Archive for the ‘internet/free speech’ Category

One of the problems I have with liberalism is the idea that I see over and over again the narrative trumps all, while I’ve been here there have been several stories that have pushed that point:

Item: A CNN reporter who happened to be the next door neighbor of a Banker whose house was swarmed by the SEIU is now being attacked for daring to report what she saw. Strangely enough like the Ken Gladney (the black man assaulted and called a nigger by white SEIU members in Missouri last year) “potential” bad behavior of some groups are worse than actual bad behavior of others and if you question said behavior you are a traitor!

Item Via Glenn the Volokh conspiracy reports on what might be considered good news and a sign of progress but somehow turns into bad news:

The percentage of blacks marrying whites has risen by 3 times since 1980. Asians are just as likely to marry whites as they were in 1980 (40%), even though there is a much larger Asian population to choose from, and Hispanics are significantly more likely to marry whites than in 1980 (38% compared to 30%), even though there is a much larger Hispanic population to choose from. The sheer number of interracial marriages has risen 20% since 2000.

This is good news, right? Not the way the Washington Post Associate Press spins it, complete with a commentary by Cornell Prof. Daniel Lichter that is completely at odds with the data, but supports left-wing shibboleths about 9/11 and the recent Arizona illegal immigrant law:

If your best weapon is to shout Racist then good news on relations can’t be allowed to stand.

Item: When I was in Mrs. Mahoney’s class in 7th grade we learned a poem by Countee Cullen that stuck with me. I’ll repeat it here:

Incident

Once riding in old Baltimore,
Heart-filled, head-filled with glee;
I saw a Baltimorean
Keep looking straight at me.

Now I was eight and very small,
And he was no whit bigger,
And so I smiled, but he poked out
His tongue, and called me, “Nigger.”

I saw the whole of Balimore
From May until December;
Of all the things that happened there
That’s all that I remember

For some reason that poem always stuck with me for 35 years and today I had the displeasure of living it.

I was at a local eatery this morning in my three piece suit having breakfast and talking to voters. The first people were very gregarious and I talked with a few and got some insights as I was eating. I stayed after I finished eating to try to talk to more folks as they came through. After a while a 60 something black woman with a cane came in with two other women say 3-5 years older than me. A few minutes later while doing her rounds a person who worked there said people were asking what I was doing there? I thought it an odd question since I had been approaching people right along so I turned to the ladies who just came in and said I was there to report on the Ga-4 district and the race. I was then asked by the ladies what party I was, I said I was a conservative, and was then asked if I was a tea party member and I said yes.

It was if a switch was suddenly turned on with ice in her voice I was told: “I have no comment”. For the rest of.

Warning! Dressed in the uniform of a dangerous tea party racist!

the time I was there I was stared at with contempt as if I was something lower than low. My race had not been an issue nor the Crucifix being Catholic in a very protestant state, but once it was known I supported the tea party it was as if I was wearing a Klan outfit. I heard the ladies talking among themselves saying you could tell I was a tea party man just by my appearance. When I left glares followed me out.

Once before in my life I had felt hatred from others so strong that I could physically feel it. It’s a horrible feeling that I would not wish on anyone else. This is the second time in my life I have had that experience. It was an example of sheer bigotry, but I don’t blame the ladies, I blame the media that has lied to them and played a narrative for their own ends to create that bigotry among people who believe them. The media and their narrative are responsible and if they aren’t ashamed they ought to be.

The sad thing about this is I’ve been treated so well by everyone I had met to this point, (including the people who had been in the restaurant prior to them) People who I disagreed with politically and I hit it off very well and I’ve really liked the people here. I will do my best to not emulate the protagonist in the poem above and forget it, but it would be a lie and deception not to note it.

As for the ladies, I’ll include them in my regular prayers and ask you to do so as well.

Update: Maybe this story put them in a bad mood

A spokeswoman for Gwinnett County schools told the AJC that Stephanie Hunte, an 8th-grade social studies teacher at Sweetwater Middle School in Lawrenceville, allowed her students to wear KKK robes as part of a re-enactment last Thursday. Another teacher saw the students preparing for the re-enactment and told an administrator.

Somebody buy these teachers a clue.
:

I will be writing a much longer post on the subject but I wanted to give a personal thank you for the kindness and the hospitality that the people of Doraville gave to a stranger from 1000 miles away who was intruding on their celebration and reception for their police chief who has just returned from Afghanistan. I want to give a particular thank you to the Mayor who gave me some of his time privately.

At the Reception


To Lynn Watanabe of the library I want you to know I’ve burned a CD of the events and if I don’t get a chance to drop it off before I leave, my friend Vinnie will swing by afterwards and drop it off there. All of the video I took will eventually end up on my youtube account so feel free to refer people there as well.

Chief/Col King and some of the citizens of Doraville

You know I have talked to people from Lithonia , Doraville, Atlanta, Norcross, Decatur and I have to say to my compatriots up north, if you had the pleasure of meeting the people of Georgia as I have you would have a very different picture of the south than what is currently portrayed in the media and in popular culture. I have yet to meet a person that I would not mind living on my street back home and I’ve met MANY people who I wish did.

Update: Here is a brief clip from the presentation before the reception

For people interested (and even for those not) here is my tentative schedule for the next two days:

Set in STONE:
Thursday: Meet and Greet with Liz Carter at Matthews Cafeteria 2299 Main Street Tucker Ga 30084-4702 8 p.m. 6:30 p.m.

Friday Night 8-9 p.m. Personal meet-up with friends of Mr. Kelly Sr. (my host)

Planned almost certain:

Thursday 12:00 noon or so Lunch with rep of the Cory Ruth’s campaign

Thursday Morning Stone Mountain view the monument take some shots

Must do’s before I leave:

Visit Hank Johnson’s local Lithonia office

Tour Coke Museum (for youngest son)

Photos of houses (for wife)

If there are any local bloggers or tea party members who would like to talk the Matthews event is the best shot to do so. Hope to see you there.

I attended the UPCCA ( United PeachTree Corners Civic Organization) candidates forum last night (a bunch of “stock” photos here). I’m in the process of uploading interviews from the Forum and about half of section of the republican candidates for the Ga-7 race. I will post that later tonight. For now I want to give you a quick pan of the area:

Here is an overview of what I saw:

Liz and Cheryl setting up

Cheryl who you might remember from Field Guide to Bloggers, and I arrived almost at the same time although we hadn’t seen each other since I came down here. The event was pretty packed and several candidates had tables in the back. Liz Carter was the only Ga-4 candidate who was in attendance. It was actually the first time we met in person. My interview with her is already posted here,

Liz at the Forumn

so check it out if you haven’t already. She is just as impressive in person as she was over the phone with a fine grasp on the issues and what matters most at this time. I plan on a more complete profile later in the week.

I haven’t met any of the other candidates at this time but I’d say this district would be in very good hands with Liz, particularly if she takes Cheryl with her to Washington. Talk about two strong, bright, hard working women.

The Forum had short sessions with the candidates for state, county and federal offices with a series of questions that went back and forth, sometimes you has as few as two candidates (such as the Sec of State race). For the Ga-7 seat race you had 8 candidates taking up two tables. It was very odd to see candidates who actually stuck to the time limits. I only saw one go over the entire night.

Georiga Sec of state candidates Doug MacGinnitie & Angela Moore


Although on a political level we disagree on several issues, on a personal level I got along famously with Angela Moore, hey we Sicilians gotta stick together! I also give her a lot of kudos as the only democrat that I saw in attendance.

The Congressional seat was the big race I met several of the candidates. I didn’t see a single one that I think would not do a good job in the seat, but it was Mr. Cox’s mother who impressed me the most.

She didn’t want to speak on camera (which seems to be one constant down here, I’ve had a horrible time trying to get people to talk on camera but off camera we had a lovely conversation about her son. She is without a doubt an excellent asset to her son and a fine woman.

Considering the sheer number of candidates the night went forward very smoothly. I would recommend attendance of this event in the future for any local who wants to know a little bit more about the people who represent them.