Mike Murphy is a centrist running for congress in Georgia’s 13th District. Watching the Democratic primary will be interesting because Rep. David Scott has been strong in the past. Options for the voters are always healthy for the process.
I had the honor of submitting a Guest Column that ran in today’s Augusta Chronicle.
We can all embrace limited government and personal responsibility
Guest Columnist
Why is there so much resistance among a large number of African-Americans to the idea of limited government?
Is it because of its association with a party they are disproportionately not affiliated with? From a pragmatic point of view, if businesses were able to operate in the most efficient manner with as little government intervention as possible so they can grow and become more profitable, that would be reasonable.
Personal responsibility is another term that conjures negative images among many African-Americans, with its association to one political party. How and when did this happen?
I grew up in a household where we had to make up our beds before we came to the table for breakfast. The notion of lounging around the house with our pajamas on, on a Saturday, was not going to happen. Each of us (I have three siblings) had responsibilities and chores, and there was no discussion about that.
There is something liberating to me about personal responsibility. I remember having a baby-sitting job in my early years so I could have my own money. I also recall applying for and receiving scholarships and grants for college so my parents would have to fork out as little money as possible to help me, which allowed my siblings at home to have more. As long as I am able, I am going to do my part. I believe most people think the same way. But somewhere over the years, I believe too many of our elected officials have gotten in the way.
THIS COLUMN was not written to debate the argument of having government-funded social programs or the need for them. I believe we are all aware of those conversations and have heard them ad nauseam . But with all of the divisiveness and in-fighting among our national political leaders and political parties, I don’t see many of the social issues decreasing, do you?
Here are some statistics plaguing the African-American community.
– Black males lead the nation in incarceration. According to the Schott Foundation for Public Education, about 60 percent of Georgia black male high school students don’t graduate.
– In 2009, Richmond County had 26 murders; 15 of the victims (57 percent) were black men. In that same year, of those murders, 17 of the victims (65 percent) were black. Eighty-two percent of those arrested for these murders were black men.
– The largest number of people contracting HIV/AIDS is African-American women.
– In 2009, 77 percent of the known people having abortions in Richmond County were African-American women.
– Georgia has the eighth-highest teen birth rate in the nation.
l Richmond County has two ZIP codes in the top 10 with the highest number of incarcerated prisoners — 30906 and 30901.
There is simply not enough progress in resolving these social ills. It seems to be getting worse. With these statistics, ask yourself: Do you think they are going to get better if we maintain the same type of thinking or if we continue doing the same thing we have been doing? I think not.
This Thursday, April 15, there will be an event at Augusta Common — the Augusta Tea Party. Thousands of people will attend, and you probably also will be able to count on four hands the number of African-Americans present. What’s wrong with that picture?
Are there some overzealous individuals who may say and do things that are offensive and a little extreme? Maybe. Will there be talk against President Obama and Democrats? I would think so. There also will be discontented people who will have a lot to say about most of our congressmen — no matter their political affiliation.
But will the primary message of the Augusta Tea Party on Thursday be limited government and personal responsibility? I think so. Why? Because those are two cornerstones of the conservative ideology. And, yes, there are more conservatives associated with Tea Parties than anyone else. But why does it have to be that way?
LET’S LOOK BEYOND the negative images the national media project about Tea Parties. Let’s look beyond party affiliations and put our affiliation blinders on. What if we did something different? What if we embraced and implemented this train of thought of limited government and personal responsibility for, say, 30 days? Statistics have shown that when one does something for 30 days, it can become a habit.
What do you think would happen? Would the mind-set of an individual change a little? What would be the harm in taking personal responsibility and taking safer precautions with sex? Or encouraging kids that getting an education is really cool? Or finding a better way of dealing with anger and jealousy, and turning the other cheek?
What do we have to lose by trying and doing something a little different so we can better address the concerns that plague African-Americans?
Look at the big picture. Listen to the message of limited government and personal responsibility. I don’t believe these concepts should be a political or divisive issue because they affect all of us. Ask yourself: Is there a way I can wrap my arms around these concepts, along with what I already believe?
I am asking you to step out of your comfort zone and expand your thinking to embrace concepts you’ve never considered before.
I’m not talking about changing your political party, because frankly I believe it’s political parties, in part, that have gotten us in the mess we’re in now. I believe they have helped cloud our ability to engage in a civic dialogue too. It’s time to start bridging divides.
But I do want you to think about the statistics I’ve shared. Consider the questions I’ve raised, and try the 30-day exercise I’ve described. What do we have to lose?
(The writer is an Augusta entrepreneur and the host of a local radio talk show.)
Posted in African Americans, augusta, Georgia, politics | Tagged African Americans, Augusta Tea Party, Blacks, bridging divides, Conservatives, diversity, Limited Government, Personal Responsibility, tea party | 5 Comments »
The new Kotex Commercials are genius because they poke fun at unrealistic marketing. At some point in our political past, candidates begin hiring Madison Avenue ad-men to flex and bend the mindset of the electorate and they funded this media with money from lobbyists.
We should prep for another election year of ad blitzes with candidates in denim shirts trying to seem folksy or sitting around a pancake house listening to regular salt of the earth people. Oh yeah, the spots with the candidates surrounded by smiling children are obligatory because the children are the future.
The last good time I was really impressed was an interview with the junior Senator from Illinois. A reporter asked Obama what he was going to do to solve a complex old problem and BHO said, “I don’t know…there is no easy answer.” Wow, that was refreshingly real.
So, I want to write a Kotex-style ad for a congressional candidate:
“Hi, I am running for congress and you likely never heard of me because I am not connected or rich nor did I attend a major college with legions of supporters. I am just a regular guy seeking to improve America by keeping it agonizingly real.
The truth is we as a nation are growing soft and lazy. We aren’t 10% the people our grandparents were. Many of our children are screwing up at school and don’t think about asking them to do chores. As those weak kids become young adults, they weaken the workforce and America’s position in the global economy while the developing world blows pass us. Ironically, the best and brightest among them are in danger in the military or walking across any American street. That Orman lady is right: we go into debt to buy things to impress people who don’t care about us. If you want to know the problem, you should look in a mirror.
The limited role of government is to create a fair and level playing field—giving everyone a chance to compete and achieve. If you don’t prosper, again mirror.
I approve this message; I said it, meant it and I am here to represent it.
Posted in politics | Tagged ads, Commercials, Congress, jobs, Obama | 1 Comment »
For some odd reason, I find myself eager to apply high school physics (Einstein’s Theory of Relativity) to congressional politics and policy.
In physics, the principle of relativity is the requirement that the equations have the same form in all admissible frames of reference. Frame of reference may refer to a coordinate system or set of axes within which to measure the position, orientation and other properties of objects. A postulate of Einstein’s Special Relativity states that the laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion relative to one another.
This nerdy stuff comes to mind as I view the southern congressional arena and fail to understand what’s what. It makes no sense but then again politics rarely does. A pundit recently referred to the angry part of the electorate as “Super Americans’’ who seem to feel that they are twice or three times more American than others. To me, they are good people whose minds have been polluted by skillful manipulators. “How dare their votes count equally as mine.” So, the opposite of Super Americans would be the people who elected the current president and Democrat Congress. The funny thing about Super Americans is that their fiscal and policy views are actually sound but their methods unfair and divisive.
With relativity in mind, I observe members of congress and congressional candidates with respectful complexity. For example, Georgia Rep. Jack Kingston serves the conservative majority of his district yet debates liberals point by point. That is fair but what’s not fair are other conservatives living in moderate districts that seem to ignore the views and numbers of the majority. A Blue Dog Democrat can win reelect by a sizeable margin yet the minority will protest that he doesn’t listen to them. While conservatives are at time small in numbers, they always vote and generally are more financially successful than others.
Anyone saying that moderate congressmen are not listening to rich voters must be nuts. The better argument would be poor members of the majority who receive less political attention because they don’t vote. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
The Atlanta Constitution newspaper recently reported that Rep. Kingston has soften his tone on repealing healthcare reform because he wants to be honest about the chances of repeal after the coming elections. Kingston now speaks of keeping positive provisions and gutting the questionable parts.
I personally like to view congressional actions relative to several factors. For example, Texan Rep. J.J. Pickle vote for the Civil Rights Act was courageous relative to the mood of his southern district in the 1960s. Today, Blue Dogs are targets of conservatives who want to take the congress but why not honesty admit that those same Blue Dogs have supported many conservative programs and policies over the objections of their national political party and local base.
Super Americans and other rocket scientists should consider a member of congress’s voting record relative to the prevailing opinions of that congressional district. During this holy period, thoughts turn to Jesus and the story of the Widow’s Mite. While rich people gave much money, the small amount from the widow was great relative to her holdings. Without cheapening this important story, elected officials’ past courage and relative position in the political spacetime continuum should be taken into consideration when analyzing their actions.
As a centrist, I welcome the opportunity to help anyone understand moderation and the political center. Moderates also include officials who must delicately balance service to diverse populations. Some people see politics as an exciting battle or contest with clear winners and losers. I have in the past and will continue engaging in reasonable debates and discussions with a range of actors on the political stage. Sunlight, reason and logic will hopeful prevail over darkness, fear and manipulation.
Posted in politics | Tagged blue dogs, Congress, Georgia | Leave a Comment »
Wiley Brown, head coach at Indiana Southeast and former Louisville basketball star, grew up literally across the street from me. We looked up to him because he was 6’8” and because he was a standup guy. I like to think he honed his skills on the whole court in my backyard—it was dirt but still a whole court. Brown and my sister were classmates and both basketball players but her tryout as a walk-on at Georgia Tech didn’t last a week.
When I asked Wiley what should I do about my socks not staying up, he said use rubber bands liked the varsity. In 1980, Brown and the Louisville Cardinals won the NCAA National Champion but dude never got the bighead. A few years ago, he was an assistant coach with Louisville and called my sister and her husband to offer tickets to their game against UNC Charlotte. Since my brother in law is a pastor and sports fan, Brown asked him if he would like to speak to the team and meet coach Rick Pitino before the game. After the brief devotional, Brown asked the pastor if he would like to hold a clipboard and sit with them on the bench. How cool is that? He declined and sat with my sister.
The moral of the story is: when you get married, you miss out on cool stuff. I would have been on that bench and in the huddle during each timeout.
For the second time in my life, I will be cheering for Duke this weekend. You know Duke has that whole Boston Celtic/Nerds v. Homeboys thing popping. But, Wiley Brown’s late teammate Derek Smith is the father of Duke’s Nolan Smith. An article in the local newspaper today says that Smith and Brown created the high-five back in the day. Who knew? The only other time I cheered for Duke was during the Grant Hill era. Hill is just good people.
Things have changed on East Lee Street in 30 years. This street has produced many PHDs, Master’s degrees and military honors from modest homes paid for with real sweat. When I pickup lottery tickets and cigar wrappers today (you know what the kids do with Blunts), the youth don’t even speak. Old ladies can’t sit on their porches because the ugliest language in the world gets pumped out of car stereos and foul mouths. The last time Brown was home I told him we had some good point guards in the area and he looked like “now tell me about their mindset and attitude.” At the end of the day, team sports are about building character and winning at life. Some cats aren’t team players. Personally, I played on the tennis squad–a squad is a group of individuals from the same school.
Blue Dogs who voted against the healthcare bill are on the squad—not a team. These local point guards are brilliant raw talents (like Iverson) but can they function inside the team concept. There is no “I” in team and but their is a “u” in squad. Okay, that doesn’t really mean anything.
Posted in politics | Tagged Duke, Louisville, NCAA | 6 Comments »
While listening to Marketplace on National Public Radio this week, I was surprised to learn that the guy from the Free Credit Report T.V. ad campaign is French Canadian. He sounds nothing like the All-American voice of the person who actually singing in the ads.
That situation got me thinking about the “grassroots” of political debates in this country. People are bad as hell and rightfully so because the diet of information in their ears would lead anyone to certain conclusions and opinions.
But, not so fast. We must consider the agendas ($$$) of those who would prod and push this great nation toward another civil war. My life-long friends are basically good people but when they hear something over and over again it must be true because they heard it over and over again. I am personally concerned with our mounting debt with China and to learn that a Chinese company now owns Volvo. I have had five Volvos and wanted to one day purchase a new one but with “no money it’s still a wish” as Rakim rapped.
Real people with real concerns is a real problem for officeholders. But, what is really real is that the Machiavellian brains behind movements on both ends of the political spectrum are at it again. They are about job creation and job protection—theirs. To achieve their goals, they will stop at nothing. Thomas Jefferson said the institution of slavery was like having a tiger by the tail—you don’t want to hold on but you can’t let go.
To me the current congress is in a similar situation. The Democrats know spending is out of control but the interest groups who support them want their goodies. The Republicans have the powerful Tea Party Movement in their corner but those guys are not along for the ride; they want to drive. If the TPM doesn’t drive, the GOP can get ran over.
So the Free Credit Report guy Eric Violette actually sounds like French President Nicolas Sarkozy and my friends who live on misinformation are sounding like Che Guevara. It’s going to be an interesting summer and eventful fall. They should listen to NPR more before they explode in anger. Doesn’t healthcare reform cover that and how much is the co-pay. Okay, I must admit that I thought “why can’t more Americans be cool like that band on the credit report ad.”
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/03/26/mm-freecredit/
Albany Herald columnist Carlton Fletcher wrote a great piece on a related subject in yesterday’s paper.
http://www.albanyherald.com/opinioncolumns/headlines/89337507.html
Posted in politics | Tagged albany, anger, healthcare, NPR, tea party | 2 Comments »
Like Jill Scott, Angie Stone and Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu is a straight-up artist who puts a message in her music and compels us to think. Her new song “Window Seat” blew me away and even included a nod to blues guitar great Lightning Hopkins. I am proud to say that Hopkins has been featured on the music tab on this blog since day one. Badu will always leave you thinking. What’s with the JFK assassination vibe in the video? Could I date a sista with that many tats on that beautiful brown skin? Has Badu aged a day?
She ends the video with a monologue that seems to be aimed at some extreme elements from her native Texas but I better leave that alone. Wouldn’t it be cool to sit on a back porch in the Lone Star state with Badu and her friends and have a long island ice tea party featuring music by Sam Lightning Hopkins. I would love to attend that Tea Party.
so, in my mind I’m tusslin’
back and forth ‘tween here and hustlin’
I don’t wanna time travel no mo
I wanna be here
I’m thinking
on this porch I’m rockin’
back and forth light lightning Hopkins
if anybody speak to Scotty
tell him beam me up….
http://pinboard.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/window_seat2.jpg
Window Seat—Badu
http://universalmotown.com/videos/playlist.aspx?plid=1457712391&v=76010451001&aid=0
Sam Lightning Hopkins
UPDATE: What the hell. I thought Badu did that video as a “shoot” with actors. It turns out that she just did it with tourists and kids walking around. That might be a little too much. Below is the speech she makes at the end of the video.
They play it safe, are quick to assassinate what they do not understand. They move in packs, ingesting more and more fear with every act of hate on one another. They feel most comfortable in groups; less guilt to swallow. They are us; this is what we have become, afraid to respect the individual. A single person within our circumstance can move one to change, to love herself, to evolve.
Posted in African Americans, politics | Tagged African Americans, Badu, hip hop, music, tea party, texas | 2 Comments »
I watched NCAA basketball, Ken Burns’ Civil War and the healthcare reform debate on T.V. yesterday. Options and strategy came to mind involving all three.
At Gettysburg, General Robert Lee called for Pickett’s Charge when everyone could see that a second plan of action or inaction was needed. An officer in the field must assess the situation and make wise decisions. On the second day at Gettysburg, Union General Joshua Chamberlain had his Maine’s 20th Infantry troops pivoted like a barn door on the hill known to history as Little Round Top. This flanking maneuver stopped the 15th Alabama Infantry.
In basketball, the “Dropstep” is a classic pivot move for a big player with his or her back to the rim. The player must decide if he should do a sky-hook, turn and face the defender, drive to the basket or (if the double team comes) pass the ball out to an open teammate for a three-point shot. The Dropstep move to the rim is a classic because the first step makes defending or blocking the shot difficult.
With votes against healthcare reform, many Democrat members of congress made their first big step toward this year’s elections. However, cumbersome southern GOP is likely not flexible enough to assess their options and execute a move to score. That assessment involves analysis of their strengths and weaknesses as well as those of their opponents. Is he out of position?
Great generals and ball players also notice and exploit problems and confusion with the other side like General Washington crossing the Delaware River when his opponents were celebrating the holidays. Democrats who voted against the healthcare reform legislation had genuine concerns with cost and the size of government. They knew the November elections would be fine because their GOP opponent would be someone angry and off-putting to moderate voters. If the GOP has smarter coaches, they would give the voters approachable options since some view those Democrats as Benedict Arnolds.
The GOP has a big man with his back to the goal that is shadowed by a tough defender. The move would be kick the ball out to a three-point shooter if you have some of them on their team.
The Drop Step
Posted in Georgia, politics | Tagged basketball, Congress, democrats, GOP, healthcare, NCAA | Leave a Comment »
I saw Annie Leonard on The Steven Colbert Show and she makes some interesting points.
Posted in politics | Tagged earth, enviroment, oil, retail, walmart, waste | Leave a Comment »
In my Black college dorm, we played Nineteen to death when we were nineteen and sworn that the “none of them received a hero’s welcome” part would never happen again. We must appreciate the military and be prepared for their return to civilian life.
A veteran once told me that the hero’s welcome part was not true because they came back over time rather than at one time like World War II. In D.C., the Desert Storm welcome home event included Nam Vets. That was the best July 4th weekend ever.
I had to add Billy Joel’s Good Night Saigon.
Posted in politics | Tagged military, troops, veterans, Vietnam | Leave a Comment »
Mrs. Juanita Goggins froze to death alone recently in South Carolina and reading her story was hard. She was the first Black woman elected to the state House and a pioneer in public service.
We must respect and protect our senior population and value them as the community’s most prized resources. It hurts my heart to see young people using the worst imaginable language near senior women. These women, many of whom lost their husbands years earlier, barricade themselves in their homes at night and during the day in fear of half-raised neighborhood thugs—but White folks are the biggest concern for the community. Right.
I am pleased to say that I have always been a person who got taught when the old school people were sharing knowledge and wisdom on the block, in the church parking lot or the barbershop. Since I have lived long enough to become old school myself, there is a natural obligation to share also but the homies aren’t interested. They learn from rap videos and end up with an entitlement mentality and a lust for silver and gold. “Seek ye first…”
Kids in our community are eager to start families with people they barely know while the parents who raised them are still on the struggle. While the following statement is likely a stereotype, you must admire the Asian culture in America because the family unit functions as a cohesive operation—like a small business. My Black brothers complain about the Indian and Korean businesses in the community but I say learn from their model.
Before starting a new family, our kids should take care of the seniors who let us stand on their shoulders. They fought the good fight but now fight people who look like them and face neglect. Family life would be much nicer if marry couples had their first child after the marriage solidified and after they were finished being young. I say 24 years old is a good number. Between 18 and 24, we should be checking on the seniors and learning from them. Respect your elders….even when you get old.
The worst feeling in the world is putting off seeing about the seniors and learning that it is too late—-you selfish bastard. I hope the rims and tims were worth it and stop leaving your kids for your parents to raise. Those parents might find themselves with little savings at retirement age. Retirement, what retirement.
No one can say that I didn’t make the seniors around me priority one. Matthew 19:19 “Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Bible verse and cuss words in the same paragraph; let’s us say I am a work in progress and the senior are still busy molding.
http://www.heraldonline.com/2010/03/08/1999622/goggins-blazed-trail-for-black.html
Posted in politics | Tagged African Americans, Blacks, elderly, parenting, senior citizens, youth | Leave a Comment »
Oprah got robbed at the Oscars back in the day and Margaret Avery, the woman who played Shug Avery, got robbed also. The rapper Jadakiss rapped about why Hallie Berry had to let (look it up) to win an Oscar and why Denzel had to be crooked before he took it. While Monique earned her award for Precious, I am afraid she did such a fine job that I can’t see the movie. Rough movie situations get to me and I just getting over watching Jennifer Hudson get beat down in the Secret Life of Bees.
Marisa Tomei won an Oscar for My Cousin Vinny and that is cool because she started her acting career at the fictitious black college on TV’s A Different World but the role was a little thin. The political candidate message from this blog post is “get while the getting is good” because timing is every thing—ask President Obama. If you want to run for congress or run from congress, gut feelings should be your guide. If you have a shot like Monique and Oprah, take it because the opportunity might never come again. You can’t run for congress in rural Georgia if you can quote the Bible and the Color Purple.
Oprah got robbed but things turned out fine for her anyway. Margaret Avery is a classic example of real beauty and have you seen how well she is aging.
“You told Harpo to beat me.”
“Sat in that jail…sat in that jail ‘til I near ‘bout done rot to death.”
“I knowed there is a God.”
Posted in Georgia, politics | Tagged African Americans, Monique, Obama, oprah, Oscars, Precious | Leave a Comment »
Watergate was an unnecessary mess because Nixon was winning anyway. In politics and policy, you have different layers and levels of involvement. The average American voters wants the nation to function better. Then, you have your issue activists and party enthusiasts who mean well but tend to get carried away and swear that the other side is never correct.
I am ticked-off with the Blue Dogs who supported Bush 41 and Bush 43 when these presidents were somewhat right yet those same conservative Democrats aren’t turning to the GOP members with whom they worked in the past and saying “come on fellows…not all of these ideas are bad.”
The most dramatic level of politics and policy would be the professionals who earn a living from the conflict—more mess, more money. I am one southerner who has grown weary of fighting for fighting sake.
To the people I know in the GOP, you can win in November on the issues but resorting to fear, hate and traditional ugliness is unbecoming and counterproductive. Your team should notice how Rep. Paul Ryan, Mario Rubio and even Senator Isakson debate and voice opposition constructively. The worst-case scenario would be the continue use of techniques and methods similar to the hate-baiting from our past. It is interesting that some of those “win at all cost” political leaders of the past had righteous transformation before going to glory and explain what they did for opportunistic purposes. Of course, the same can be said about folks on our side. To feed your family, a hater got to do what a hater got to do.
Earlier this year, President Obama told the both sides that they should be careful how they debate because the average Americans is going to start believing that they really hate each other. Newsflash: they don’t; it’s political theater. While they sincerely hate the issues and the growing debt, I don’t think there is a member of the Georgia congressional delegation who “hates” another member.
The wildcard factor is the successful division of the media that “stays paid” from the conflict. I want to say that I have recently learned that this division is not really journalists but some new form of political commentators for entertainment—Rush, Glenn, Michelle, Ed, Keith, Rachael. (Thank you Glenn Beck for explaining it.) Can the average American separate political entertainment from Cronkite-style journalism. Cronkite and Brinkley would turn to another camera and the words “commentary” would appear across the bottom of the screen.
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe today, they did a report about a coming RNC insider effort to drive donations with fear and boy won’t it work. But, playing this card from your sleeve is not needed when the cards in your hand are not that bad. Can you see why centrists support the few sensible people on the Right? The old Chinese proverb goes “it is better to light a single candle than curse the darkness.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/vp/35706805#35706805
March 4: Msnbc’s Joe Scarborough offers his take on an RNC fundraising document, obtained by Politico, that encourages the use of “fear” and “negative feelings” to solicit donations.
Posted in Conservative, Georgia, politics, Republican | Tagged blue dogs, Glenn Beck, Obama, RNC, Scarborough | 5 Comments »
I was reading some of the latest status updates on my Facebook a little while ago and ran across something I thought was a little interesting. A Fan page for The Coffee Party. Say what? So naturally, my curiosity got the best of me and took a peek. But that was after I contacted my friend, Gareth Fenley, who sent me the invite to be a Fan in the first place. Gareth and I share similar interests in the mental health arena. After reading the brief amount of information on the Fan page, I went to a New York Times article that really captured my attention. Part of title of the article had two words that fit who I am and have been about for years – civic participation. I knew they were talking my language. And the other part is that civic participation is a key component of my new book slated to be released in early May 2010. So as I read further in the article I realized that I had to share this with you. The article can be read below. Enjoy!
Coffee Party, With a Taste for Civic Participation, Is Added to the Political Menu
By KATE ZERNIKE
Fed up with government gridlock, but put off by the flavor of the Tea Party, people in cities across the country are offering an alternative: the Coffee Party.
Growing through a Facebook page, the party pledges to “support leaders who work toward positive solutions, and hold accountable those who obstruct them.”
It had nearly 40,000 members as of Monday afternoon, but the numbers were growing quickly — about 11,000 people had signed on as fans since the morning.
“I’m in shock, just the level of energy here,” said the founder, Annabel Park, a documentary filmmaker who lives outside Washington. “In the beginning, I was actively saying, ‘Get in touch with us, start a chapter.’ Now I can’t keep up. We have 300 requests to start a chapter that I have not been able to respond to.”
The slogan is “Wake Up and Stand Up.” The mission statement declares that the federal government is “not the enemy of the people, but the expression of our collective will, and that we must participate in the democratic process in order to address the challenges we face as Americans.”
Local chapters are planning meetings in cities from Washington to San Antonio to Los Angeles (where there have been four in the last month.) The party (coffeepartyusa.org) is planning nationwide coffee houses for March 13, where people can gather to decide which issues they want to take on and even which candidates they want to support.
This summer, Ms. Park said, the party will hold a convention in the Midwest, with a slogan along the lines of “Meet Me in the Middle.” The party has inspired the requisite jokes: why not a latte party, a chai party, a Red Bull party? But Ms. Park said that while the Coffee Party — and certainly the name — was formed in reaction to the Tea Party, the two agree on some things, like a desire for fiscal responsibility and a frustration with Congress.
“We’re not the opposite of the Tea Party,” Ms. Park, 41, said. “We’re a different model of civic participation, but in the end we may want some of the same things.”
The Tea Party argues for stripping the federal government of many of its roles, and that if government has to be involved, it should be mostly state governments.
“The way I see it,” Ms. Park said, “our government is diseased, but you don’t abandon it because it’s ill. It’s the only body we have to address collective problems. You can’t bound government according to state borders when companies don’t do that, air doesn’t. It just doesn’t fit with the world.”
Still, she said, “we’ve got to send a message to people in Washington that you have to learn how to work together, you have to learn how to talk about these issues without acting like you’re in an ultimate fighting session.”
Ms. Park and chapter organizers said they would invite Tea Party members to join their Coffee counterparts in discussions. “We need to roll up our sleeves, put our heads together and work it out,” she said. “That’s, to me, an American way of doing this.”
Born in South Korea, Ms. Park moved to Houston when she was 9 and worked in the taco stand her parents bought there, which she said helps her understand average Americans.
“We encountered racism, yes, but the majority of people were kind, they were good people, they were like our family,” she said. “I understand where they are coming from.”
Eileen Cabiling, who founded the Los Angeles chapter, said she had campaigned for President Obama, but paid little attention to politics until the Tea Party convention and Mr. Obama’s State of the Union speech, where he rebuked Congressional Democrats and Republicans alike for their inability to move on legislation.
“I had withdrawn in campaign fatigue,” Ms. Cabiling said. “I was like, what happened?”
Only 2 people came to the first meeting, she said, but 30 came Sunday, including some Tea Party members, who she said could agree with their more caffeinated counterparts on some things.
“This is about recognizing that the government represents us,” Ms. Cabiling said, “so we need to step to the plate and start having a voice and start acting like bosses.”
Posted in politics | 4 Comments »
Newsweek’s Evan Thomas recently wrote that the political system is not the problem; the problem to him is the entitlement mentality and softness of the American people. I have been saying for years that protesters shouldn’t confront elected officials while ignoring the voters who put them in office. The officeholders are doing what the majority told them to do.
At times, the majority can be flat wrong, i.e. slavery and Jim Crow. Ralph Nader’s Green Party and the Libertarian Party both have good points but the majority prefers to hang with the two usual suspects parties. If America followed the energy plans outlined my President Carter after the Arab Oil Embargo, we might have avoided our deep involvement in the Middle East. If we followed our doctor’s directions on diet and exercise…if we listened to Suzy Orman the first time we read her advice…if we paid attention in school and church. The list goes on and on.
We have waited for a Blue Dog Democrat or a sensible Republican who speaks directly and plainly to the people about reducing governmental spending by reducing actions and activities that created the problems in the first place. Oh, the Tea Partiers will do it in a second but it needs to come from someone stern yet considerate. In Georgia, the GOP is sleeping on several Black women congressional candidates who would be brilliant at getting directly to the point. In my community, tea is best served sweet and cool.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/234267
Government is Not the Problem: Evan Thomas, Newsweek
The problem is not the system. It’s us—our “got mine” culture of entitlement. Politicians, never known for their bravery, precisely represent the people. Our leaders are paralyzed by the very thought of asking their constituents to make short-term sacrifices for long-term rewards
Posted in African Americans, Conservative, Georgia, politics | Tagged African Americans, blue dogs, Michelle Obama, Newsweek, tea party | Leave a Comment »
I received the following Media Alert today about an important initiative that deals with one of the fastest-growing and addicting drugs ever to hit the state of Georgia and beyond. I took special notice to the two high profile Elected officials who have teamed up to unveil this statewide prevention campaign next week. They are: Republican U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson and Democratic U.S. Attorney General Thurbert Baker. If you think about it, most if not all, issues that our elected officials must address impact a variety of people. Even those that are considered Republican, Democrat, Independent, Green, Liberterian or other. And no matter if one person voted for another. The prevalence of and the impact of Meth in Georgia is staggering and doesn’t target a particular political party of people. And such is the case with virtually every other social or economic challenge facing us today. It sure would be nice, and would be much more effective, if all of our elected officials, from Washington, DC to our local municipalities can work together, on causes that address people (constituents), no matter what one’s political affiliation. This initiative is an indicator that it can happen. And I do realize that is not an isolated event. But it needs to happen much, much more.
Georgia Meth Project – Media Alert sent by Jackson Spaulding
The Georgia Meth Project will launch its statewide prevention campaign—and unveil its innovative television, print, and outdoor advertising—at the Georgia State Capitol on Monday, March 8, 2010. The news conference will begin at 11 a.m.
The Honorable Johnny Isakson, United States Senator, and Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker will be joined by members of the Georgia Meth Project Advisory Council, substance abuse experts, and Georgia families whose lives have been impacted by Meth use.
The goal of the Georgia Meth Project is to significantly reduce first-time methamphetamine use in the state, and address the social and economic burden caused by Meth use in Georgia.
Posted in augusta, Conservative, Georgia, Independent, politics, Republican | Tagged bridge builder, diversity, Drugs, Georgia, Isakson, Meth, Thurbert Baker | 3 Comments »
Professional hockey player Jarome Iginla’s father is from Nigeria. While hockey is not my thing, I usually support Iginla until he plays for the Canadian National Team against the USA. Iginla’s assist to Crosby sealed the Olympic gold medal for our neighbors to the north and I threw down my hat.
From Robert E. Lee’s commitment to Virginia to Black American sports fans support of Iginla, we live in a world where the constant question is “Who you with” and the answer at times is surprising. Since 1865, many southerners have waited for the Confederacy to rise again; sentiments that seem as un-American as the ugliness that grows in the Middle East. The same people who continue to detest the northerners involved in the post-Civil War reconstruction are often the people who listen to national rhetoric that pits Georgian against Georgian today.
Like the lyrics to a gospel song or old blues tune, some people are sick and tired of constant fighting and bickering while others view such actions as second nature. The real competition is regions of this state and nation competing for scare economic development and jobs. New industries are reluctant to local or expand in places where hostile and division rule—simply locate in areas where people resolve difference in civil and professional ways. The fussing makes natives of certain areas flock away and leaves these areas full of those least prepared or inclined to improve conditions—Ray Ray ‘Nem.
An interesting discussion can grow from the balance between disagreement with elected officials and actions that seem almost treasonous. Of course, people often want to have governmental actions reflect the teachings and mandates of their faith but the Bible’s Romans 13:1 comes into the debate. At my church, this passage was interpreted to mean respect the laws that the government made because God made the government. Of course, some southerners have violently ignored the state and federal government in our troubled past.
America grew from so many different and varied roots that people have had to be patience as we sorted out policies and laws. At times, the Constitution seems like a blueprint for a more perfect nation and we are the builders. Black southerners fought for freedom for southeast Asia when their mothers could not use a public bathroom or drink from a water fountain. But, the same people would be hard pressed to name another part of the world where they would prefer living or a region in America better that the South. Atlanta’s population exploded for a reason. In the World Cup Soccer tournament, Team USA often plays African teams made up of people who look just like me. And “who am I with?” Don’t even play like that.
If a political candidate from my party can’t win, I am going to support the best candidate from the other side in the best interest of Georgia or the candidate with a history of bridge building. Of course, there are those who rubber-stamp our or their team no matter way.
Romans 13:1
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Posted in African Americans, Georgia, politics | Tagged African Americans, Blacks, hockey, Iginla, Olympics | Leave a Comment »
I think the congressional Republican leadership team has been reading this old blog in the cloakroom because they recently did exactly what I have been recommending to my Black GOP friends for years. At the health care summit, they tried like crazy to be nice and smile while seriously expressing their concerns. “And the Best Actor Oscar goes to…..”
On the other hand, my man President Obama was killing me with the whole using first names thing. Members of Congress were saying “Mr. President” and while he was saying John and Mitch. Joe Sixpack is at home in his Lazyboy talking about uppity this and arrogant that. It is all part of a diabolical plan and the White House doesn’t see it coming.
Old school folks know what time it is and I would strongly recommend that the first couple retire to the executive quarters, dig in their stacks of vinyl and play the O’Jays hit “Back Stabbers.” The lyrics apply to the Right, those on the far Left and some in the center. On the other hand, the Blue Dogs in the South might be humming the same tune when thinking about the WH and their party’s leadership. I can’t call it. The other O’Jays song that applies to politics is of course “For the Love of Money.”
Posted in Conservative, Georgia, politics | Tagged blue dogs, healthcare, Obama, republicans | Leave a Comment »
I received an email about a white sorority winning a national stepping competition and wondered what was the punchline. I saw the Deltas from FAMU at their national convention back in the day and they looked Tiger Woods-type better than anyone.
I was wrong. Zeta Tau Alpha brought that “hot fire” into the camp recently. I think they are girls with cheerleading and gymnastics background. No excuses; those girls are great. What can we do next in our community? Superbowl quarterback and coach, check. Supreme Court justice, check. President, check. Brilliant First Lady, check. Brothers in space, check.
Everyone earns a paycheck, next check. Maybe Black pope will be first.
http://newsone.com/nation/casey-gane-mccalla/white-sorority-wins-sprite-step-off-competition/
Posted in politics | Tagged AKAs, Blacks, college, sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha | 6 Comments »
If you know me, you don’t call me during Jeopardy, Lost, 24, and Grey’s Anatomy. The same is true with CBS’s Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes. Wynton Maralis’s trumpet fanfare that starts Sunday Morning is the ringtone on my cellphone. My friends (part Nerds, part roughnecks) say that if you ask a sister what channel is CNN, MSNBC, HGTV or the Travel Channel and she doesn’t know, move on to someone else. I bet she knows Lifetime Movie Network—the “what guys did wrong this time” channel.
We watch too much T.V. but some programming can be informative and uplifting. A kid being home-schooled in a remote location might receive a quality education from current channels if handled correctly. That’s it: create the Homeschool Network with four or five channels of the most effective teachers in the nation teaching the three Rs.—old school style and lunch is a Fried “Baloney” Sandwich. (Sorry, First Lady Obama).
My friend Karen Bogans and I were talking the other day and we wondered if there was a block in America where ten or so families created a home school in the community clubhouse and used the stay-at-home parents as teachers and the working parents taught classes relating to their careers before work, after work, during lunch or on their flex day. Retirees and military veterans could get a tax-break for sharing their vast knowledge. That idea seems voucher worthy and shovel-ready.
Sunday Morning’s story on people around the world and 60 Minutes’ Bloom Box segment are examples of what is right about T.V.
Posted in politics | Tagged cable, education, Georgia, homeschooling, Obama, TV, vouchers | 1 Comment »
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