One Would Have Been More Memorable

I think it was a wonderful gesture to have the various viewings for the publics benefit. One of which ended up being cancelled. There was no way to secure a venue big enough to accomodate all the people wanting to pay their final respects to Bishop G.E. Patterson. There were about 3.5 thousand mourners who visited "Mason Temple" on Wednesday. In addition to the more than ten thousand people who showed up to each of the three worship services. I had the chance to watch all three services for the late presiding Bishop of the 6.5 million member COGIC. I dedicated 9 whole hours to watching this ceremony for fear that I would miss something. There were highlights here and there, but nothing that had to be spread out over three services. It ended up looking more like a campaign rally than a homegoing service.

Anyone that wasn't familiar with the operations of the COGIC might walk away with a mixed impression of it's purpose. There seemed to be an awful lot of positioning for future spots. Is there goal to promotes mans kingdom here on earth, or that which God has promised in eternity. In between the recognizing of elected officials and various committees in the church. They managed to talk about what the Bishop was supposed to represent. He was a minister of the gospel. Not a bank president or Democrat. Everyone wanted to share a story of how the Bishop had planted seeds in their ministries. How he loaned them money, and how he blessed them. I didn't hear enough of how he was a vessel used by God.

The following statement represents one of the few times I heard the Saints put to a challenge. Don't let the effect Bishop Patterson has had on your life, end with his funeral. I like what Bishop Owens said "All of us who have been graced with this servant of Gods presence. Have been given a responsibility. We now have to preach to all that can hear. The gospel of Jesus Christ". I think that's what the Bishop would want his legacy to be. That his prolific preaching inspired someone to go out and share what he talked about.

An Ethnocentric Relevant Type Of Gospel

When these pews and the pulpit in the above picture fill up with people. It shouldn't matter what color or race those people are. The objective and primairy message in any case, considering the place should be the same. The message of Christianity is one for all people who believe. Whether Black, White or other. The message for all Christians is one in the same. When one preaches that God is more partial to one race over another. We can safely say that person is no more than a false prophet or hipocrite. God is no respector of person.

When someone says White ministers don't preach racism and roll out names like Billy Graham, John Hagee, and Joel Olsteen. I can't argue with that assessment. To be blessed to live in a place and time such as now. These ministers preach the salvation we have in Jesus Christ, and where we would be without Gods grace. Which is exactly what they should be preaching. White people in the mainstream aren't preoccupied with race. As well they shouldn't, since they are the majority. I have never seen them march other than in a parade. They don't hold rallies for equality either. It is not politically correct. To begrudge others the oppurtunity to exist in a society largely dominated by others like them. Most logical, progressive minded Whites know and understand this. You can't complain about the rules, when you made them up.

Some would argue that the bible was used to justify one of the most horrific acts in American history. The bible does condone slavery, but not the institution we know in America. Originally it was based on the principle of self-reliance. You don't work, you don't eat. Wanting to force someone else to do what you don't want to, is due to laziness. Even those who don't want to work, still want to eat though. Thus we have some people imposing their will on others by force. We still have groups like the KKK and the Skinheads. Who have taken scripture out of context, and twisted it to support their oppressive causes. They don't represent even a small fraction of the entire White population. We live in a predominately Christian country. Thank God for a society where unchecked agression doesn't rule. Hitler is an example of what happens when it does.

We could bunch all the other ethnic protests together as far as numbers. There just aren't that many. You have an occasional protest by the Jews, and recently Muslims. The Hispanics tried their hand at large scale protests. It didn't turn out as expected. I think they found they didn't have the juice they thought. Usually after being singled out for attack for one reason or another. Their complaints don't usually reach the level of religious statements. We tend to put people in one classification or the other for our own selfish purposes. So that is why people are looked at for differences before commonalities.The first thing we do is focus on what divides us as opposed to what brings us together. To truly be a Christian inducts us into a brotherhood that transcends the boundaries of race. It amazes me how all who accept Christianity seem to find a place of contentment.

Now we approach the reason for the article to begin with. I stated that in the Black church, racism is taught or preached from the pulpit. Black ministers don't necessarily preach that "all things are possible through Christ". You would be hard pressed to find someone shouting hate "Whitey". But you have to be able to read the underlying message. If you teach that the problems of one race of Christians, are caused by another. This in fact is teaching racism. Two of the most publicized Black preachers in America, give entire speeches and never mention Jesus Christ. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are on television in the spotlight on a continuous basis. If you asked some little unchurched children to name some Black preachers. Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would top the list. Like it or not sometimes that's the only view of Blacks that America has. If that doesn't raise any questions, consider this. How does your church feel about the "Nation Of Islam"?

The reaction to this statement, is evidence that this practice exist. I have largely been met with outright denial. Those who try to be literal for the sake of argument with scripture. From guess who? Blacks, and those apologetic Whites who want to pacify them. We know Whites know that this is true. When they have churches called "House Of The Aryan Believers Lighthouse Ministries".You can keep a hog in the pen with cows all day long. At the end of the day that still doesn't make it beef.

Because They Look Like Women

I don't condone older men sleeping with younger women, especially when they can be called girls. But let's be honest here. You can't always tell how old these girls are these days. Even if they do look young, these girls look real good. They sometimes have naturally by Gods grace. What these grown women pay thousands of dollars to get, in the form of plastic surgery. You have young girls wearing clothes to make them look older, and older women dressing to look like they're younger. Why won't anyone admit that the line dividing the two is very thin? So thin, sometimes it can't be detected by the untrained eye. Even when it can, it's not guaranteed to make a difference. A throbbing manhood doesn't always check for identification. Man is notorious for thinking with his smaller head, instead of the larger one. That doesn't explain why A.C. Wharton III, is accused of sleeping with a fourteen year old girl. It does tell you why this happens more than we would like. The young girls look and sometimes even talk like women.

Biographical Sketch Of Bishop G. E. Patterson

Bishop G. E. Patterson was born September 22, 1939 to Bishop and Mrs. W. A. Patterson, Sr. in Humboldt, Tennessee. He has been a gospel Minister for over forty years, having accepted his calling at age 17. He was ordained as an Elder in the Church of God in Christ in 1957 by Bishop J. S. Bailey in Detroit, Michigan.

Bishop G. E. Patterson is a scholar as well as a minister. He attended Lemoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee, Detroit Bible Institute and holds an honorary doctorate from Oral Roberts University. Bishop Patterson is a contributing writer in the Spirit Filled Life Bible (KJV) which was edited by Dr. Jack Hayford.

Bishop Patterson is a pastor. Bishop Patterson founded Temple of Deliverance in 1975 and twenty-five years later Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ has more than 13,000 members on roll with more than 6,000 active members. In May 1999, Bishop Patterson and Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ entered their New Worship Center which cost approximately 13 million dollars and seats approximately 5000. It is one of the fastest growing congregations in the country. Because the church has three facilities, it is described as “One church in three locations.” During his ministerial career, Bishop Patterson has organized 7 churches across the country.

Bishop Patterson is a visionary. He is the founder/president of Bountiful Blessings Ministries which is viewed nationwide and internationally on the BET and TBN cable networks and a variety of local television stations throughout the country. He is the editor and publisher of the Bountiful Blessings Magazine with a distribution list of over 100,000 individuals. He is the president and general manager of WBBP Radio, a 5000 watt, full gospel radio station. He is President of Podium Records, a newly formed record label whose fist project, Bishop G. E. Patterson Presents Rance Allen and the Soul Winner’s Conference Choir, was nominated for a 1999 Grammy Award.

Bishop Patterson is a churchman. On November 14, 2000, Bishop G. E. Patterson was elected as Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. He is the jurisdictional Prelate of Tennessee Fourth Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and a member of the General Board of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. He is one of the most sought out speakers in the country.

Bishop Patterson has been married to his beautiful wife, Louise for 33 years.

The Emporers New Clothes

I witnessed something that brought this childhood Fairytale to mind. This has been a lifelong lesson to me. There have been several occasions in my life where it was applicable. I thought now would be a good time to share it with those who may not remember.

Many years ago there lived an Emperor who cared so much for fine clothes that he spent all his money upon them. He gave no thought to his soldiers nor to the affairs of his empire. He had a new coat for every hour of the day and spent most of his time riding through the streets that everyone might see his handsome clothes.
One day there came to the city two rogues who set themselves up as weavers. They said they knew how to weave the most wonderful cloth in the world. The patterns and the colors were marvelously beautiful, they said; but the cloth could not be seen by anyone who was stupid or unfit for his office.
"I must have some clothes made from this cloth," thought the Emperor. "When I wear them, I shall find out what men in my empire are not fit for their places. I shall know the clever men from the dunces. Those weavers must be brought to me at once."
So the two rogues came to the palace. The Emperor gave them a vast sum of money that they might begin their work without delay.
The rogues immediately put up two great looms, and pretended to be working. They called for the finest silks and the brightest gold, but these they put into their pockets. They worked steadily at the empty looms until far into the night.
Day after day the Emperor could hear the rattling of the looms. He became very curious to see the wonderful clothes; and he decided to send someone to find how the weavers were getting on. But he remembered that no one who was stupid or was unfit for his office could see the cloth.
"I will send my faithful old Minister to the weavers," thought the Emperor. "He is a very clever man, and no one is more worthy of his office than he."
So the good old Minister went into the room where the two rogues sat working at the empty looms. He stared and stared, and opened his eyes wide.
"Mercy on us!" he thought. "I can't see a thing." But he said nothing at all.
"Step a little nearer," said the rascals. "Is not this a beautiful pattern? And the colors - are they not wonderful?" And they pointed to the empty looms.
The poor old Minister put on his spectacles, and bent over the looms; but he could see nothing, for there was nothing to see!"
"Mercy!" he said to himself. "Is it possible that I am unfit for my office? Certainly no one must know it. Am I a dunce? It will never do say that I can not see the stuff!"
"Well, sir, what do you think of it?" asked one of the rogues.
"Oh, it is charming - beautiful," said the old Minister, as he peered through his spectacles. "The colors are gorgeous and the pattern is very fine. I shall tell the Emperor that I am much pleased with your work."
"We are glad indeed to hear you say so," said the rascals. And they went on talking of the cloth. They named the colors, and described the peculiar pattern. The old Minister listened carefully, for he wished to repeat to the Emperor all that was said.
Soon the rogues began to ask for more silk and more gold thread to use in their work. All that was given to them they put into their pockets. Not a single strand of silk was ever put on the loom.
The Emperor sent another faithful friend to see the cloth and inquire how soon the clothes would be ready. But this man fared no better than the Minister. He stood before the empty looms, and looked and looked and looked, but he saw no cloth.
"Is not this beautiful stuff?" asked the two rogues. And then they praised the gorgeous coloring and explained the peculiar pattern, which was not there at all.
"Dear, dear!" thought the man. "Surely I am not stupid. It must be that I am unfit for my office. That is very strange. But I must not let it be known."
"Ah!" said he. "The design is most unusual; and the color is marvelous. I shall tell the Emperor what fine progress you are making."
Soon every one in the city was talking about the wonderful cloth that the two weavers were making. The Emperor thought that he would like to see the beautiful cloth while it was still upon the looms. With a number of his courtiers he went to visit the two rogues, who were weaving rapidly day after day without any thread.
Among the courtiers were the two men who had already been there. They thought that the others would see something upon the empty looms, so they began to cry out at once, "Look, your Majesty. Do you see the beautiful design? And the color - is it not gorgeous?"
"What is this?" thought the Emperor. "I see nothing at all! Am I not fit to be Emperor? Am I a dunce? If that were known, I should be deposed."
"Yes, yes, it is very pretty," said the Emperor aloud. "I could not be better pleased."
He smiled and nodded his head, and stared at the empty looms. His courtiers, too, looked and looked, but saw no more than the others. Yet they all cried, "It is wonderful." And they asked the Emperor to wear a suit made from this cloth in a great procession that was soon to take place.
The Emperor gave each of the rogues a royal badge to wear, and called them the Imperial Court Weavers.
As the day of the procession came nearer, the two rogues worked with might and main. They were up the whole of the night before, and kept more than sixteen candles burning.
Through the shining windows the people could see them hard at work. They took yards of nothing down from the empty looms. They made cuts in the air with big scissors. They sewed strong stitches without any thread; and at last they said, "The clothes are ready."
The Emperor, with his grandest courtiers, went to put on his new suit.
The rogues lifted their arms as if holding something. "See!" they said. "Here is the coat! Here is the cape! Here are the trousers! The cloth is as light as a spider's web. You may move as freely as if you had nothing on. That is the beauty of it."
"It is marvelous," said the courtiers. And yet all the time they saw nothing, for there was nothing.
"Will your Majesty be pleased to take off your suit?" asked the rogues. "Then we will put on the new garments before the long mirror."
The Emperor took off his clothes, and the rogues pretended to put on each new garment as it was ready. They wrapped him about, they buttoned and they tied.
"How well his Majesty looks in his new suit!" said his courtiers. "What a becoming style! What beautiful colors!"
The Emperor turned round and round before the mirror, and looked and looked, and nodded his head.
"They are waiting outside with the canopy which is to be carried over your Majesty during the procession," said one of his officers.
"I am ready," said the Emperor. He gave one last look in the mirror, as if he were admiring his new finery.
The two men who were to carry the train of the Emperor stooped down to the floor, as if picking up something; and then they held their hands high in the air and moved forward. They did not dare let it be known that they saw nothing.
The Emperor marched along under the handsome canopy, and all his officers marched behind him, in gorgeous clothes. But the people in the streets and at the windows gazed only at the Emperor, for they all wanted to see the wonderful cloth.
"How handsome the Emperor's clothes are!" they all cried. "What a perfect fit! What marvelous colors!"
No one would say that he could see nothing, for that would have proved him very stupid and unfit for his office. No clothes of the Emperor had ever been so much admired.
"But he has nothing on!" said a little child.
"Hush! Hush!" said its father.
But the people began to whisper to one another what the child had said; "He has nothing on! A child says he has nothing on!"
Soon all the people were saying aloud, "But, he has nothing on!"
The Emperor hear what they said, and he shivered, for he knew that their words were true. But it would never do to stop the procession; and so he held himself stiffer than ever. And behind him his officers carried the invisible train.

Bishop G.E. Patterson ( 1939-2007)

At 4:00 PM yesterday Memphis time. The Patterson family, the entire Memphis community, as well as the COGIC family all over the world. Suffered a great loss in the form of a leader. The presiding Bishop of the 6,500,000 member Cogic denomination and local pastor of a 13,000 member congregation, G.E. Patterson departed from this earth.

Luther Ingram (1937-2007)

Luther Ingram (November 30, 1937 — March 19, 2007) was an R&B soul singer and songwriter.

Born in Jackson, Tennessee, his songs appeared in the pop and R & B charts, even though he worked for a small label, Koko Records, owned by his manager and producer, Johnny Baylor. Koko and Baylor were closely associated with the Memphis-based Stax Records label during the height of its commercial success.

Ingram is best known for his hit, "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right)", written by Homer Banks, Carl Hampton and Raymond Jackson. The song placed number one on Billboard magazine's R&B chart, and peaked at number three on that publication's Hot 100 chart in 1972 (later successfully covered by Millie Jackson and Barbara Mandrell). Other popular tracks include "Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One)" and "I'll Be Your Shelter." He also co-authored the Staples Singers hit, "Respect Yourself."

Ingram died on March 19 2007, after years of kidney troubles and ill health, in St. Louis, Missouri, aged 69.

Who Is G.A Hardaway

I have tried to find a picture or something, indicating to me at least what the newly elected State Representative for dist. 92 looks like. I am just an interested observer being that I don't live in the district anyway. He does affect me indirectly since I am a Memphis resident. The only introduction I have had to this guy is by two people who I don't particularly trust either. Two other State Representatives Ulysess Jones and Larry Miller, endorsed this guy in a phantom type radio commercial. This guy has now been elected and we don't even know him.

Mr. Hardaway ran on a platform of reforming the lottery. The two officials that endorsed him were instrumental in the present setup. Based on all indications up until this point. I would say it's business as usual. If someone knows more about this individual than is readily accessible. Please feel welcome to share. Who is G.A. Hardaway?

You Never Know Who's Listening

It would seem unlikely that such off color comments would be coming from such a polished radio personality such as Janis Fullilove. Unfortunately they did though. On an obscure little station (WLRM AM-1600). On a bias little talkshow (RealTalk) I as well as obviouly some other listeners of another media outlet (WREC AM-600), heard the statement also. Andrew Clarksenior another noteworthy talkshow host in his own right. Also heard and made mention on his popular weekly radio show. That Ms. Fullilove referred to county Mayor A. C. Wharton as a "House Nigger".

Janis has made a habit of saying and doing unpopular things on the air. People soon forget a good deed, but never let you live down something bad. Having experienced something like this herself. I'm sure she wouldn't have said something like this if she thought a lot of people were listening. It just goes to show that you never know. As someone who plans to run for office in the future. I would just tell her to mind her words carefully. You may have to defend tomorrow ,what you say today. This is probably the last you will hear about this. This is just a line or two to say I was listening too.

"One In Ten" What It Means

Note: The 2005 American Community Survey universe is limited to the household population and excludes the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters.

I felt that disclaimer of sorts was relevant in all fairness , to divulge that information about my source. In terms of a census, no source is without error. These numbers take that into consideration. For the purpose of my argument. I believe these numbers will more than suffice.


General Characteristics - show more >>
Estimate
Percent
Margin of Error

Total population
288,378,137

One race
282,820,953
98.1
+/-63,453

White
215,333,394
74.7
+/-115,546


Black or African American
34,962,569
12.1
+/-41,001


American Indian and Alaska Native
2,357,544
0.8
+/-22,280


Asian
12,471,815
4.3
+/-30,771


Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
397,030
0.1
+/-10,869

Some other race
17,298,601
6.0
+/-121,998


Two or more races
5,557,184
1.9
+/-63,453



Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
41,870,703
14.5
+/-10,385

After looking at the above numbers we see that Blacks only make up 12% of the American population. Even in the most liberal of estimates, Blacks make up 14% at best. When is the last time you saw a man sectioned off in quarters? So we won't deal with the partial people. We'll round it off for the sake of brevity. If we were bowling and the pins represented ethnicity percentage wise. Blacks would solidly represent one whole pin. Why do Blacks always look at themselves as being an extra? An extra has little resistance and counts for less even in a game like bowling. Why not come to the table and have your contributions counted, as opposed to focusing on what you were denied in the past. Just like everyone else in this country. Blacks have a stake in what has and will happen in this country. What happens to America, happens to Black Americans too.

MLGW,Memphis ,Morris And The Mayor

Several things have been painfully reminded to me, in my search for proof of a statement I made last week. I said the citizens of Memphis were screaming for the head of Herman Morris at the time he was fired by the Mayor.Now all of a sudden there are those who think he can be elected Mayor. How soon the voters forget. I think seasoned politicians are aware of this, thus using it to their advantage. Give the Memphis public three days, nothing is headline news anymore. Give it three weeks it's nearly forgotten. Give it three months you can get the charges reduced. In three years the people will have totally forgotten.

MLGW is both an asset and a Albatross to those running Memphis politics. When they're distributing the annual CSA grants or making a donations to the various local causes. No one is complaining about that. When the winter bills become due, it's altogether different. It is a publicly owned company. Supposedly removing the need to earn a profit. The expectations of a publicly owned company is to break even. Yet this publicly owned utility company turns a handsome profit every year. The citizens think this should be funneled back to the customer in the form of lower rates. Other private companies have promised they can provide lower rates. Not so fast though. What they don't tell you is all of the perks will disappear. Over the years MLGW has served as a well of plenty for both the politicians as well as the citizens. MLGW President Joseph Lee said it best when he said "If you have a balance over 90 days past due, and your power hasn't been cut-off. You are also on the VIP list".

There will always be a split among the citizens of Memphis, in regards to the handling of MLGW. I have broken them down into four different categories. Those who pay their bills in full. They generally don't have a lot of complaints. They might complain but not to the point of protesting. Then there are those who are truly overwhelmed with the higher utility bills. Oftentimes these are senior citizens on fixed incomes. They have to decide between two things that may be equally important. In my opinion these are the true victims. Then we have those with their priorities in the wrong place. They buy what they want, and beg for what they need. For some of these programs you have to be $600 behind to even enroll. These people don't even attempt to pay their bills. They depend on the 11th hour rescue. In Memphis they have that option. Finally we have those who take advantage of a bad situation. They can and will pay their bills if they have no choice. If they don't they won't though. I had someone tell me they will never pay their bill in full. After explaining the obvious error in that. I thought to myself silently. Only in the city of Memphis.

One would only have to look as far as his bio to see where Herman Morris gets his base. He is a lawyer that seems to work well with organized groups I.E. unions. He has his hands in so many special interest groups pockets. A rally in support of his candidacy is like being at a lobbyist convention. The large majority of the voting community are not party to the benefits of his actions. Like some MLGW retirees and supporters of other philanthropic efforts of various persuasions are. Which brings me to my point about him being the target at one time. I wondered why his public persona was like night and day. Then it hit me.
(8-12-04) Herenton unhappy at MLGW severance
An overly generous severance plan might be fine in the private sector, but it's out of line when taxpayers are picking up the tab, Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton says.
That's why some MLGW employees like him. They retired on those plans just like Herman Morris himself.

Then we have the Mayor "Willie W. Herenton". He has been accused of trying to sell the public utility company for years. I don't think that was ever his intent at all. The song made famous by Bobby Womack "If you think you're lonely now" always comes to mind. I think it's nothing more than the shock treatment. What would the people of Memphis do if they didn't have MLGW? You can't turn a bull loose in a china shop. I think the Mayor has done an adequate job of corralling whoever has been at the head of MLGW. I don't agree with the comments made recently by the Mayor regarding Mr. Morris. I do know where they came from though. The Mayor is privy to inside workings probably unmatched by anyone. Considering the fact that the utility company has and is still a thriving company. For a city of equal size and amenities. We still enjoy some of the lowest rates in the country. The leadership can't be all bad.

When the Mayor made this statement. Some people thought he was being arrogant. I can see how one might think that, but I tend to agree with him .(1-2-04) - 'Steadfast' mayor sworn in for 4th consecutive term
Mayor Willie Herenton started his historic fourth consecutive term Thursday saying he might have to keep running for mayor because there isn't another "elected official in the City of Memphis I would have confidence in doing this job."

FYI

In Tenneessee in ten years dairy farms have went from 10,000 to about 600. The majority of milk that America consumes daily comes from Mexico.

Sinbad Still Smiling

This is a prime example of how fast false information travels.

Sinbad Resurrected After Online Demise
Reuters
NEW YORK (March 15) - Condolences flowed for U.S. comedian Sinbad after the online encyclopedia Wikipedia announced his death Thursday, but it turned out the grieving was premature and the comic was alive and well.The hoax entry said the 50-year-old entertainer, who appeared in several television series and starred in films including "Houseguest," and "Jingle All the Way," had died of a heart attack on the morning of March 14.The news was quickly picked up by an Internet user who forwarded the e-mail link and prompted widespread mourning.But Wikipedia spokeswoman Sandra Ordonez said the Sinbad entry had been vandalized and although the error was quickly caught and changed, some Internet users had sent e-mails with a link to the old version."This caused people to inadvertently change the entry throughout the day to the vandalized version," said Ordonez."We are currently looking into who made this edit, and have protected the page. We regret any confusion or distress this may have caused Sinbad and his fans everywhere."Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit.Although Sinbad, whose real name is David Adkins, could not be immediately reached for comment, his sister Donna Adkins said in an e-mail to Reuters: "For the record, Sinbad is healthy, well, alive & enjoying life!"Ordonez said there were "various checks and balances" to make sure the information on Wikipedia was correct."Wikipedia is routinely vandalized and errors are caught quickly," she said."But we are not familiar with a case that has received as much widespread attention as this one."

Perceived Police Brutality

I say perceived because we still don't have all the facts. A rush to judgement has always proven to be detrimental. Especially if you are one concerned with facts and not just emotions. Remember the shooting in New York in November, on the eve of the grooms wedding. There hasn't been much buzz surrounding that story lately. The flag flew up for me when Al Sharpton was summoned before there was an investigation. What happened to extinguish that raging fire. I thought the citizens of New York were ready to remove the whole police department. In most cases when the police are involved you get two stories. I have discovered that it usually pays to wait until the facts are available.

Which brings me to a local incident that took place in Millington. Let me first say I do not condone abuse of power by police on any level. I am aware that we do have crooked police, but not nearly as many as we do good ones. Having said that, I don't want to tie the policeman's hands either. Let's not render the police ineffective against criminals in expectation of a law abiding citizens rights being violated. We must allow them to be a show of force. A steady hand in the midst of instability. In the absence of conformity we have chaos.

This story has taken on so many twists I don't know who to believe. This is the first story I read: http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_5402170,00.html.
Before I could let that sink in I read this: http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_5404735,00.html
Both articles raise as well as answer some important questions for me. In order to be fair I'll just say "You live by the sword, you'll die by the sword". That goes for both sides.

I Feel Ya

This is one of my pet peeves. Though I haven't been as proactive as the couple below. I feel exactly as this couple does when it comes to cleanliness. Read not only what they are saying, but what they are doing.




Outraged Ingrams Mill couple got tired of the litter ad not only wand got busy
Thomas Busler/The CommercialAppeal

Dot and Curtis Taylor have adopted Cathey Road in southeast DeSoto County to keep clean. They pick up litter near the Marshall County line.



By Wayne Risher
Contact
March 15, 2007
Long before roadside litter became a hot topic in DeSoto County, a retired Ingrams Mill couple took matters into their own latex-gloved hands.
Curtis and Dot Taylor started picking up litter on their rural road because of pride, plain and simple.


The native DeSoto Countians wanted it looking good when friends from out of state came South to visit.
"It's embarrassing to have people come visit you and see the mess," Dot said.

They built a log cabin on her family's land in 1999. They found the litter appalling and in stark contrast to places they lived in Pennsylvania and Virginia during his career as an over-the-road truck driver.

The Taylors began picking up litter on the quarter mile of Cathey Road between their driveway and Red Banks Road. "That quarter mile looked like a dump," said Curtis, who is originally from Olive Branch.

Soon they were policing three miles ending at the Marshall County line.

The Taylors are one of five participants in a county Adopt-A-Road program that helps citizens, businesses and organizations get involved in beautifying the county.

Between the county, Olive Branch and Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), there are 23 active road adoption efforts in DeSoto. County government has assisted with programs in Hernando and Horn Lake. MDOT's Adopt-A-Highway America program also has three groups in Tate County.

Boosting citizen participation is one of several ideas being batted around by DeSoto supervisors to deal with litter.

Supervisors also talked about hiring a full-time litter pickup crew, seeking a special law to allow the county to pay volunteer road adopters and increasing litter pickups by prisoners.

After supervisors complained about horrible littering along U.S. 61 in mid-February, MDOT's crews have made a dent there and elsewhere.

Courtney Blair, anti-litter coordinator for 17 North Mississippi counties, said, "We do have crews up there that are picking up the litter on 61, (U.S.) 78 and (I-) 55. We are making efforts to get it cleaned up, but it's a continuing cycle."

MDOT's Blair visits schools to talk to children about litter. "Basically we just try to educate the children and reinforce in them not to litter. I always ask them to talk to their parents."

The supervisors' alarm struck a chord with Southaven resident Carla Paradine, who resolved to start picking up litter along State Line Road on daily walks with her dog.

"Coming here from Oregon, if you threw something out of a car, people would either yell at you or go behind you and pick it up," Paradine said. "It's amazing to me the disrespect people have not only for property but for Mother Earth."

Southaven uses a contractor to sweep streets and clean rights-of-way, director of operations Bradley Wallace said. He said if citizens want an Adopt-A-Street program, they could approach the Board of Aldermen.

Adopt-a-road programs typically want participating groups to conduct at least four cleanups a year. Governments supply garbage bags, equipment and safety vests and require participants to release the government from legal liability. Road signs give credit to adopters.

Curtis and Dot Taylor clean up Cathey Road quarterly and the segment between their home and Red Banks Road monthly.

They leave his pickup at Macedonia Baptist Church on the Marshall County line and walk west, grabbing everything within 15-20 feet of the road.

He pulls hand trucks bearing a 55-gallon drum lined with a garbage bag. She totes a 5-gallon bucket. With long-armed mechanical claws, they snare cans, bottles and assorted trash.

It takes a couple hours to make their way home. Dot drives Curtis back to his pickup, which he uses to collect the filled bags they left behind.

Much of what they find can be traced to convenience stores and fast-food restaurants: beer cans and bottles, fast food bags and packaging. Curtis believes governments should levy a nickel or so fee on such purchases to pay for litter cleanup.

Curtis admitted it's an uphill battle in the rural South. "It's a different attitude. People are just used to throwing stuff out the window."

Before visitors arrive at the Taylors' meticulously kept 38-acre spread, they're greeted by a sign announcing who's responsible for this cleaner-than-average DeSoto County road.

It's a retired truck driver and his wife: parents of three children, grandparents of six, and adoptive parents of a ribbon of blacktop winding through kudzu-covered hills and piney woods -- downright picturesque when it's litter free.

-- Wayne Risher: (662) 996-1421

LITTER PROGRAMS

DeSoto County Adopt-A-Road

Contact: Department of Road Management, (662) 429-1466

Adopters:

Starbucks and M.R. Dye Public Library, Nail Road.
Southern Cross Motorcycle Club, Holly Springs Road.
Curtis and Dot Taylor, Cathey Road.
Second Baptist Church Sunday School, Oak Grove Road.
Exchange Club of Hernando, Byhalia Road,

Olive Branch Adopt-A-Street

Contact: Pamela Martin, (662) 892-9375

Adopters:

Christina G. Russell and G. Daryn Russell, Goodman Road at Autumn Oaks Drive and Goodman at Pleasant Hill Road.
Alderman Rick Dlugach, College Road.
Dr. S. Jeff Moore DDS, Miss. 305 (Cockrum Street) at B. J. Chain Public Library.
Bob Marr, Goodman Road and Pigeon Roost.
Eastover Neighborhood Association, Craft Road.
Olive Branch Catfish Co., Miss. 178.
Boy Scout Troop 155, Old Highway 78.
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, Davidson Road.
Aubrey Coleman, New Craft Road.
Roy and Jane Coln, College Road.
Maples Memorial United Methodist Church, Old Goodman.
First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Germantown Road.

Mississippi Department of Transportation Adopt-A-Highway America

Contact: Courtney Blair, (662) 563-4541

Adopters:

Eastover Neighborhood Association, Miss. 302 (Goodman Road).
Pendergrast Family, Miss. 302.
Old Navy No. 6135, Miss. 302
Schnuck's, Miss. 302.
Memphis RiverKings, U.S. 51.
Mid-South Shepherd Rescue, U.S. 51.

Tate County:

Friends and Family of Danny Whittle, Miss. 4.
Northwest Mississippi Community College Environmental Science Organization, Miss. 4.
Citizens for a Cleaner Community, Miss. 4.

Robbery 101

Where is the public outrage for acts such as this? Will we wait until the police kills this guy during an arrest that gets out of hand, before somebody identifies him? Predators like this don't deserve to be among decent people. I find it hard to believe in a city like New York nobody knows who he is. Look at the video:

Desperation

I hope the County Mayor doesn't even dignify this rumor with a response. Other than to say it wasn't his doing. The assertion was timed perfectly by whoever is behind this whole thing. It came up at a time when Mayor Wharton was out of town. Making him unable to back up the statement with a yea or nay. Giving it an uninterrupted run on the news,radio and blogs. Somebody found out that he could run for one office while holding the other. Leaving nothing left to be loss but face. The wheels of the Herenton hater wagon began to roll. I think this is an act of desperation on the part of those who want to defeat city Mayor Willie Herenton. Since the whole thing is still just rumor at this point. I'll reserve my opinions until it's official.

A New Face For Democrats

Keith Norman the pastor of First Baptist church on Broad. Is seeking the position of chairman of the Shelby County Democratic party. The issue has come up as to whether he is putting the tax exempt status of his church in jeopardy. Even if the IRS does decide to prosecute, which I don't think they will. The IRS would have to form a line, if they weren't enforcing the law selectively. I'm not so sure this would be a violation anyway. The Javier Bailey supporters are probably the ones who are trying to make a big deal of this. Many of whom I know have questionable backgrounds themselves. Which leads me to why I think Pastor Norman is running for the seat.

I think this is an effort to give the party a new cleaner look. A leader who is actually doing something for the people. Pastor Norman appears to be one who has a relatively clean background. With the broad sweeping effects of the Tennessee Waltz on local Democrats. The party is in serious need of a makeover. The former chaiman is under indictment, his biggest opponent has been on repeated probation. To have someone with morals and a record of good works in the community is something new. He has been an asset to the Binghampton community in various ways. An area of town that doesn't always get the attention of the city leaders. At least not as much as the more affluent parts of the city. They don't seem to have a lot of friends in high places. If given that kind of political clout in the community. Pastor Norman seems to be the kind of leader that would make a difference. This is what makes me an Independent Conservative. I think I can come to a comfortable median with some Democrats. From what I have seen, Keith Norman may be one of those.

Leading Ladies

I wanted to post this story during "Black History Month". Unfortunately I didn't get to do so. It is just as thought provoking to me then as it is now. It indicates the force with which Blacks have advanced in all facets of American life. I personally don't think it's by coincidence that Black females have advanced at a rate equal to or exceeding that of Black men. The four ladies pictured above are leaders in their respective fields. When I point out the fact that in many instances. Black women have benefited more than Black men from affirmative action. I am accused of being angry with Black women, or being a male chauvinist. Neither of which is an accurate assessment. I am just realistic and see the big picture. Black women have often been extended invitations where doors were closed to Black men. Killing two birds with one stone so to speak. Offering advancement to both a woman and a minority. It will be interesting to note the affects of this longstanding practice. In regards to the Hispanic community twenty years from now. Will Black females be making this same complaint? These are just a few examples of females forging ahead in their professions.

Oprah Winfrey--- She has risen to be one of the most respected producers in television. She is well known for her philantrophic efforts throughout the world. She is also recognized as being one of the wealthiest women in the world. Read the link below for more information:

http://www.oprah.com/about/press/about_press_bio.jhtml

Condoleeza Rice--- She is the first Black female selected as the secretary of state. That is the highest position held by any Black in the present administration. Read the link below for more information:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/rice-bio.html

Bishop Vashti Mckenzie--- She is the first female Bishop in the AME church, Black or White. Click on the link below for more information:

http://www.nathanielturner.com/vashtimckenzie.htm

Aprille Ericsson-Jackson, Ph.D.,--- first (African American) female to receive a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University. Click on link below for more information :

http://quest.nasa.gov/space/frontiers/ericsson.html