What say you?

Decatur has a new mayor

2008-06-13T08:50:00.002-06:00

Michael Carrigan will be the new mayor of Decatur. Carrigan will serve 10 months as mayor and that will lead to the next municipal general election. Carrigan has stated he will not run for mayor and will retire from holding public office in Decatur. That then leaves a vacancy on the city council. If you are interested in serving on the city council submit a letter of interest to Celeste Harris.

Why Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican

2008-06-12T14:05:00.002-06:00

By Frances Rice

It should come as no surprise that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican. In that era, almost all black Americans were Republicans. Why? From its founding in 1854 as the anti-slavery party until today, the Republican Party has championed freedom and civil rights for blacks. And as one pundit so succinctly stated, the Democrat Party is as it always has been, the party of the four S's: Slavery, Secession, Segregation and now Socialism.

It was the Democrats who fought to keep blacks in slavery and passed the discriminatory Black Codes and Jim Crow laws. The Democrats started the Ku Klux Klan to lynch and terrorize blacks. The Democrats fought to prevent the passage of every civil rights law beginning with the civil rights laws of the 1860's, and continuing with the civil rights laws of the 1950's and 1960's.

During the civil rights era of the 1960's, Dr. King was fighting the Democrats who stood in the school house doors, turned skin-burning fire hoses on blacks and let loose vicious dogs. It was Republican President Dwight Eisenhower who pushed to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and sent troops to Arkansas to desegregate schools. President Eisenhower also appointed Chief Justice Earl Warren to the U.S. Supreme Court which resulted in the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision ending school segregation. Much is made of Democrat President Harry Truman's issuing an Executive Order in 1948 to desegregate the military. Not mentioned is the fact that it was President Eisenhower who actually took action to effectively end segregation in the military.

Democrat President John F. Kennedy is lauded as a proponent of civil rights. However, Kennedy voted against the 1957 Civil rights Act while he was a senator, as did Democrat Senator Al Gore, Sr. And after he became president, John F. Kennedy was opposed to the 1963 March on Washington by Dr. King that was organized by A. Phillip Randolph who was a black Republican. President Kennedy, through his brother Attorney General Robert Kennedy, had Dr. King wiretapped and investigated by the FBI on suspicion of being a Communist in order to undermine Dr. King.

In March of 1968, while referring to Dr. King's leaving Memphis, Tennessee after riots broke out where a teenager was killed, Democrat Senator Robert Byrd, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan, called Dr. King a "trouble-maker" who starts trouble, but runs like a coward after trouble is ignited. A few weeks later, Dr. King returned to Memphis and was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

Given the circumstances of that era, it is understandable why Dr. King was a Republican. It was the Republicans who fought to free blacks from slavery and amended the Constitution to grant blacks freedom (13th Amendment), citizenship (14th Amendment) and the right to vote (15th Amendment). Republicans passed the civil rights laws of the 1860's, including the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Reconstruction Act of 1867 that was designed to establish a new government system in the Democrat-controlled South, one that was fair to blacks. Republicans also started the NAACP and affirmative action with Republican President Richard Nixon‘s 1969 Philadelphia Plan (crafted by black Republican Art Fletcher) that set the nation‘s first goals and timetables. Although affirmative action now has been turned by the Democrats into an unfair quota system, affirmative action was begun by Nixon to counter the harm caused to blacks when Democrat President Woodrow Wilson in 1912 kicked all of the blacks out of federal government jobs.

Few black Americans know that it was Republicans who founded the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Unknown also is the fact that Republican Senator Everett Dirksen from Illinois was key to the passage of civil rights legislation in 1957, 1960, 1964 and 1965. Not mentioned in recent media stories about extension of the 1965 Voting Rights Act is the fact that Dirksen wrote the language for the bill. Dirksen also crafted the language for the Civil Rights Act of 1968 which prohibited discrimination in housing. President Lyndon Johnson could not have achieved passage of civil rights legislation without the support of Republicans.

Critics of Republican Senator Barry Goldwater who ran for president against Democrat President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, ignore the fact that Goldwater wanted to force the Democrats in the South to stop passing discriminatory laws and thus end the need to continuously enact federal civil rights legislation.

Those who wrongly criticize Goldwater, also ignore the fact that President Johnson, in his 4,500 State of the Union Address delivered on January 4, 1965, mentioned scores of topics for federal action, but only thirty five words were devoted to civil rights. He did not mention one word about voting rights. Then in 1967, showing his anger with Dr. King's protest against the Viet Nam War, President Johnson referred to Dr. King as "that Ni**er preacher."

Contrary to the false assertions by Democrats, the racist "Dixiecrats" did not all migrate to the Republican Party. "Dixiecrats" declared that they would rather vote for a "yellow dog" than vote for a Republican because the Republican Party was known as the party for blacks. Today, some of those "Dixiecrats" continue their political careers as Democrats, including Democrat Senator Robert Byrd who is well known for having been a "Keagle" in the Ku Klux Klan.

Another former "Dixiecrat" is Democrat Senator Ernest Hollings who put up the Confederate flag over the state capitol when he was the governor of South Carolina. There was no public outcry when Democrat Senator Christopher Dodd praised Senator Byrd as someone who would have been "a great senator for any moment," including the Civil War. Democrats denounced Senator Trent Lott for his remarks about Senator Strom Thurmond. Senator Thurmond was never in the Ku Klux Klan and defended blacks against lynching and the discriminatory poll taxes imposed on blacks by Democrats. If Senator Byrd and Senator Thurmond were alive during the Civil War, and Byrd had his way, Thurmond would have been lynched.

The thirty-year odyssey of the South switching to the Republican Party began in the 1970's with President Richard Nixon's "Southern Strategy" which was an effort on the Part of Nixon to get Christians in the South to stop voting for Democrats who did not share their values and were still discriminating against their fellow Christians who happened to be black. Georgia did not switch until 2002, and some Southern states, including Louisiana, are still controlled by Democrats.

Today, Democrats, in pursuit of their socialist agenda, are fighting to keep blacks poor, angry and voting for Democrats. Examples of how egregiously Democrats act to keep blacks in poverty are numerous.

After wrongly convincing black Americans that a minimum wage increase was a good thing, the Democrats on August 3rd kept their promise and killed the minimum wage bill passed by House Republicans on July 29th. The blockage of the minimum wage bill was the second time in as many years that Democrats stuck a legislative finger in the eye of black Americans. Senate Democrats on April 1, 2004 blocked passage of a bill to renew the 1996 welfare reform law that was pushed by Republicans and vetoed twice by President Bill Clinton before he finally signed it. Since the welfare reform law expired in September 2002, Congress had passed six extensions, and the latest expired on June 30, 2004. Opposed by the Democrats are school choice opportunity scholarships that would help black children get out of failing schools and Social Security reform, even though blacks on average lose $10,000 in the current system because of a shorter life expectancy than whites (72.2 years for blacks vs. 77.5 years for whites).

Democrats have been running our inner-cities for the past 30-40 years, and blacks are still complaining about the same problems. Over $7 trillion dollars have been spent on poverty programs since President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty with little, if any, impact on poverty. Diabolically, every election cycle, Democrats blame Republicans for the deplorable conditions in the inner-cities, then incite blacks to cast a protest vote against Republicans.

In order to break the Democrats' stranglehold on the black vote and free black Americans from the Democrat Party's economic plantation, we must shed the light of truth on the Democrats. We must demonstrate that the Democrat Party policies of socialism and dependency on government handouts offer the pathway to poverty, while Republican Party principles of hard work, personal responsibility, getting a good education and ownership of homes and small businesses offer the pathway to prosperity.

Breaking News

2008-06-12T13:28:00.001-06:00

I your humble servant was the first to break the news on the format change concerning Magic 1050. My reporting was spot on. No need for kudos now. I also posed the question did the minority community loose an entitlement with Magic 1050 being changed from R&B programming or did an entrepreneurial opportunity present itself? There were so many things that were fundamentally wrong with Magic 1050 as a radio station. Fiscally the station was under performing, the news reporting was nonexistent and the music at times was downright old. Not to mention Jeffrey Perkins should not have been singled out as the reason Magic 1050’s format changed. Believe me, the station was going to be changed to sports/talk no matter what. Jeffrey Perkins was being used a scapegoat, plain and simple.
I am glad to be able to break the rest of the story. Very soon Decatur will have a radio station that will offer similar music to the now defunct Magic 1050. However this time there will be a heavy emphasis on reporting state and local news. There will be many advertising opportunities as well as home grown radio shows. Stay tune as this situation develops. Remember your heard it here first. What say you?

Republocrats who needs them?

2008-03-12T14:00:00.002-06:00

I have found a disturbing phenomenon in Macon County. This phenomenon is many people are masquerading as republicans. Oh sure they will tell you they are republicans but can local candidates count on them for support? No they can’t! Due to protecting business interest and maintaining a good relationship with local democrats, our candidates suffer. Thus the term “Republocrats” have been bestowed upon our half-brethren. Do we need the Republocrats? Yes we need them, their vote counts. Can we count on them for support? No!!! What say you?

Total inactivity

2008-03-12T13:00:00.003-06:00

Due to a physical ailment the posts have been few and far between. Slowly I'm trying to regain my strength and since my medication has worn off I can think straight again. I'm glad to be back!

Is it a sin or not?

2008-01-30T21:06:00.000-06:00

I find the differences between races, religions and cultures absolutely fascinating. At times the differences in religious beliefs can be quite contentious. In later posts I will write about my thoughts on the rapture, baptism and other beliefs, observances and practices that are the cornerstone of Christian Denomination. For the sake of cautious engagement I want to discuss alcohol consumption.

There are some Christian Denominations where consumption of alcohol is accepted. An example is the Catholic Church. I have seen many Catholics that do not have problems with the consumption of alcohol. In mass the Priest in many Catholic Churches use real wine when serving communion. Other social event where Catholic Parishioners gather alcohol is served. St. Patrick’s Day events are fun to attend however alcohol is everywhere. It is not my intention to stereotype or otherwise single out Catholics.

There are other Christian Denomination where the consumption of alcohol is an absolute abomination, particularly those that attend the Church of God in Christ Denomination. The COGIC and other “Sanctified” denominations or those “non-denominations” that proclaim “Holiness” view alcohol consumption as a character flaw that opens the door for the devil to invade your personal temple.

Once again this writer’s intent is to point out the dichotomy belief and not to bash any church or denomination. It is my sincerest wish to find out what people believe and why they believe the way they do. So on the topic of alcohol consumption and spirituality what say you?

Why the Blasphemy Challenge Video?

2008-01-10T12:34:00.000-06:00

Our good colleague MCR asked why show the “Blasphemy Challenge” video on my blog. I consider this to be a very good question and I have an excellent answer.

An atheist by definition will neither confirm nor deny the existence of God. Atheism as presented by the authors of the “Blasphemy Challenge” have in my view exceeded their boundaries. The BC is aimed at encouraging teenaged children to commit the unforgivable sin and as such their (BC authors) efforts are spiritually subversive at the least. The biggest problem I can see is Christians are totally unaware of the evil that is lurking and just keystrokes from their children.

Lets face it the atheist through their coordinated efforts have had prayer taken out of school, advocated the teaching of evolution without the mentioning of creation, challenged the “moment of silence” at the beginning the students school day, had Ten Commandments removed from courthouses.

I have made it my mandate to educate responsible God fearing people to the seditious acts that are counter productive to the proper development of our children and young adults. We can’t afford to sit back and watch everything that is wholesome in our society be tossed aside and replaced with secular progressive / communistic beliefs and values.

I firmly advocate reinstituting the three P’s back into schools, Prayer, Parents and Paddles. Our society enjoys freedom of, not from, religion. What Say You?

Rumor Has It Pt. I- follow up

2007-12-13T13:22:00.000-06:00

The new owner of WSOY is not going to take the station off the air. Instead there will be a format change. The Tom Joyner Morning Show and the Michael Baisden Show will be taken off the station format. The reason for elimination the two programs are they are viewed as being racially divisive. The new owner has stated it is difficult to sell advertising spots because of views expressed on the Joyner and Baisden Show. The station will play more music during the day and concentrate on ad sales. What say you?

Rumor Has It Pt. II

2007-12-12T16:57:00.000-06:00

This goes in the “Oh no they didn’t” or “what were they thinking” file. Rumor has it that on “black” Friday Kmart and Sears, were so moved by compassion for the citizens of Decatur that they approved many and I mean many people for store credit cards. The recipients of the credit card were not the usual pretty good credit type shoppers. Oh no! These credit card recipients were from the lower echelon of the credit scale.

As the rumor spread throughout the inner city of the generosity of Sears and Kmart, many of the lowly, disenfranchised, and non-mobile shoppers forged their way to the two promised lands successfully navigating the customer service counters to hit the JACKPOT. Many of the credit challenged and unemployed were rewarded with … Are you ready for this $2300-5000!

In the check out line shoppers reported hearing the beneficiaries boldly proclaiming "I ain't paying this back" and they (Sears and Kmart) were dumb enough to give me a credit card. Needless to say the inventory of plasma, LCD and DLP televisions were depleted. Then the electronics were hit next. The term “black” Friday has a new special meaning to Decatur. What say you?

Looking into the Future

2007-11-20T15:01:00.000-06:00

The State Democrats are at the verge of imploding. Gov. Blagojevich and State Senator Emil Jones are pitted against the Madigans and the rest of the democrat elected officials. As the events of the uncivil war unfold, it’s the Illinois citizens that are caught in the middle of this less than epic political struggle. The casualties of this battle are school budgets across the state, after-school programs, service delivery of social programs. This is a golden opportunity to defeat the Democrats if we seize the day.

Being the opportunist that I am, I can’t help but wonder who will emerge as the Republican challenger for governor during the next elections cycle. I have personally heard Bill Brady’s name mentioned as a future contender.

Locally the Macon County Democrat Party is tied to the hip with Gov. Blagojevich. Many local Dems have plush state jobs and all their sole responsibility is to keep Macon County “blue”. With so much to lose it is no wonder the Dems feverishly set out to trounce Republicans in local elections. However, during the last Presidential Election Macon County shifted to the red side of the spectrum. It’s evident that we can get our candidates elected when we show up and vote. I have offered a plethora of points now, what say you?

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-13T11:14:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving is without a doubt my favorite holiday. First off we give thanks for our many blessings and pray blessings over those in need. Second, the shared family/friends time is a tradition that makes America great. Out of all the holidays Thanksgiving has not been over commercialized, nor do you feel bad if you didn’t remember to purchase a gift for someone. Thanksgiving is about sharing quality time whether playing board-games, chronicling family stories that never seem to get old or falling asleep after a good meal, it hard to measure up to Thanksgiving. I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. If you have a particular story or recipe you want to share please make a post. What say you?

Rumor Has It...

2007-11-08T09:45:00.000-06:00

There is a rumor circulating that MAGIC 1050 is being taken off the air. Mind you, this is just a rumor and has not been substantiated. The radio stations that comprised NEXT Media were sold to a gentleman named Tom Joyner. This is not the same Tom Joyner of the popular AM talk show. Nothing creates more rumors than the prospect of change. In the interest of sparking a conversation, does the elimination of Magic 1050 represent suppression of minority view points or just a business decision based on 1050’s fiscal solvency? The bigger question to me is; if 1050 is shutdown did minorities loose an entitlement or gain an entrepreneurial opportunity? What say you?

Call to Action!

2007-11-07T16:56:00.000-06:00

The Democrats have had it their way far too long in Macon County. I believe the Democrats use the national personification to present local Republicans as smug, arrogant and racially intolerant. I for one refuse to fall victim to this irrational characterization. The Republican’s I know still hold dear the values that founded this county the love of God, duty to our county and commitment to our family. Then add our commitment to limit the size of government, create jobs and cut taxes. We have a winning formula now lets begin to energize our base and take back the local government! What say you?

Fed Up!

2007-11-07T16:31:00.000-06:00

It appears in our society it is fashionable to attack Christians for our beliefs. The vehement of discourse is seemingly increasing daily. Yet and still the majority, that is Christian believers, remains silent. What will it take to wake up the sleeping majority? Our National and State Governments pander to every other religion except Christianity. Example foot washing stalls and prayer rooms are being placed in airports, Muslim children are being allowed to pray in school. Is the separation of church and state a legal standard only applicable to Christianity? What say you?