Stuck on Stupid in Alabama " Thank God (Republicans) are in control of the Senate and the House." Richard Shelby says

How to talk to your children about guns

Sweet Home Alabama, listed as one of the most corrupt states in the nation, already has one of the loosest gun restrictions in the country, but that wasn't good enough for the red, republican, controlled state legislation.  Nope.  They want to make it easier for children to walk around locked and loaded so they can whine about black on black crime, and have candlelight vigils for victims of gun violence.

To rectify this gap in the unstated “guns for everyone” mentality of Alabama’s Republican-led legislature, lawmakers have proposed an amendment to the state’s gun laws that would allow minors to acquire their very own pistols. At the moment, the law is on a bit more even keel, stipulating that “no person shall deliver a pistol to any person under the age of 18.” Lawmakers want that changed to allow minors to have pistols, but only if they get the permission of a “parent, guardian, or spouse who is 18 or older (?)”

And they wonder why police shoot first and ask questions later?

The bill, if passed, would also eliminate record-keeping requirements from the Code of Alabama, removing language that mandates firearm dealers "keep a permanent record of the sale of every pistol, revolver, or maxim silencer, showing the date of sale, serial number, or other identification marks, manufacturer's name, caliber and type, and also the name and address of the purchaser."

Who could possibly think this is a good idea?

 The measure is sponsored by three state senators: Arthur Orr, Greg Reed and Clay Scofield (all Republicans). A matching House bill is being sponsored by Ed Henry, Micky Hammon, Barry Moore and Corey Harbison (all Republicans). It’s unclear why the group of lawmakers felt that kids needed additional relaxation of existing gun laws.

 God, please help America.

"This world will be a dangerous world - more dangerous than it is today. I hope that deal doesn't come through. If it does, Congress is going to speak on it and I believe we will turn it down. Thank God (Republicans) are in control of the Senate and the House."

I submit Sweet Home Alabama will be a dangerous state - more dangerous than it is today.

 Bills like these may be a victory for the NRA, but they are, without a doubt, putting the lives of children in danger. How warped is the mentality of Alabama’s pro-gun lobby that they feel that kids need handguns? How many of Alabama’s children need to die before the “freedom” of a child to carry a pistol isn’t worth the sacrifice? These are questions Alabama lawmakers must answer.

I thought republicans were pro-life?

 Republicans aren't pro-life. They are just pro-birth. And there's a big difference between the two.

RedEye

Who knew Shaq O'Neal was #14 on the list of 100 Most Influential African-American Republicans?

For the record, a black person being a republican is like a Turkey being for Thanksgiving IMHO.  Never the less, there are some who just can't help themselves as evidenced by the list of the 100 most influential African-American Republicans, according to Newsmax.

"Probably the biggest comment they have on the (website is) 'You mean there are 100 of them,"

Most on the list were the usual suspects Herman Cain, Artur Davis, Tim Scott, Condolezza Rice, Alan Keys, Colin Powell, and of course Ben Carson.  But there were some surprises too,  Who knew L.L. Cool J, James Earl Jones, and Shaq O'Neal were Sellouts, I mean among the 100 Most Influential Black Republicans?  My first clue should have been when Shaq endorsed Chris Christie for Governor.



Have They No Shame?

 Again, the  reason I oppose the republican party has nothing to do with me being a democrat, and I don't oppose republicans just to support democrats.  I oppose republicans because the people who perpetrated the 16th Street Baptist Church bombings and other terrorist acts joined the GOP.

Do You Know the Four Little Girls Names?

I'm looking at you 100 Influential African American Republicans.

#BlackBrunchATL #Republicans #Conservatives can't hide the truth any more! #RNC #GOP

#BlackBrunchATL  #Republicans #Conservatives can't hide the truth any more!  pic.twitter.com/mxMK2bL84a #RNC #GOP
— Larry  (@crazylary51) March 29, 2015

In protest, we extend the crisis to those who otherwise would ignore it. In protest, we confront deadly complacency. #BlackBrunchATL
— deray mckesson (@deray) March 29, 2015

I love this RT @AUCShutItDown: White man says were scaring her children. Ours are scared too. #BlackBrunchATL pic.twitter.com/5k40Y4Vu9D
— #BlackExperience (@kidnoble) March 29, 2015

"Police officers are sworn to uphold the law and protect the public........"

Eric Parker, Madison police officer recommended for termination after the incident involving Sureshbhai Patel on Feb. 6 (Photo: Limestone County Sheriff's Office)

Said  U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance  regarding the charges against Eric Parker for deprivation of rights under color of law with respect to his excessive use of force in slamming Mr. Patel to ground on a concrete sidewalk.  What she forgot to add is "unless you are an African American".  Hopefully this will teach police officers everywhere from treating foreigners like a skinny black guy.

What happened to Mr. Patel was outrageous. Thankfully, the FBI and the Department of Justice moved swiftly to deal with this violent act of unwarranted violent and criminal assault on an innocent man, who had every right to be walking in the neighborhood where his son lived. Mr. Patel had recently come to America to help with childcare responsibilities of his grandchild. He deserved far better treatment from the law enforcement community, which far too often doesn't promote public safety or protect people, but instead acts like a lawless gang of thugs above the law. Hopefully, Eric Parker will be convicted for his actions and serve time in a federal prison for this violent assault.

#BlackLivesMatter not so much in the United States of America.   Let's play some basketball and teach black males between the ages of 13 and 17 how to behave when they are engaged by police.

We cannot, nor will not, be accepting of a system that does not truly treat us equally as human beings! #BlackLivesMatter #NicholasThomas
— Dante Boykin (@DanteB4u) March 25, 2015

"Hands Up Don't Shoot" Was Not Built on a Lie

You know how I feel on the DOJ report re: the killing of Mike Brown? I want a trial. That's how I feel. Let's see the conclusion post-trial.
— deray mckesson (@deray) March 16, 2015

Ferguson Message is as powerful as ever.

Dear Micheal Lundy, Lt. Jerry Rice, Kenny Anderson, Harry Hobbs, and L.C. Smith, You're not Helping #BlackLivesMatter

Black Lives Matter:  Signs appear outside churches all over Huntsville

 You're hurting us with your "AllLivesMatter"  seminars to prevent another #Ferguson.

"All Lives Matter" started with a set of town hall meetings in January. Lundy said about 500 adults attended these, but they needed a way to communicate their same concerns with the youth who weren't there. This helped cement the idea of a partnership with the police department.
"We talked about how we work together to prevent some of the negative outcomes that we experienced in Ferguson, Missouri, and Wisconsin and New York and Cleveland, Ohio," he said.

The first sign you are not helping is an endorsement by right wing, conservative, self proclaimed King of Hate Radio, host, Dale "Jackson" who writes:

The one thing lost in all the recent “Black Lives Matter” nonsense is the communities responsibility to respect law enforcement.
This should be applauded and copied. Good job, Huntsville Housing Authority.

See what I mean?  Dale "Jackson" calls the #BlackLivesMatter movement  nonsense,  and believes that black people should respect law enforcement, even when they don't deserve respect.

Young black males in recent years were at a far greater risk of being shot dead by police than their white counterparts – 21 times greater ⁱ, according to a ProPublica analysis of federally collected data on fatal police shootings.

The 1,217 deadly police shootings from 2010 to 2012 captured in the federal data show that blacks, age 15 to 19, were killed at a rate of 31.17 per million, while just 1.47 per million white males in that age range died at the hands of police.

We all know that it's not about people of color not respecting law enforcement, it's about law enforcement not respecting people of color.  You are sending the wrong message to young black/brown/poor males by teaching them how to be good Negroes.  As black men you know good and well staying calm, doing as told, and not having a "bad attitude does not ensure you won't be beaten/ shot/ tased/ killed by police who are afraid of black people.

Let us be clear: We love, support, and pray for our police officers. We understand that many are doing an excellent job under extremely trying circumstances. We also understand that many officers are burdened by systems that routinely mete out inequitable racialized outcomes.  

Let us also be clear to what started the #BlackLivesMatter  movement in the first place.

The founders of #BlackLivesMatter are grateful that their message has been picked up by so many people as a rallying cry, but they want other groups that use the essence of the name, such as #MuslimLivesMatter and #LatinoLivesMatter, to find their own slogans.

At a South by Southwest panel discussion, “What #BlackLivesMatter Teaches Us About Solidarity,” Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi said they were concerned about the dilution of their message.

“Not to say their lives don’t matter,” Tometi told the audience, “but we’ve been in a society that continues to marginalize black faces, and so we don’t want to see this kind of reappropriation and co-optation of #BlackLivesMatter as a hashtag.”

The four of you are referred to as local black mentors , as such you have a responsibility and a duty to speak truth to power.

 If "All Lives Matter' why is the focus on boys from 13-19 years old who live in public housing? 

 If it "aims to prevent a Ferguson, Mo.-type situation from happening in Huntsville, how is "some tough-love dialogue about how to behave when you're engaged by a police officer," going to prevent another ‪#‎Ferguson‬? 

 Maybe you need to have a  dialogue with police officers about how to interact with black males from 13-19 years old.   After all, Ferguson started with ‪#‎DarrenWilson‬ telling ‪#‎MikeBrown‬ to get the F^&k out of the street and walk on the sidewalk and to "get the F#%k back." 

It is wrong to teach black males from 13-19 how to "behave" when "engaged" by a police officer.  It doesn't matter how black males "behave" they can still be beaten/shot/killed by police. ‪

You're not helping. 

Your friend, 
RedEye

America! America! God shed His grace on thee

"@deray: And they chained Martese Johnson's feet the night of the arrest. America. pic.twitter.com/i4rU4z4ODU"
— KD Drummond (@KDP10for10) March 25, 2015

Looking back at #Selma50, what has changed?

Retired Alabama State Trooper James Bonard Fowler, 77, center, plead guilty to killing Jimmie Lee Jackson in 1965 during a Civil Rights protest and will serve 6 months in jail. (Carr/AP)Add caption

In looking back at Selma we should be taking note of the role and function of police then and seeing what progress has been made with respect to their role in society 50 years later..In 1965 police saw protestors as LAW BREAKERS. They saw protestors as folks who were unruly, had a potential for VIOLENCE and thus needed to be contained, dispersed jailed and beaten.. Words like 'outside agitators' and 'troublemakers' were used to describe SNCC and used to describe Dr King. What has changed in 50 years?


 “What other people – besides Blacks – are asked to feel grateful for remaining in the same place economically, educationally and politically for 50 years?”

It's the Media. There is a reason why black people hate the media: they hyper-criminalize us.


After Selma, What's Next for Black America?  Without a new and relevant agenda, black America will continue to march in an endless circle of celebrations and parties while it languishes in a permanent state of despair.

So why is President Obama going to discuss payday lending on his trip to Birmingham that is closed to the public, you know, the only group of people in Sweet Home Alabama who voted for and continue to support him?

No matter how many Black people are shot down in the streets by cops, no matter how far Black people fall in the relative to whites in the economy, Barack Obama has always denied that racism is endemic to the United States. He amended that slightly, in Selma this weekend. “Obama now admits that racism had once been endemic to the country, but that it is now limited to Ferguson-like localities.”

Meanwhile, the Confederate Flag License Plate Case reaches the Supreme Court.  I thought the South lost the Civil War?

RedEye

It's the #Racism and the #Poverty #Stupid #hcsboe

Huntsville City Schools March 11, 1963 -March 11, 2015  (Huntsville Times file)

According to the powers that be , Low-income (code for black/brown) children know 30 million fewer words and Huntsville City Schools plans to fix that by spying on them.  I kid you not.

This past Thursday, the Huntsville City Schools Board of Education voted unanimously and without asking any questions to approve a $93,500.00 contract with the LENA Foundation purportedly to help close the 30 million word gap that exists between children born above and below the poverty line.

Here is what we know we don't know about the latest spy, I mean LENA program.  

1. The recorder will likely record statements like, “You look like your daddy,” or other “not pleasant” conversations despite Ms. McCaulley’s and Mr. Davison’s assurances that it will only record, “wah, wah, wah” like Charlie Brown’s teacher. LENA’s website makes this clear. They will be recording children.
2. The district will target low-income families and entice them to record their conversations with “diapers, formula” and a likely guaranteed spot in the Pre-K program after the child turns 3 or 4.
3. The district believes that parents (at least poor parents) don’t know how to talk to their children.
4. The district believes that sending a text message to parents reminding them to talk to their children and bribing parents to attend a weekly and then monthly meeting will fix this problem.
5. The district believes that it is completely acceptable to turn infants into data points that are available for review by any “stakeholder” at any time day or night via a smartphone.
6. The board members are more interested in laughing at Dr. Wardynski’s attempts at humor than they are actually doing research to see if the things he is recommending actually have any basis in reality.

This school board ,and their media enablers, have demonstrated they are not willing to admit there is a problem, much less less solve it.  They think all they have to do is throw some money at some clueless consultants, blame the victims (parents,child, community), and it will go away.  Not.

It's the Racism. 

 Racism, and its ability to increase the odds that a pregnant mother will deliver her child early, can kill. There is also evidence that racism can alter the capacity for a child to learn and distorts lives in ways that can reproduce inequality, poverty and long-term disadvantage, the studies found.

 Kramer’s findings also suggest that since poor minority families often concentrate in sections of a city and therefore send their children to the same set of the nation’s increasingly segregated (by both race and class) schools, children struggling to learn due to a preterm birth aren’t evenly disbursed. Some schools are likely serving large numbers while others, in wealthier communities and those serving mostly white students, may be serving few to none.

The reason low income children know 30 million fewer words is because their parents are products of the Huntsville City School System.  The reason their parents are low income is because their parents are products of the Huntsville City School system.   It's a vicious cycle.

Maybe if HCS invested in children, instead of Lap Tops and Ipads, a  Director of Community Engagement,   a Political Strategist,  an off the books Spy program,  Attorneys fees, and would stop replacing certified teachers with Teach for America, we could get to the root of the problem and break the cycle of poverty and ignorance instead of perpetuating it. 

"It's easy as A-B-C, 1-2-3"
Step 1  Admit you have a problem
Step 2  Identify the problem
Step 3  Solve the problem

RedEye

"Riots are the language of the unheard"~Martin Luther King Jr. #Ferguson #riots #humanlimits

#MikeBrown
Trayvon Martin
#TamirRice
#KajimePowell
#TonyRobinson

"We need to go out there and make this country into a place where #BlackLivesMatter"

"Why do you only care about “black on black” violence when black death makes the headlines?" #BlackExperience #BlackLivesMatter

An open letter from Urban Cusp’s founder and publisher to the “This Is Not About Race” trolls who have been flooding Urban Cusp’s comment threads and inbox, as well as to those who accuse Urban Cusp of race baiting for covering cases of brutality. - See more at: http://www.urbancusp.com/2014/08/wake-white-folks-denial-racism/#sthash.ZooVFetu.dpuf

An open letter from Urban Cusp’s founder and publisher to the “This Is Not About Race” trolls who have been flooding Urban Cusp’s comment threads and inbox, as well as to those who accuse Urban Cusp of race baiting for covering cases of brutality. - See more at: http://www.urbancusp.com/2014/08/wake-white-folks-denial-racism/#sthash.ZooVFetu.dpuf

Wake Up:  For White Folks in Denial About #Racism

An open letter from Urban Cusp’s founder and publisher to the “This Is Not About Race” trolls who have been flooding Urban Cusp’s comment threads and inbox, as well as to those who accuse Urban Cusp of race baiting for covering cases of brutality.

Why indeed?

An open letter from Urban Cusp’s founder and publisher to the “This Is Not About Race” trolls who have been flooding Urban Cusp’s comment threads and inbox, as well as to those who accuse Urban Cusp of race baiting for covering cases of brutality. - See more at: http://www.urbancusp.com/2014/08/wake-white-folks-denial-racism/#sthash.ZooVFetu.dpuf

“But there’s a difference between substance and symbol”

Listen to Dr. Cornell West destroy the "but, but, we have a black President" meme.

Letterman told West that he’d assumed we were on the “right path to race relations” and asked the professor whether he was just being “ignorant.”
Dr. West responded by pointing out the difference between symbolism and substance.

Watch.  Read.   Learn



From the files of Typical right wing fraud. So,  conservative, Race Pimp,  James O'Keef is accused of trying to goad protestors (code for blacks) to kill some cops.

 'The fear of losing their grip on power to progressives and minorities makes them do desperate things."

Ya Think?

A little thought for Huntsvillians this St. Patrick's Day~ Redux

Not that I have to explain, or justify my involvement/actions regarding this issue, let me say right here and right now, it's not about a name change.  It's about a culture and a climate of disrespect for the black community in Huntsville, Alabama.

What's in a name?  Ask the powers that be at  Huntsville City Schools.  In their haste to kill democracy and fairness the Huntsville City School Board of Education, under the ruthless command of Superintendent Casey WARdynski   declared

"From now on, this land will be ruled by the Tigers. We are, after all, the strongest, fastest and wisest of all animals. Therefore, we are the only fit rulers." they claimed.
A little mouse spoke up from the crowd, " But we have a council where we make our decisions together, we don't need or want any ruler." One of the tigers let out a roar so loud and fierce that the poor mouse started running and didn't stop until he was in the land of the humans. To this day, he lives in the houses of humans.

Despite petitions, marches, and protest the Huntsville City School BOE decided they are the rulers and the people be damned.  If the BOE spent half as much time trying to scheme their way out from under the federal desegregation order and furthering their political careers ensuring that ALL children  had equal access to a quality public school,  Huntsville would be One City One Vision  and companies would be begging to locate here.

Slapping a new name on the outside of the school building won't change what's happening on the inside of the building.  The taxpayers have the right to self determination, instead they are being punished for it.

For those who say it's not about race, I say J.O.Johnson is predominately black school and the only school being forced to change it's name and lose it's legacy and it's heritage.

For those who say I don't live in the district therefore I have no right to complain, I say I pay state, local, and federal taxes which grants me the right and the privilege to complain about what I want to when I want to.

For those who say I don't spend time volunteering in the schools, reading to children, etc. I say been there done that, but at the end of the day Huntsville City School's is still trying to locate a new $65 million dollar school renamed after a former black astronaut  less than half a mile from an active rock quarry.

For those who say there are already two schools, a recreational park and homes  located even closer to an active rock quarry, I say two wrongs don't make a right, we didn't know then what we know now,  and a lot of people didn't know their homes were located near the rock quarry until they heard the first sonic dynamite boom, and those who could, moved away from the area, to the detriment of those who couldn't move.

Purposely withholding vital info from the people/community that will be affected is a nice nasty way of saying......"You are not valued as a person".......We know what is best for you, even though we need your tax dollars........We will do what we want in your community because we don't live in your community.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The United States of #Ferguson

#Ferguson is everywhere #Ferguson is America. pic.twitter.com/vYNsi2JErh
— Black Autonomy (@BlackAutonomy) March 13, 2015

Now that the made for TeeVee  #Selma50 celebration is history (pun intended),  let's get back to the reality of  life in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

 The world saw a magnificent celebration last weekend in Selma, Ala., of the 50th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery marches. The racially mixed crowds were huge, exciting and orderly. More than 120,000 attended the two days of commemorative events.

Foot soldiers mingled with dignitaries from the public and private sectors. President Barack Obama gave one of the most brilliant speeches I have ever heard. More than 100 members of Congress joined him in Selma. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley attended the ceremonies, along with scores of state and local officials. A host of corporate sponsors toasted this splendid occasion under VIP tents that were erected for the privacy and convenience of privileged guests.

The theatrics and photo opportunities knew no bounds. The cinematography was simply breathtaking. It was a made-for-TV event.

 The Department of Justice (sic) released a scathing report   detailing racism in the Ferguson Police Department and all the apologist saw was vindication of #DarrenWilson.  Huh?

For years, the Ferguson Police Department has humiliated, harassed, profiled, abused and oppressed black people. When Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed unarmed black teen Michael Brown, the police left Mike's body laying in the street for hours as if his life had no value. Instead of the prosecutor actually prosecuting the case, he essentially served as counsel for the killer. When the prosecutor announced the grand jury's decision not to indict Darren Wilson, that arrogant prosecutor practically gloated and talked down to the people of Ferguson.

Meanwhile, scores attend the funeral of #TonyRobinson, the latest unarmed, black male, shot, and killed by law enforcement.

The teen was shot by Madison Police Department Officer Matt Kenny on March 6 after a confrontation, police say. NBC News reports that an autopsy report released by the Dane County Medical Examiner's Office Friday said Robinson was shot in the head, torso and upper body.

RedEye tiptoeing away from the computer humming God Bless the United States of Ferguson....

It turns out that nearly everyone in the city is wanted for something. Even internal police department communications found the number of arrest warrants to be "staggering". By December of 2014, "over 16,000 people had outstanding arrest warrants that had beenissued by the court." The report makes clear that this refers to individual people, rather than cases (i.e. people with many cases are not being counted multiple times). However, if we do look at the number of cases, the portrait is even starker. In 2013, 32,975 offenses had associated warrants, so that there were 1.5 offenses for every city resident.
That means that the city of Ferguson quite literally has more crimes than people.

I hate to rain on this lovely parade (Honest I do!) but it seems perfectly clear to me that what went down a half a century ago in Selma, Alabama was merely a sweet little overture for what is coming. Not only has Jim Crow been raised from the dead, he's on a nationwide comeback tour. This is a show that won't be closing any time soon. ~ Tom Degan

"Eye" think current city council member, and former school board member, Dr. Jeannie Robinson "mispoke" #hcsboe

According to Waff48 Vincent Crivelli's live Twitter feed of public comments made at the desegregation hearing, current city council member, and former school board member, Dr. Jeannie Robinson had this to say about Huntsville City Schools Superintendent, Casey Wardynski:

MORE: She say Superintendent Wardynski has done more for African American students that previous superintendents.
— Vincent Crivelli (@VincentCrivelli) March 12, 2015

Words matter.  I think Robinson meant to say Superintendent Wardynski has done more TO African American students than previous superintendents.

What has Wardynski done TO African American students you ask?  Let me count the things.

Let's start with requiring African American students wear uniforms so school administrators would be able distinguish them from gang members.

Let's move on spying on African American students and expelling them for things  posted on social media.  Then there is the documented fact African American students are suspended and expelled more than white students.

Oh, and I can't forget closing the Alternative School and giving poor/black and brown students  the option of expulsion, a private  "Therapeutic" facility .

How about  trained certified teachers being replaced with Teach for America teachers in predominately African American schools,  and replacing text books with laptops and IPads without ensuring African American students had access to the Internet?  

Last but not least, closing, illegally renaming, and locating schools less than half a mile from an active rock quarry, to remove them from the list of failing schools.

I would say Casey Wardynski has done more TO African American students than FOR African American students.

What say you?

#HCSvsDOJ Desegregation Hearing: "Much Ado about Nothing" #hscboe

Huntsville City Schools March 11, 1963 -March 11, 2015  (Huntsville Times file)

Let's recap:
Eight months ago Federal Judge Madeline Haikala dropped her hammer on the Huntsville City Schools rezoning plan.

U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala didn't approve the city's plan to redraw school zones.
And she didn't approve the Justice Department's plan.
Instead, she appointed Chief Magistrate Judge John Ott to oversee months of mediation between the two as they examine all aspects of racial disparities across Huntsville City Schools.
She also called for appointment of a Special Master to oversee the court's ongoing fact-finding in the case.

She also dropped her hammer on the Justice Department, but only to say they were being far too lax.

 "From the record, it appears that years of relative calm and inactivity have lulled the government into a habit of checking in only when the district proposes actions that require the government's review. The government should be more proactive. Based on the current record, the Court does not know when inequities in educational programs arose in the district; however, standardized test scores from 10 years ago demonstrate disparate results among racially identifiable schools. Had the government been keeping an eye on that sort of information, it could have brought it to the Court's attention more quickly and enabled the Court and the district to address the issue in a timely fashion. "

In short, Haikala held: "On the record before it, the Court cannot find conclusively that the Board does not operate a dual system."

Fast forward to March 11, 2015 exactly,  52 years to the day after black families first sued to end segregated schooling in Huntsville,  and a hearing about  granting Huntsville City Schools the rare opportunity to have court approved segregation disguised as a "pathway to unitary status", enabled by the Department of Justice.

City Councilman Richard Showers has written a federal judge to complain that the plan to improve racial equity in Huntsville does little to end the racially isolated classrooms on opposite ends of the city.
"It seems the District was successful in pleading their case that it was in the best interest of the schools in North Huntsville to remain as they are and continue the same 'feeder' pattern," wrote Showers. "Failing schools feeding into failing schools."

After months of  secret mediation The United States Department of Justice basically approved Wardynski’s rezoning plan that he developed and implemented entirely without public input.

Huntsville City Schools will agree to anything as long as they can legally operate a dual school system.  In an effort to stop expelling black students the district agreed to rewrite the Student Code of Conduct, implement a Restorative Justice Strategies, develop a Positive School Climate Program, and appoint a Desegregation Advisory Committee.  All of this by a superintendent and school board who who view African American students as natural born gang members, and adopts polices that treat them that way.

All of the above slogans, I mean programs, sound nice but here's the real deal.  African American students will be forced to attend failing schools, illegally renamed after two black astronauts located less than half a mile from an active rock quarry.  Majority to Minority Transfers,  and access to Magnet Schools will be granted to the fortunate few.  The Alternative School is still privatized.

Even If We Win We Lose

So after months and possibly years of litigation over the rezoning plan, what have we won?
The district will still be under the control of the DoJ except now the plan that the DoJ believed would best bring us unification has been rejected.
The DoJ still controls our destiny. Does fighting their plan (even assuming we’ve seen their plan) bring us closer to unification?
Nope. It doesn’t.
The Wardynski Plan is a fool’s errand. We did not have to file it. And the public has had zero input into the plan.
So, after potentially years of litigation and expense, we will have accomplished absolutely nothing, even if we win.
Nothing except the following:

1. Wardynski has shored up support for himself in this town because he’s willing to fight the “evil” federal government.
2. Wardynski has improved his name recognition on a national level.
3. Wardynski has spent a ton of the district’s money that he should be spending on improving education at all of our schools. And of course,
4. We’re still a segregated system.

This is, in the Bard’s wise words, much ado about nothing.

In short, the proposed Consent Order equals Segregation then. Segregation now.  Segregation forever?

For 50 years the legacy of discrimination has been allowed to  exist under the watchful eyes of those who didn't want integration then, and who don't want integration now.  Let's face it, it's all about money, and whose children will have equal access to the public dollars that fund public education.  I challenge these people to start being part of the solution. Everything we do as is first and foremost for our children, not what is best for a political agenda.

When a comment becomes a blog post #Selma50 #WhiteGuilt

In the 1800s, the Black Belt area of Dallas County, Alabama -- home of Selma -- was one of the most prosperous areas in the country, enjoyed by the white elite. Today it has the highest poverty rate in the state. (Photo: Chris Kromm/Facing South)

In a lame attempt at tone deaf, racial, concern trolling, Upset Resident, aka FED Up, aka DARYAL Pinchon, had this to say in response to my #Selma50 Round Up. 

Selma: "One small step for a black man, one giant leap for inducing white guilt"
By every possible metric measuring social capital in a community, the 80 percent black city of Selma is a monumental failure.


Here’s a brief overview of 80 percent black Selma in 2015 (courtesy of Hunter Wallace):

In 2015, Selma is 80 percent black and now has a black mayor, a black chief of police, a black district attorney, a black school superintendent, a majority black city council, and a majority black police force.

In 2015, Selma City Schools are 97 percent black. Last year, the Alabama Department of Education’s Board of Education voted unanimously to take over Selma City Schools in the aftermath of a scathing state investigation.

In 2015, fifty years after the Voting Rights Act was passed, Selma has lost a third of its population, around 10,000 White people.

In 2015, 42 percent of the population of Selma lives in poverty, which is twice the state average in Alabama.

In 2015, Selma is represented in the US Congress by a black woman, Rep. Terri Sewell, in the Alabama House of Representatives by a black man, State Rep. Darrio Melton, and in the Alabama Senate by a black man, nine-term incumbent State Sen. Hank Sanders.

In 2015, Selma is the fourth most dangerous city in Alabama with the third highest number of murders per capita and the fourth highest number of property crimes.

In 2015, Selma is struggling with code enforcement on numerous blighted, abandoned homes.

In 2015, Selma is one of the worst cities in which to do business in Alabama.

In 2015, Selma is an epicenter of new HIV infections in rural Alabama. The HIV infection rate in Dallas County is 106.8 percent above the national average.

So, the new and improved Selma in 2015 is plagued by extreme poverty, STDs, high crime, terrible schools, a terrible business climate, high unemployment, low property value, low civic engagement and racial strife by the likes of Faya Rose Toure. Yet the Voting Rights Act was unquestionably a huge success in Selma where blacks now occupy every public office which their numbers allow them to dominate.

It's their city now, with Selma's current conditions a reflection of its majority black population. [Selma's message on civil rights 50 years later:As President Obama prepares to visit Selma five decades after 'Bloody Sunday,' how the civil rights struggle has – and hasn't – changed an epicenter of the movement., Christian Science-Monitor, 3-6-15]:

True, Selma now has black leaders in positions of power, including the mayor, police chief, district attorney, six out of eight city council members, and four out of five school board members. True, Selma’s black population is quick to speak out against injustices – and has overcome innumerable ones.

But the journey toward equality is still a long march. Black children here are more likely to grow up in poverty, less likely to graduate, less likely to attend college, and less likely to become homeowners. Sections of Selma remain sharply segregated, partly because of white flight and partly by choice. Jobs are scarce, and even harder to obtain for those who lack adequate education and skills.

But none of this matters, because Selma is only recognized every March when every last ounce of white guilt can be squeezed out of the crumbling majority black city.

March 10, 2015 at 5:00 AM

 This is my response with links inserted for emphasis and clarity. 

Selma is a crumbling black majority city located in a majority white/republican state, with a white/republican Governor, two white/republican Senators, and 6 white/republican and one black/democrat (who will vote with white/republican) members of Congress, a majority white/republican state legislature,  a white/republican State Attorney General, a majority White/republican State Board of Education, and an all white/republican State Supreme Court.

A white/republican Governor who refuses to expand medicaid despite the FACT " The HIV infection rate in Dallas County is 106.8 percent above the national average."
A white/republican Governor who is closing State Mental Health Hospitals and Women's Wellness and Health Clinics despite the fact "42 percent of the population of Selma lives in poverty, which is twice the state average in Alabama." Then whine about the STD rate.

A majority white/republican state legislature that cuts the budgets of law enforcement while passing Open Carry gun laws,  then whine about the crime rate.

A majority white/republican state legislature whose first order of business when they took control of the state legislature was to file Shelby County v. Holder paving the way for the majority white/republican Supreme Court to gut section 5 of the voting rights act, allowing white/republican legislature to pass Voter ID bills and Gerrymander they way into lifetime jobs.

A white/republican Governor/Senator, Congress and State Legislature who have made sure Selma is one of the worst cities in which to do business in Alabama.

Selma Behind the Scenes

In 1965, Selma was about half-white; today only 18 percent of residents are. Many affluent whites live near the Selma Country Club, located just west of downtown and the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The Los Angeles Times reports that the club today doesn't have a single black member.

Across the street from the country club is Live Oak Cemetery, divided into "Old" and "New" sections. In 2012, protests erupted when whites moved a statue of Confederate and Klan member Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest to the site; at one point the bust was stolen off of Forrest's statue.

Rolling under the Edmund Pettus Bridge is the Alabama River. A recent report found Alabama to have the third-most toxic waterways in the country, including the lower sections of the Alabama. The biggest employer in Dallas County is International Paper Co.'s Riverdale Mill, which ranks 21st in the state for toxic releases -- more than 1.3 million pounds annually (although some have applauded the company's pollution-reduction efforts). The short-changing of the environment for economic development usually affects poor and black communities the most: Just north of Selma, majority-black Perry County -- where local civil rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson was murdered in 1965, helping spark the Selma protests -- became the dumpsite for toxic coal ash spilled in 2009 in Tennessee. The dump is the target of civil rights complaint.

The Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was busy under cover of night distributing leaflets around Selma. Atlanta Progressive News obtained an image of one of the flyers.
Also a billboard, visible from the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge, features a Confederate flag and invites visitors to tour “Selma’s War Between the State’s Historic Sites.”

"But none of this matters, because Selma is only recognized every March when every last ounce of white guilt can be squeezed out of the crumbling majority black city." 

 As well it should be, and not just in March, but year long.

Well what do you know, #SAE Fraternity was founded at the University of #Alabama

If it doesn't work out for the boys at #SAE at Oklahoma University, I hear the Ferguson Police department is hiring! #Oklahoma #BlackTwitter
— Ξ BLACK REPUBLICAN Ξ (@blackrepublican) March 9, 2015

For those who don't know, let's recap

The national organization of Sigma Alpha Epsilon closed the Oklahoma Kappa chapter at the University of Oklahoma after a video surfaced showing members singing a racist, unsanctioned chant. The video shows a group of young Caucasian American students boisterously singing "There will never be a nigger in SAE. You can hang him from a tree, but he can never sign with me. set to the popular children's song, "If You're Happy and You Know It." Sigma Alpha Epsilon quickly suspended the charter of the involved chapter and suspended it's members on Sunday, March 8, 2015.

Now let's move on to the history of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity The first national fraternity to be established in the deep south, having been founded at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, on 9 March 1856.  Why am I not surprised Sigma Alpha Epsilon was founded at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa?

Sigma Alpha Epsilon, one of the largest college fraternities in the nation, announced unprecedented moves to eliminate pledgeship and initiation in all of its chapters after at least 10 deaths have been linked to hazing, alcohol and drugs at chapter events, Bloomberg News reports.

Click here for a list of notable members of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Note: There are no black or minority members on the list, but here is a sample of who is on the list:

• Ed Wilson - President of Tribune Broadcasting (Tribune Company), former President of Fox Television, NBC Enterprises, and CBS Enterprises, University of Arkansas
• George Bodenheimer - President of ESPN Inc. and ESPN on ABC
• George Gallup - Creator of Gallup Poll, University of Iowa
•  
• Larry Kurzweil - President/COO, Universal Studios Hollywood
• Chris Sullivan, founder Outback Steakhouse, University of Kentucky
• James M. Farr - President of the University of Florida
• Bruce Grube - President of Georgia Southern University
• Luis Proenza- President of University of Akron
• Mike Feinberg - Knowledge is Power Program
• Thomas Kermit Hearn - President of Wake Forest University
• Edwin Speir - President of Georgia College and State University
• Dan Papp - President of Kennesaw State University
• Gary Ransdell - President of Western Kentucky University
• Julian Boyman - McGill University
•  
• Max Baucus - U.S. Senator from Montana (D), Stanford University
• Jim DeMint - U.S. Senator from South Carolina (R), University of Tennessee
• Johnny Isakson - U.S. Senator from Georgia (R), University of Georgia
• Mark Pryor - U.S. Senator from Arkansas (D), University of Arkansas
•  
• Andy Barr (U.S. politician) - US Representative from Kentucky (R) University of Virginia
• David Dreier - US Representative from California (R), University of La Verne

BTW, this isn't the first time  #SAE has shown their blatant bigotry.

 According to Washington University's Student Life newspaper, WU suspended all SAE activities following a racially offensive activity involving a number of pledges on Tuesday night. The paper and an account e-mailed to BroBible allege that SAE pledges hurled racial slurs and "inflammatory language" toward a group of African-American students who were eating in a campus dining hall. The incident was allegedly part of an SAE rush event.

After reading the list of proud Alums of #SAE take a stroll down memory lane and read Old South Parade Bites Bullet in Alabama,  be sure and read the comments for laughs and giggles. 

 Just this week, I was asked whether I thought the Department of Justice’s Ferguson report shows that, with respect to race, little has changed in this country. I understand the question, for the report’s narrative was woefully familiar. It evoked the kind of abuse and disregard for citizens that spawned the Civil Rights Movement. But I rejected the notion that nothing’s changed. What happened in Ferguson may not be unique, but it’s no longer endemic, or sanctioned by law and custom; and before the Civil Rights Movement, it most surely was. ~President Barack Hussein Obama

Oh, really?