If the rumor mill could spin cotton, the textile mills would have never closed.

Its industriousness is unbelievable, the yarn it spins, however, is polluted and vile.

I heard all the parade rumors last week, so many of them I just threw my hands up and shook my head.

This is the same rumor mill that gave us the one that Sheetz wasn't coming. That monolith at the intersection of Julian R. Allsbrook Highway and Old Farm Road, however, appears to be a Sheetz to me, the labels on the outside of the drywall indicate it is as well.

I watched the movie The Fountainhead late Monday afternoon, had never seen it all the way through. It made me think about the rumor mill, the difference between those who think for themselves and build and those who swim with the current and destroy.

I deduced the rumor-mongering to a couple of likely sources after receiving a couple of messages. My deductions, after talking to trusted sources, were that my hunches were nearly correct — an effort fueled by jealously, an effort to disrupt something that should be a source of community pride and spirit.

I'm sure the person or persons who started this rumor are smiling that they were able to get a few people to pull out of the parade because of their deception, their yarn that SWAT units were on their way to Roanoke Rapids. The rumors became so distorted that even the National Guard was coming to town to protect us against vendors selling candy apples and hot dogs, marching bands and floats.

The rumor mill doesn't think about community spirit, it doesn't think about building up — it only thinks about tearing down.

The stir that the rumor mill caused is appalling and, personally, I would like for them to come forward and identify themselves. They won't, however, because they are cowards, have nothing to spread but fear and those who fall for their sheer speculation, well, if I'm stepping on toes, so be it, you did just what they wanted you to do.

A community binds together, shows its strength and says we are not going to be bullied. A community sees this as just another way to spread fear when, as FDR said, there is nothing to fear but fear itself.

The rest of that quote talked specifically about the rumor mill and what it causes — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.

Had there been a plausible threat then perhaps we would have not been able to buy cotton candy, listen to bands and see our friends in the parade or at the parade. The authorities would have put the kibosh on the festivities and told us to stay inside until the threat was dealt with or eliminated.

Yet, we buy into the nameless few who want to ruin something good and positive for the rest of us.

Some cowered, some continued to spread rumors.

I feel sorry for those who buy into the ramblings, the gossip, the lies the rumor mill spreads for no other reason than they have nothing better to do, are petty people who get a charge out of causing chaos and fear.

On the Friday before the parade the city manager issued a statement specifically stating the rumors were unfounded, but a few chose to believe some wanton post, some random text message or email stating the sky would be falling and Armageddon would rain down on Roanoke Rapids like a plague.

They were the same ones who swore by Almighty God that a simple convenience store wouldn't be building here in Roanoke Rapids and it looks like to me they were way off the mark on that.

A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends, it says in Proverbs, but, unfortunately, even the Biblical adage and threats of tongues torn out won't keep the rumor mill from spreading its jealousy and fear-mongering.

Maybe one day we will understand that the more we pay attention to those who run the rumor mil, the only ones we are harming are ourselves.

It would be nice if the rumor mill themselves would do something positive, like a get a job, because they sure can spin some yarn — Lance Martin