What NOT to do if you're black and stopped by the police

Left in Alabama co-blogger in chief countrycat says " surprisingly people don't know their rights when it comes to interaction with the police", and proceeds to advise white people what their rights are when they are stopped by the police.  Yes, I said advise white people, because black people don't have the same rights.  They just don't, but this is what happens when there is a lack of diversity (for lack of a better word) at Alabama's Informed. Involved.  Progressive. blog of record.

More per countrycat:

This simple sentence: "I do not consent to this search," is one of the most important tools you have to protect your constitutional rights during a police stop. 

Now I'm not calling countrycat naive, but the only rights black folks have when it comes interacting with the Po Po is to stay black, and try and live through the interaction.  Politely telling the Po-Po you do not consent to this search is asking to be arrested (if you're lucky),  a mega beat down, or worse.  And the last thing you want to do is reach for your handy know your rights card because police might think you are reaching for a gun.

This really funny video by comedian Chris Rock tells black folks what to do when stopped by the police.  If you follow these easy tips you'll be fine.  Warning video contains raw but real language.

#leftinbama

Anti Choice activist protest being moved to the black community in Huntsville

Fist Dap Left in Alabama

Before I type another word let's get some terminology straight.

First of all, they are not pro-life, they are anti-choice.

I want anybody that cares about what a woman is allowed to do with her body to do one simple thing. Do not let ANYBODY use the term pro-life, ever. If they do, stop and challenge immediately. "Oh, so you are against the death penalty?" listen to them hem and haw, justify, evade, deny and then declare they are not. "Then you are anti-choice."

Secondly, pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion.  I'm talking to you Paul Gettis whose article on the protest was rightly condemned as biased. 

 What is unthinkable now is made to be radical, then it is made acceptable, then... likely. This is how we lose our freedoms, and how the Overton window is utilized. To prevent this, the core basis of the emotional appeal of "Pro-Life" must be addressed. The idea is that the enemies of a woman's right to choose are not in fact crusaders for defenseless unarmed babies. They are hypocrites who could give a damn about a person AFTER they are born, this is the foundation for the moral disconnect that suggests killing a doctor that performs abortions could be justifiable homicide. (legislation currently tabled at the time of this writing)

Don't want an abortion? Don't get one.  

It's a remarkably clear and strong statement, especially since so many "protectors of the unborn" tend to be old white dudes. However, it does not work because religion requires proselytization, and the saving of the souls that need it. You can mock it, you can castigate it. It only makes the believer more resolute in their stance. An effective approach is to put the burden of justification on the believer, it is a small thing that every one of us can engage in with minimal effort. if you are "pro life" does that extend to AFTER the fetus is born and becomes a child or not?

Now that we have that out of the way, let's move on to the topic at hand with some background info via Left in Alabama Blogger countrycat: 

 Huntsville anti-choice protesters are worried about the "impact on children" if the city's lone women's clinic moves from its present location to a new building that complies with the state's TRAP law.  The problem, they assert, is that the new location is directly across from a middle school and so represents both a safety and moral hazard for the children.

Here is AL.com's Paul Gattis version:

Abortion advocates are targeting the black community in northwest Huntsville with plans to relocate its downtown clinic to a facility on Sparkman Drive, anti-abortion protesters said Saturday.
A sidewalk rally held in front of the proposed new facility – the Alabama Women's Wellness Center – across the street from Ed White Middle School attracted about 50 protesters Saturday morning who heard a series of speakers.

Now here's truth and nothing but the truth according to RedEye.

Anti-choice activist are not concerned about the clinic being located across the street from a middle school, they don't want the clinic located in Huntsville period, much less in north Huntsville because it has the perception of being ground zero for all kinds of vices. So much so students in north Huntsville are forced to wear uniforms so teachers and administrators can identify them from gang members.

The anti-choice activist can't be concerned about the health and safety of middle school children in north Huntsville because they didn't say a word when the Downtown Rescue Mission was moved to north Huntsville near day care centers, churches and what was then a middle-class neighborhood.

The anti-choice activist can't be concerned about property values declining in north Huntsville any more than they already are.  It's not like people are building million dollars home in the area.  Heck people aren't building homes period.  What they are building is a $65 million dollar predominately black school named after black astronauts less than half a mile from an active rock quarry.

The anti-choice activist can't be concerned about the health and safety of middle or high school children who will be exposed to Silica dust when the new north Huntsville Middle/High School located less than half a mile from an active rock quarry.

Speaking of the new north Huntsville Middle School,  the proposed new facility – the Alabama Women's Wellness Center – across the street from Ed White Middle School will be closing, combining with Davis Hills Middle School, which is also closing,  and become the new location for the  Academy for Academics and Arts.  Can't have those precious darlings and their parents seeing protesters passing out fetus dolls, and busing in school children to sing such ditties as "Happy Birthday, Dead Baby" to women entering the building. (Good one countrycat)

Listen to this interview and you will hear the callous disregard for the safety of the student's, teachers, and support personnel at the new north high school.  Funny how Wardynski and Company are concerned about the crime and drugs in north Huntsville but not about the potential health and safety risk associated with building a school less than half a mile from an active rock quarry.

As the young people say, Let's get real.

Democratic lawmakers and civil rights leaders denounced conservative commentator William J. Bennett yesterday for suggesting on his syndicated radio show that aborting black children would reduce the U.S. crime rate.
The former U.S. education secretary-turned-talk show host said Wednesday that "if you wanted to reduce crime, you could -- if that were your sole purpose -- you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down." Bennett quickly added that such an idea would be "an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do." But, he said, "your crime rate would go down."

This is about the anti-choice crowd trying to prevent poor black women from having access to a safe, legal, abortion,  coupled with the fact the anti-choice crowd doesn't want to leave their cushy Twickenham digs and come to crime infested north Huntsville.  After all, they would look pretty silly waving their pro-life signs while exercising their second amendment rights,  armed to the teeth out of fear of the black people they claim to want to protect.

Yes campers, locating a reproductive health clinic that provides affordable services to women including pap smears, STD screenings, pregnancy tests, birth control, and abortion in an existing building that's zoned as a medical clinic and happens to be in a low-income, mostly African American neighborhood is now a racist act.  The clinic welcomes all women - even if they don't have health insurance, which many do not since our state declined to expand Medicaid.  Have you ever tried to call a local OB/GYN and make an appointment?  The first question is "What kind of insurance do you have?" See how much farther you get if the answer is "none." 

Without the anti-choice protestors camped out  in front of this facility it looks just like what it is, a place that provides affordable reproductive services to women including pap smears, STD screenings, pregnancy tests, birth control, and abortion, in a building that complies with Trap regulations, which happens to be in a low-income, mostly African American neighborhood. 

  Because make no mistake, this bill will not prevent any women with means from having access to an abortion, this bill adversely and disproportionately affects black/brown/poor Alabama women and children who are already born.  Children republicans don't want to have access to quality affordable health care, access to a quality public education, or even  food.

I will believe it is about the safety and moral hazard for the children when I see them protesting building a school less than half a mile from an active rock quarry.

That is all.

"For more information contact your school board member or Huntsville Council of PTA's" Yeah, right.

I'm back! Before I get into the meat the potatoes of this post I must extend a sincere thank you to Chip for filling in during the void due to someone(s) cutting off the Internet to my home.  I HOPE Chip will continue to post on a daily basis.  We like and encourage diversity here at RedEye's page.  If anyone else interested in being a contributor grab a moniker and send me a writing sample c/o redeyeblog.alabama@yahoo.com.   I would also like to thank all of the readers/lurkers for your continued support. I continue to be amazed and humbled, it is why I blog, and why I am eternally grateful to mooncat and countrycat for encouraging me to blog,  for encouraging me to start my own blog.   ~RedEye

So, I return to find the Huntsville City Schools up to their old tricks in an attempt to keep the school system segregated by race/class, ironically at the same time the University of Alabama Student Government Association votes for integrating the Greek system.

We are constantly being told the NAACP Legal Defense Fund agrees with the Huntsville City Schools rezoning plan,  but clearly that is a lie.

Enabled by the media,  HCS keeps repeating The NAACP Legal Defense Fund did not oppose the Huntsville City Schools rezoning plan meme, counting on the public to infer the NAACP LDF supports the plan.

What they don't count on is the public having enough sense to read the motion for themselves.  The special counsel for the plaintiffs (Norman J. Chachkin) is not opposed to the new school construction plan because of penalties the BOE would incur if they don't start construction of the new Grissom and the new Johnson High Schools by a certain date due to Arbitrage (Page 6-7 and footnotes page 6). The Plaintiffs attorney reserved the right to oppose the rezoning plan and further litigate whatever issues he deems are in the best interest of the class.

 In other words, the LDF has not dismissed this lawsuit.

The motion filed by HCS BOE request the courts approval, and DOJ agreement, to build a new Johnson High School and a new Grissom High School (footnotes page 4). The court did not approve, and the DOJ did not agree to closing Johnson, renaming Johnson, or closing and combining Butler High School with Johnson High School. The closing of Butler is part of the rezoning plan which the LDF reserved the right to oppose.

"For more information contact your school board member or Huntsville Council of PTA's."  Again, the public is supposed to believe their school board member will answer their questions and not know the Huntsville Cluster of PTA's is a racket, I mean,  an arm of the superintendent and the BOA.

Just in case the school board rep will answer questions that aren't written down here are a few:

1. Who is the owner of the Bulk Mail permit?
2. Who generated the distribution list? 
3. Who composed the copy? 
4. Was this approved by the BOE?
5. If it was approved by the BOE when and where was it voted on?

Wonder why the media isn't investigating this?
Strike that.
We know why.

RedEye Roll

Now isn't that special?

Remington Arms Plant where Remington has been producing firearms for nearly 200 years.

On the morning after the Jordan Davis mistral/verdict, I booted up my computer to do my daily blog stroll and rolled upon Left In Alabama's Resident Righty gleefully congratulating a gun manufacturer for relocating to Huntsville,  which had to be the best-kept secret in Madison County history. Strike that.  This was the best-kept secret since the Downtown Rescue Mission was relocated from Lowe Mill Village to northwest Huntsville.  But I digress.

The deal is set to be announced Monday at a special meeting of the Huntsville City Council, though sources said there may be a news conference prior to the meeting.
Huntsville and Madison County elected officials declined to comment when contacted about the deal this morning. Officials with Remington Outdoor did not immediately return requests for comment.
Gov. Robert Bentley did not directly confirm the reports about Remington, but told AL.com today that a big announcement is coming Monday.
"I think Monday you'll see something very special in the state," Bentley said.

Before I type another word let me say I am not opposed to skilled manufacturing jobs coming to Alabama.  As a matter of fact, I hope they will employ some of the people who desperately need jobs, but I'm not counting on it.  My problem is the same people who are happy to create jobs making guns won't expand Medicaid and reject key provisions in The Affordable Health Care Act because of Obama.

Another bone of contention I have is al.com claiming the city welcomes Remington based pm an abundance of positive, pro-gun comments posted to the AL.com story this morning.  First, let's look at how the online poll questions are framed:

Would you support Remington opening a production plant in Alabama?
Yes, I love the Second Amendment.
No, I don't agree with guns/gun ownership.
It doesn't matter to me
Yes, bring the jobs and the business

Next let's look at some of the abundances of positive, pro-gun comments posted to the AL.com story this morning.

but,but ,but ,,,the unemployed can stay a home and take care of the kids,,cook meals,spend more time with the kids....according to some of your liberals leaders. in Washington told that to us last week,,,those that has lost their jobs because of obamacare..its better than being employed......is that not true ???

 Democrats and liberals should be prohibited from obtaining employment at this plant. That should be the first question on the application.

Liberal Occupier types are fun to watch... They are frothing over 2000 new jobs in Alabama.... Jobs seem to be hated by the Neosocialists

 The LIBERAL OCCUPIER WHACKJOBS got a double whammy ....2000 new jobs in Huntsville and NO to the UAW in Chattanooga....hahahaa

 tis is great they can the guns faster to Birmingham

 Bo..You can thank Obama for these 2000 jobs

 Clearly businesses are trying to escape the LEFTWING OCCUPIER areas where they are attacked and over taxed

Forgive me for not doing handsprings because a gun manufacturer is moving here based on this abundance of positive, pro-gun comments posted to AL.com.    I guess we will have to wait until tomorrow to find out what the City of Huntsville gave Remington to entice them to relocate to our fair city.   As countrycat said  keep in mind they recently paid a department store $4 million to move from one mall to a newer one 1 1/2 miles away. 

BOOM! (pun intended).

With demoCATS like this who needs republicans?

If you are going to continue enabling the republicans, at least change the name of your blog from Left in Alabama to Wrong in Alabama.

Sigh.  Here we go again, I hate it when democrats help republicans turn the good guys and gals into the bad guys and gals.

The Shirley Sherrodding of Nancy Worley.

You know the drill.

Leak spin to the media.

Right-wing blogs promote the meme.

Left in Alabama fall for the Okey-Doke.

Viola!  A scandal is created.

And who wins in the end?

Not liberal/progressive democrats that for sure.

Some of what BamaRainbow said.

I'm not trying to excuse Worley's behavior here but I'd be a bit more leery of believing anything that comes out of a REPUBLICAN operative's office.  Not all GOPers are technically incompetent but all the POLITICAL ones I've seen are unscrupulous when it comes to protecting their own power base.
When someone in the SOS's office can provide a SCREENCAP that shows BEYOND ANY DOUBT that Worley's email account actually received the email, I'll be a bit more willing to believe their story.  BUT,  bear in mind, it doesn't take much effort to fake ELECTRONIC documents.  Or has everyone sort of forgotten the recent attempt in Texas to alter video records of legislative debate?  The ONLY reason that was caught was because the streaming of the debate was being done live and records actually showed (at first) the correct information.  But internet watchers following the events found their ability to access the vote record suddenly (and inexplicably) vanished, and when it came back up, the record changed (in a "1984"-esque manner).  Now, that LIE perpetrated (and eventually admitted to) by Texas REPUBLICANS was only caught due to the diligence of people WATCHING THEM.  We don't have any sort of outside proof beyond--again--what was provided by REPUBLICANS. 
I'm surprised that anyone would take a Republican's word about anything.  But this website--knowing how completely two-faced and backstabbing this state's GOP can be--should be the LAST to take a Republican's word at face value.
Again.  Worley isn't exactly a favorite on this site but, without more evidence on the Republicans' side, I'm not willing to condemn Worley fully.  And really, countrycat, you can end a paragraph with the following and still keep a straight face:  " the one that did the party a HUGE favor by accepting the documents after the deadline."  Please.  Do you really think the Dems have a real chance at taking AL-1?  The Dems couldn't even GET a candidate to run in the last THREE elections.  And the Dems haven't managed to get better than 40% since 1988 when John Tyson pulled 40% against Sonny Callahan.  The GOP are only being so "magnanimous" because they can afford to be.  I'll guarantee you, if the GOP even so much as thought they could lose the district in a truly fair election, they wouldn't have been so willing to grant that "favor."

First of all, the headline says Alabama Democrats fail to meet deadline, but it should have read, Alabama Democrats miss filing deadline by 1 hour because the acting chairwoman of the Alabama Democratic Party didn't find out about the deadline until she received a call from a Democratic legislator after the deadline passed at noon Tuesday.

Instead of giving Worley the benefit of the doubt countrycat chose to believe what the republicans told the media. And it's a sorry spectacle that just further tarnishes the image of all Alabama Democrats.

Psst, countrycat!  Did the Alabama Democratic Majority meet the filing deadline?  Oh wait... first the Alabama Democratic Majority must have some candidates to meet the filing deadline.

Oh, and BamaRainbow, I do believe the Dems have a real chance at taking AL-1, that's why the GOP tried to pull a fast one over on the Alabama Democrat Party.  We owe the democratic legislator who called Nancy Worley and help foil their evil plan big time.

Lessons Learned? I don't think so....

Per Left in Alabama blogger countrycat;   approximately 300 people attended the Alabama Democratic Majority's first Grassroots Convention at the University of Alabama this weekend, where Judge Mark Kennedy opened the event with one of his barn burner speeches, Congresswoman Terri Sewell provided a free lunch to participants, and Executive Director Bradley Davidson listed the the following goals:

1. Defeat the GOP super-majority.
2. Expand the electorate.
3. Equip the electorate with voter IDs.
4. Build a progressive infrastructure that lasts past a single election cycle.
5. Launch a grassroots donor base instead of relying on a few large donors.  That shifts power to the grassroots instead of a few party bosses.

Now these goals sound fine and dandy but my question is, why was there a need to form a separate party to achieve these goals?  

Oh, I forgot....because of Joe Reed and his bunch.

Joe Reed and his bunch want to Defeat the GOP super-majority.
Joe Reed and his bunch want to expand the electorate.
Joe Reed and his bunch want to Equip the electorate with Voter IDs.
Joe Reed and his bunch want to Build a progressive infrastructure that last past a single election cycle.
Joe Reed and his bunch want Launch a grassroots donor base instead of relying on a few large donors.

According to Davidson this is the path to victory for democrats;

The Democratic path to victory, he explained runs through the Senate and the ADM will work to help all Democratic candidates, but particularly Senators Tammy Irons & Mark Keahey.  Both intimidate the GOP because they're young, articulate, and popular in their districts.  The GOP has targeted their races and the Democrats have to hold those seats.
Targeted GOP seats include:

• Senator Paul Sanford, District 7 in Madison County. 
• Senator Bill Holtzclaw, District 2 in Madison County. 
• Senator Shadrack McGill, District 8 in Jackson, DeKalb, & a sliver of Madison County.
• Senator Phil Williams, District 10  from Gadsden.
• Senator Gerald Dial, District 13 in Randolph, Cleburne, Chambers, Cherokee, & Lee counties.
• Senator Gerald Allen, District 21 from Tuscaloosa.
• Senator Del Marsh, District 12 in Calhoun & St. Clair Counties. He's the GOP Senate leader.

Question:  Why waste time and resources on candidates who young, articulate, and popular in their district just because the gop has "targeted them"?  If they are as popular as you say it won't matter if the gop "targets" them or not.  And wouldn't it be helpful to have actual candidates to run against  Sandford, Holtzclaw, McGill, Williams, Dial, Allen, and Marsh?  Where are the candidates?

This is is precisely why I oppose the creation of this organization.  It is dividing the Alabama Democratic Party.

Strike that, it is destroying the Alabama Democratic Party. 

For too long we have been seen as stupid, redneck, backward and just plain simple. Serious thought and consideration must be given to the path of destruction that beckons our state, and we as a people must march out of the abyss of our own making.
In the overall scheme of Alabama politics, there are choices, and they are not difficult ones to make. If you are poor, you are a Democrat, even if you deny the obvious.

A party divided will NOT stand.

 My advice to them at the time? The real progressive Democrats in Alabama — and there are many, in spite of the false picture painted by the corporate media institutions here — should unite and figure out a way to take over the Democratic Party and rewrite the platform, like the conservative, religious wing of the Republican Party took it over in the 1980s.

Real  Alabama democrats can't win for the journalist.

Succession within the Alabama Democratic Party

When Left in Alabama Blogger country cat said outgoing ADP chair Judge Mark Kennedy was "mean a snake and likes a fight", I thought she was talking about being mean as a snake and fighting the GOP,  not Joe Reed and his bunch.

When Judge Kennedy said "we're all in this together" and are people who believe in "the fundamental rights of all people."  I didn't know he meant everybody but Joe Reed and his bunch.

When Judge Kennedy promised a restored democratic party,  I didn't know it meant excluding Joe Reed and his bunch.

And what happened to Kennedy's 5 point plan for the ADP?  Never mind.  We know.   Joe Reed and his bunch.


Decoding the code words.
Edited to add Judge Kennedy's statement on his Facebook page Sunday 4/21/13

In our organization, there will be no "majorities and no minorities" we will all be part of a growing movement and will stand equal together. The Alabama Democratic Majority supports a philosophy of inclusion.
To have a "majority" we must welcome all people that share our vision. When I chose the name of this exciting new opportunity it never occurred to me that I was using a code word for excluding minorities as some are now saying.

Psst Judge Kennedy!  It's not the name of your organization, it's the actions of your organization that are a code for excluding minorities.  Strike that, it's code for excluding some minorities like Joe Reed and his bunch.   Intentional or not,  the creation of this organization reminds me of the Southern Strategy and the creation of private and charter schools after the Brown v. Board decision, leading to the sad, sorry, state of public education not only in Alabama but our country.

This is is precisely why I oppose the creation of this organization.  It is dividing the party.  Strike that, it is destroying the Alabama Democratic Party. 

 People are taking sides. But it isn't between the Democrats and Republicans or progressives and conservatives; we are fighting each other. And if I am being frank, it ain't like we are in such a rosy position in this state that we can afford to be taking our eye away from the folks who seek to dismantle any semblance of a social safety net in this state.

Mark Kennedy vs. Joe Reed 

This is rapidly becoming the African Americans against the whites. It is racial now. The Democratic party will be known as the party of the African Americans. 

If I were allowed to post on Left in Alabama I would ask, what is wrong with the Democratic Party being "known as the party of African Americans"?  Why is that a bad thing?  African Americans don't want, or, need the government or the democratic party to take care of us.  African Americans don't want to be taken for granted and used as props to be seen and not heard.

Just to set the record straight, "what we want" is what every American should want and every democrat should stand for.

We don't want free health care, we want access to quality affordable health care.
We don't want free money, we want equal opportunity to have a good job.
We don't expect to win every election, we expect the right to cast our vote and have our vote counted.

Plato: The measure of a man is what he does with power. Joe Reed is accused of using his power for personal gain, but he's not the one creating a new democratic organization and running from why we are democrats.

In his weekly commentary in Speakin'Out News Jerry Mitchell asked when do the words bankrupt and leadership go together?

Chairman Kennedy tells us that since he became chairman in 2011, one of his key goals has been stabilize the party financially and begin the type of outreach to potential donors to grow the party in communities across the state. Obviously, the record shows that he and his leadership team are not getting the job done. The party is broke, there are no democrats that hold statewide offices, and White male democrats have gone into hiding, largely distancing themselves from President Obama's national success.

I don't know who the new leader of the Alabama Democratic Party will be, but I HOPE it is someone who is mean as a snake and likes to fight republicans instead of Joe Reed and his bunch.

Kennedy, 60, will formally announce the creation of ADM in a press conference at the Harbert Center in the heart of downtown Birmingham, the financial capital of the state. Jefferson County is considered vital by Kennedy as he begins the effort to draw donors to ADM from an affluent blue county that in November saw a majority of voters cast ballots for President Barack Obama and dominate election results for judicial seats.

Good luck with that. People who voted for President Obama and dominated the election results for judicial seats support these people:

  Today Kennedy leaves all that debt to Reed and acting Chairwoman Nancy Worley. They will also have to deal with finding a new executive director for the party. Current Executive Director Bradley Davidson is resigning to join Kennedy at the ADM.

  You cannot curse Bubba and Cooter, Big Man, and June Bug in the daytime and beg them at night.~Joe Reed

Bigotry in the name of the Lord & Why Boycotts Matter

Fist Dap jobsanger
I

It never ceases to amaze me when the right wing, Evangelical, compassionate, conservative, Christians, use religion to justify bigotry.  Those who say marriage equality is not a civil rights issue need only look at the chart of above defining "traditional marriage" for a reality check.

I could have spent the rest of my life eating Chick-fil-A, but once the owner made his views regarding marriage equality public, that was it for the waffle fries, lemon pies, lemonade and chicken strips for  me and mine.  If the owner of Chick-fil-A wants to donate money to right- wing- super PACS, he will do it without my hard earned money.

Psst! countrycat, mooncat, daddycat, and Jim Dean, ask the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,  Do Boycotts Really Matter?

Ask the Dixie Chicks do boycotts really matter.

The black youth project explains why boycotting Chick-Fil-A still matters.  It's not about the profit margin, it's about the principle.


Today's Must Reads
Why a Chick-fil-A boycott matters
Mitt Romneys' Southern Strategy

Would some people rather have Parker Griffith represent them in Congress than a black man?

Left in Alabama promoted a diary by blogger caterwaul begging democrats to be bad for one day and vote for Parker Griffith although he is an idiot , get this, he  is a much less hideous prospect than Mo Brooks, and, because democratic candidate, C.L. Holley, doesn't stand a chance of defeating Mo Brooks because he's well...a black man (my words).

Want to get rid of Mo Brooks? You can do it in the primary: Cast your vote for Parker Griffith. This is probably the only chance to dispose of Mo, because in the general he would almost surely defeat Mr. Holley. However Mr. Holley would have a fighting chance against Griffith.
In an unprecedented shift many local candidates have switched to the Republican party. The politicians have seen the writing on the wall and they have switched parties. There are no more conservative Democrats in the South. They are all now Republicans. The only hope a citizen has of having an impact in an election is by voting in the Republican primary.

No! No! No!  The only hope a citizen has of having an impact in an election is by voting your conscience.  Stop voting for or against candidates based on the color of their skin, or the party they affiliate with. Vote for candidates based on the content of their agenda/platform.

What countrycat said! Emphasis mine

When you go to the GOP primary to vote for the least crazy candidate, what happens?  You strengthen the GOP's appeal to moderate and independent voters.  How many Democrats crossed over in the runoff to vote for Bob Riley instead of Roy Moore for governor?
I know this Parker Griffith thing is different, but it's still a bad idea and the large number of local Democrats jumping on board really annoys me.  Are you planning to ONLY vote for Griffith or will you vote in all the other contested races as well?
And if you do, will you be voting for "the crazy" or for the most moderate candidates?
If you vote for the moderates (or what passes for moderate in the Alabama GOP), you're doing your part to strengthen the ALGOP and marginalize the ADP.

Enough!  It's time for the people to stand up to the right wing crazies, not become them.  C.L. Holly can win if we vote for him.  There is no need for democrats to stain our soul by signing the gop book.  This is what emboldens and enables the Parker Griffiths and the Mo Brooks.

H/T GrannyStandingforTruth

It's RedEye's BlogOversary!

It's hard to believe it's been three years, 652 posts and 53,474  page views since I was forced to start RedEye's Front Page after being booted from Left in Alabama that fateful Friday, November 13th , 2009, because of the content of my comments and other post.

 It still hurts I'm no longer allowed to participate in the Informed, Involved, Progressive conversation at Left in Alabama, but I will be eternally grateful to mooncat for encouraging me to blog, and to countrycat for forcing, I mean encouraging me to get my own blog.  I assumed we were equals who could agree to disagree and still remain friends.  Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk.  It is what it is.

RedEye request the pleasure of your company on a special a stroll down memory lane on the anniversary of RedEye's Front Page, and the fifth anniversary of my first blog post, in honor of  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.

 Those were the good old days.    My very first post at Left in Alabama, Monday November 5, 2007. (Who would have thought those days could look good?)  Who would have thought indeed?

Happy Birthday Martin Luther King, Jr. - Monday, January 21, 2008.

Celebrating the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.-, Monday January 19, 2009

RedEye's Random Thoughts - My very first post at RedEye's Front Page, Sunday, January 17, 2010

Happy 81st Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.-Monday, January 18,2010

Martin Luther King, Jr. Links I Like- Monday January 17, 2011

Become a contributor to RedEye's Front Page!  Why should I have all the fun?  Drop me a writing sample at redeyeblog.alabama@yahoo.com.

You can also follow me on twitter.

Thank you for reading, lurking and commenting.  Let us march on until victory is won.
RedEye

Today's Must Reads
Martin Luther King, Economic Equality and the 2012 Election
Why I carp and whine, and why I wish I didn't have to~a very personal diary

Redeye's Greatest Rants Vol. I

Redeye's WTF rant.

W=Where, Why, Who, When or What.

T=The

F=The F word,

One Redeye Rant leads to another Redeye Rant

Before I move on to a new rant, let me tie up some lose ends from my previous WTF rant.

I wasn't asking goppers and righty's WTF was wrong with the democratic party etc., but I'm glad they responded because their answers were very insightful, and now we know exactly W, T, F, we are dealing with. So now that we know, WTF are we going to do about it?

How did we get here?

How did we get here? How did we get to the place of taxing unemployment benefits and Social Security? How did we get to the place where the media became an unelected branch of the government? Three words, President Ronald Regan.

Race relations Sunday

In light of a previous discussion thread on the subject of racism and the Azalea Trail Maids "controversy" I am using this excellent platform God has given me to write this diary with the hope we can have an honest and open dialogue about race, racist, racism and prejudice.

Racism won't end until it's confronted. We can't confront racism until it is defined.

Why we must look back to move forward

Today is the beginning of the end of our long national nightmare. Two more days and we'll be free at last from the culture of corruption and cronyism. Free at last from Karl Rove politics and Scooter Libby justice. Free at last from a government that is not accountable to we the people. Free at last from a government that can lie to the American people without impunity. If we could be free of the white wing MSM media things would be perfect.

Don't say Goodbye, just go.

This diary is dedicated to mooncat who invited and encouraged me to blog at Left in Alabama before the stuff I was writting needed to be vetted, and to countrycat who encouraged me to start my own blog so I could have the last word.