Why Burton LeFlore Should Appear on the Uncle Henry Show

By Artemesia Stanberry

December 13^th, 2013

Why Burton LeFlore Should Appear on the Uncle Henry Show

Local talk radio is at its best when it discusses local issues.  The election of President Obama has been a dominant discussion- not just his election and reelection, but everything he does- from trying to extend health care coverage to taking a “selfie” at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service.  To be honest, I don’t recall hearing a conversation about the selfie on the conservative talk radio show that I listen to daily, but I did hear other comments about Mandela that weren’t positive, which I expected- you have to be a regular listener to know the level of support one caller gets when he links Mugabe, Mandela, and Obama together.  One of Uncle Henry’s callers can’t resist calling- leaving a voice mail- weekly, it seems, about how awful President Obama is and how “Obama is destroying the nation.”  This caller isn’t known for sugarcoating his language as he has on several occasions referred to human beings on welfare as maggots and parasites.  So why should Burton Leflore enter into the proverbial hornet’s nest? 

Burton LeFlore’s appearance on the Uncle Henry Show would be going into hostile territory, no doubt, but he can do it and win over a small percentage of the people who listen, but do not call the show (most people who listen to talk radio do not actually call the shows).  LeFlore has participated in at least one debate during the Special Election where he was the sole Democrat surrounded by Republican candidates and an audience expecting a conservative message (http://lagniappemobile.com/ten-congressional-candidates-debate-a-week-before-primary/). But this will be different. This will be callers who are anonymous to those who aren’t regular listeners and they will talk about how they distrust President Obama and question Leflore’s (and African American’s) loyalty to the Democratic Party.  But LeFlore can handle this.  He can prepare the best 1 minute response to questions about the Affordable Health Care Act, his opinion of President Obama and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the national deficit, the recent budget agreement, and maybe a call or two about Common Core as that is what a couple of regular callers like to call about regularly.  The only caller that may throw him for a loop is the caller who will ask him about the federal reserve- just prepare a generic response in advance. Bradley Byrne was asked a question about sanctuary churches during his last appearance and he feigned ignorance on the matter (talking about a controversial immigration matter and whether your religious institution would sanction “law breakers” is not something a "conservative" politician running for a congressional seat in Mobile, Alabama wants to answer on election day unless it is a definitive  “send them all back to where they came from illegally” response, but I digress). Oh, and as tempting as it will be to accurately state the national debt tripled under the Reagan Administration, avoid saying anything negative about Reagan as you want to stay on the hosts good side.  And if something about Reagan slips out, follow up immediately with a Roll Tide and, golly, I sure hope Nick Saban remains in Alabama. Well don’t say golly;).

The Uncle Henry Show is very popular and given the number of people who called his show following the Special Election run-off between Bradley Byrne and Dean Young (the Republican establishment candidate v. the Tea Party candidate as it was deemed) stating that they were so upset with Byrne that they would be willing to vote for Burton LeFlore to send a message to the Republican Establishment, it is worth a try to appeal to these listeners.   Dean Young, on a previous appearance on the Uncle Henry Show, said that if he lost the run-off that he would neither endorse, nor vote for Bradley Byrne because of what he perceived was Byrne’s constant misrepresentation of his (Young’s) work.  He repeated this on election night after it was evident that Byrne received the majority of the votes.  I listened to every appearance of Dean Young on the Uncle Henry Show, including the one broadcast from a local business that supported Dean Young and his last appearance that was actually supposed to be a debate between Young and Byrne.  Byrne had to cancel his appearance because his brother was in the hospital and only had a very little time to live.  His brother died soon after (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/10/dale_byrne_brother_of_congress.html).  On a quick sidenote, we do have to realize that these candidates are human beings with real problems and Byrne is to be commended for taking a break from the campaign to do what is far more important, spending as much time with a loved one as possible during his final hours on this earth.  Anyway,  although the debate was cancelled, Young continued with his appearance, with a reporter from The Guardian in tow.  The interview at the commercial business was much more productive and endearing than his last interview on the Uncle Henry Show, which took place on October 24^th. At one point, Dean Young became flustered and told the callers that they need to back off.  Uncle Henry plays his saying “y'all need to back off” frequently. Here is what I tweeted at the time: “Artemesia Stanberry ‏@artiestan 24 Oct

Y'all need to back off and stop lying- Young to a caller asking about military record. Back off was said 6 times in 2 minutes

 

As mentioned, Young said on this show and on election night that he would not support Bradley Byrne. After the election, a well-known caller and figure in the community said he’d actually think about voting for a Democrat out of frustration over how Byrne and the Republican establishment treated Young. Here is what I tweeted following that comment:

Artemesia Stanberry ‏@artiestan 11 Nov

Dr. Ben George just said on @unclehenry that he has never voted for a Dem but he is thinking about voting for @LeFloreCampaign WOW! #al01

 

Several callers called after that and in the days following the run-off election echoing the same sentiment.  And one person who called the Uncle Henry Show who is not a regular said this: 

Artemesia Stanberry ‏@artiestan 6 Nov

A good line from call to @unclehenry show regarding D. Young- "There is a difference between boldness and belligerence." #AL01

 

Burton LeFlore has consistently come off and being calm and willing to listen to the opposition.  And in his last debate between him and Bradley Byrne, he took bold stances on the issue (http://www.wkrg.com/story/24139880/byrne-and-leflore-square-off-on-issues).  When Bradley Byrne had his rescheduled debate appearance on the Uncle Henry Show on the day of the Special Election, many Dean Young supporters cried foul.  They thought this was an unfair advantage for Bradley Byrne and may have swayed the election.  FYI- Young did call during the show. Now, I did say that Uncle Henry is popular, but the idea that that one appearance before an audience that had heard both candidates and their supporters (with Dean Young supporters having the edge) so often swayed an election is a bit hard to believe. The election was close, 52%- 47% (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/11/final_results_from_tuesdays_al_1.html)  Besides, the audience is conservative and it is liberals, not conservatives, who respond to emotion and gut reactions, wink, wink.  Even with an audience that believes that Democrats are bad and Democrats who support President Obama are the worst people in the world, Burton LeFlore can win over listeners by showing that he is a human being who cares about the 1^st District of Alabama and will work to promote the interests of the 1^st District.  And if people want to vote for him on December 17^th, 2013 out of spite, out of true support, or out of belief that he is the person who can bring a middle of the road approach to dealing with Republicans and Democrats , then so be it, choose your reason to vote for him.  I do not know Burton LeFlore, but I am familiar with the history of his family in the City of Mobile.  The truth be told, there were two people that I hoped would run for the seat- this was before LeFlore made his announcement- one is a state rep who has a leadership role in the Alabama State Legislative body, has cross-over appeal, can appeal to disinterested voters, and could have done a pretty good job at raising funds, but I admire Burton LeFlore for running for a seat that everyone assumes will be a Republican seat for the foreseeable future.  I think even the most hardened conservatives could appreciate this as well.

In conclusion, Burton LeFlore could win a few more votes by going on a conservative talk show where voters are disgruntled and disappointed by 1) Jo Bonner’s decision to leave his seat to take a job with the University of Alabama system (almost double the pay, and he gets to work with his sister, the new President of the University of Alabama (the 1^st female President of the University, by the way), thus causing the state to have a costly Special Election (http://www.wkrg.com/story/22471895/special-election-will-cost-taxpayers-2-million)  and 2) very disgruntled Dean Young supporters.  One of Bradley Byrne’s supporters commented on how few voters came out to support LeFlore during the Special Election.  Understand, the Special Election took place in September and the game in town was the 9 Republican candidates vying to make it on the December 17^th ballot that would determine who will replace former Rep. Jo Bonner.  But a lot has happened since then and it is not a guarantee that the increased turn-out that was seen for the run-off  election that took place in November will be replicated on December 17^th.  Bradley Bryne has put out a new commercial, Bradley Byrne is receiving endorsements, campaign cash, and making the rounds- I just saw his twitter pic of an event in Citronelle, Alabama this week- but the number of people wanting to even think about another election one week before a major holiday, let along going to actually vote will be small.  What if Burton LeFlore provided the best candidate appearance on the Uncle Henry Show on election day? And what if he were to promote it in a way that the local media would cover the show during their midday and 5 and 6pm news broadcasts?  It may just, just maybe, just perhaps, suppose it could be, dare I say, a Christmas miracle.   Go for it, Burton LeFlore.  Call Uncle Henry and book the show for Tuesday, December 17^th, if you have not done so.  Bradley Byrne will be a guest on Monday, December 16^th,  do your appearance on December 17^th and show your supporters how you can win voters and influence listeners.  For Uncle Henry, if Burton LeFlore does appear on your show on election day and does not win, then whenever a Dean Young supporter accuses you of helping Byrne to win by having him on on election day, if LeFlore doesn’t win you can tell them to back off, y’all just need to back off.

My Two Cents.

Peace,

Artemesia Stanberry

 

Previous blog posts relating to the 1^st congressional district of Alabama: http://freerodneystanberry.com/blog/2013/05/28/best-wishes-and-farewell-congressman-jo-bonner/

http://alabamajustice.blogspot.com/2013/06/better-know-district-alabama-1st.html

I did it, I saw 12 Years a Slave: Reflections

Blog by Artemesia Stanberry

“I did it, I saw 12 Years a Slave”

From the movie: He better be lucky he is free and white.  This is said by a slave owner in the film who thought he was duped by a white man. You know that commercial that said it is a good thing it is not this or that, that it is better to be this and that- for example nuts and bolts is better than nuts or bolts?  Well, Solomon Northup knew that the “and” was extremely important because being free and black rendered you nothing more than potential property. Being free and white, just resulted in anger at being duped by a fellow white man. I just came from seeing “12 years a Slave.” I do recommend it- highly.

 I am always reluctant to see movies such as this as I read and study the history of slavery in this country and its aftermath, and unlike so many in this country, I can’t sugarcoat the brutality of the institution. So hearing how real it was, I didn’t think I could actually see it at a movie theater. But I did finally see it because there are threemovies that I want to see (Homefront- I do like Jason Stratham in movies, Best Man Holiday and Black Nativity and didn’t want to venture out to see either before seeing 12 years). You know what it is like to stand in line to get onto a rollercoaster that you really don’t want to ride, but once you are strapped in, you are in it for the ride. That’s how I felt. When the clicks made as the roller coaster ascends, your stomach churns for you know what is in store for you.  The tears started flowing in my eyes during the previews.  There was a movie- I forget the name of it, but it involves fighting and Woody Harrelson is in it- that had a character named Rodney. And he ended up missing and his brother says I am not going to give up on finding Rodney.  My cousin, who remains in prison for crimes he did not commit, name is Rodney and I’ve been in a 17 year battle to free and exonerate him. He is on my mind almost 24 hours a day and sometimes the feelings are so raw that the mere mention of his name brings tears to my eyes. Tears because he remains incarcerated and tears because I feel as if I failed him by not being able to bring about justice.  This is what I live with daily.  Anyway, that started the tears and then the Black Nativity preview- I mean you have a story of struggle and redemption with gospel music as a sound track. C’mon.

Anyway, when the previews ended, I braced myself for what I knew would be a roller coaster of emotions as the life of Solomon Northup would be played out on the big screen before me.  Northup was a talented violinist with a stable family life parallel to the brutal institution of slavery that existed. He resided in New York. In 1841, as he was visiting our nation’s capital to take advantage of what free men take for granted, the opportunity to perform a task on one’s own terms and to be compensated justly for it.  But he was free AND Black, not free AND White, so he became a cog in the machine of capitalism-the machine that operated on free labor and considered people as property to reconcile the notion that all men/people are created free.  As one of his more brutal masters said in the movie, they are my property so I do not have any qualms about treating them as such.  The same person, as I recalled, compared them to baboons- he had no problem fathering children by forcing himself on what he saw as baboons.  Solomon is devastated to find himself in this position and when he insists that he is free, he is beaten to a bloody pulp until he could leave that holding cell without uttering to anyone that he is a free man named Solomon.  Instead, he is a slave named Platt. It is now when his eyes begin to open to the parallel universe that he and his family certainly knew to have existed but who believed in the Declaration of Independence, not realizing that a compromise in the United States Constitution was to allow runaway slaves, re property, to be returned to their property owners.  But, he was a free man, what should that matter to him.  Ah, but he was free AND black, not free AND white.  There was money in slavery, relatively few owned slaves, many, many more benefitted from the institution- including the slave catchers, the free people catchers, the owners of the holding pen (Paul Giamatti, it will take me awhile to stop hating you-just kidding, but don’t feel like putting an lol in this post- watch the film, you’ll understand).  Solomon witnessed the love of a mother for her children and the apathetic nature of those dealing in slaves had towards keeping that mother and her children together.  He witnessed the extreme nature of the jealous wife of a slave holder who couldn’t understand why her husband preferred, what was it- a baboon- over her- I can’t dare lie in bed with you, wish I could remember the rest of her dialogue. To which he said, wife, don’t make me choose you or her because… well, go and watch the movie.

The fragile nature of freedom, the destruction of families, the process of dehumanization, the strength of perseverance of the human spirit, the failings of man (and woman) were captured in this film.  Solomon Northup had to remain vigilant to obtain his freedom and he had to develop a level of trust in the basic humanity of others, even those who did not look like him. I don’t want to say too much for those who haven’t seen the movie or read the book, but within each of us is a sense of humanity, even when we see brutality and can live comfortably living alongside it, we can be challenged to escape our comfort zone for the benefit of others when asked to do so.  It took a leap faith for Solomon Northup to trust others after having relied on said trust led him to an institution of slavery and almost got him killed.  But if we lose this faith and this trust, and this belief that there are universal truths, then we render ourselves hostage to the actions of those deserving of nothing.

During the 1990s, I recall watching a movie about the drug sentencing laws, Guilt by Association, starring Mercedes Ruell.  It was based on true incidents involving the conspiracy theory (ie the portion of the drug sentencing act of 1988 that encouraged “snitching” to use popular vernacular, to get a sentence reduced). The premise was a mother who had a boyfriend who was dealing in drugs. She didn’t know, but because she answered a phone call when a dealer called and told her boyfriend that he had a call on the line, she became part of the conspiracy and ended up getting a lot of prison time.  After spending years in prison, she was finally able to get her prison sentence reduced.  As she was walking out, the cameras panned to the women around her, people deserving to be free just staring, as they would remain in the system indefinitely. I had that flashback as “12 Years” concluded.  “12 Years a Slave” and then finally free, as Northup rode off in what one would not and could not dare call a sunset after what the physical and mental torture he’d endured, Patsy and so many others remained behind.  The legal institution of slavery ended in 1865 with the passage of the 13^th Amendment, and then another form of slavery began, after all the 13^th Amendment reads “Neither Slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to its jurisdiction. People, as was the case during slavery, found a way to build wealth off of free labor. Again, a small number of people with an army of soldiers willing to use other human beings because to be free AND white became a bit more fragile in post-slavery America, so there had to be some sort continuation of social capital attached to skin color. I invite you to read Douglas Blackmon’s book  Slavery By Another Name AND/or watch the PBS documentaryhttp://video.pbs.org/video/2176766758/).There is so much more that can be written,  but I will bring this to a conclusion.

To Nick Cannon, I say more movies do need to be made about those enslaved in the mode that Steve McQueen made this one. I understand what you mean about showing positive images of African Americans and how people enslaved were not savages and had identities, that Africa was not a dark continent waiting for the transatlantic slave trade to come about to change lives for the better under the guidance of Christianity, but far too many people do not understand the true nature of slavery, the fragility of freedom, the wealth that was built off of uncompensated free labor and the generational consequences of the institution. John Conyers can’t even get a bill passed about studying reparations (H.R. 40), but Ronald Reagan can use the term “welfare queen” and get people to focus on his version of a welfare queen wanting unearned benefits and less on Steve McQueen’s portrayal of Patsy, who never got the benefits she and so many others earned for building this country’s wealth. We can’t wish Patsy away, we can’t wish this history away. This isn’t to say dwell on it, it isn’t to say hate people, it isn’t to say that we haven’t come a long way as a country; rather, it is to say remember it as a legacy of this country and to stop perpetuating the same mistakes of using human beings as commodities.  Reading Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness and the recent ACLU report on the number of nonviolent offenders given life sentences (https://www.aclu.org/living-death-sentenced-die-behind-bars-what) and collectively ask why does this continue to happen and who does it benefit?  

For the record, and this should go without saying, I believe we are all human beings first and foremost. I have and will continue to have acquaintances of all colors of the rainbow.  The necessity to remember, embrace, and learn from the past does not diminish who we are and can continue to be as a nation.  Remember an episode from A Different World when Dwayne Wayne and Ron Johnson are at a football game? They come back to their car to see someone scrawling with black paint N----r on the car. It was actually Nigg before Dwayne was able to stop the person. Well each of the individuals are placed in a holding cell because a fight broke out.  The person doing the spray painting starts saying how his great grandparents immigrated to this country and made a way for themselves with nothing to which Dwayne Wayne says very emotionally, my ancestors built this country.  The police intervenes, the officer is a white gentleman with a southern accent speaks and Ron and Dwanye dismissed him, thinking he didn’t understand their struggles. It turns out that the officer had marched with Dr. King and understood the struggles and attempted to diffuse the situation and say you don’t know what a person is about by looking at them. As the individuals were released and heading back to the car, someone had spelled out the read of the N’word on the car.  Dwanye, Ron and the person who started the word looked at one another and said I’ll see you next week- for community service. It was a look that said let’s start here, to understand one another, so that we all can move forward. That’s how I feel. Forgive me for taking some liberties with this A Different World episode but it’s been probably 2 decades since I saw it.  12 Years a Slave, see the movie.

Peace, 

Artemesia Stanberry

 

All views expressed in these blogs are mine, as an individual citizen. Sometimes one needs more space than just twitter and Facebook to express one’s views. This is the purpose of this blog, nothing more and nothing less. With regard to the reference to Rodney K. Stanberry, more information about this wrongful conviction can be found at www.freerodneystanberry.com or www.freerodneystanberry.com/blog

An Agape type of Love: Is it Possible Between the Tea Party and President Obama?

October 8, 2013

An Agape type of Love: Is it Possible Between the Tea Party and President Obama?

This weekend, I was able to watch a few soccer games and I was able to read some of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  I ended up watching a lot soccer games by chance; I was flipping through the channels and saw a game in the English Premier League. I then watched the game immediately following it, an MLS game later that evening and then capped with another game on Sunday.  But the reading of works by Dr. King was not by chance.  As someone who is an advocate for an individual who remains in prison for crimes he did not commit (Rodney K. Stanberry, www.freerodneystanberry.com), I find myself taking in Dr. King’s words from time to time.  While we are experiencing our personal injustice, Dr. King led a movement against unjust acts and unjust laws in the face of continued criticism and threats to his life. I am always amazed at the level of commitment he and so many others had to the issue of equality, economic security for all, and ending oppression while using a non-violent method. As a person who is non-violent and who is a prisoner of hope, Dr. King and Ghandi are two people that I truly admire.  Both of these gentlemen could have had relatively comfortable lives, even in the face of oppression.  I revisited Dr. King’s speech entitled “Love, Law and Disobedience” delivered by Dr. King in November 1961 (for those who not realize this, Dr. King has a body of work before and after the March on Washington and he was more than a dreamer, as my good friend Dr. Wilmer Leon writes each year on the commemoration of Dr. King’s birthday. 

Agape Love

This weekend, I was not reading Dr. King to make sense of what is happening with my cousin or to gather some solace in his words as is usually the case.  Rather, I was reading his work to make some sense of some of these extreme comments I hear about President Obama.  In particular, I was listening to a talk radio show out of Mobile, AL last Thursday evening when I heard this vile rant against President Obama regarding the government shutdown.  The talk show host was talking about the veterans on the Honor Flight who went to Washington, DC to see the World War II Memorial.  These Honor Flights are organized to provide WWII veterans with an opportunity to visit the monument dedicated to them.  One such Honor Flight took place during the shutdown and the host indicated that Obama, with a spirit of hate, had barricades put up to keep the veterans out.  He called President Obama “a sorry so and so” who hates you and who hates the American people.  He used the term King Obama instead of President, I am not sure if he has uttered the words President Obama, but on that evening, he went on a rant about King Obama.  I was taken aback by the comments, even as I have heard the host before and know that he is active in the Tea Party in Mobile, Alabama. He has even run for office. If I recall correctly, he said on another talk show that he did not run for the vacant Alabama First Congressional District seat because he wanted to help now Mayor-Elect Sandy Stimpson defeat Mayor Sam Jones, the first African American to be elected to the position of Mayor in Mobile (I’m not indicating that he wanted Jones defeated because of his race; rather, I’m just pointing out a historic fact).  My reaction after hearing the host is that the First Congressional District of Alabama does not need to elect any person who endorses those views.  Yet, both candidates who made are in a run-off campaign after being the top two vote getters in a 9 person race on the Republican ticket (http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/DS/20130925/NEWS02/309250048/Byrne-Young-GOP-runoff-1st-Congressional-District) will seek the endorsement of the talk show host and the popular Tea Party group that he is affiliated with.   The First Congressional District of Alabama deserves a moderate candidate whether it is a moderate Democrat or a moderate Republican that will not come to Congress with the idea that the person at the top of the executive branch hates the American people.  How can we move forward as a nation when people who detest the president will see negotiating with him as being tantamount to treason? And I say this regardless of the President in office at the time. Goodness knows that if I held a certain mentality, I would have encouraged a governmental shutdown over all sorts of issues, including tax cuts in the middle of a war and a recession, this only helped to further inflate the debt and deficit, but I digress.  Mobile has brought in industry such as Austal Shipbuilding and Airbus, a city in the district, Prichard, Alabama, has brought in a high profile police chief from New Jersey/New York, and even the Mayor Elect seems to be bringing in people who are willing to work with the community in order to improve upon what has been done and to make the city even better.   So, again, I was bothered by that rant, perhaps of the fact that it was an anger-filled rant.  And this brings me back to why I was reading Dr. King’s work this weekend.  I often think about what Dr. King says about an agape type of love, a love that will enable you to love your enemies even as they are oppressing you.  Here is a quote from the aforementioned work:

…Then the Greek language comes out another word which is called the agape. Agape is more than romantic love, agape is more than friendship. Agape is understanding, creative, redemptive, good will to all men.  It is an overflowing love which seeks nothing in return.  Theologians would say that it is the love of God operating in the human heart.  So that when one arises to love on this level, he loves men not because he likes them, not because their ways appeal to him, but because he loves every man because God loves him. And he rises to the point of loving the person who does an evil deed while hating the deed that the person does.  I think this is what Jesus meant when he said ‘love your enemies.’ I’m very happy he didn’t say like your enemies, because it is pretty difficult to like some people. Like is sentimental, and it is pretty difficult to like someone bombing your home; it is pretty difficult of like someone who is threatening your children; it is difficult to like congressman who spend all of their time trying to defeat civil rights.  But Jesus says love them, and love is greater than like.  Love is understanding, redemptive, creative, good will for all men. And it is this idea, it is this whole ethic of love which is the idea standing at the basis of the student movement.” (“Love, Law and Civil Disobedience,” in A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr., HarperSanfranciso:1986, P 47)

These words are powerful to the believer and non-believer as it helps to reconcile the anger one feels towards injustice to the belief that human beings have the capacity to do what is right and just, and, therefore, it is important to not lash out with hate. To the talk show host that I am referring to, you can dislike President Obama and detest his policies, but can you find it within your heart to at least apologize for saying that he is a “sorry so and so” and say that while you don’t like President Obama, you respect and love him as a human being?  Dr. King faced extreme oppression, including people bombing his home because he dared to push for equal rights and human rights for all.   He died not in an armed robbery, but because he dared to rob people advocating and sanctioning white supremacy from the idea that people are inferior based on race.  He experienced threats not because he opposed Jim Crow by drinking at a water fountain, but because he opposed Jim Crow by organizing a mass movement based on non-violence, a heightened level of humanity that states that you do not have to fight violence with violence to achieve a goal, and he became public enemy number 1 in some circles not because he used the freedom of speech afforded to him behind a microphone, but because he dared to break the silence of allowing the military industrial complex steal from the idea of pursuing peace and tackling poverty in a comprehensive fashion (http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/pacificaviet/riversidetranscript.html). 

What is Sorry about President Obama? 

If Dr. King can refrain from calling various leaders “sorry so and so’s,” certainly we can refrain from this use of very unproductive language.  And beyond that, what has Barack Hussein Obama done to indicate that he is a sorry so and so.  Did he live a life of privilege getting ahead on the Obama name? No, he is a product of a single mother and absentee father, actually, absentee parents as his grandparents, one of whom served in WWII if I recall, who took advantage of what our society offers- education and opportunity.  He graduated from Ivy League universities and could have lived a life of luxury were it not his commitment to public service. He did serve as a community organizer, a state legislator, a husband and father, a United States Senator when he was only a handful of African Americans to ever serve in that capacity and only the third to be voted by his constituents to serve to becoming the first African American president of the United States.  There is nothing sorry about what he has achieved and there is nothing sorry about wanting to ensure that all Americans have access to basic health care, not via universal healthcare, a single payer system, or a public option, as many progressives wanted, but by trying to implement a conservative idea of personal choice and responsibility.  How many citizens have been denied health care because of a preexisting condition? How many Americans took and kept a job that may not have been the best for them because they were dependent on the healthcare provided?  This plan that is the basis of this shutdown provides a freedom of choice and independence, that do come with a consequence to avoid what conservatives would label as free loaders- people who do not want to pay into the system, but receive the benefits- ie going to an emergency room for health care without health insurance ( here is one article making the conservative case for the Affordable Health Care Act http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/opinion/sunday/why-obamacare-is-a-conservatives-dream.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.)  Certainly the affordable health care act is far from being perfect, but for the multi millions of individuals without insurance and who want a choice, it is a step in the right direction.

The Right of  a President to Pursue an Agenda

As someone who was dually elected by the American people, President Obama had a right to present his agenda, which included the Affordable Health Care Act.  This was not kept secret as he discussed it on the campaign trail, both houses in Congress debated the act and the summer after it was presented, there were lots of town hall meetings with constituents shouting down members of Congress.  The legislation passed after much compromise, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law.  For President Obama to be on the receiving end of a rant developed over blaming him for the National Park sites, including the WWII Memorial, to be closed is taking opposition to this President too far. Perhaps the talk show host in question could lead a group of people back to the National Mall and insist on the barriers be moved from the Dr. King Memorial so that his words of guidance and leadership could sink in.  That is, of course, if they didn’t believe King Obama would forbid them from paying reverence to the words of another King. I jest, surely I jest. 

Peace,

Artemesia Stanberry

PS  Rachael Maddow Show on how Democratic Congresswoman introduced a bill to create a World War II Memorial, with very little support initially: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/rachel-maddow/53162118 

Better Know A District- Alabama 1st Congressional District

By: Artemesia Stanberry

June 25, 2013

Better Know a District-The Alabama First Congressional District (AL-01)

The race to replace Congressman Jo Bonner is of interest to me.  First of all, I am very frustrated that a Democrat is afraid to run for the seat. Perhaps afraid is too strong of a word, but they are buying into the notion that a Democrat cannot win that District.  The First Congressional District has been held by just 3 people since 1965, all Republicans. 

Rep. Bonner has been a member of Congress since 2002 and immediately prior to that, he served as former Congressman Sonny Callahan’s Chief of Staff.  Over the course of these past few decades, only a Republican has held the seat (Rep. Callahan was a Democrat who was encouraged by Republican Congressman Jack Edwards to switch to the Republican Party so as to run once Edwards retired (source, the Almanac of American Politics, 2002).  Thus Callahan held the seat from 1984-2002 and Bonner was elected in 2002.  The list of candidates for the seat is mostly Republicans, conservative Republicans, I may add.  There are only a few Democrats who are considering the seat, but conventional wisdom is that a Democrat cannot win that seat. The first Congressional District covers all or portions of Baldwin, Clarke, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, and Washington counties.  This ranges from the beach areas of the Gulf Coast to rural areas in the Northern part of the district.  Of the approximately 670,000 constituents, the number in Mobile and Baldwin counties are 595, 257, according the figures found via the U.S. Bureau of the Census.  Mobile County has approximately 412,992 people and Baldwin County 182, 265.

Now, in 2013, where one of the two largest cities in the district elected an African American mayor for the first time in and in a country that has elected its first African American President, Democrats don’t believe they can make history by taking back AL-01 from a Republican grip, in a Special Election!

When one looks at the turn-out for previous elections, one sees that there are still a lot of votes left on the table. A Democrat could expand the electorate by engaging citizens who haven’t seen a congressman in their area. A strong Democratic candidate can speak with voters as opposed to speaking at them, especially the most vulnerable, in terms of poverty due to lack of access to transportation, jobs and decent healthcare, to move them from poverty and working-class status to middle class status.  And I am not talking about a conservative Democrat; a moderate Democrat can be very competitive in AL-01.

Better Know a District

Mayoral candidate Sandy Stimpson has gotten a lot of free media, which is what a challenger needs to overcome the name-recognition advantage that an incumbent has.  In his latest free media coverage, Stimpson invited Business Insider reporter Julie Zeveloff who COMPILED a list of the most miserable cities that included Mobile, to come to Mobile to see for herself how great the city is, or to at least prove that it isn’t a miserable city, after all, Stimpson is running for mayor so he can’t fully brag about the wonderful city that is Mobile (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/06/tour_of_the_city_for_out_of_to.html) .  That would mean that the current Mayor, Sam Jones, was doing something right.  Anyway, Stimpson flies Zeveloff to Mobile on his own dime to experience the city, the original home of Mardi Gras, to taste the seafood, to see the historic sites, to meet the friendly people, in short, to promote Stimpson- my bad, in short, to promote the fact that Mobile is not a miserable city. This had absolutely nothing to do with the upcoming mayoral election, nothing at all; Zeveloff tells us: “Disclosure: A couple of months ago, I included Mobile, Alabama on a list of the "most miserable cities in America," based on Gallup data. Sandy Stimpson, a mayoral candidate in Mobile (#3 on the list) objected to my characterization, and offered to fly me down and show me how great the city really is. After a little prodding, I agreed to a visit. Stimpson is paying my travel expenses and arranging my travel in the city. I'm not planning to cover the mayoral race, but will be writing about my trip here.Read about what she discovered after her visit here. http://www.businessinsider.com/things-to-know-about-mobile-alabama-2013-6?op=1#ixzz2XGvbGmU4

Good Press, good free media, good way to win over voters and, possibly, donors.  Well, regardless of the motive of Mr. Stimpson, he has an idea that a Democrat can use to promote his/her campaign.  I realize that not everyone will have the money that Stimpson apparently has to fly a person to Mobile and to pay for lodging and food, but for the price of a tank of gas, a Democratic candidate hoping to be competitive can engage in a “Better Know a District” campaign. You know, the piece Stephen Colbert does on The Colbert Report where he highlights a congressional district (http://www.colbertnation.com/better-know-a-district).  So let’s take a city in Washington County, where Democratic candidate Judy Belk, who challenged Rep. Bonner in 2002, won.* This was one of only twice that Bonner had a Democratic challenger.  On the Chamber of Commerce’s website for Washington, County is “Where Alabama Began” (http://washingtoncountyal.com/).  That slogan in it of itself is fascinating. In 1990, 41 percent of its population had less than a high school diploma and by 2008 that number went down to 18%, isn’t that worth exploring.  And, according to the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, there are plenty of good places to eat. In keeping with Zeveloff’s theme of the different foods available in Mobile, perhaps a candidate can highlight the local food in a given county.

A Democrat can invite the press to the city in the district and highlight what makes the city not miserable and how to increase the “we’re totally happy here” index. He/she can hold a rally at the school, armory, general store, etc and get citizens to talk about what they like about their town and what they think would improve their town. Do this once a week with various cities and you’ve got yourself followers who are appreciative that you took the time to better know your district, the entire AL-01, and this can be rewarded by votes.  And those voters can encourage their friends and family in the two larger counties to vote.

Conclusion

Mayoral candidate Sandy Stimpson is using social media pretty well, he even kicked off the opening of his campaign headquarters with a rendition of the Harlem Shake, as I recall. Is it working? Time will tell.  But with a typical low-turn-out Special Election, a Democrat can use the media savvy of Stimpson and get media coverage by going to these places that many may only see on a weather map, expand the electorate, and be competitive during the Special Election. 

Peace,

Artemesia Stanberry

 

*2002 race when Jo Bonner first ran for the 1^st Congressional District of Alabama

County	Baldwin	Mobile	Escambia	Monroe	Washington	Clarke
Belk	11,071	44, 729	3375	3224	3328	1779
Bonner	32,662	59,800	5328	4710	2762	2844

(source, us census)

 

Artemesia Stanberry, along with former Congressman Glen Browder, is co-author of Stealth Reconstruction: An Untold Story of Racial Politics in Recent Southern History.  

http://freerodneystanberry.com/blog/2013/05/28/best-wishes-and-farewell-congressman-jo-bonner/

All views expressed in these blogs are mine, as an individual citizen. Sometimes one needs more space than just twitter and Facebook to express one’s views. This is the purpose of this blog, nothing more and nothing less.