"Racism shouldn't be a part of college campus culture"

📷 A threat has been issued against Howard University students tonight at 10pm. Praying for my alma... https://t.co/AFBPr5G0QD

— Melech E. M. Thomas (@MelechT) November 12, 2015

OK, it's official.  Recent events have shown us they hate us for our freedom, but the question is why? What could we have possibly done to deserve such...hatred?  There was a time EYE believed the old, die heart racist would well....die, but they aren't dying, they are multiplying, breeding a new generation of Haters.

Please read this article and take about 4 minutes to watch the video produced by University of Alabama Students about racism and being called the N-word on campus.  At last count there were 1823 comments posted, most of them by white conservatives.  Read them too.




Then read a letter from a Virginia teen as he details daily racial abuse he faces in middle school.

RedEye tip toeing away from the computer to go pray.

A Third Open Letter to Joe Scarborough

I am re-posting this letter by contributor  Average  Citizen under my byline due to technical difficulties.  Links inserted for emphasis and clarity.~RedEye

I confess to regularly watching “Morning Joe” for the political discourse and as a barometer for what some Republicans are willing to accept as true (Fox News doesn’t work for this purpose) in the face of overwhelming facts. My previous two open letters were related to Joe’s support of the voter ID laws while being highly disingenuous as to their content and impact and failure to acknowledge the political motivation as opposed to fighting a minuscule level of alleged fraud. This letter has to do with his defense of Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell, Republicans who came under fire, but can count on their ally Joe Scarborough to be their apologist and offer a strong defense against the least of what has been alleged, while ignoring the major issues.

Let’s start with former Governor Bob McDonnell, who along with his wife, was indicted on 14 counts of violating Federal laws. They not only accepted, but requested hundreds of thousands of cash and gifts from a wealthy businessman who wanted support in launching his company. Having access to no more information than you and your producers Joe, I’ve seen the direct flow outlined in the indictment showing both the “quid” and the “pro quo” when calls were made to set up meetings with state officials within hours of receiving gifts. There’s a promotional picture of the ex-Governor doing his best Vanna White imitation holding a can of the product in question at a launch party he hosted at the Governor’s mansion. Yet you Joe are in denial.

You forcefully claim that the Governor broke no Virginia state laws and how the Fed’s had no business getting involved. The law used to indict the couple, the Hobbs Act, was old (1951) and therefore not relevant somehow. This is a portion of what the law states;

 “ Whoever in any way or degree obstructs, delays, or affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce, by robbery or extortion or attempts or conspires so to do, or commits or threatens physical violence to any person or property in furtherance of a plan or purpose to do anything in violation of this section shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.”

Since you have decided that Federal law doesn’t apply somehow to Republican Governors that you support, I think we can find some Virginia state laws they violated although you have absolved them. They gave away state property to their children including liquor, pots and pans and food from the Governor’s mansion. State law would consider that theft. They obstructed justice by telling lies to prosecutors along with the people of the state in their claims that first they and then their daughter paid for a reception and dinner again held at the mansion. I’ll give you credit for being consistent in your defense of McDonnell as you have backed him for months as this scandal unfolded. No doubt if convicted, you’ll clamor for a fine and no jail time as if he did nothing really wrong.

With Chris Christie your apologist theme is that he hasn’t done anything that politicians haven’t always done. In your view he merely used the levers of power to get others to bend to one’s will. There are two separate issues currently with Christie; the shutting down of access lanes to the GWB in apparently some sort of political retribution, and the alleged extortion attempt involving state controlled Hurricane Sandy relief funds to Hoboken.

Regarding the bridge your first deflection was to try to focus instead on Benghazi and the IRS indicating somehow that it was not worthy of further inspection in light of those other alleged scandals. You tried to suggest that the issue was over after the second round of dismissals of Christie staffers without acknowledging the several other members of Christie’s staff already named in E-mails in having a role, and having no explanation how the Governor was somehow unaware of what was in the newspaper and television daily and the subject of multiple calls and e-mails to his office. His version of the story, and his seeming lack of interest despite his acknowledged micromanaging style, seems perfectly acceptable to you.

Regarding the withholding of Sandy funds until the Mayor of Hoboken approved funding of a development project for the Rockefeller Group (to the exclusion of all other developers), you’re response was to lambaste the Mayor who came forward. She didn’t do what you say you’d have done which was to threaten the Governor who had the power to in this case allow your town to remain crushed in the aftermath of the hurricane. Mayor Zimmer has spoken with the Federal prosecutor for the area and made statements which if untrue could land her in jail. You side with the broad denials of the accused as they shield themselves with defense lawyers and stonewall.

A real news person would follow the story. What efforts have been made by the state to push this development down the throat of Hoboken, while shutting out other developers of similar projects on nearby seemingly equivalent land? What do the E-mails between the Port Authority Chairman Samson, the Governor’s office, the Lt. Governor and others say? You imply she’s a liar but make no effort to ferret out the truth.

Joe you are a defender of the rich and powerful and have lost touch with the people. While you see these instances as either not important or business as usual. It’s clear that your alliance is with the 1% who may no longer be funding your elections but now are your advertisers. You tell the parts of the story that meet your objective and drown out and cut off others with opposing views. The barometer you are is no longer that of the moderate Republican but that of the complete apologist for the rich, wealthy and powerful. Shame on you!

An apology to Left in Alabama, and a question for the Alabama Democratic Party

 New Alabama Congressional Map

When the Cats and other Critters were talking about gerrymandering and redistricting as far back as 2007 and 2009,  I was kind of  taken a back because I thought they were bashing racially gerrymandered districts to abolish long held minority voting blocks,  by questioning  why we still need minority voting districts.

Little did I know they may have been trying to warn us (democrats)  republicans were plotting to, as my Daddy says,  spank us with our own switch.

The question is...did we (democrats) mess around and let them (republicans) redistrict the 7th district, paving the way for a conservative who happens to be black to mis-represent Alabama's 7th congressional district?

I'm  just asking....

What looks like Bats#it crazy on an ordinary day in AmeriBama

H/T Kingcockfight

It's official, President Barack Hussein Obama has driven the gop crazy.  So much so, even die heart republicans are asking  is it time to abandon the republican party, and  Jeb Bush is trying to disarm the circular firing squad.   I do believe the Suckers are waking up and smelling the Tea. Pun Intended.

Alabama Legislature 2012:  Bill could require anal probe inserted in republican male candidates to get on the ballot.  Snark  Not to be left out of the stuck on stupid,  State Senator Clay Scofield (r. Guntersville) introduced a bill requiring women to have a vaginal ultrasound before having an abortion.  Why don't they call it the make Doctors and Ultrasound Companies richer bill?  I'm just saying...

Give me some ideological purity over winning any day, any time, any place.  What's the good in winning as a democrat but governing like a republican?  I mean, really?

And that's this week in Bats#t Crazy AmeriBama.

Post election must reads

Dem victory in NC county election ends high-profile battle over control of Wake school board

"Incumbent Wake County school board member Kevin Hill defeated challenger Heather Losurdo in a runoff tonight to complete a Democratic election sweep that knocks Republicans out of power after a turbulent two-year reign."

Speaking of Education Rocket City Bloggers on Education is a must, must, read.

Education is an amazing, miraculous process of communicating, uncovering and connecting with our brothers and sisters who are passing through this world with us. It is, to steal a line, our last, best hope of co-creating a world in which we would all want to live.

Union-busting, homophobic Michigan state Rep. Paul Scott narrowly recalled If only Alabama had Recall. Sigh

Scott was dragged kicking and screaming onto Tuesday's ballot, filing multiple challenges in court, but not only did his opponents collect enough signatures to trigger a recall despite having just two weeks to collect them, he lost repeatedly in court

Virginia is the new Alabama. You get the BatS#it Crazy you vote for.

86 votes in a low turnout (!!!!) election. And yes, there have been voting anomalies.

The state Board of Elections said there had been “isolated issues” at some polls but characterized them as “normal Election Day issues.”

In the Washington region, some counties reported only a handful of problems on Election Day, but others experienced dozens of baffled voters at individual polling places. That was most often the case in Fairfax County, due to redistricting.

But local elections officials characterized the problems on Tuesday as minor.

Russell Pearce Wanted Illegals Out, Now He’s The Out Snicker You hear that Mo and Scott?

2011 Ohio Election Results, some wrong, some right pun intended.

Well, Ohio still can't seem to get it right on federal health care, but never the less Ohioans did get it right more often than not, in this off year election last night. Issue 3, was largely a symbolic vote against what the GOP calls Obamacare. It was really on the ballot so that the GOP/teabags can mount a court challenge to health care. Issue 3 spoke to the mandate requiring that all Americans have health care.
If the federal health care mandate is wrong...then so is the requirement for having insurance, in general, Right? Think the business driven GOP is going to kill one its staunchest allies, the insurance industry? I think not, in the long run. So we will have these skirmishes until SCOTUS rules.

Election Lesson: Republicans Learn That Americans Aren't Quite as Crazy as They Are: Warning this is from the rude pundit so it raw but real.

Unjustifiable

How can such religious wealth and opulence possibly be justified when there are so many starving children in the world? And I'm not just picking on the Catholics. The $1000 suits, Cadillacs, and mansions of many evangelical and mainline protestant ministers are just as bad. Can this possibly be justified by the gospel of Jesus they claim to believe in?

If you can't beat em suppress em

According to the cable media voters are turning out like it's 2008 all over again. Not being reported in the media are cases of attempted voter suppression/intimidation. I wonder why? Snark I guess that doesn't fit into their "the gop is poised to regain power" spin. Any hoo here is some FYI;
Voting problems reports and election protection 2010

In Minnesota, tea party related groups are expected to continue to wear buttons or stickers saying "Please ID me" (despite a judge's ruling that they couldn't). This is meant to cause confusion in pollworkers and voters who do not have to show ID in MN. There have also been reports in one precinct in MN of a disruptive poll watcher who was aggressively challenging people attempting to do same day registration.
In Illinois in two predominately African American precincts, there are reports of every voter being challenged.
In a Michigan precinct, a poll worker was making racist statements directed at African American and Latino voters.
In Louisiana (particularly New Orleans), Maryland, New Hampshire and Maine, robocalls have told voters they can vote online or by telephone.
In Kansas, voters report robocalls telling they have to have proof of home ownership in order to vote, and that they vote on Nov. 3.

South Carolina

I just got a phone call early my time (7:40am PST) that there are Tea Partiers that are trying to prevent black people from voting. This is how racism works and why it’s so important that we fight back. If our right to vote wasn’t so powerful, there wouldn’t be folks working so hard to thwart it. I don’t have any more information than what I’ve been told below.

More gop dirty tricks in North Carolina

It turns out that actor Morgan Freeman didn't make a campaign ad for a Republican congressional challenger in North Carolina after all. But the controversy over the spot, which was made by a major Republican and Tea Party power broker, shows the kind of misleading tactics voters have been subject to this campaign season.

Voter intimidation from sea to shining sea

In Hennepin County, Minnesota -- one of the counties where conservatives groups have implemented an anti-voter fraud campaign called Election Integrity Watch -- election judges have had firm exchanges with overly aggressive poll watchers who did not seem to know their the role.

What's that you say? Republicans are depressing turnout in democratic areas? I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you! Not.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said in a last-minute fundraising e-mail for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that Democrats have "already had disturbing reports about the Republicans trying to depress voter turnout in Democratic areas."

Will every vote count? The Shadow knows.

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - An issue with ballots in Madison County has some voters worried. This is a county issue, not a state-wide issue.

The machines are not reading some of the ballots.

Madison County Probate Judge Tommy Ragland says they've had reports of bad ballots in eight of 74 precincts today. Ragland says there are several reasons some of the ballots are not being read. One is printing.

Here is a Virginia voter protection video.

Malfunctioning voting machines in Iowa too.

the Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that some voting machines have malfunctioned. Linn County Auditor Joel Miller says the problems were anticipated, however, and new machines are available as replacements.

So much voter suppression, so little time.

Consider this an ongoing thread...