Ferguson Local Politics

I want to live in a world where everyone is three years old and has no clue what color a persons skin is.  We just play together and laugh and love one another.  One of us gets a boo-boo we run to get help from a medically trained three year old that applies a kiss and a boo-baid.  If we are hungry we run to the kitchen with our shoes untied and our pants falling off our butts to fix up a bowl of cereal and milk and dream of the toys promised on the back of the box.  We can live in a world full of hugs when we know our friend is hurting and maybe even cry with them to ease the pain.  That isn't reality but Ferguson, Missouri is.

Ferguson, Missouri is in deep pain right now.  The community is stressed out from all the violence from protestors, the police, state police, and now the National Guard "Protection".  My wife and I live just a few miles west of this little town and we have been there many a weekend buying produce at the farmers market.  We love the town.  We love the people.  This small town that has so much potential is being torn apart and it doesn't need to happen.

This pain that the community is feeling can be fixed long term.  It takes the community to heal itself.  My numbers may be wrong but you can tell me the right numbers in the comments below.  Ferguson is a community with a population of 22,000 people and 70% of the people are black.  51 of the 53 police officers are white.  That's 96%.  The Mayor is white.  The city council is 5 white people and 1 black person.  That's 80% representation at the local level for 30% of the people.

Ferguson needs to be organized to get the vote out for their own local leaders.  Ferguson needs a few people in the community that are black to stand up and run for political office.  A business owner, a school teacher, a single mom, a guy that works construction, a lawyer... Whoever.   It is your town.  Who is better at leading it?  The people in charge now or one of your own people? 

Back in the day when the Irish were persecuted for just being here in America we found a way to beat the bastards that were putting us all down.  We elected our own to public office in every capacity possible.  Local, state, and federal offices.  It didn't happen over night but one of our own was Speaker of the House for forty years and we elected President Kennedy.  We elected his little brother, the Liberal Lion Teddy for decades.

Can the racial policing problems in Ferguson be fixed?  Yes it can.  If you elect a black mayor that hires the new Chief of Police.  If you elect a city council that is black that decides and votes on the percentages of police officers that need to be black change can happen.  Some white guys just might lose their jobs as police officers but the community needs to be policed by people that are put there by the people they elected.

Might it be needed to call for a special election in Ferguson?  If the people are not truly represented, then maybe that is a probability.  Either way you need to organize, Ferguson.  Your community needs to elect a new Mayor and a new City Council.  Most of all you NEED TO VOTE!  That is just step one.

This is my protest for the people of Ferguson.  Let's move forward!  Change can only happen if you take the steps needed to make it so.

Papamoka     

Rush Limbaugh Advertisers

Do you have a son or daughter serving in the United States Military? Do you think that half of them are "Phony Troop's" according to Rush Limbaugh? I do not and neither do many parents and friends that support ALL of our troops. Vote and buy with your dollars by not buying from Rush Limbaugh's advertisers. Yes, I back a full BOYCOTT of his ADVERTISERS! His words, not mine, made this political free speech possible by the deaths of thousands of brave American sons and daughters, their sacrafice made this post a possibility.

I support ALL of our troops no matter what political party they come from. One bullet is all it takes to kill a soldier. One pen, one voice, one father or mother can speak loud and clear to support them ALL and defend them ALL. One flag is ALL we have and calling half of our nations military phony disgust me and it should you too! Support ALL of our troops or support none! Bullets are funny, they do not know if you are a Republican or a Democrat. Body bags coming home are multi tasking. Think about it...

Links to Rush Limbaugh advertisers courtesy of the Gun Toting Liberal

Lending Tree (704) 541-5351

Life Quotes 1-800-670-5433

Select Comfort 763-551-7460

Overstock.com
1-800-989-0135
(customer comments and service email)
otherinfo@overstock.com

eharmony
300 N. Lake Ave., Suite 1111
Pasadena, CA 91101
media@eharmony.com
626.795.4814
FAX 626.585.4040

Inverness Medical (maker of stresstabs)
51 Sawyer Road
Waltham, MA 02021
1-800-899-7353 weekdays, 8 am. - 6 p.m. (Eastern Time.)

Onstar
1-800-947-AUTO

Hotwire Corporate Headquarters
333 Market Street, Suite 100
San Francisco, CA 94105
advertising@hotwire.com
1-877-HOTWIRE (468-9473)
415-343-8400

Sleep Number Bed
1-800-438-2233

The Neptune Society of Northern California
Stewart Enterprises
12070 Telegraph Road ..107
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

Oreck Upright Vacuum Cleaners
Oreck Corporation
100 Plantation Road
New Orleans, Louisiana 70123
Online contact form
1-800-289-5888

Smart & Final
Customer Relations
PO Box 512377
Los Angeles, CA 91001-0377
(Heard on KFI 640 in Los Angeles)

Mid-West Life Insurance Company of Tennessee
9151 Grapevine Hwy.
North Richland Hills, TX 76180
Phone (800) 733-1110
(web banner ads on rushlimbaugh.com)

AutoZone Inc.
P.O. Box 2198
Memphis, TN 38101
Phone (901) 495-7185
Fax (901) 495-8374
investor.relations@autozone.co m

UPDATED - Citracal - Mission Pharmacal
Bennett Kennedy - Citracal Product Manager
Mission Pharmacal
P.O. Box 786099
San Antonio, TX 78278-6099
Phone:(800) 531-3333

Blue-Emu
1-800-432-9334
Link

Lumber Liquidators
Toll Free: 877-645-5347
Contact list: Link

Avacor (hair loss treatment)
(customer comments email)
comments@avacorusa.com

Lazerguide® (golf instruction tool)
PO Box 807
New Hudson Michigan 48165
1-877-266-6430 (toll free)

Mission Pharmacal Company
10999 IH-10 West Suite 1000
San Antonio, TX 78230
Telephone: (800) 531-3333

General Steel Metal Buildings
1075 South Yukon, Ste. 250
Lakewood, Colorado 80226
Toll Free: 1-888-98-STEEL
Phone: 303-904-4837
Fax: 303-979-0084

Life Quotes, Inc.
32045 Castle Court
Evergreen, CO 80439
1-800-670-5433
info@lifequotes.com.au

Select Comfort Corporation
6105 Trenton Lane N
Minneapolis, MN 55442
Phone: 763-551-7000
Fax: 763-551-7826
investorrelations@selectcomfor t.com

RegionalHelpWanted.com, Inc.
1 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 506
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
800-365-8630
845-471-5200
Feedback@RegionalHelpWanted.co m

The Swap Shop
3291 East Sunrise
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
swpshop@aol.com
Phone - 954.791.$WAP

Pfizer Inc
235 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
212-733-2323

Rush Limbaugh is a dinosaur and like them he should be a fossil for the archives of the Smithsonian. While he supports only half the troops in our military, please do not support any of his advertisers.

Correction: Red Lobster has contacted me and informed me that they no longer advertise for Rush Limbaugh

I was made aware your recent blog post in which Red Lobster is mentioned, and would like the opportunity to offer clarification about our advertising.

Red Lobster does not advertise on Rush Limbaugh’s program. In 2004, we shifted our advertising focus away from radio to concentrate on network and cable television. We do not advertise on any radio networks or sponsor radio programs.

I appreciate the opportunity to respond and thank you for your time.
Sincerely,

Stephen Herring
Assistant Manager Guest Relations
Red Lobster
Ph: (407) 245-5067
800-LOBSTER

DITTO FOR SCOTT TRADE!

*****Firedoglake has many links in the comments section back to this site...

*****Think Progress has links in the comments section back to this site...

*****Wikio has linked to this post...

Related Posts Update 3/01/2009...

Limbaugh Declared King of GOP

Limbaugh to Republicans on Jindal

My thanks to our sponsors and the visitors reading this post!

AWOL for Kids and You Go to Jail?

Picture Courtesy of Lisa Hayes Family Friends...

This story that the Concord Monitor reported on is one that will have your “Live Free or Die” blood boiling. Apparently, the New Hampshire National Guard will only bend so far when it comes to the troops serving our nation and their own personal need to make sure that their child is safe. When the safety of the child is evident to the local police and Mom is in Iraq serving our nation then rules have to bend. This Mom is on her second tour of duty in Iraq but according to her military superiors you can only stretch the patience of the military black and white rule book so far. No matter what the circumstances are.

Here is what the Concord Monitor has to say about this…

Guard member faces prison

AWOL soldier left for her daughter
Leave Runs out before case resolved

By Joelle Farrell Concord Monitor staff
June 03. 2007

A New Hampshire National Guard soldier could face up to five years in prison on desertion charges for leaving Iraq to gain custody of her 7-year-old daughter.Spc. Lisa Hayes, 32, of Rindge, was serving her second tour in Iraq when she was notified of two violent incidents between her ex-husband and his live-in girlfriend. Hayes's ex-husband had primary guardianship of their daughter, Brystal Knight.

Hayes, a soldier serving with the 3643rd Security Forces, asked for emergency leave in February to attend a court hearing and gain custody of Brystal. But the court proceedings aren't over yet, and Hayes's leave expired in March. Hayes has asked for a hardship discharge from the Guard, saying there is no one else to care for Brystal.

"I can't serve my country at my daughter's expense," she said. "I have to be here. There's no going back."

The National Guard helped Hayes file paperwork for the discharge and offered assistance from the family support program for deployed soldiers, said Lt. Col. Francine Swan, a lawyer with the Guard. Hayes's commander, Capt. Tony Gagnon, extended her leave three times to prevent her from entering AWOL status. He told her in a March 5 correspondence that she needed to better inform her superiors in Iraq about what was going on.

First Sgt. Michael Daigle, a spokesman for the state National Guard, said custody disputes during a deployment are not unusual, and the Guard tries to help whenever possible. He said Hayes has forgone assistance and ignored counsel, leading the Army to take action. - Concord Monitor

Let me be the first to say that this is not just a military problem but a New Hampshire Court problem. In the Live Free or Die state the speed of justice is right up there with molasses in the middle of winter. It just doesn’t flow. Expedience in justice could have been given to this woman and her child knowing that her service to our nation and our military is of utmost importance.

I honestly think that the National Guard could have cut her some more slack given the nature of her and her child’s situation and requested that her so called family need leave be added to the end of her actual tour of duty. It seems that there is more to this story and there is. Apparently, according to a close friend that called in to 96.9 FM talk radio to Eagan and Braude Show in Boston, Spc. Hayes went over her immediate commanders to get her leave of absence and that just might have pissed off the local good old boys.

When a wrong is present and your immediate report refuses to acknowledge your personal emergency then I commend Spc. Hayes for going over their heads. What parent would not do the same thing given the same situation.

How do we stop a train wreck that is about to happen here and save the little girl and her Mom that served two tours in Iraq? We call the state Congressional Members in New Hampshire and bitch. We call the Governor of New Hampshire and bitch. We call the State Senators of New Hampshire and bitch.

When a Mom that is in the military would risk her career for her children and her immediate reports don’t see the trees for the forest then there is a wrong that seriously needs to be righted.

New Hampshire State and Federal Government links...

Papamoka

Technorati Tags:us military, iraq, usmc, usn, us air force, us army, uscg, boston herald, margerey eagan, jim braude, fort dix, national guard, nashua, concord, concord monitor, boston news, veterans, combat duty
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator