Mike Huckabee, Roy Barnes & That Racist Flag

Enjoying Georgia? Thank a Democrat!

Back in early high school, I had a bumper sticker that said just that on my guitar case.

There used to be a time when such a statement wasn't laughable. Dems controlled the House. Dems controlled the Senate. And a Democrat had resided in the Governor's Mansion since Reconstruction. Bill Clinton even carried Georgia in 1992. However, the fate of Georgia was sealed with Dole's Georgia victory in 1996 and Governor Sonny Perdue's big win in 2002.

Back to me. My personal decision to identify as a Democrat had little to do with Bill Clinton and absolutely nothing to do with my fellow Baptist, President Jimmy Carter.

I understood WHY I was and had always been a Democrat because of this man - former Governor Roy Barnes of Georgia. My fascination as a young boy with the Civil Rights Movement and freedom-fighters like Dr. King, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar Evers, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth helped me understand the importance of fairness and equality. Roy Barnes helped me to see that fairness and equality was and is best embodied in the Democratic Party.

But back in 2001, Roy Barnes had the courage to remove the Confederate Emblem from its prominence on the state flag. Barnes understood that the racist Confederate Emblem was a symbol of hate. His decision to change the state flag was protested by thousands and ultimately cost him his job. For his courage, Gov. Barnes was selected by a bi-partisan committed named by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation to receive the Profile in Courage Award.

Roy Barnes is an American Hero.

Unfortunately, Mike Huckabee is not.

Here's what Huckabee said just yesterday in South Carolina:

"You don't like people from outside the state coming in and telling you what to do with your flag," Huckabee said at a Myrtle Beach campaign event. "In fact, if somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we'd tell them what to do with the pole, that's what we'd do."

Later, in Florence, he repeated the remarks. "I know what would happen if somebody comes to my state in Arkansas and tells us what to do, it doesn't matter what it is, tell us how to run our schools, tell us how to raise our kids, tell us what to do with our flag — you want to come tell us what to do with the flag, we'd tell them what to do with the pole."

Conservative pundit Andrew Sullivan dubbed Huckabee's comments - "repulsive pandering."

Unfortunately, pandering to racists is still cool in the Grand Old Party. I hope and actually don't think that yesterday's statements represent the real Mike Huckabee. In 1997, Huckabee spoke at the 40th anniversary ceremony commemorating the integration of Little Rock Central High. Here's a snippet from that speech:

Some have asked: how long are we going to deal with this Central crisis situation? Are we going to have to relive it every few years? And I know there were some who were frankly made to feel very uncomfortable about all of these activities because some felt that it would just resurrect feelings and anxieties.

Well, let me tell you how long we will deal with it -- until justice is the same for every human being whether he or she is black or white, we will deal with it. Until the same rules apply to get a bank loan for every person regardless of who he or she is, we will deal with it. As long as there are whites who turn around and see a black person coming and bring fear to their hearts, we will deal with it. And as long as there are blacks who look and see and have resentment toward a white person, we will deal with it. We will deal with it until the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King lives in all of our hearts, and that is that we will judge people by the character of their hearts and not by the color of their skin.

Huckabee should have either spoke out against the flag or at least kept his mouth shut. His pandering to flag-waving racists who try to pull the wool over our eyes with their Heritage Not Hate bullcrap is quite unbecoming of a man who professes to be a "Christian Leader" and hopes to be President of the entire United States of America.

When I was a little boy growing up on the campus of Brewton-Parker College in Mt. Vernon, Georgia - I used to believe that "Republicans" were racists and "Democrats" were not. Why? The few Democrats that I knew were educated professors and professionals who talked sophisticated and had a clean mouth. They didn't own a Confederate Flag. The "Republicans" that I knew were the folks who spoke ill of "blacks", used the N-word and had that Confederate emblem plastered on their truck or a hanging from a wall in their home. As someone who was in church each time the doors swung open - unfortunately most of the "Republicans" that I knew were my fellow church members.

Of course I was wrong. After all, I was only 9 or 10. A racist is a racist. And I know both Republicans and Democrats who are stone cold racists. Many do not have a racist bone in their body.

But Mike Huckabee doesn't help fix the perception that Republicans are racists - a perception that many little boys like myself clung tightly to. I know that I wasn't alone. My feelings and perceptions were not unique especially in south Georgia.

On Monday, many of us will officially celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Meanwhile we have a Presidential candidate who many consider to be a frontrunner gallivanting across the state of South Carolina pandering to racists. Sad. Just sad.

An Hour w/ Martin Luther King Jr.'s Niece

I'm a fan of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As a Georgian, I grew up reading about the King family drama.

Talk about drama!

Well, one of the most interesting members of the King family is Dr. Alveda King. Alveda is the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Her father is the brother of Martin Luther King Jr., the late Albert Daniel Williams King (aka A.D. King). Alveda is the founder of King for America which assists "people in enriching their lives spiritually, personally, mentally and economically." According to her bio, Alveda is an author, actress, song writer and formerly served in the Georgia State House of Representatives.

Earlier today, I listened while Alveda addressed a small group of mostly students from Baylor's pro-life student organization - Bears For Life. Alveda King is most known for her pro-life activism. She had two abortions and considered having a third Somewhere along the way Alveda became a born-again Christian and got involved in the pro-life movement.

I had hoped to hear Alveda tell at least a few stories about her family and uncle. No such luck. Instead, I listened and watched while King showed a PowerPoint presentation entitled: Pro-Life is a Civil Right.

However, I did learn a little somethin during my lunch hour.

#1 - Planned Parenthood is the boogeyman. Blame it all on Planned Parenthood. Without Planned Parenthood, abortion would disappear. One member of the audience suggested that Planned Parenthood embraces a belief in eugenics. From where I was sitting, Alveda seemed to affirm this gentleman's assertion that Planned Parenthood is part of some "black genocide" conspiracy....

#2 - Guys and Girls should never be alone in a room together.

That's about all I learned.

However, I do find this piece of civil rights history quite interesting. Today, Alveda stated that her father (A.D. King) was assassinated just like her uncle, Dr. King. According to her website, A.D. King was "slain." Wikipedia disputes that A.D. King was murdered. Instead, several other sources state that A.D. King drowned in a pool accident. Any of my knowledgeable readers care to chime in?

On a side note, Alveda has endorsed Sam Brownback for President!

John Edwards Remembers Dr. King

Yesterday, Senator John Edwards gave the Martin Luther King Jr. Day sermon at the historic Riverside Church in New York City.

You can listen to Edward's sermon here.

Here is a snippet from the AP article.

The former North Carolina senator and 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee touched on poverty issues in his speech, as well as AIDS in Africa, energy independence and a proposed boost in the minimum wage.

But he saved his strongest words for the troop increase in Iraq, invoking King's condemnation of the Vietnam War as a betrayal of American values.

"Silence is betrayal, and I believe it is a betrayal not to speak out against the escalation of the war in Iraq," Edwards said to a sustained standing ovation.

40 Years ago, Dr. King stood behind the same exact pulpit at Riverside Church and called for an end to the Vietnam War.

On this holiday, I ask you to remember the words of Dr. King.

Take a moment of your time and read or listen to Beyond Vietnam.

Or read one of his other landmark speeches here.