Newspaper Page Text
January 2006
8A
Gore Holler: Pimping the King dream
Continued from page 2A
Gore said that there is sull
much to learn about the
National Security Agency’s
domestic surveillance pro
gram: “What we do know
about this pervasive wiretap
ping virtually compels the
conclusion that the president
ot the United States has been
breaking the law repeatedly
and pensistendy,” he main
tained.
Bush has pointed to a con
gressional resolution passed
after the attacks of Sept. 11,
2001, that authorized him to
use torce in the tight against
terrorism as allowing him to
order the program. The pro
gram authorized eavesdrop
ping of international phone
calls and e-mails ot people
deemed a terror risk.
Gore was repeatedly inter
rupted by applause Monday
as he spoke to the American
Constitution Society tor Law
and Policy and the Liberty
Coalition, two organizations
that expressed concern with
the legality ot the surveillance
program.
Gore, also a tormer mem
ber ot the Senate trom Ten
nessee, proposed that a spe
cial counsel be appointed by
Auworney General Alberto
Gonzales 1o investigate
whether there have been vio
lations of the law.
Referring to reports that
private telecommunications
companies have provided the
Bush administration with
access to private information
on Americans, Gore said any
company that did so should
immediately end its complic
ity in the program.
SCLC: New Prez takes bull by the horn
Continued from page 2A
Steeles fervent tundraising and
businessmans approach to the
SCLC presidency, the group is
debt free, back in the black,
current with all its operating
expenses and has not missed
one payroll. Dunng his bref
tenure, Steele has raised some
$1.5 million. And Steele has
already raised $700,000 of the
$2 million pledged by the likes
of Sun Trust, \’%}acll()\'m‘ Bank
of America, Coca-Cola, Geor
gia Power and other major cor
rate giants to finance an
g?:LC international hcndqtur—
ters on Aubum Avenue. The
groundbreaking is set for Valen
unes Day, February 14, with
SCLC’s founders.
“It is a 2 mirade,” he says of
SCLC's renaissance, “but [ was
led here by God. | can raise hell
and | can raise money.”
“It says to the entire nation that
the most important organiza
tion that Atrican Americans
have had during the last half of
the century is !imd< in opera
tion, and that we can carve our
way and think through the next
century under the princ\i})lcs of
Martin King,” says Dr. Vivian.
“When we talk about SCLC,
we're talking about a moral and
spiritual movement.” This
rebounding movement Steele
has spearheaded has now gone
international - panimlarf;' in
the Middle East with offices in
Israel and Palestine. “We're
around the world,” Stecle says
proudly. “I'll be going to Cug;
in four or five weeks to set up a
lconflict fi\lm:g}n!oam& li{)n]
and throughouyt Euro
\;‘fi be. going to establish oofiS
flict rwofxotion centers.”
The Tuscaloosa native admits
there has been some criticism of
his international forays and
questioning whether SCLC is
Qogglpmd from page 1A
part of the Republican Party, 1o
wrn back the dock on cvil
nghts. llf Dr. King were alive,
he would not um his head
trom such machinations on the
part of the folks who call them
selves conservatives,. What is
conservative abour structuring
a society with any and every
thing to hamper the realizations
of a peoples civil nghts, the
nght to vore, the right t attend
desegregated schools, the right
to borrow money, the n’gh[ o
live where one pleases? Sudh a
philosophy represents —the
Congress: We don't need congress’
Continued from page 5A
buy, especially vou “gangstas”
out there. As Jill Scott says, “Am
I warching it or is it watching
me?”
Lets throw the Congress out.
Based on what it 1s doing now,
we dont need it Brothas, let’s
get out our plattorm guldtlxh
heeled shoes, our pink and
mustard-colored crushed vel
vet, dephantear bellbottomed
suits, and our wide-bnmmed
hats with the teathers on the
sides, and lets kick it like
George. Swtahs, like Johnny
Gill sang, “Put on vour red
dress.” break out vour spiked
heels, and mavbe a feather boa
to accent it all. Cowboy King
(George 1s comin' 1o a street near
vou looking to add to his stable.
It you aint quite up on vour
game, mavbe hell lec Condi
give you a retresher course on
Il()\\' 1o "g('l over.”
H(‘(l\‘. we dnlf( nu‘d no
stinkin' Congress. We can get
paid without them; George
and his buddies. Lets see it
thevll let us roll with them,
‘cause Georee and his homies
rove it really is all about the
gcnjamins. :\\k'-—'.lié_{h(.; A
Whart good is Congress if it
cannot or will not impeach this
Commander-of-Thieves? Atter
all, they impeached the real
Playa, the onginal Pimp, Bill
Clinton, for getin’ it on with
just one of his ladies. George
Bush has been doin” it to most
of the country and a brotha
foregoing pressing domestic
concerns. “International con
cerns are domestic concerns
because you are in a global soci
ety.” Steele counters. “Our kids
are going global; the jobs are
abroad.”
When Steele assesses what
went wrong with SCLC and
what mmrii‘)med 10 its precipi
tous dedine as a civil riyju.s
force in America, he savs “We
forgot our mission.” The mis
sion, he says, “is to stay in the
streets; to advocate for the least
of these. We left the streets and
went to the suites. That's where
we made our mistake. You
never leave your base; you never
abandon your comerstone.” Yet
the charismatic politico is quick
to quip, “Its a new day and a
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FTTAUR A
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2525 WASHINGTON ROAD 738-0554
worse kind of bigotry and dis
crimination. Dr. King would
not be b(};uiled the pfi’\ony =
have a dream celebrations.”
Pimping the King message has
become the stuft of wl:?fil the
smoke and mirrors are made
nowadays. He would frown on
the celebration.
The current President’s hell
bent desie to stack the
Supreme Court of the United
States of Amernica (all American
courts) with justices whose
resumes and court records
show a consistent pattern of
nterpreting, the law and the
Constitution of the United
States (all Amencan Constitu
cant even get a hearing on
Bushs high crimes and misde
meanors, John Conyers” efforts
notwithstanding,
A long ume ago, 56 men
signed a document dcd.lring
they were not going to take it
anymore. They told King
George they were fed up. They
put their lives, their éunilic.\.
and their tortunes on the line, |
guess they were just tired of the
nonsense, and tiw\' decided 1o
at least act like a Congress and
do something about (Twir mis
treatment by someone they
called, “A Prince, whose charac
ter 1s thus marked by every act
which may detine a Tyrant...”
They went on 1o say that this
man “is unfit to be the ruler of
a free pec )plc.“
Hey Congress! Hello! Are
vou listening? Stop pimpin’ us;
and hollaatchaboy, é;mrgc
about pimpin’ us, wo. If you
aint down tor that and dont
wanna represent for “vo peeps”
then let the doorknob lhi(clm
where the good Lord splitdha.
I'm out!
kanes = Chgrcon, an acponct pro
o a de Unmesity of Couarouats
Apraan Amenao Suckes deparmment.
s former acetor of e Concirona Her
dd newspaper and fuoder of e
Contter (I;u ot Ao Ameam
(Hvonter of Comonene. Fe hoss e
wicko progeom. Blackononus."andhas
wrrten sevend books, nchubng Black-o-
Knowkerge-Saf To book § lmgman
jor a speech or purchase his g:)/o'.
g 0 1w his Web site, wune blacko
nomics.com or call him ar 513/
aaaeglse . .
new way for SCLC.” Stecle
says poverty, violence and
racism were the three societal
ills that topped Dr. King's agen
da and those are sl the most
pressing issues impacting black
folks today.
“The Movement s sull
alive,” Steele passionately con
tends. “But people are still wait
ing for a Dr. King to come back
and hes not going o come
back. But his spirit, and his
teachings and his principles are
here. But how can you teach his
prinaples and theories if you
dont have an institution, if you
dont have [a robust] SCLC?”
AUGUSTA FOCUS
tions) in a manner that is anti
black is tragic The Supreme
Court, for many years, deferred
to the southern states, permit
ting them to violate the consti
wiional rights of blacks with
impunity. For fifty-eight years,
from Plessy to Brown, the
Supreme Court engaged in the
worse kind ofdcni;fi. endorsing
a humanely untenable doctrine
of separate but equal. In the
process, it served as co-conspir
ator for the southern (and some
northem too) racist state-rights
advocates. Now in 20006, the
Executive Branch is stacking it
in such a manner as to once
again block the fulfillment of
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constitutional rights. Dr. King
would not approve; he woulfi
be saddened.
A number of persons parad
ed 1o dias or rostrums across the
country supposedly givin%_g trib
utes to Dr. King, Many, far too
many, came from sources that
talked his talk, but dont nearly
walk his walk. |. C. Warts, the
black Republican poster-figure,
stood in the Georgia gt.nc
Capitol building and delivered
one of the most pitiful King
tributes that this desk has ever
heard. That should come as no
surprise if you consider some of
the other speakers, but J. C.
Watts, a I)Ld\' man? FEven
when you consider his
expedient Republican
rantings and well rehearsed
verses, his message was off
the cuff and borcl’lvinle or no
coherence. He did nor even
care enough to prepare
remarks. h is a sad day
when the “new negro” has
disgraced his race to that
point. It seems that in this
phony world where truth is
rarer than fiction and decep
tion is the order of the day;
Dr. King’s true message
does not resonate. Thc
pimping is so insulting.
Sometimes it makes you
want to holler.