To say I run to the hills when trouble is brewing may be a stretch. Let’s just say I walk cautiously, especially when the race card is being played.

I don’t like the race card and when it’s pulled from the deck let’s just say I have better things to do with my time.

I write this because this is what one of our frequent posters said when I called for comments to cease on why there was no mug shot to accompany the Tony Martin story Monday. There was also no mug shot on the stolen storm grate story that day.

Believe me, there was nothing nefarious or conspiratorial about why no mug shot appeared with the Martin story.

The simple reason was the Roanoke Rapids Police Department’s software that deals the press the mug shots was down at the time I was there looking at the report.

It was back up after the fact so if you want to see what Mr. Martin looks like you can go to WRAL’s very marginal account of the story and see the mug shot.

My only other option Monday was to pull a photo I had of Martin from the symphony reception in December and use that. I didn’t because his wife was posing with him and I’m not a fan of crop jobs just to satisfy the public’s curiosity of what someone looks like and not a fan of dragging someone else who is not charged into already troubled waters.

So after the last comment about the mug shot matter I decided it was time to steer the comments back to the matter at hand because it’s my website and my right as editor and publisher to do so.

Call it censorship if you will but there is a list of comment policies at the end of every story so you are commenting at your own risk. I am usually fairly liberal with the comments and don’t police them as I should because I feel adults should be able to police themselves.

The comment that forced my hand was this one and I quote it as it was posted — “Sometimes I wonder if black folks really don't (want) racism to go away .... then they wouldn't have anything to fall back on when they don't get their way ... It is too easy to pull the race card instead of working hard.”

The mug shot is not the issue in this story. Race is not the issue in this story. The issue is the alleged swindling of an elderly person so don’t bring race into the matter when race has nothing to do with this story.

Behind the scenes every day I filter out in notes quotes that take stories nowhere but are a part of every day cop speak: Two black males walking down the street are accosted by two white males; White female called to report her former boyfriend was on premises; One black man died in car crash.

There was a time in newspapers when this was standard fair but it’s not any more and the only time race comes into play for this website is when a full description of a suspect might lead to their capture for the safety of the public.

So, I would advise readers not to jump to conclusions about why one story may have a mug shot and the other doesn’t.

In this case it was a software problem and other times it is a booking issue with Roanoke Rapids, which doesn’t have a fulltime magistrate any more and officers have to travel to Halifax when a magistrate isn’t on duty in the city.

Just know when a mug shot is sent we will use them and if it’s not sent don’t automatically assume it’s because of a person’s race because when it comes to pulling the race card from the deck, we’re not playing — Lance Martin