After a minor debate, any doubt is gone: Adams County is getting a prison. Corrections Corporation of America confirmed the plans last week. So now what?

A number of people have made no bones about the fact that the prison will be a good thing for the area — money invested, jobs created, etc.

But the real benefits of the prison deal go beyond just the construction and startup. The prison signals a true change in Natchez and Adams County. The CCA deal came out of the private sector. The government wasn’t involved much.

A few members of the county leadership privately wooed another potential prison suitor, the GEO Group, while CCA was working with a private landowner. GEO presumably still hopes to locate a prison in the county if the company wins a federal contract. CCA says it will build immediately, contract or not.

But beyond all of the pros and cons (pardon the pun) of the prison deal, consider something interesting that happened as a result: A staggering majority supported the prison.

Despite what some politicians may think, the average Joe and Jill can think through issues and see what’s best for the community.

Citizens from all walks of life and all economic backgrounds stepped up and let their feelings be known.

They talked about the prison in the beauty shops and in the grocery stores. They chewed on the options at the bars and at the baseball fields.

And in the end the public stepped up to the plate and showed the leadership that some elected officials did not.

The fear of rejection, of potential vote loss and unpopular publicity, were just too great for some politicians.

Now many people will take credit, but a few brave souls deserve special recognition for their leadership.

Several people were so moved by the issue that they took time to write down their thoughts: Lynn Emfinger, Thelma Hill-Smith, Bruce Laird and Forest Persons.

They are just a few of the brave people who took a stand by writing impassioned letters to this newspaper.

We need more forward-looking public spokesmen.

Our community is an amazing place with a unique combination of great people, culture and natural resources.

But we sometimes lack a collective spirit, a determination to put differences aside and work on the big picture items together.

Many economic developers point to the success of Tupelo in north Mississippi. Tupelo’s success came from its people, not its elected officials.

People, not boards or politicians, make things happen.

After years of seeking suitors for the Natchez Convention Center hotel, a Katrina-relocated businessman came to Natchez, fell in love with the place and saw an opportunity.

The seed of progress was planted. Months later the hotel is going up faster than a corn stalk planted in fertile earth.

As in the prison deal, the good, commonsensical citizens need to begin talking about the future of the community. Anything is possible.

Look no further than the city of Madison, near Jackson. The city has flourished, not because of economic developers, but because of the culture and quality of life their citizens developed, then demanded be preserved.

Their leaders had the nerve to stand up to Wal-Mart and other retailers and say, “We’d love to have you here, but you’ve got to do it our way.”

Such vision begins rather simply, but it takes people pushing and pulling together. Perhaps some serious dialog is needed. We know we want economic growth and job creation, but what about specifics?

Do we want streamlined government and economic development plan?

Do we want a public-private partnership leading the way?

Do we want a true industrial park developed?

The options are limitless.

And the good brains of the good residents here can make amazing things happen. Let’s get our heads together and write our future.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com