You remember Roy Moore. He was the Alabama judge who was challenged by the ACLU for posting a copy of the Ten Commandments in his courtroom and began jury deliberations with a prayer for divine guidance. He became the personification of the movement in the United States to reduce the wall of separation between Church and State. Most people assumed that he has returned to well-deserved obscurity. Well guess again. As of last night, he is again the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.
Moore was not only known for his contempt for separation principles (a trend that I have written about) but his contempt for basic principles of the rule of law. He was removed after refusing to obey a federal judge’s order to remove a 5,200-pound granite Ten Commandments monument from the lobby of the Alabama Judicial Building. He was later investigated for the misuse of funds of Coral Ridge Ministries for his defense (though no charges were filed).
Moore was elected with the support of that towering legal figure, Chuck Norris, who called him a “true patriot.”
For his part, Moore told supporters last night to “go home with the knowledge that we are going to stand for the acknowledgment of God.” The crowd reportedly responded appropriately with “Amen.”
Source: AL.Com
ID, Life is too short to be a hater or negative..I’m a lover and I sense you are also.
A Mexican, a ten-dollar bill and a folding table makes a business. Hyperbole? Perhaps.
Free enterprise was never available to the black.
The white farmers and the white plantation owners kept the black from that. His sustenance was the land, day jobs, and his education need we not mention. Those who rose as a group were quashed, Wiki Wilmington, NC Insurrection (ca 1900). Servicing a market cheaper, but from a slightly lower position was not allowed, but quashed.
Our major black politician in NC is a descendant of a black doctor who quickly entered the black elite in 1900.
Catering to the black populations was the only alternative, and he became a millionaire with a retail chain doing just that.
Taking away a man’s honor leaves him with no pride of family. Is that right or only an excuse? ME and Indians will kill or suicide for honor. Religion?
Strict codes versus promised land expectations?
Musings only.
Lovely tour of the states, of places and minds found here.
NickS is a true tsster of life, but there are others too.
Apologies AP, You gave a source for text.
Anonymously Posted,
Thank you for the Barbara Jordan speech. Where did you get the text? Was it through the EVGONDEMAND.COM as given as source at the end of the video clip?
I post this hours later, and if for convenience, you see this and wish to answer, then you are welcome to send it to fallingpetals@jhushmail.com
Aaaa hee men, Aaaa men, A A men, Amen Amen
Halluluya, A aaa men, Aaaaa men a aa men a men a men
Sing it over
Mster Moore be comin, A aaa men
On Christmas morning, A aaa men
With his disciples, A aaa men
In Alabama, Aaaa men
People got religion, A aa amen
With real time Jesus, A aa men
etc.
Adaptation from a song in a certain movie starring a guy named Sidney.
“Some awfully judgemental folks here.” ….NickS…..
You are so right Nick S. But I only got skit for playing from yout position. It is in my opinion, a little game called self-esteem haussing through hopping on a given object. The same stuff that MikeS had to suffer as a kid.
So one laughs, ha ha, and joins in (as I did) or you protest as you did.
Just for now I’ll run with the pack. Reason; You have to prioritize your battles. At least if you need to and can do so. And to be honest, indulging my talent for debasing rhrough insult—meant as a defence from mobbing.
My admiration, your actions are noted.
Why can’t persons such as Mr. Moore just go away? Always someone wanting to resurrect the past, a phoenix of a most unwelcome kind.
The re-election in Alabama of a “judge” whose understanding of the Constitution is perverted at best is just another piece of evidence that the voters in Alabama are: ill informed, driven by bias that is in amicable to the Constitution and fail to appreciate that they were supposed to be electing a judge not a preacher. American meet one of the American mullahs who want to control this country and make it a theocracy.
That’s interesting about DFW. I’ve not spent a lot of time there. The problem I see w/ some northern urban areas is the lack of diversity in the black population. Until recently, there were few blacks in Madison, Wi. When I moved here in the mid 80’s very few. In the past couple of decades there has been another migration from Chicago and Milwaukee to Madison. So, all the experience many white folk around here have are w/ poor blacks. There is no middle class to speak of and certainly no affluent black families. Where I grew up in Ct. and when we lived in KC and Chicago there was the full socioeconomic spectrum. The result in Madison, although they would loathe to admit it, is a condescending paternalistic attitude toward black families and subtle and not so subtle prejudice. Combine the equally large influx of Hispanic[almost all Mexican] cuture during the same period. They have a much stronger family structure and an entrepeneurial spirit that poor black families don’t have. So, even w/ the language difference they have leaped over the black Madison culture quickly, creating resentment.
nick, No nirvana in Chicago, Philly or Detroit…..Believe it or not the DFW area has become a magnet for affluent African Americans.
The Warmth of Other Suns is a compelling book about the migration north in the eyes of a diverse group of black folk. They left a horrible place but certainly didn’t find Nirvana in the states many of you folks consider “better.” I urge those of you who haven’t read it to do so.
Mespo, I challenge you to name a state w/o a healthy dose of “dumb and ignorant” people. Maybe there are more in the states you progressives judge as inferior, but I wouldn’t bet a lot on that. I’ve been to every state but Hawaii, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota. I suppose if you encounter people you believe you are “superior” to then that will be a self fulllfulling prophecy. I treat people graciously which is an Italian trait. Almost always it’s returned. My inlaws were big golfers. They were both teachers so when they retired couldn’t afford Florida, Arizona for retirement. They love to golf and found the Biloxi/Gulfport area quite reasonable. Like San Diego where we spend winters, Biloxi is a summer resort and therefore cheaper in thee winter. They are progressive Cheeseheads and loved it down there. We visited a couple times and found it pleasant w/ great people and food, particularly seafood. Life and people are what you make it.
So to the extent that federal funds are involved, I presume we are all paying a little bit of money to support the belief in god and the use of that belief in the workings of the Supreme Court of the State of Alabama. Hmmmm. Render unto Caesar indeed…
Love Barbara Jordan, ap. -Swarthmore mom
Ditto. I miss her…
Love Barbara Jordan, ap. She could not attend the University of Texas Law School because of segregation. She later returned to teach at the University and died in Austin.
Alabama went for the Dems/Carter in 1976. Barbara Jordon gave the DNC keynote that year. It’s worth revisiting, IMHO:
http://youtu.be/sKfFJc37jjQ
An excerpt:
“And now, what are those of us who are elected public officials supposed to do? We call ourselves public servants but I’ll tell you this: we as public servants must set an example for the rest of the nation. It is hypocritical for the public official to admonish and exhort the people to uphold the common good. More is required of public officials than slogans and handshakes and press releases. More is required. We must hold ourselves strictly accountable. We must provide the people with a vision of the future.
If we promise as public officials, we must deliver. If we as public officials propose, we must produce. If we say to the American people it is time for you to be sacrificial; sacrifice. If the public official says that, we (public officials) must be the first to give. We must be. And again, if we make mistakes, we must be willing to admit them. We have to do that. What we have to do is strike a balance between the idea , the belief, that government ought to do nothing. Strike a balance.
Let there be no illusions about the difficulty of forming this kind of a national community. It’s tough, difficult, not easy. But a spirit of harmony will survive in America only if each of us remembers that we share a common destiny.
I have confidence that we can form this kind of national community.
I have confidence that the Democratic Party can lead the way. I have confidence. We cannot improve on the system of government handed down to us by the founders of the Republic, there is no way to improve upon that. But what we can do is to find new ways to implement that system and realize our destiny.
Now, I began this speech by commenting to you on the uniqueness of a Barbara Jordan making the keynote address. Well I am going to close my speech by quoting a Republican President and I ask you that as you listen to these words of Abraham Lincoln, relate them to the concept of national community in which every last one of us participates:
As I would not not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of Democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference is no Democracy. ”
http://www.elf.net/bjordan/keynote.html (full transcript)
Many of my travels through the U.S. were done in a series of cross-country meanderings in the 70’s. I was by appearances a full-fledged hippie, with hair to my shoulders, full beard and Mexican Wedding shirts open to almost my navel. What was amazing about those times was that in even the most conservative of States, such as Wyoming, the Dakotas and Utah, there was not one negative incident regarding my appearance and many wonderful accepting ones among the straight natives. Hatred and loathing of the other is not a genetic disposition, so much as it is the technique sociopaths use to control people. One of my closest and most long term friends is a classic Reagan Republican, yet there is not a racist, or homophobic bone in his body. It really is never about the politics, it is about who use politics for their self-aggrandizement.
I haven’t been to MN, NH, VT, WV, VA, NC, SC, ND, SD, MT, UT, ID, IN, MI and AK. Been everywhere else though. The only places I wouldn’t return to voluntarily are TX, AL, and GA. Not crazy about AR or OK either.
I’ve been to all 50 states and found something special in each of them. There are a few I’d avoid in the future and some I’d love to revisit. It’s easy to find really great people and real jerks everywhere. And if you’re finding only the jerks, spend your time appreciating the natural or architectural beauty of the place.
nick,
As a traveling minstrel I have spent time in every state in the continental U S. but I was in Alabama twice for music and 3 times for the Civil Rights movement. The music time was safe and fun, the Civil Rights time was scary and dangerous.
Mark,
you are correct that it is harder to keep the people in Alabama once they realize what they can achieve in other states. California, Chicago and New York were some of the big destinations for African Americans fleeing the Alabama and other Southern states.