From The Heart Of Atlanta To Tyler Perry
There is an old saying, what goes around comes around. When you sow the wind, you reap the whirlwind. The thing is, it is not always obvious what is payback for what. Moreton Rolleston Jr. filed a lawsuit to have the Civil Rights Act declared unconstitutional. Forty years later, a Black man, built a mansion on the site of Mr. Rolleston’s home. The fact that this Black man earned his money by playing Black women, in movies, is icing on the cake.
When the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, Moreton Rolleston, Jr. owned the Heart of Atlanta Motel. He filed a lawsuit, trying to have the law overturned by the courts. The case went to the Supreme Court, which upheld the law.
The legal justification of the Civil Rights Act was a law giving the U.S. Government the right to regulate interstate commerce. Mr. Rolleston argued that this use of the commerce clause went too far. “‘The argument that this law was passed to relieve a burden on interstate commerce is so much hogwash. It was intended to regulate the acts of individuals.’ If the commerce clause can be stretched that far, declared Rolleston, ‘Congress can regulate every facet of life.'” (PG supports all citizens having the right to housing, education, etc. He also wonders if we are on a slippery slope. The government keeps taking more and more freedom away.) (The link for the quote no longer works.)
In 1969, Tyler Perry was born. From humble beginnings, he has been incredibly successful. His signature character is a woman named Madea.
In 1985, Mr. Rolleston was involved in a real estate deal that went sour. He was sued. In 2003, Mr. Rolleston was evicted from his Buckhead home. In 2005, the property was sold to Tyler Perry. Mr. Rolleston sued Mr. Perry, claiming that 2035 Garraux Road was still his property.
Mr. Rolleston , was disbarred in 2007. The Veteran’s History Project shows his race as “Unspecified.” Moreton Mountford Rolleston, Jr., born December 30, 1917, died August 29, 2013.
HT Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub.. This is a repost, with pictures from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
Ansel Adams And Dorothea Lange
The facebook feed has recently had links to a story, Dorothea Lange’s Censored Photographs of FDR’s Japanese Concentration Camps. Miss Lange was the photographer of the iconic Migrant Mother. After Pearl Harbor, Miss Lange took a job with the War Relocation Authority, documenting the “relocation” of Japanese-Americans to interment camps. The photographs did not please the authorities. They were censored, and only appeared recently. This is a repost.
Ansel Adams also took photographs at the Manzanar, California, camp. In the current stories, he is literally a footnote: quotes were used from a book about his photography. Why is Dorothea Lange receiving attention, while Ansel Adams is ignored?
One answer is that Miss Lange was hired early on, and shows the harsh reality of relocation. “On July 30, 1942, the WRA laid her off “without prejudice,” adding that the cause was “completion of work…. the WRA impounded the majority of her photographs of Manzanar and the forced detentions, and later deposited 800 image from the series in the National Archives without announcement.”
“After Lange’s departure, Manzanar’s director Ralph Merritt visited renowned environmentalist and landscape photographer Ansel Adams and suggested he document the camp — Merritt and Adams were friends from the Sierra Club. Lange, also friends with Adams, encouraged him to take the job. (Coincidentally Adams printed “Migrant Mother” for her ) …Ansel Adams made several trips to Manzanar between October 1943 and July 1944 for this new personal project, and, as Alinder writes, he was primed to try the kind of documentary photography regularly practiced by Dorothea Lange and the Farm Security Administration that he had earlier shunned. Unlike Lange, a white woman who had been viewed with suspicion by her subjects, Adams was welcomed by the incarcerees, even greeted as a celebrity in a cultural community that had a deep appreciation of nature — many incarcerees at Manzanar literally opened their doors to him dressed in their finest clothes. … By 1943, Manzanar’s incarcarees had had time to settle in and enjoy the fruits of their collective work. In less than ideal surroundings, they had collectively built their own post office, town hall, library, auditorium, co-op store system, police station, jail, cemetery with memorial, published their own newspaper (the ironically named the Manzanar Free Press, which was regularly censored by the military), and even their own YMCA.”
“As for Lange, looking at the historical record, it appears that she was treated differently from the other WRA photographers. She was discouraged from talking to the incarcerees, was constantly followed by a censor, and faced harassment. She was refused access to areas after being given clearance, and she was often hounded over phone charges and receipts. … After being discharged, Lange expressed in letters her dismay that her work was ineffective in helping the people she documented. Her assistant Christina Clausen later noted the ferocity of this body of work also marked the beginning of the photographer’s bleeding gastric ulcers. Lange was unable to work for a number of years after her harrowing experience at Manzanar. She died from esophageal cancer in 1965.”
“In 1944, Adams’s photographs were published as a book, “Born Free and Equal: The Story of Loyal Japanese Americans,” and shown at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Nativists took offense. They saw Adams’s work as a slur on the war effort. He was a “Jap lover.” This quote is from a 2016 article, Let’s be honest, Ansel Adams’s images of a WWII internment camp are propaganda
“Adams visited Manzanar to take photos in 1943 at the request of camp director Ralph Merritt, who was a personal friend. “They don’t look quite as dusty and quite as forbidding as Dorothea Lange’s photos … Indeed, the place that looks barren and depressing in Lange’s pictures manages to look beautiful in Adams’. You get little sense that it was even a detention center, in part because Adams, like other photographers, was not allowed to shoot the guard towers or barbed wire…
There are scenes from a baseball game, kids walking to school, a gathering outside a chapel. Lots of smiles, too, and portraits of camp residents cropped so close, you can see every blemish and stray hair. In Adams’ vision, Manzanar comes off as a place where Japanese-Americans, dignified, resilient and optimistic in spite of their circumstances, built a temporary community in the desert.
(Skirball Cultural Center director Robert) Kirschner said that if Adams’ photos appear to sugarcoat the indignities of life in an internment camp, it is because he did not see himself as a social activist the way Lange did. Still, Kirscher says, Adams was challenging internment in his own way, by depicting its victims as patriotic, law-abiding Americans. Unlike Lange, Adams was given permission to publish his photos. Before the war ended, he did so in a book called “Born Free and Equal: The Story of Loyal Japanese Americans,” in which he warned about the dangers of letting wartime hysteria justify depriving U.S. citizens of their freedom.”
The NPR article mentions a third Manzanar photographer. “Before World War II, Toyo Miyatake had a photo studio in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo. When he learned he would be interned at Manzanar, he asked a carpenter to build him a wooden box with a hole carved out at one end to accommodate a lens. He turned this box into a makeshift camera that he snuck around the camp, as his grandson Alan Miyatake explains in the video below, which is featured in the exhibit.
Fearful of being discovered, Miyatake at first only took pictures at dusk or dawn, usually without people in them. Camp director Merritt eventually caught Miyatake, but instead of punishing him, allowed him to take pictures openly. Miyatake later became the camp’s official photographer.”
Pictures for today’s feature are from The Library of Congress. These are pictures that Ansel Adams took at Manzanar. They have been posted at chamblee54 before. The ladies in the bridge game are Aiko Hamaguchi, Chiye Yamanaki, Catherine Yamaguchi, and Kazoko Nagahama.
Judy Roasting On An Open Fire
SFFILK (Not his real name) passes along a story about Mel Tormé. It seems like Mr.Tormé was eating a leisurely breakfast at a food court in Los Angeles, and a quartet appeared singing Christmas songs. They wound up performing “The Christmas Song” for co- author Tormé … and the singers had no idea who he was. It is a good story, better told in the link. (The link no longer works.) This is a repost, with pictures from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.
According to the inerrant Wikipedia, Mr. Tormé collaborated with Robert Wells, until they had a falling out. One afternoon, on the hottest day of July in 1945, Mr.Tormé went to visit Mr.Wells, and saw the first four lines of “The Christmas Song” (including “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose”). The lines were on a note pad, and the two agreed to beat the heat of summer by completing the song. Supposedly, Mr. Tormé did not like the song very much. After three divorces, he probably didn’t see many of the royalties.
Mel Tormé was the music director of the ill fated “Judy Garland Show” in the early sixties. He wrote a book about it… The Other Side of the Rainbow: With Judy Garland on the Dawn Patrol . The story is that Miss Garland would get blasted, call Mr.Tormé in the middle of the night, and pour out her troubles. (This review is much less sympathetic towards Mr. Tormé.) While the show did not last longer, there are some great youtube clips left over.
A Pretty Trivial Thing
display of a link is not an indication of approval ~ Hear Flannery O’Connor’s Short Story, “Revelation,” Read by Legendary Historian & Radio Host, Studs Terkel ~ “Alt-right” women are upset that “alt-right” men are treating them terribly ~ Carolyn Hax: She thinks her fiance’s racism ‘seems like a pretty trivial thing’ ~ Quiz: Are You A Becky? ~ A Young Bob Dylan Talks And Plays On “The Studs Terkel Program”(1963) ~ Why is Berlin so dysfunctional? ~ Atlanta Street Art Map ~ ‘He Brutalized For You’ ~ Bill Boggs interviews Roy Cohn & Gore Vidal ~ Doug Jones Hits Roy Moore: The Most Racist Mailer Ever? Do you have a picture of the entire front page? Also, how can we know that the second image is connected to the first? ~ One more thing. The “if a black man did what a white man did” trope is a staple of political commentary. I can see why someone thought this might be a good campaign tactic. ~ A Racist Flyer Might Cost Doug Jones The Election Because The Entire Democratic Party Is Trash ~ Vandal who left bacon inside mosque gets 15 years in prison ~ Liberals Need to Take Their Fingers Out of Their Ears ~ ATLANTA NEWS ANCHOR SHARON REED CLAPS BACK AT A VIEWER 12-5-2017 ~ Georgia Flood Maps ~ kathyrae1962@gmail.com .@SharonReedCBS46 was unprofessional in broadcasting the name and email address now innocent people with similar names are being doxxed shame on .@SharonReedCBS46 ~ Sharon Reed condemns social media attacks after receiving racist email ~ LeBron James Love Child? Sharon Reed Rumors Heat Up In Cleveland ~ Former Cleveland News Anchor Sharon Reed Answers The LeBron James Rumor ~ Former Channel 19 Anchor Sharon Reed Responds to Atlanta Viewer Who Called Her N-Word ~ Kimberly Rios ~ sharon reed ~ Tom Waits| Tales from a Cracked Jukebox7 “I personally think she faked the whole email. I also wonder how many of her followers are aware she was fired in Cleveland for violating their morals clause?” ~ “and whats great for me, is that there’s so much bullshit out there” ~ Interview With Natty Soltesz ~ Johann Sebastian Bach ~ New Film “Graven Image” Shows How Georgia Racists Created a Confederate Myth ~ Plainfield police captain on leave after ‘white male privilege’ comment at training session ~ The Daniel Shaver shooting breakdown ~ Convicted Baltimore murderer, released from life sentence, is arrested with guns, fentanyl, police say ~ Horrific Video Showing Arizona Cop’s ‘Execution’-Style Shooting of Texas Dad Daniel Shaver Released After Officer’s Acquittal ~ Have faith in G-d to take care of you when you die. Don’t worry about Jesus, what the bible says, self important academic theology, virtue signalling, or any other vulgar religious trappings. Just have faith in G-d. Period ~ @LeeCamp Obama surrounded himself w GoldmanSachs. Trump’s surrounded by GSachs. Follow the $, not the political theater. Neither party works for you. ~ I just got a message that someone I know had a heart attack, and is in St. Josephs awaiting bypass surgery. ~ Only confirmed followers have access to @TaraMcCarthy444’s Tweets and complete profile. Click the “Follow” button to send a follow request. ~ What was Jesus accused of? Instead of saying *what would Jesus do?* the question should be *what did Jesus do?* ~ Steven Paddock fired over 1,000 rounds in Las Vegas. When the Second Amendment was approved, it would take over five hours to fire 1,000 rounds. ~ @SlavojTweezek So tell me, you know, what part of the negation of your deontological reinterpretation of an epistemologically flawed neoliberal dialectic did you not understand? ~ The tax scam bill was not well thought out. There will be unintended consequences. ~ This is the n-word. People lose their minds over that damn word. America needs to grow up. ~ pictures are from The Library of Congress. ~ selah
Killed By Police December 10
16 people were Killed By Police in the United States last week. Here are the links: 1104 Delbert McNeil 1105 Gregory Ray Ham 1106 1107 Jeffrey Scott Cantrell 1108 Mario Sanabria 1109 Johnny D. Carter Christopher Duffy 1110 Robert Page 1111 Jean Pedro Pierre 1112 Scott Addison 1113 David Facen 1114 Jesse Cole Shuping 1115 Kyler Grabbingbear 1116 John Souder 1117 Frederick Douglas Wilburn Jr. 1118 Vernchoy Saechao 1119
5 of the victims were White. (1104, 1105, 1112, 1114, 1116) 2 of the victims were Black. (1111, 1113) For 7 of the victims, the race was not indicated. (1106, 1107, 1109, 1110, 1117, 1118, 1119) 1108 Mario Sanabria was Latino. 1115 Kyler Grabbingbear was Native American.
6 of the victims fired at a police officer. (1107, 1109, 1112, 1113, 1118, 1119) 5 of the victims displayed a weapon. (1105, 1108, 1110, 1114, 1116) 3 of the victims were involved in a domestic dispute. (1111, 1115, 1118) 2 of the victims were apparently suicidal. (1107, 1110) A taser was used in two incidents. (1104, 1111) 1113 David Facen was shot in a Walmart parking lot.
2 of the incidents were in Georgia. Suspect killed after exchanging gunfire with deputies, officials say “… a woman called the sheriff’s office just before noon after a man pointed a gun at her and pulled the trigger. The gun didn’t go off. Deputies arrived at the suspect’s (Jeffrey Scott Cantrell) home a few minutes later and made contact with him. Authorities said the suspect told them he would not be taken alive and that deputies would have to kill him. The man then came outside with his weapon and began firing. … Deputies fired back, killing him.” “… prior to the incident, Cantrell had contacted a family member and talked about committing suicide.” (1107)
Family wants answers after man dies weeks after arrest “CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. – A man arrested in Clayton County died weeks after he was arrested. Police said Christopher Duffy, 23, was not in a crosswalk and was stopping traffic as he tried to walk across Tara Boulevard on Oct. 26. Police said an officer confronted Duffy, smelled marijuana and found a small amount in his pocket. Officers said Duffy ran away and was captured but then ran away again. When officers caught Duffy a second time, they said he was resisting arrest and they shocked him with a Taser. Paramedics were called and they found no obvious medical issues. Duffy’s family believes he was beaten. “Because he took off running, they were upset and they decided to beat him,” his cousin, Arista Duffy, said. “Somebody needs to pay for this. We’re not going to stop until we get justice.” Family members said Christopher Duffy called them when he got to jail and said he had chest pain and was throwing up blood. He said jailers did not give him medical care. A month after his arrest, Duffy was found unresponsive in his cell. He was taken to the hospital and was in a coma until he died Tuesday morning. Police deny that officers used excessive force. Clayton County police said an internal affairs probe found there were no strikes or blows administered to Christopher Duffy.” (No KBP #)
Three killed, one cop hurt in separate shootings South Florida saw 3 fatal incidents on December 6, 2017. Three killed, one cop hurt in separate shootings “After threatening suicide, 71-year-old Robert Page engaged in a standoff of about 90 minutes with a Coral Springs SWAT team. At least two officers fired and killed him when he came out of his house carrying a shotgun, said Keyla Concepcion, a spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff’s Office. … “Whatever moves he made were threatening to the officers,” … Police had been at the home the night before the shooting responding to a reported disturbance, Concepcion said. …” (1110)
Cellphone video captures fatal deputy-involved shooting in Lauderdale Lakes “LAUDERDALE LAKES, Fla. – Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies said they were forced to shoot a man Wednesday who attacked them after they were called to a Lauderdale Lakes apartment complex regarding a disturbance between a man and a woman. … BSO investigators said deputies were dispatched to the apartment complex in the 3600 block of Northwest 21st Street at 4:44 p.m. after someone called 911 about a domestic dispute. “He was trying to separate the two parties. He was violently attacked by the subject,” Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said.” “The office says Jean Pedro Pierre attacked 48-year-old Deputy Sean Youngward. Witnesses told investigators that Pierre punched and kicked Youngward.Authorities say Youngward had to call in backup when non-lethal methods failed to subdue Pierre. Deputy Steven Briggs arrived and the sheriff’s office said he found Youngward on his back, still under assault. The sheriff’s office says Briggs ordered Pierre to stop before firing several shots. Pierre was not armed. He died at a hospital.” video (1111)
Suspect Shot Dead by Officer in Walmart Parking Lot Had Criminal History “Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez said Manuel Gonzalez … was off-duty and working as a security officer at the store when he responded to a shoplifting incident. Gunfire was exchanged and the suspect, David Facen, was killed at the scene. Footage showed the suspect’s body under a yellow tarp between two cars in the parking lot. … One witness said he heard around six gunshots and saw officers responding immediately. “I can’t believe this, plain daylight, it’s not safe to be even at Walmart nowadays,” Armando Jomarron said. … Facen had criminal priors, including attempted first-degree murder, second-degree murder and battery on a law enforcement officer, records showed. He has spent about 20 years in prison.” (1113)
2 of the incidents were in Texas. Man dies in Hamlin police custody, Texas Rangers investigating “Johnny McNeil identified the victim as his brother, Delbert McNeil. He said his brother was a Mental Health Mental Retardation patient who should have been handled differently. He believes excessive force was used — including tasing — leading to his brother’s death. Hamlin Police Department responded about 1:10 a.m. Saturday to reports of a “male suspect, possibly under the influence, throwing items in front of a local business.” According to a Hamlin police news release, the man became “combative and violent and assaulted the officers” when he was located and taken into custody. “Additional officers were requested along with Emergency Medical Services,” the release said. “The male suspect was agitated and began to fight with the EMS personnel.” Johnny McNeil said he understood Delbert was tased and assaulted by officers. “I think they (police) should have contacted MHMR first to let them know he was having an episode,” Johnny McNeil said, adding he was “disappointed” with how it was handled. Hamlin police said Delbert McNeil collapsed and was taken to the Hamlin Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Johnny McNeil said Hamlin Police Chief Bobby Evans told him that his bother had a heart attack on the way to the hospital. Debra Adkisson, a neighbor, said Delbert McNeil was tased at least twice. “He was in the backseat, cuffed. What else could he do?, Kind of bewildered because he was a friend. To see this happen right in front of my house and then the next morning to find out that he’s passed.”” (1104)
Police: Officer shot and killed sword-wielding man “A La Marque police officer shot and killed a man Sunday who police said had threatened a resident with a sword during a burglary attempt and later attacked an officer and a police dog, officials said. …police Chief Kirk Jackson … A 55-year-old woman told police Gregory Ray Ham, 62, pushed a sword in her face after forcing his way into her house and barricading her in a room using furniture, Jackson said. Police freed the woman who told them Ham had fled to another structure in the same block, Jackson said. Police warned Ham to come out of the structure or they would send in a police dog, Jackson said. Ham refused and the dog and its handler went into the structure, Jackson said. Ham is accused of attacking Santos and the police dog when they entered the structure, Jackson said. “Once the armed suspect was located, the officer engaged him and subsequently discharged his firearm striking the suspect,”” (1105)
2 more incidents are noteworthy. Woman says Adams County deputy shot and killed her unarmed 19-year-old son in chance encounter “Now he’s dead. In a blink of an eye he is gone. At 19 my son lost his life,” said Andrea Feltman, 37, referring to her son Kyler “KyKy” Grabbingbear. “Native American lives matter.”… A deputy had responded to an emergency call to an apartment next to where Grabbingbear was at 3:34 a.m. Thursday. Feltman said 20 minutes earlier her son had been at her home. He walked to his girlfriend’s apartment in the 8700 block of Galen Court. Grabbingbear and his girlfriend were in the process of breaking up. “He was hungry and tired,” Feltman said. “He was yelling because he was upset.” His girlfriend’s mother told him to leave or she would call 911. “It just so happened that a (expletive) cop was in the hallway,” Feltman said. Just as her son walked out of his girlfriend’s apartment, he saw the officer. Grabbingbear took off running down the apartment hallway. The deputy gave chase, … The deputy caught Grabbingbear in a small courtyard, she said. “They started scuffling,” Feltman said. Sgt. Jim Morgen, of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, said the deputy suffered neck and head injuries in a confrontation. … the deputy pulled out his gun and shot Grabbingbear…. “Why couldn’t you use your Taser?” …“Why couldn’t you use your baton?” Feltman said the reason she believes her son began running when he saw the deputy was because he had slept in after working a graveyard shift and missed a court hearing on a misdemeanor drug possession charge. He didn’t have $100 to pay his bond so he didn’t want to go back to jail until he got a second job and earned enough money, Feltman said.” (1115)
Trooper Involved Shooting with Suspect Fatally Wounded-Dover “The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit is currently investigating . … at approximately 3:11 a.m., Saturday, December 9, 2017, a Trooper … stopped a vehicle … The Trooper approached the vehicle, at which time the front seat passenger displayed a weapon, with an exchange of gunfire ensuing. The 16 year old, male suspect, was shot during the exchange, and succumbed to his injuries after being transported to an area hospital. The 18 year old male driver of the vehicle, sustained a gun shot wound to his leg and was treated and released from the hospital. A 17 year old rear seat passenger in the vehicle was uninjured as a result of the incident. The Trooper was also not injured.” (1119)
Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
War Between The States
It is a truism that history is written by the winner of the war. This seems to apply to the naming of the conflict. There was a horrific armed struggle in North America between 1861 and 1865. The name used most often is Civil War. To many in the South, it is the War Between The States. In PG’s humble opinion, WBTS is a better name.
In fifth grade, PG had to write an essay about the Battle of Atlanta. The essay was a device for teaching grammar, utilized by the english teacher, Miss McKenzie. The contest was sponsored by the Daughters of the Confederacy . The expression “Civil War” was not permitted. The proper name for this conflict was War Between the States.
In many ways, this conflict started as soon as the United States became independent from Great Britain. The South was an agrarian society, with slaves to work the fields. The north was becoming an industrial society, with a need for an independent work force. The north wanted high tariffs to protect her industries, while the south wanted to sell it’s cotton to Europe. There were plenty of ways for this conflict to manifest.
Slavery was a very important factor. The south wanted to keep “the peculiar institution” intact, while many in the north were horrified. There were numerous compromises over the years, as Congress struggled to keep the Union intact. This ties in with a central dilemma of the american experience … how much power to give to the states, and how much power to give to the federal government.
The phrase civil war is defined as “A war fought between factions of the inhabitants of a single country, or the citizens of a single republic”. By the time the shooting started, the southern states had left the union. They formed a confederacy of independent states, rather than one monolithic union. It was, indeed, a war between the states.
This is a repost. Pictures, of Union soldiers, are from The Library of Congress.
Sharon Reed Stirs The Pot
ATLANTA NEWS ANCHOR SHARON REED CLAPS BACK AT A VIEWER 12-5-2017 is the starting point of the latest *n-word* controversy. Ms. Reed displayed the email on live tv and her facebook page. The name, and email address, of the respondent, kathyrae, were clearly shown. The email used the *n-word*, spelled with one r.
Some digital detectives decided that kathyrae was a Michigan school bus driver. They went after the lady with pitchforks, and demanded that her employer dismiss her. This was addressed by Ms. Reed in a video. Unfortunately, the damage has been done.
“I personally think she faked the whole email. I also wonder how many of her followers are aware she was fired in Cleveland for violating their morals clause?” This comment was in the bus driver thread referenced above. A google search about the morals clause termination turned this story up: LeBron James Love Child? Sharon Reed Rumors Heat Up In Cleveland. There are persistent rumors that Ms. Reed had an affair with a married basketball superstar. To be fair, there is this: Former Cleveland News Anchor Sharon Reed Answers The LeBron James Rumor.
There are a few questions about kathyraegate. Was it appropriate to read the email on the air? It did stir up racial tension. TV personalities receive nasty messages all the time. When you read them on the air, you give people attention. Someone else may be inspired to send a similar message. Maybe the best thing to do was to leave this in the inbox, or label it spam.
Even if it was necessary to read the email on the air, Ms. Reed could have refrained from showing the name, and email address. In addition to the Michigan bus driver, some people in Georgia have been tagged as possible kathyraes. Dragging other people into the controversy is inexcusable. It has been pointed out that the controversy simmered for two days before Ms. Reed issued her video. Ms. Reed says in the video that she does not wish harm to the person who sent the email. If this is the case, then why did she display that person’s email address? The email address is still on Ms. Reed’s facebook page, three days after the controversy started.
The notorious email said: “You what’s wrong with the world, You need to be fired for the race baiting comment you made tonight….” What was this comment? In her *clapback* Ms. Reed said “I didn’t say that white people couldn’t talk about race….” Whenever you say white people, talk, and race in the same sentence, you are asking to be misunderstood. There is no telling what offended kathyrae.
There is no way of knowing who kathyrae is. The email came from a gmail account. There is speculation that the email was faked. Even if the email did come from a viewer, we do not know who kathyrae is. It is possible that kathyrae is black. If that was the case, they would own the word, and have the right to use it.
The n-word is discussed at this blog. Pictures today are from The Library of Congress.
Rudolph
The story below is a repost. Pictures are from The Library of Congress. There is an appearance by Gerald Rudolph Ford, and his women. Betty was a merry soul.
Someone posted a bit of revisionism about a holiday classic. As he sees it, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” is about racism.
In a bit of yuletime synchronicity, the urban mythbusters at Snopes posted a piece about Rudolph the same day. It seems as though the Rudolph story was originally written for the Montgomery Ward Stores. The idea was to print a Christmas booklet to give to customers. A staff writer named Robert L. May was picked for the job.
Originally, there were concerns about the red nose, and the connection to heavy drinking. At the time, the original meaning of “merry christmas” had been forgotten. Merry meant intoxicated, and a merry christmas was a drunken one. The booklet was released. It was a big hit with shoppers.
Mr. May had a brother in law named Johnny Marks, who was musically gifted. Mr. Marks wrote the song, and somehow or another Gene Autry came to sing it. A story (which PG heard once, but cannot find a source for) had Mr. Autry doing a recording session. The session went very smoothly, and the sides scheduled to be recorded were finished early. There was a half hour of studio time paid for. Someone produced copies of “Rudolph”, gave them to the musicians, and the recording was knocked out. It became a very big hit.
Gene Autry had a radio show, “Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch”. He created the “cowboy code”. Number five gets our attention today. Under this code, the cowboy must:
1. never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage. 2. never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him. 3. always tell the truth. 4. be gentle with children, the elderly and animals.
5. not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas. 6. help people in distress. 7. be a good worker. 8. keep himself clean in thought, speech, action and personal habits. 9. respect women, parents and his nation’s laws. 10. be a patriot.
“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” has become a beloved standard, without the troubling religious implications of many holiday songs. It is the second biggest selling record of all time. The only song to sell more is “White Christmas”. </p
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