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
nick,
I learned a long time ago to discipline my comments about Malcolm … I state what I know to be true. He’s a touchstone.
I got a Christmas card from a friend once.
On the front, it said, “People say we should put the ‘Christ’ back in Christmas.” There was a pretty creche scene.
When you opened the card there was a portrait of Malcolm X.
The message read:
“I say we should put the ‘X’ back in Malcolm.”
Nick,
If anyone is being judgmental–it is you. You have preconceived ideas of who I am and what I have done during my lifetime. Yet, you have never met me. You know little of my life outside of the fact that I was a teacher and am a guest blogger for the Turley Blawg. You misinterpret my words according to your perception of me and what YOU THINK I am saying. You don’t really have to listen to people because you know what they’re going to say.
Pray tell, what is the conventional wisdom nerve that you have touched on here? Are you trying to say that you are going to be the victim once again of those here who don’t agree with you?
I’m going for a long walk. Pile on in my absence.
rafflaw, I thought “words are the tool of the attorney.” Be more precise and less paternalistic..gangbanger.
Blouise, Thanks. We share a love of Malcolm, I would love it if this doesn’t devolve into a brouhaha and stays on the positive message of that great man. Vegas has the odds 5-1 against that. I would love to here more stories about Malcolm if you care to share.
nick,
your last phrase is kind of offensive when you are responding to Elaine’s comments.
I’ll tell you what Malcolm always told me … “Martin feeds the soul, I feed the heart.”
Elaine, I have given lectures on civil rights, racism, Malcolm, MLK, etc. when you were lecturing the alphabet and arithmetic. I know I’ve touched a conventional wisdom nerve here. Can the enforcer be far behind..time for a gang bang?
Mike, I reject your conventional wisdom. A look @ the census figures show many blacks leaving the depravity of big blue cities and returning to their roots in the south. And, it’s more than just statistical, just Google black returning to the south and read the stories. Your bias is showing there MikeS, time to question the conventional wisdom who embrace.
Nick,
Was I judgmental of Red States? What Red States did I cast aspersions on? Did I say anything about Mississippi and Alabama? As I said in earlier comments–you missed the point that I was trying to make. Don’t misconstrue my comments and read things into what I write. Do I have to keep saying that to you? Another thing: I don’t need to be lectured by you.
I know there are racists in every state. I saw what happened here in Boston during the school busing crisis.
You said you were a student of history and stated that the KKK started in Indiana. Is that a fact?
“I agree the “sins” still exist. The question is why are those 2 states the scarlet letter states? I know it was probably 2 of the worst states, but there were plenty other and I submit it’s just as bad in many blue states.”
Nick,
Racism is endemic to the entire country, that is true. however, in many of the Southern States the problems and culture there go far beyond racism.
The cronyism and corruption are recognized parts of the system to the extent that those who bring up Chicago as an example make me laugh.
It is the total social backwardness of these states that makes them items of derision.
I agree the “sins” still exist. The question is why are those 2 states the scarlet letter states? I know it was probably 2 of the worst states, but there were plenty other and I submit it’s just as bad in many blue states.
Mike, Very good synopsis. I have studied Malcolm in depth and wrote a final paper on him in college. I also had a 5 day lesson plan on Malcolm I taught in my high school history class. The head of my dept. suggested I was spending to much time on Malcolm. I told him the mainstream textbooks and our culture spends plenty of time on MLK, I was going to teach these kids about the man who preached the practical road for black people. Malcolm was in my opinion just as important, and being a pragmatist myself probably more important than MLK. But our hero Malcolm was not as easy for white folk to take as MLK. If Malcolm were not killed I firmly believe the prison/gang culture would not be as pernicious as it is today. He was the man who changed the word from Negro to “black.” I also believe we would not have that pc horseshit as to whether it should be black, African American, person of color, etc. As the great James Brown sang, “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud!” And, on a lighter note. My son lives w/ the niece of Brown’s drummer, Clyde Stubblefield. Clyde has diabetes, kidney failure. But, he still performs. My son, like his girlfriend call him “Uncle Clyde.” And he’s got a LOT of stories about the Godfather of Soul!
Gene,
We can agree to disagree……
“He was a convicted drug dealer and spent time in the state of MA Correctional system….. He was a woman beater as well as homosexual….that pimped his services…… He found the Muslim practices appealing and if I recall was welcomed by the house Saudi….”
All irrelevant to the issue of racism.
“He had no use for whites and commonly referred to them as the white blued eyed devil….”
As noted, deliberately provocative rhetoric playing to a crowd (and I mean others high up in the movement) that was indeed racist.
“He finally saw some error on that part and only tolerated them if they converted to Muslim……”
That’s one take on it, but just as
“He hated Jews as well…”
being a religious bigot is not the same thing as being a racist.
Mike….. Gene…..
Looking at a historical perspective of Malcolm X….. He was a convicted drug dealer and spent time in the state of MA Correctional system….. He was a woman beater as well as homosexual….that pimped his services…… He found the Muslim practices appealing and if I recall was welcomed by the house Saudi…. He had no use for whites and commonly referred to them as the white blued eyed devil…. He finally saw some error on that part and only tolerated them if they converted to Muslim…… He hated Jews as well….. So if you can defend this as not being racist…. Then by all means do so… I have been to his boyhood home in Lansing and the state of Michigan has a part of its library dedicated to Malcolm X……
He may have changed some of his radical views later in life…..but facts are facts…..
AY,
I think I’ve shown I’m quite aware of Malcolm’s history both positively and negatively.
Elaine, When our president says so eloquently that. “We are not red states, we are not blue states, we are the United States,” I BELIEVE that. However, I am very perceptive and know many of his supporters do not. This “reputation” stuff is telling to me. My question to you is are children required to pay for the sins of their fathers, grandfathers, etc? And how long is that debt owed? And how did states like Virginia, Maryland, NC, SC, Georgia, KY, TN, WV, FLA, etc. get absolution. It seems you and many others just single out Alabama and Mississippi.
Before you become so judgemental about red states you need to realize black people are much more likely to be killed in blue states and blue cities. LA, Chicago, Detroit, NY, Philly, DC, Newark, etc. than they are in the 2 scarlet letter states. And, if a black person should wander into the Southie or Charlestown neighborhoods of your Boston they are @ greater risk than virtually anywhere else in this country. Those rednecks don’t speak w/ a twang..they roll their R’s.
The KKK has had many incarnations. One of the biggest and most important, as it were, was the Indiana clan formed in the early 1900’s.
“My question to you is are children required to pay for the sins of their fathers, grandfathers, etc?”
Nick,
Elaine can speak for herself, but I’d also like to provide an answer. The “sins” still exist in America today and yes we all are required to deal with redressing them. Institutionalized discrimination did NOT end with the 1964 Civil Rights or with the election of a Black President. Just one example which I’ve previously written about:
http://jonathanturley.org/2011/11/26/the-incarceration-of-black-men-in-america/
WE need a judge that will stand up for God, not like most these idiots that stand up for homos, pedifiles, same sex weird marriage, which are an abomination to the LORD!!!
Mike, Thanks for the historical summary. My knowledge comes from seeing posters of Malcolm and of Malcolm with Dr. King in the Black community. Seeing him as a hero there made me rethink my views based on the msm of the time. That took me to read his autobiography. I agree that the two of them could have changed the history of this country, and that’s why they were assassinated.
Bettykath,
I first saw Malcolm on a “Meet the Press” in the late 50’s. The White Panel was hectoring him, in the way that Whites who didn’t get racism did them and he made mincemeat out of their obnoxious, uninformed questions. I had been brought up in an extremely liberal family and so I could relate to what he was saying. To give you a idea of my family, one of my earliest memories was from 1948 and my mother had returned from a long, recuperative trip in North Carolina. I was sick with the flu at the time and had missed her greatly. She came into the room, with the rest of the family in tow and after saying her hellos to me, began talking about her trip. She was furious with the segregation of Blacks she encountered and went on about the injustice of it for some time. Racism has been a particularly touching subject for me since the and I guess my feelings are intertwined with my mother and my family’s opposition to it.