By Miles Layton

PLYMOUTH — After a shooting and a curfew left Plymouth asking for prayers, Mayor Crystal Davis answered with a call to keep praying, speak life, and stand together.

Davis and Mayor Pro Tem Donsenia Teel delivered the message in a video of just over four minutes posted to social media Monday night.

Davis said she and Teel had been reading social media posts in the days after the shooting. Some were from residents, she said, and some were not.

“We saw multiple statuses on social media, and some of these statuses came from people that lived here and people that don’t live here in Plymouth,” Davis said. “But what we noticed that stood out the most is the statement over and over and over again that says, ‘Pray for Plymouth.’”

Davis said the message did not sit right with her. She answered it directly.

“We are not the people of Plymouth that are a lost cause. We are not a lost cause,” she said. “We are not a town that has gone that far that we need people in places, other places, to be fearful and have pity on us. That’s not us, people of Plymouth.”

She then offered a different message for residents to use.

“We say, Plymouth, keep praying,” Davis said.

Davis said the town’s strength comes from its past and its families.

“We must not forget we were built on our forefathers’ endurance, pressure, some scratches and scrapes and bumps along the way, but we have family values, love, and our grandparents’ prayers,” she said.

Mayor asked residents to change how they talk about the town, and she pointed to Scripture to explain why.

“We have to stop speaking — saying there’s a dark cloud over this town. Stop it,” Davis said. “We have to stop giving that life, for we know that life lies.” Teel broke in, “Power of the tongue.”

Mayor repeated the point and addressed residents directly.

“So think about it, guys. You know you got to speak life, because life and death does lie in the power of your tongue,” Davis said. “We must begin to speak life into this town and speak life into each other, people of Plymouth. We must unify. We must lift each other up.”

Davis acknowledged how many people have been affected by recent events. She asked residents to keep a larger view.

“Despite all that’s happened in the last few weeks, I want you to be mindful, people of Plymouth. Plymouth is not being punished. Plymouth is being positioned,” she said.

She also addressed the idea that the video was meant to promote the town’s leaders.

“Some will say in this video that we’re making it about us, right? We must remind you again: it’s bigger than us,” Davis said. “We are not here to prove anything to anyone, but we are here to protect anything and everything that God’s placed in our hands.”

Amen!

Davis said the message was not aimed at any one group of residents.

“This not about race, social class, religion, or heck even politics,” she said. “This about asking the community to stop finger pointing and unify. Let’s focus on some solutions as a whole, versus further separating and causing more problems.”

Davis posed the question to viewers.

“Can we do that, people of Plymouth? Can we unify and put Plymouth back in position?” Davis said.

Mayor said the two leaders were asking residents to help return the town to better standing.

“So that’s what we’re asking you today. We’re asking you to unify and put our town back on the map. We’re not that lost,” Davis said. “We’re gonna ask you guys tonight to unify and speak life into each other, speak life in our city and Plymouth because we believe in our town. We fight hard for the city because we believe in Plymouth.”

She closed that portion of the video with a direct request.

“People applaud for asking that they unify. Will you do that with us?” Davis said.

Before the statement on the town’s image, Teel and Davis spent part of the video on early voting. Teel noted that polls were about to close for the evening and explained the hours.

“Early voting is going on. It’s going on right now. In fact, it’s a the polls is about to close now because it’s from eight o’clock to seven thirty p. m. Okay, that’s giving everybody the opportunity to go out and early vote,” Teel said.

She said residents who are not registered can still sign up during the early voting period, but not on Election Day.

“If you’re not registered to vote, you can you can register during early voting. Now on November the third, you cannot,” Teel said. She advised voters to check their status. “You need to check to see if you have not voted in the last three elections. You need to check to make sure you’re active.”

Teel said election workers can fix a lapsed status on the spot.

“So if you’re not active, they can make you active and you can vote,” she said. “Voting is very important. This is an important election, so go vote.”

Teel encouraged residents not to wait until Election Day.

“But you’re gonna go ahead on out because we don’t know what’s gonna happen between now and November the third,” she said. “So it’s best to go ahead and vote now.”

Davis said she and Teel had both voted.

“Absolutely, and I voted. Um, today I voted,” Davis said. “So we’re asking you guys to come out and exercise your right to vote. Your vote does matter.”

The video ended with both leaders repeating the call to vote and to come together.

“Y’all have a good night. Exercise your right to vote. Unify. Love each other,” Davis said.

I’ll say it — Mayor Davis and Pro Tem Teel are right, perfectly capturing the spirit of a town and people who’ve conquered adversity time and time again since its founding in 1787. Undaunted, Plymouth will unify and charge forward to embrace the future.