Dear editor,

With the state Legislature struggling against a $200 million dollar budget shortfall, District 23 Sen. Hank Sanders, without bothering to ask the opinion of or making aware the citizens of Selma and Dallas County and at the request of an outside group who seem determined to save us from ourselves (Students Unite), submitted a resolution to change the name of Selma’s internationally known Edmund Pettus Bridge. Actions speak louder than words.

When word hit the streets of this sneaky attempt concerned Selma citizens flooded the phone lines to the State House and reason prevailed.

Only after his and Students Unite’s resolution was killed in committee did Sanders make his case to the citizens by means of a column in The Selma Times-Journal. Actions speak louder than words.

In another newspaper, Students Unite leader John Gainey, speaking of the proposed bridge name, stated, “We decided.”

I don’t know if the “we” is Students Unite or Students Unite and Sen. Sanders. Actions speak louder than words.

In the resolution, instead of calling Students Unite by name, Sanders refers to them as “Selma’s young people.” While a few locals may have been drawn in by the group the vast majority of its members and leadership are from out of state and are not permanent Selma residents. It’s very unlikely the senator was not aware of this. Was he intentionally trying to make his fellow legislators think this was a local effort? Actions speak louder than words.

Curious and with the pressing needs of District 23 in mind, I checked the senator’s record and found that nine of the twelve bills he filed this year were for the rights of convicted criminals. None of the twelve were designed to improve the economy, bring in jobs or make our streets safer. Actions speak louder than words.

Has Sen. Sanders lost touch with the needs of his constituents? Does he take us for granted? Do we keep sending him to Montgomery to work for the good of District 23 or to pursue his own agenda? Has he been there so long that he feels empowered to do only what he and his friends want? Is it time for new representation for District 23? New thoughts, new attitude, fresh ideas, or do we settle for the same thing we’ve been getting? You decide.

Actions do speak louder than words.

Benjamin Austin

Selma