Tuesday night, city council had the opportunity to right one of the wrongs created by the Roanoke Rapids Theatre and Carolina Crossroads debacle and only one person had the guts to speak up, only to get shot down by an eery silence when his motion died for lack of a second.

Carl Ferebee stood up for the residents of Brandy Creek while the other council members, with Greg Lawson absent, simply shut up.

Why we speak of doughnuts is simple. The doughnut hole principle was discussed by City Manager Paul Sabiston, who recommended council not approve a resolution to pass to the General Assembly for de-annexation so the residents of Brandy Creek can get some relief for being boxed into the limits of a city they never wanted to be in from the beginning.

The memo from Sabiston says 11 parcels are on Wallace Fork Road which is maintained by the state Department of Transportation. Eight of the parcels are located on either Brandy Creek Road or Maria Avenue, roads which are maintained by the city. A final parcel is located off Wallace Fork Road on a pathway with no known maintenance.

“To allow de-annexation as requested would create a classic doughnut hole in this portion of the city’s new jurisdiction,” the memo says. “This result is typically avoided in annexation planning. The fact that the residents are primarily minority only further complicates the results.”

The memo continues, “Many believe that eliminating minority populated districts from extended city services, particularly in a doughnut hole manner is a form of discrimination. The other critical issue and the reason that such isolated ‘inland’ areas are typically avoided in annexation planning is because it can confuse the provision of services, including public safety and code enforcement.”

There are several things wrong with this memo.

Annexation planning? Was there really any planning for this annexation? Not if you live in Brandy Creek there wasn’t, just a governmental thief in the night who stole the residents’ rights without warning.

Discrimination? How can it be discrimination when you don’t want to be annexed any way? The only discrimination in this matter is the discrimination the city is showing to the residents of Brandy Creek for not honoring a simple request, getting them out of something they never wanted to be in and never had any say in.

Yes, we are aware of what this de-annexation will create from a government, planning perspective. Unfortunately, we are aware of what this de-annexation has created from Tuesday night’s decision or lack of one — people who will become even more distrustful of government, a government which hasn’t been trusted since this nightmare began. Now the legacy of the former council is being inherited by a new council, who sat silent when they had a chance to correct something that was never right to begin with.

Perhaps if Brandy Creek had more residents they would have had more say so. Had it been a sprawling neighborhood with the well to do, we wonder if the city leaders back in 2005 would have dared to be so arrogant and we wonder if the new city council would have been so silent had this been an Old Farm Road or Belmont area.

What we witnessed Tuesday night was a shame. It was a shame for the city council members who said nothing or offered no discussion when Ferebee made his motion.

It was a shame that the residents of Brandy Creek had no one listen to them and that silence during Ferebee’s motion and after the meeting tells a story that says more than words could ever say.

Yes, we understand about orderly growth and planning, something this city has had little of and you can see that each time you drive on Julian R. Allsbrook Highway to get a burger or go to Lowes.

We also understand about compassion and we believe compassion in this matter outweighs the rational bureaucratic thinking of planning orderly cities.

The city council Tuesday night did a disservice to the residents of Brandy Creek because these residents were never asked if they would like to be in Roanoke Rapids and get few things from it, some street lights and having pothole riddled Maria Avenue smoothed over occasionally.

There are sometimes when rational thinking and discussions about doughnut holes is less important than doing what is right. Tuesday was one of those times and we hope that doughnut tastes good to the city because it has put a bad taste in our mouth — Editor.