AN OPEN LETTER TO JANUS ADAMS

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janus-adams/an-open-letter-to-paula-deen_b_3516114.htm

Dear Janus Adams,

I read your open letter to Paula Deen in the Huffington Post.  Now I write one to you.

I am a 63 year old white man who grew up in Mississippi during the 1950's and 1960's.  I was never taught to be prejudice nor will I ever be. My family lived for generations in Jones County, MS.  It was the headquarters of the Klan.  I never belonged to the Klan nor did any member of my immediate family.  My family never owned slaves.  We were poor dirt farmers who barely eked out a living.  We were very poor.  

What I resent is that I must hide my heritage because it is not politically correct to admit that my grandfathers fought for the Confederacy.  I am not ashamed of that fact.  Nor am I ashamed that I grew up in Mississippi. I do not condone what happened before or after the Civil War or even the second Civil War that I lived through. 

 No doubt the black people suffered so much.  However, they suffered no more than the Native Americans.  Let's also throw in the Jewish people and also the "queers" for the Klan hated blacks, Jews, and "queers".  The Klan was and is a "hate" group.  Not all white people who grew up in the south were members of the "Klan".  Not all white people who grew up in the South owned plantations, mistreated blacks, native Americans, jews, or "queers".  I was in high school when the three men were found in the mound in Philadelphia, MS killed at the hands of the Klan.  Some of the people indicted for the murder was from my home town.  In fact Mr. Chaney was from my hometown.  

I left Mississippi after High School thinking I would never return.  Yet in 1995, I came back to help care for my mother who needed my help due to her age.  When I came back, I saw great changes.  In 2005, my hometown elected its first black mayor.  Our Mayor was there for us during and after Hurricane Katrina.  Today, Mississippi has more registered black voters than white voters. I am very thankful for that.  I am glad to see the Choctaw Nation is operating several resorts successfully.  We have come a long way.  It is said to note that only one Hebrew remained in my hometown.

No doubt racism still exists.  If we were all honest, we all have prejudices including African Americans.  For every Paula Deen, there are those in the Black community that say things that reveal attitudes and actions that  show racism is still alive.  For example, Jamie Foxx recently stated in an recent interview about one of his moves that in this movie he gets to kill white folks.  

You cite Paula's reciting her grandfather's suicide as racist because he didn't know what he would do to run the plantation  I can see your point of view. My question is shall I hide my ancestry because you consider it racist to do so?  Stories like this are true and cannot be denied.  Is it any more wrong for us to tell stories like this for you to talk about Harriet Tubman?  

You condemn Paula for her "is what I is" statement to Matt Lauer.  Quite frankly, I found Matt Lauer to be offensive in how he conducted that interview.  He wanted to elicit a confession for her that she was apologizing so she wouldn't lose money.  I don't defend Paula totally for I am not her and don't know all what she has said or done.  All I hear is second and third hand information.

Yet, your letter makes me boil!  I will not feel guilty because I am white.  You make me feel like I should though.  You make me feel like that everything bad that has happened to blacks in America is my fault because I grew up in Mississippi.  You mention the picnics and the southern style wedding and that she doesn't seem to be remorseful.  Such a statement reminds me of preachers who use to say You are not a Christian because you didn't cry enough at the altar.  

Yes, racism is still alive and well and tis a shame.  I value what I have seen in my home state in the last 50  years for change does come.  Yes, some of those feelings are still there.  Some of those attitudes still exist.  Yet, when we the Supreme Court says that the litmus test for voting rights is outdated, everyone acts like the south will return to its old ways.  Sad to say, the south is not the only place where racism exists.  Voting rights needs to apply to all states not just a few.  It is time to quit talking about racism still exists.  It is time to quit condemning and trying people in the press.  It is time for you to allow me to appreciate my heritage and not consider me racist.  I promise you that I work hard to understand your heritage.  I don't know what it is like to to be you no more than you understand what it is like to be me.  I have many American friends who have Native American ancestry and have many who have African ancestry, and have many who have European Ancestry and some who have Asian.  I also have many who have a mixed heritage.  I hope you do too. 

When I fly the Mississippi flag, I do so not as a racial slur but it is the flag of my state.  It represents all of us for we are all one in God's sight.  May God continue to give us grace and strength to open our ears to hear, our eyes to see, out hearts to receive, out minds to reason, and our being to change by learning to love others we love ourselves.

MARRIAGE: Is it Sacred?

Representative Michele Bachmann (R-MN) gave an eloquent  case why the Supreme erred when it declared  parts of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional.  Listen to her argument.  Here are the key points:

The Supreme Court attacked the constitution, the equal rights protection guaranteed by the constitution, and they attacked marriage over which they have no jurisdiction. She states that they violated the equal rights of every American by throwing out DOMA because it was passed by the elected representatives of every American.  She further states that they violated the equal rights of California's citizens who voted to define marriage as between man and woman.  She believes that marriage is the basic foundation of our society and that God created it.

Regardless of your opinion of Rep. Bachmann, her argument has merits.  Does the Court have the right to overturn a vote of the people?  Do they have the right to overturn a law passed by Congress?  Do they have the right to overturn a state law or a local law?

Our history is filled with examples of The Supreme Court declaring something unconstitutional based on laws passed by a state or a local government and yes even by Congress.  For example, the courts declared Brown v. Board of Education as violation of equal rights.  In doing so, they even declared something a former Supreme Court had ruled  earlier.  The system of checks and balances in our government is designed to prevent any branch of government from an action that violates the constitution.

Here is the problem:  Whose interpretation of the Constitution is correct?  Can a decision today be overturned by an action of Congress?  Yes, it can!  Can a decision by the court overturn a decision made by a previous Supreme Court.  Interpretation is determined by a vote of nine people nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.  They are charged with deciding if an action or law violates the rights granted in the constitution.  Interpretations are not concrete or absolutes.  However, the court is usually considered the final voice.

The Court did not declare all of DOMA as unconstitutional.  The Court agreed with Rep Bachmann.  The Federal Government (all three branches) does not have the authority to define marriage.  It is not a duty assigned to the Federal Government in the Constitution.  Therefore, it is a right of each state to determine what marriage is.  The Court did say that same sex couples  who marry in states where same sex marriage is legalized has the right to enjoy the same rights and privileges as opposite sex married couples.  This includes Federal benefits like joint filing of taxes.

If we followed Representative Bachmann's logic, the court would have violated the equal rights of people in Washington State and Maryland who legalized same sex marriage by a vote of the people.  In addition, the court would be violating the rights of those in the 10 other states whose duly elected state representatives voted to legalized marriage.  California is an exception since a vote of the people was taken after the state legislature approved it.

This raises a bigger question.  Is Representative Bachmann correct in saying that marriage was created by God and that it is basic foundation of our society.  This is based on views of being a religious person or in her case Christian.  The creation story of Genesis states that a man and woman shall leave their parents and become one flesh.  Yet, even this is open to interpretation.

The Old Testament view of marriage is not about love at all.  It is more about producing children.  Men were allowed to have as many wives as they could support.  King Solomon had 1000 wives and 300 women whom he did not marry.  Marriages were arranged to create alliances or obtain money.  Marriage did not become a sacrament of the church until the 12th century.  Government took over marriage in 18th England.  The Victorians introduced the concept of love in marriage.

The concept of marriage as we have it today is new in human history.  Looking at the current status of marriage, one wonders what the fuss is all about.  There doesn't seem to be anything sacred about it.  Family life is being destroyed not by same sex marriage at all.  It is being attacked through the actions and attitudes of those who believe it is sacred and the foundation of society. I say this because divorce is common, cohabitation before marriage is popular, and sex is openly discussed and seen in videos, tv shows, and movies.  There was a time when having a child out of wedlock was considered immoral and the mother and child often ostracized.  Divorce was not popular.  I agree with Representative Bachmann that marriage should be the foundation of society, for family is the basic unit of human existence.  We need to learn how to become better at being a family.  We will when we understand the commandment to love others as we love ourselves.  Yes, Representative Bachmann I agree marriage is sacred but marriage without love and respect seems to be the destroyer of marriage not same sex marriage.

ARE WE EQUAL?

We would all like to think our constitution recognizes God has created all of us as equals. Somewhere between the belief and our actions, we often develop attitudes and actions that can best be defined as "double standards".  Our own constitution as originally adopted has a great double standard.  A slave was counted as 3/5 of a person.  Our laws gave the right to vote to men until the 1900's when the constitution was amended gave women the right to vote.

Times have not changed.  We continue to practice double standards when it comes to who is hot, who is not.  We vilify some for what they may have said or done in the past while we totally accept behavior that is more abhorrent without saying a word.  Paula Deen has been crucified as a racist even though she honestly admitted and apologized for using the "N" word.  Yet, we have entertainment people like Jamie Foxx who state that he gets to kill all the white people in a recent movie and he states "how great is that."  I don't find that remark as funny.  It is racist.  But why should I care?  I care because I am an American and I believe we are created equal.  Equal means we treat each other the way we want to be treated.  Here is a quote I like from the Hebrew Scriptures,

"Don't seek revenge or carry a grudge against any or your people 'Love your neighbor as yourself.  I am God.'"  Leviticus 19:18 MSG

Yes, I am quoting from the Bible for not only am I an American, I am also Christian. As a Christian, I am called to treat others with respect and civility. I am to give a cup of cold water instead of a knife to those who are my enemies.

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States declared that the Federal Government does not have the right to define marriage in the constitution so each state has the right to define marriage.  Therefore, the Supreme Court declared the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional.  The court further ruled that federal rights and benefits should be extended to same sex marriages that are performed in states where same sex marriage is legal.  This does not mean the end of marriage nor does it mean our country is going to collapse.  What means to me as a gay man is that I am may now have equal treatment under the law.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the litmus test passed in the 1964 Voting Rights Act as unconstitutional.  In 1964, it was necessary to do something that would eliminate the discrimination in voting in many southern states.  Yet, the 1964 law usurped the rights of states to make laws concerning voting.  The proper way to resolve this issue in my opinion is to develop a litmus test that will guarantee the 15th amendment will be lawfully applied to all states including redistricting of congressional and legislative seats. This is equality!

We are so divided between "right" and "left"  in this country.  We still are battling issues that date back to the founding of our country and for which we fought a bloody Civil War.  Maybe the chaos and the division we are seeing is important for chaos can produce change.  We need all voices to be heard and we all need to listen for when we do we might find that we have common goals to which there can be solutions reached if we lay down our prejudices, our drive to win by putting others down who see things differently, and we stop calling each names that destroy and reveal a lack of ethics and character.

May God open our ears to hear each other, open our mouths to speak with respect, open our hearts to receive, open our minds to see things differently and find solutions not bullets and knives verbal or physical that will lead to our country's demise.  No, I am not talking about gun control here.  I am talking about using our brains, our ears, out mouths, our feet, our hands, and our hearts to find the ways to truly be equal not only in God's eyes but also equal in reality.

Think about it.

Paula Deen, Supreme Court Rulings, and other bits of wisdom

Retirement is a wonderful gift after 48 years of labor.  I earned it!  Now, I have time to think and reflect and I am loving it!  There are days I am ready to turn away from current events and live like a hermit.  Then something happens to awaken my senses and kick start me into action.  The following current events have awakened the dormant voice that I feel needs to be heard:

Paula Deen, Bobby Deen, and Jamie Deen have entered our living rooms, dens, and prompted us to cook some wonderful southern dishes.  Paula is a true Southern Belle who bridges the gap between the old south and the new south.  She has helped erase my horrible memories of growing up in Mississippi during the turbulent 1960's.   She takes me back to family meals, fried chicken, and sitting on the front porch enjoying the cool breezes of the old oak tree in the front yard.

She is now being sued by Lisa Jackson, a white woman who worked at Bubba's Shrimp House.  She requesting 1.9 million in damages due to sexual harassment and racial discrimination.  Yet, when Jackson was asked under oath if she had ever heard Paula Deen make a racist remark, sexually harass anyone, or discriminate against anyone due to gender, Jackson replied NO.  This is a clear example of a money hungry lawyer and his client seeking to destroy the reputation of a good woman but not a perfect woman.  She is not perfect.  None of us are.  

The Supreme Court has issued rulings this week that may change affirmative action and voting rights legislation that have been in effect for most of my life.  I remember when the laws were passed.  Growing up in Mississippi, I remember the poll tax, the literacy tests, and the residency requirements imposed on minorities.  The Voting Rights Act of 1964 required some southern state to get preclearance for voting law changes before they can become law.  The formula used in the 1964 was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.  Chief Justice Roberts states that the Voting Rights Act of 1964 is a departure from the 10th Amendment giving rights to the states not given to Congress in the Constitution.  In addition, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 departs from the principle that states should be treated equally.  Chief Justice Roberts in writing the majority opinion clearly states that the decision of the court does not overturn the Voting Rights Act concerning discriminatory voting rules and laws.  Roberts further declared that it does not overturn the preclearance requirement.  Roberts stated the court's ruling gives Congress a mandate to change the formula based on current conditions.

MY THOUGHTS:  It is time that the Voting Rights Act be applied to all states equally based on the 10th Amendment.  The 15th Amendment states no one can be denied the right to vote based on color or race.  Congress has the power to enforce this.  I further agree with Justice Thomas the preclearance section of the Voting Rights Act should be declared unconstitutional.  The Justice Department has the authority of the 15th Amendment to sue and bring to court any state that impedes a person's right to vote yet the states should have a right to determine its own laws.  Preclearance is a violation of another legal principle that states have the right to enact laws for the citizens of its state. Laws passed by congress should apply to all states.

Wow....this longer than I thought it would be so I will save my other remarks for a different post.

Facts do not lie....?

Every Sunday in the Springfield News-Leader (my hometown newspaper), the paper runs a column called "Check the Facts" on the editorial page.  The column seeks to show common misconceptions or false statements in the news.

The phrase "facts do not lie" is often quoted assuming that truth is based on facts or events that actually happened or statements made by one or a correct interpretation of a law or scripture.  Crime investigation seeks to discover what happened, who did it, and why to determine if the law has been broken. Accident scene investigations look for witnesses who can provide information about the event.  Newspapers seek to report events as they happened.  Lawyers and judges pass judgements based on an interpretation of a law.  Theologians declare and make declarations of faith and do actions based on their interpretation of a Scripture or a Sacred Writing.

Often, we think of facts as being black and white with no gray area, but we forget that we are human and that we seek to understand what we saw, what someone said, or what the law or scriptures states.  Humanity looks at events, statements, laws, and Scriptures based on experience, what they have been taught, their logic, and their view of Sacred Writings.  So, we look at what we call facts through some biases.

Recently, a letter to the editor in the local paper, a reader wrote, "Avoid Pastors who pander".  The writer declared that pastors who favor GLBT marriage equality is not a true pastor.  The reader declares these pastors are more interested in attendance or money and not in a real relationship with God.  No doubt this reader believes what she is saying is based on facts.

This blog is not about GLBT issues so much as what are facts and when do we know truth.  The lady who wrote the letter to editor based her facts on what she had been taught about the Bible.  So often, we rely on our upbringing to guide us in our daily.  For many years, the church taught us that the earth was flat.  For many years doctors thought "bleeding" or eliminating bad blood from the body by bleeding people cured them of disease.  Overtime, we learned that these beliefs were not fact.

Some people live and die by what is said in the Bible or Sacred Writings.  I have heard people state, "If the Bible Says it, I believe it and that's that."  Muslims quote the Quran as their source for their actions.  Jews use the Torah to guide them in their daily living.  Yet, we forget that these writings are about a culture and time different than our own so when we hear someone declare that some passage teaches this or that, we should question and digest the passage based on many factors not what someone declares it to say.  We all tend to place to much emphasis on "sermons" from Pastors or "teachings" from Inmans or Rabbis.  We tend to make pastors/ministers, inmans, rabbis to be more than they are.  Often, pastors build empires with huge mega churches.  Why? Because we often blindly accept these men/women as God's messengers.

We tend to look at actual events and writings through our own experiences.  If we have been wronged by a pastor, a doctor, or a lawyer, we tend to generalize and declare that all people in that profession are not to be trusted.  Our experiences often dictate our view and understanding of reality.  In fact, when we witness an event, we tend to believe and see what we want to see.  People who sit and listen to a speaker will have different reactions to the speaker.  Some will think it is the greatest speech ever and others will think it is the worst speech.

When we read and study history, we see learn about the events of long ago based on the interpretation of the facts by the person writing the history.  When do not always hear about the flaws or the problems that a historical figure may have.  We may assign to that person certain traits or attitudes or actions that may not always be true.  We hear so much in our country about the founding fathers of our nation.  One person believes that a statement a founding father made supports their views on government while another person may read the same statement and declare that it supports a totally different view.

Facts do not lie?  That depends on the interpretation and the interpreter and whether I agree with that person or not.  Think about it.