me at P.O. Box 613189 Memphis, Tn 38101 and have a great New Year.