Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Rule 5 Draft Question: Real or Fake, and Do You Care?

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Baloo: The Mortal, Unpardonable Sin of Stereotyping!

 

 

Visit the cartoon page of the incomparable Baloo here, and his gift page here.
 

Martinsville, VA: Racist City Councilwoman Sharon Brooks-Hodge Insults School Kids Who Made a Quilt for the City, Reducing One White Girl to Tears, Saying That They were Obligated to Give Blacks Veto Right over Work; NAACP Joins Brooks-Hodge, Saying White Kids Must be “Trained” to Submit to Blacks

 

WDBJ7’s caption, “Quilt stirring up controversy in Martinsville,” is completely wrong. It is racist City Councilwoman Sharon Brooks-Hodge that is stirring the pot in Martinsville. And I just noticed that WDBJ7 has cut the innocuous section out of the picture--what a coincidence!



Martinsville Councilwoman Sharon Brooks-Hodge


By Nicholas Stix

There we have it. Even one black councilman on a council of eight seats today is one too many. If you look at the linked tape, you will see that not only did racist city councilwoman Sharon Brooks-Hodge interrupt and ruin what should have been a joyous occasion for some wonderful kids, but she later interrupted a white councilman, when he spoke in defense of the kids whom the vicious councilwoman had libeled.

I guarantee you that bringing that sweet white girl to tears was the highlight of Sharon Brooks-Hodge’s day.

Brooks-Hodge demanded that the quilt not be shown at all. She and the NAACP want to “train” white kids to know that anything of value that they do can and will be destroyed by the totalitarian black will to power.

One of the many ways Brooks-Hodge left no doubt that she is racist to the bone is how she depicted a positive as a negative: she charged that the kids had “only” spoken to “10 percent of the people in a town that is 45 percent black.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2012, Martinsville had approximately 13,733 people. That means that the kids had spoken to approximately 1,370 residents. That’s tremendous! The diligence tells you as much as the racist’s insults that these are white kids. For racist scum like Sharon Brooks-Hodge, nothing a white kid does is worth spit, while the crappiest work by a black kid is proof of black genius.

Note that racist blacks have gotten to express their racist “black pride,” both at white taxpayers’ and white businessmen’s expense, for almost 60 years, without whites bringing them to tears, vetoing their expressions, or blacks having to print disclaimers.

The comments ripped the racists a new one.

Note too that the WDBJ7 headline is misleading: “Martinsville councilwoman offended by quilt…”

Sharon Brooks-Hodge wasn’t offended by the quilt. That was just a pretext. She was offended by the existence of whites. Taking offense is simply the way she and other racist blacks interact with whites. She went to the meeting that day fully intending to ruin those kids’ wonderful work.

White parents have to train their kids differently for dealing with blacks, so that the kids diminish blacks’ ability to physically and emotionally harm them. This is an awful thing, but these are awful people, and you cannot let the acknowledgement that perhaps 10 percent of blacks are decent people lead you to disarm your children, in dealing with the 90 percent who are evil.

Thus, you can’t raise your daughters to be wonderful, sweet things, like the girl whom the racist reduced to tears, because they will then be too vulnerable, which could cost them not only tears, but their virtue and their lives.

The Sharon Brooks-Hodges and the NAACP are waging a war to the death. Do whatever you can, to prevent your kids from becoming casualties.

* * *
Martinsville councilwoman offended by quilt students presented as gift to city council
By Justin Ward
April 25, 2013, 7:17 p.m. EDT
WDBJ7
Comments 258

MARTINSVILLE, Va.—
A city councilwoman says a quilt made by a group of students should not be allowed to hang in the Martinsville City administration building.

She says the quilt is offensive to African Americans.

But the students who made it say it showcases what they learned working on a special project.

It's a story that's got plenty of people talking.

It was supposed to be a nice gesture from students at the Piedmont Governor's School in Martinsville.

Each student made a quilt square.

But one representing their journey learning about the area with a black stick figure offended councilwoman Sharon Brooks-Hodge.

Here's what happened:

"We got to walk across the Philpott Dam and the small black person represents us before we learned all the information and then the bigger gold person is how he feels after he's been enriched with all the different knowledge,” a student said as she showed the quilt to council members.

The student started explaining another quilt square when Councilwoman Hodge had a comment.

"Excuse me. Um, why is the small black person the negative image?" Hodge said.

"It's not negative. It's just showing how much we increased," was the student’s response, to which Hodge replied: "I take offense to that."

"I didn't mean to make it offensive," another student said.

"Whoever reviewed that to make a small black person the before and the gold which you are afterwards, considering you only talked to 10 percent of black people in a city that's 45 percent African-American, I take offense to that and I hope that you do not display that," Hodge said.

One student started crying and a teacher explained the black figure had nothing to do with race.

Councilman Danny Turner was sitting just a few feet away.

"These children are two generations away from that and black, white, green, or blue they're not, they don't see those things," Turner said.

WDBJ received a statement the Martinsville chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People gave select members of city council.

It reads quote:

"This young man had not received training on how offensive depictions like this were to people of color [read: colored people]. If he had, this incident could have been avoided."

"The city already has issues with the Black [sic] community; this does not help matters at all." [Read: The black community is racist to the bone, and is intent on taking over, and otherwise making whites’ lives miserable.]

Turner said he visited the Governor's school yesterday and apologized for what happened.

He says students are still upset.

The students still gave the quilt to the city.

We’re told it will stay in an office until city council makes a decision whether or not to hang it up.

If it does get approved, it will have a disclaimer describing the quilt square.

[Why should it have a disclaimer?! That’s outrageous!]


Cheryl Shepherd at 7:34 PM April 25, 2013
I am ashamed we still have adults that are so small minded! The quilt was beautiful and it was a childs impression of being in the dark with little knowledge to be enlightened and growing in knowledge. Ms. Brook Hodges should be taught how to not bully a child!! An innocent child who had meant NO harm to anyone was in tears and running out of the room, that is shameful!Children today are not living in the past and do not see color the way the older generations do, it's time Ms. Hodges started living in 2013 were have a black President, black Doctors, lawyers, teachers, senators, congressmen & women, etc. We're no longer living 100 plus years ago and an innocent child who meant NO HARM paid for her ignorance !!


Kirstin Bonney at 7:46 PM April 25, 2013
This broke my heart! That poor child! Why is it okay for Ms. Brook-Hodges to reduce a poor kid to tears over what was obviously meant as a kind and generous gesture? This woman needs to issue an apology to the school and the child she made cry. Take a gesture as it's meant! We really don't need people like that in any sort of office.


History Queen at 7:50 PM April 25, 2013
I try to be sensitive to racial issues, but this councilwoman had a MAJOR OVERREACTION! These kids had NO IDEA what the heck she was talking about! This is not the 1950's! The majority of kids today look at racial stereotypes as something they read about in history books.


simple_truth at 7:56 PM April 25, 2013
These children have not yet learned of the culture we have in this country of treating people of color with kid gloves. Most kids learn that when they either get to college or work at a public company - that's when the diversity indoctrination begins. After being made to cry in a public setting in front of adults by another adult, it's unlikly these children will look upon black people the same any more. Congratulations councilwoman, you've taught these kids that people of color are different and must be treated differently based only upon the color of their skin. It turns Dr King's dream upside down.


Robin Goodman at 8:09 PM April 25, 2013
What an ignorant and rude woman. Her remarks probably undid so much of the positive they experienced in this learning process. Perhaps someone could educate her on art, and symbolism and what it means to be in the dark (black) and then to become enlighten and now be in the light (gold). Did anyone state that people aren't GOLD?

It's clear this councilwoman remains in the dark and could learn a great deal from this gracious, kind hearted group of young people. Martinsville would do well not to re-elect Mrs. Hogan, but rather find someone who lives in the 21st century to be apart of making your city better.

She clearly needs to apologize. What a horrible thing to have happen during such a sweet presentation by these students. She should be ashamed!


Texsheva at 8:41 PM April 25, 2013
What a shame that a grown councilwoman made a student CRY because she couldn't understand the SIMPLE explaination the student gave. She SAID, 'The small black figure represents us before and the gold figure represents us after we had knowledge and were enlightened.' In even MORE concise terms, the quilt square represented, US (the collective) in DARKNESS, as in before KNOWLEDGE. The golden person represents, US (the collective) after knowledge, being ENLIGHTENED. I hope that makes it clear enough for her to understand. She OWES that student who was totally innocent an APOLOGY. In fact, she owes the City Council and the entire school an apology. She was vitrolic in her false attack and it was a very poor reflection upon her. To be offended over her own ignorance is ridiculous!


sldunn67 at 8:59 PM April 25, 2013
or the color black could simply represent darkness and ignorance, an absence of light, and have no reference what so ever to people of color. too many people sitting around waiting to be offended at anything. political correctness does not move a country forward but keeps everyone afraid to examine history. In the wordless Gospel, the color black represents the sin sick soul and the state of darkness that the individual is in prior to salvation. the color gold represents the brightness of knowledge and glory of salvation and the value of the person. if the same person starts as black and becomes gold, why would you be offended. the value of the person is what is represented not the color of his skin or his race. White is the color of the soul made clean by the red blood of Jesus Christ and it does not refer to skin color or race but the purity of the heart changed by God.


Plubius2 at 9:08 PM April 25, 2013
What a stupid, stupid woman. I hope someone requests her resignation promptly.


HillbillyReaper at 9:19 PM April 25, 2013
They are scared to get rid of her. She has made it clear that the NAACP is on her side. Martinsville couldnt afford a lawsuit.


lazyrebel at 9:04 AM April 26, 2013
Yep if you try an get her to resign. The NAACP would sue. What do you think they would do if we formed a NAAWP?


HillbillyReaper at 9:31 AM April 26, 2013
I just hope that this story doesnt get hidden and forgot about. I hope it goes viral and nationwide. She needs to be removed from office before she gets anymore power.


itsjustme4 at 9:22 PM April 25, 2013
I really hope WDBJ7 looks further at this woman and I really hope if there is enough complaints we can get her removed from her position! If she really did not like the quilt she could have at least waited until the children were out of the room before making such racist and hateful comments. I think WDBJ7 should be made aware of the interview she gave defending her comments made about the quilt. She says having a black stick figure on the quilt is offensive but the comments she makes such as "you white people" is suppose to be ok? (Heres a link to the video: http://youtu.be/McGr25A65sk) She has also made very rude comments on her facebook page basically calling Martinsville "uncivilized"
http://postimg.org/image/6lymvg7e5/. She's even made rude comments about the Boys and Girls club knowing that the Boys and Girls club is all that some kids have in their lives to look foward to. http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=35312. This woman should be ashamed of herself!


Dick Hertz at 9:14 PM April 25, 2013
Someone should start a petition to have Brooks-Hodge resign immediately. What a crock.


HillbillyReaper at 9:17 PM April 25, 2013
From what I hear she has put down The Boys and Girls Club, saying that they are a glorified babysitter. She also called the blacks in this area "Housegrown Nigroes". She once said that our area needs more people like her because she has a 6 figure income. She does not belong in government. Being in government means you represent all citizens, not just the color you are. I am far beyond racist. Hell, I voted for Obama. I think the kids and teachers should auction off that beautiful blanket and donate the proceeds to The Boys and Girls Club, Martinsville Chapter. Councilwoman Hodge has contacted the NAACP to make sure the community knows that she will sue if forced out of office. If you read between the lines you can see that is what she means. She sure sounds like a loose cannon.


maloof at 9:36 PM April 25, 2013
How did that moron get elected? What were you thinking Martinsville? Way to put down kids. Real porfessional. I guess she'll be call Jackson and Sharpton next to advance and play the race card agenda and hatred of America.


FOOTBALL FAN at 9:39 PM April 25, 2013
Folks in Martinsville should put pressure on her to resign. At the least show up at the next council meeting and raise enough HELL that they force her out. If she had something she did not like it could have waited till the end of the meeting and explained in private instead of her idiotic way of handling it. Do you really think the students in this school would have done something to revert to racisim? GET RID OF HER!!


AtJude at 9:42 PM April 25, 2013
"'These children are two generations away from that and black, white, green, or blue they're not, they don't see those things,' Turner said."

That's ignorant. We all know that racism is not ancient history.

The kid who made the square did not MEAN to cause offense, but that's the problem isn't it? He (and the entire group) was (were) ignorant of the fact that what he was displaying was racism. It isn't his fault this happened, it's the fault of our culture and society. The status quo must not be upheld this way.

The councilwoman was clearly caught up in emotion and responded rather snippy to the students. Since it wasn't their intention to offend, I believe she could have said what she had to say in a much less emotional manner. The problem with that is that these things get ignored and brushed under the rug so often that sometimes it's all you can do not to scream.

Most of the comments here are outraged at the counsilwoman, however I invite you to examine this from her perspective, since clearly we all see it from the perspective of the children.


Texsheva at 9:57 PM April 25, 2013
And what about the GOLD people??? Your comments are as ridiculous as hers.

The quilt had nothing to do with color of skin. It had to do with being in darkness...IGNORANCE, and being brought out of it into the knowledge of ENLIGHTENMENT. Time to get rid of the over-sensitiveness.


Uniquely Chaotic at 10:04 PM April 25, 2013
If she as a Council member cannot control her emotions and conduct herself in a professional manner when an open session is being held with students present, what are we to expect of her when something really goads her with adults present? Everyone is entitled to an opinion. No one should express their opinion is such a way as to humiliate, embarrass. and stigmatize anyone else. She is an elected official, held accountable by the people. Use your votes Martinsville!! Do you really want someone who reduces a child to tears expressing a viewpoint to represent you?


AtJude at 10:27 PM April 25, 2013
Uniquely Chaotic and Texsheva:

Thank you for contributing to the conversation in an intelligent manner. I really appreciate your responses.

Uniquely Chaotic:

I can agree with this asessment. As I stated, she could have handled this better.


Hugh Dalton at 7:47 AM April 26, 2013
Try as hard as you might to make the black about race... Darkness will always be described as "black", the color of absence of light.

If she didn't understand what the child was trying to say with a simple picture, she has no chance of being a councilperson who understands what it will take to turn a town's poor fortunes around.


lazyrebel at 9:02 AM April 26, 2013
At jude you are an idot!


History Queen at 7:53 PM April 26, 2013
The ONLY way this person could have handled it better was to have kept her mouth SHUT!!! Like my mamma use to say, "if you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all". Racism is a two-way street................me thinks she is the real racist!!!!


wade0000 at 9:42 PM April 25, 2013
simple solution. don't give presents to ungrateful people.
sad. sometimes the people who say we should be colorblind, see race in everything. oh well... and to make children cry... I'm not sure who owes who an apology here.


St. Michael at 9:46 PM April 25, 2013
Grown ups need to start acting like grown ups and stop playing the race card in everything they see. These kids worked hard on this project and it should not be spoiled by some dit wit that is still living in the 1850's. enough of this childishness already.


David Johnson1 at 9:50 PM April 25, 2013
In case anyone wanted to contact the councilwoman
sbhodge@ci.martinsville.va.us


docmel at 10:30 PM April 25, 2013
This idiot should be removed from office and should be required to make a public apology to the students before her exit.


MrsJWayne at 10:31 PM April 25, 2013
Ms. Hodge-Muse (fancy name, huh?) always seems to be offended by something. She's always writing letters to the editor of the Martinsville Bulletin because she has been offended by something or other. I guess she's not happy unless she's making her extreme displeasure, about things SHE finds offensive, clearly known to EVERYBODY in Martinsville and Henry County. And, yes, folks, she really DID write a letter to the editor BRAGGING about her income -- in a community that has been suffering with the highest unemployment rate in the commonwealth for years now! Now, I ask, WHOOOOOOO needs some sensitivity training???!!!!!!


lazyrebel at 9:01 AM April 26, 2013
It offends me that women hyphen their name when they get married!


Patricia Wilkins at 10:33 PM April 25, 2013
https://www.facebook.com/sharon.b.hodge?viewer_id=100000380826326 As someone that shared this link earlier said..look at her posts and how she puts down "African American" as well as other people and organazations. Please STOP voting blindly. KNOW who is behind that Name! Lets have her removed!


AnAmericanRelic at 11:24 PM April 25, 2013
Acts of racial hatred such as this "councilwoman" displayed towards those children should not be allowed to go unpunished. If a person of "non-color" (by her definition) had done such a thing, Sharon Brooks-Hodge would have probably been the first to demand resignations and apologies.

Racism will never go away as long as bigots such as Sharon Brooks-Hodge (and others) continue to use their position of authority to abuse those who are different from themselves. But perhaps they don't really want it to.

I am thankful that the "people of color" and people of "non-color" get along fine in my world.


CatherineBowersLouya at 11:26 PM April 25, 2013
Why don't the council people take the gift in the way it was intentended. It was a gift made by the govenors shcool chidren for the council men and women. How dare she take a wonderful gift and turn it into a racial issue. I think she is the one with the issue and should be removed from her seat on the council. That council group needs to grow up. The children have more sense than they do. What a shame and if I had been there I would have said SHAME ON YOU COUNCILWOMAN..SHAME ON YOU !!!


JD1002 at 11:26 PM April 25, 2013
What a buffoon! Some people really reach to play the race card. And this was a huge stretch to make it racial. I think that she might need to see a counselor or look into therapy for her race issues. Definitly not someone you need on a city council. Her preconceptions could affect decisions that affect a community.


docmel at 11:50 PM April 25, 2013
I commend the instructor who spoke out and defended the students and the one man who had the cajones to expose the racist for what she was.


Melissa Tolbert at 11:50 PM April 25, 2013
When I saw the video I could not believe what she was saying (not to mention she butted in to say her piece) I can honestly say probably no one thought about race until she made a big deal out of it. He said he used a dark color (the last time I checked there is not another color darker than black) and then went to a brighter color and he used gold if he was thinking race like she was he would have used white that right there shows he was not thinking race when he did it. I believe she should apologize to the students and then announced to the public that she did so considering we all saw what she did to start with. She is the one that turned it into a race thing. I have three kids and they don't think about race and I believe most kids are like that until they see people like her who make it a point to point it out to everyone. I believe what she did was in terrible taste. I believe she needs to go back to the saying of if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all. I can only imagine how hard they worked on their project and then to be crushed when all their hard work was so belittled. I hope she see's this and the error of her ways.


MarineNC at 11:51 PM April 25, 2013
Really want to see more of this woman's ignorance? Check her Facebook page (and it is public). Everything on there is "black this" or "black that" and she's all about equality - for blacks. But Sharon doesn't believe in equality for other minorities such as gays. Yeah, Sharon believes in equality as long as it doesn't include the gay and lesbian community. So the way I see it, Sharon sees everything as a black and white issue (she's a black racist) and she doesn't care for gays (and that makes her a bigot). Pot meet Kettle. Enjoy your one term as a council clown, Sharon.


Melissa Tolbert at 12:06 AM April 26, 2013
I wish they would have let the young man that stood up for it to keep speaking his piece I praise him for standing up for himself and the others I believe if he had kept speaking he would have put her in her place.


proudpoppa at 5:43 AM April 26, 2013
Melissa,
while I do not condone the Councilwoman's actions, your response it exactly part of why she complained. African-Americans had been "put in their place" here in North America [sic] for more than 300 years. I am not surprised she reacted as she did. Power and institutionalized racism are not just things one "gets over."


Seven777 at 8:20 AM April 26, 2013
Proudpappa....really? Tell that to Obama.


beachlady at 8:54 AM April 26, 2013
proudpoppa..and you are one of the reasons that AfricanAmericans have the problems that they do...people like you who still lives in the 50's and the 50' have been gone for a long time...power=obama


lazyrebel at 8:59 AM April 26, 2013
Proud, she needed to be put in her place!


beachlady at 9:23 AM April 26, 2013
what place would that be???


Seven777 at 4:45 PM April 26, 2013
Beach, the place she needs to be sent is where she is forced to be alone with herself and her own miserable thoughts. I cannot think of a worse punishment.


JMStandingUp at 12:34 AM April 26, 2013
I'm okay with the council woman. I've lived in different places throughout the country, and it seems that subtle racism and outdated ideas are accepted in this area. Not to be harsh to the students, but they appear to be old enough to realize right from wrong. I think that the student and their instructor could have probably been approached privately, not in a public forum. I don't think that the council woman played the "race card".


lazyrebel at 8:58 AM April 26, 2013
What the heck doe this have to do with racism. JM you are part of the problem, quit being part of the problem! She sure did play the race card!


JMStandingUp at 2:21 PM April 26, 2013
I'm just saying.. When is enough .. enough. Sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe in. Race, faith, etc. etc. Do I think that maybe it should have been addressed privately? With less emotions on all parts.. absolutely... I applaud her for standing up for what she believes.. as do I. Would I have had a better tact? Probably. I didn't grow up around here, so I do have a different perspective. But it's 2013.. and even subtle racism.. whether it's blatant, on accident, etc. Should be addressed.


MrsJWayne at 8:08 PM April 26, 2013
It was not "subtle racism". It was not racism at all.


JMStandingUp at 4:29 AM April 27, 2013
How is it not? Because it was something small? Not deemed "important" enough to be considered racism? How about just plain ignorance? I don't mean that in hate. I just mean that the concept should have been thought out better. I can't cosign with a little black figure, or a rebel flag.. or any other subtle form if "ignorance" (aka racism). Again, I'm not saying that in hate. It's just my truth. I love all, as God would want me to. I just can't stand the mentality that somethings just because it's small should be ignored. This is 2013 not 1813 or 1913. It seems like all races in our area just let things slip by, not addressing the "good ole boy" mentality. Again not saying it in hate, just an observation.


MrsJWayne at 8:10 AM April 27, 2013
So, JM, should we all just walk on eggshells around each other all the time? That could make people not want to be around each other because of the tension it creates.


Snappy71 at 7:29 AM April 26, 2013
I think the councilwoman handled the receiving of a gift badly. Very badly! The figure went fron a dark sad place to a light happy place through the acquisition of knowledge. Making a person cry from bullying is worse than what she perceived to be an insult. We are quickly becoming the land of the offended. I hope they hang the quilt it looks like it took a great deal of time and effort.


ChrisCraft at 7:54 AM April 26, 2013
I think she was rude,hateful and she needs to learn to shut up these kids were trying to do something nice and she chews thrm out.
Shes not one that deserves to be in that position !!!!


Martha2 at 7:59 AM April 26, 2013
Seems to me it was showing that they were in darkness, and now they are enlightened. How shameful for that councilwoman to treat these students the way she did!
The kids did a great job and should be commended instead of condemned.
Are we next going to outlaw nighttime, because it's dark?


rideahd at 8:07 AM April 26, 2013
Fire this stupid b#*%h! Say what you want to about me i don't care,but theres not alot you can do not to offend black people.They all think the world owes them something.BS!


beachlady at 8:50 AM April 26, 2013
the world does owe them something ..the same respect we have for everyone...what is wrong with you..it is 2013, when are you going to get your head out of your behind and realize that the world is large and anyone has the right to live and progress..that is the problem in the world today..not realizing that we are all God's children..even you...


lazyrebel at 8:57 AM April 26, 2013
THE WORLD OWES THEM NOTHING! IF lincoln had not be assasinated, he would have shipped all the former slaves back to africa. Maybe this b#%^h would be in somalia today!

mgkelly01 at 8:14 AM April 26, 2013
in the name of sensitivity, it appears the councilwoman was very insensitive to the feelings of others.


lazyrebel at 8:55 AM April 26, 2013
Don't you know that libtards are like that? They can offend, but you cant offend them.


Seven777 at 8:18 AM April 26, 2013
It's a beautiful quilt. I'd be happy to take it as a gift and display it in my home. Clearly Hodges is the offensive one.....but the students now have the lesson in mind that some folks are just nasty and strive to find something wrong with a good dead.


beachlady at 8:19 AM April 26, 2013
I have lived in Martinville and worked at the Martinsville hospital..the town is a beautiful place to live and the people are delightful but a lot of narrowminded people live there..I was amazed how the community was so upbeat when there is nothing there ..no money, no jobs and doesn't look like much hope for any..I love this area and its people..so sweet and still happy after all they have endured...this woman if she has so much money needs to be sharing some of it ..when I think of it why does the city have a council at all...if she has so much money why does she need this job..I will tell you, so she can run that mouth about problems that Martinsville does NOT even have..the blacks and the whites seem to get along fine as far as I could see..it only takes 1 POS to stop the toilet up... and we just found her..


MsRkeCounty84 at 8:24 AM April 26, 2013
Shame on you city councilwomen for making this children feel bad,its a quilt,i dont think they were trying to be racist!!!She needs to apologize.


@Rideahd,I am a young educated black women and i dont think the world owes me sh**,so by you saying we all think the world owes us something is bulls***!!Go play wth yourself!!Idiot!!


Seven777 at 8:36 AM April 26, 2013
I love the young man's comment at the end where he asked the nasty hag on the council "what color would you have me make it?". Her response? Any color but black. Ok...change it to brown and see if that helps her stinking attitude.


lorend73 at 8:38 AM April 26, 2013
When will crayola take the white and black crayons out of the boxes! I'm sure they are offensive to many. People, we need to wake up and see that the Lord created us ALL special. Thank God we do not all look alike, what a boring place this would be. We have moved so far and made great strides through great people and speeches to be a free nation of equality. My children do not know what "racism" means because we have many friends of various backgrounds, color, etc. We choose to be racist not just to people of different color, but of gender, size, disability, etc. Everyone has faults and I don't agree with what this councilwoman did but maybe she will lay awake at night and think harder about the project that the children went through to gain greater knowledge about the area and people and that they through this quilt have learned to respect this area and people. Maybe we need to send everyone through a "time" lesson to see what everyone, not just blacks, or jews, or native americans, etc. But what humanity has had to endure throughout the ages. Lets grow up and respect everyone for who they are now and move foward with a greater love for humanity. Don't preach about the past, teach for the future!


Peggy Pierce at 9:03 AM April 26, 2013
This is so sad. These chilldren and their teachers ment nothing racist or any other harm by offering this beautiful quilt as a gift. This ccouncilwoman who is suppose to represent the good in Martinsville and Henry County just presented it as a racist city full of racist people. We are not. I think Martinsville is a City Without Limits and we sure are not limited by the bonds of racism. God help you councilwoman, its people like me who should have your job. Its people like you who try to keep us bound. The world is a beautiful ranbow.


Sbonger at 9:10 AM April 26, 2013
And....I'm offended..I didn't see ONE black person in the audience....and the two ladies holding up the quilt....they were wearing BLACK?!?!?!? OH MY GOD THE OUTRAGE!!


Seven777 at 9:18 AM April 26, 2013
I saw several. At least 2 sitting directly behind the students.


Seven777 at 9:18 AM April 26, 2013
I posted this to Free Republic and boy the comments there are picking up right away.
Encourage everyone here to put their 2 cents in (or more if you please :)

Would love to see this story go viral. The students deserve an appology from that miserable women.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3012642/posts?page=6


beachlady at 9:33 AM April 26, 2013
she lists her home phone and her email address..I responded to both..flood her email and her phone with your opinion...she should have thought about how negative she is before listing contact info...


beachlady at 10:25 AM April 26, 2013
SHARON BROOKS HODGE 12/31/16
203 Greyson St.
Martinsville, VA 24112
336-580-3163 (home/cell)
sbhodge@ci.martinsville.va.us


rndalee73 at 9:35 AM April 26, 2013
The only person in this situation that has made any racist comments is Councilwoman Hodge. These children, like Councilman Turner stated, are decades behind the fight for equal rights and don't view color the way previous generations did/do. They weren't taught to be race sensitive, nor should they be in this day and age. One wonders if the phrase "kept in the dark" must now be changed or banned from speech because it would offend someone and in essence, that is what the quilt block depicted, these children being in the dark as far as what they knew about the area. The comments made by Ms. Hodge are the reason racism is still alive, not because of innocent students who made a creative work as a gift to show what they learned. Diversity training is not a necessary tool at this juncture in our world. We have all, for the most part, embraced each other as equals and proven that every living creature has a right to live and prosper and be happy. How much longer must we all tiptoe around to avoid offending someone regarding events that happened so long ago? As a woman, should I be allowed to scream in offense at being given an apron or an iron? No. Its time for everyone to get over it, put their big girl/boy undies on and grow up. Ms. Hodge honestly doesn't even deserve the attention she will get from all of this and will likely sue anyway.


Seven777 at 9:45 AM April 26, 2013
I saw a GREAT post on freepers in regards to the posting of this article. One person asked if Ms. Hodges was offended by street signs. All the figures used for cross-walks, "men working", etc. are black. The horror!


Bree Adair at 9:47 AM April 26, 2013
Martinsville should be embarrassed and offended that she was even put on the council! She offends me, and I daresay she offends a lot of people, red, yellow, black, or white!


4/2AIRCAV at 9:53 AM April 26, 2013
Really.....Really........Really ???? It's a simple depiction nothing more nothing less. Don't worry Mrs. Councilwoman the "black man" isn't being portrayed as negative !! I'm not afraid to say what a majority of people probably would so here goes.....If it was a white person depicted not a damn thing would have been said !! So suck it up a drive on !! I'm sure your community has more pressing issues !!


Outdoor Lover at 10:01 AM April 26, 2013
Way to go Concilwoman Hodges, Thanks to you, Racism is alive and well and will never be forgotten. How many generation removed are we from true racism? I believe those whose family suffered true racism will never let it go because they NEED something to complain about. What a shame, but what a PRIME EXAMPLE of reverse racism! KUDOS!


forestva at 10:20 AM April 26, 2013
This public official is about as disgusting as Annie Pollard, (Bedford BOS) who called the Bedford County Teachers "CRYBABIES", for wanting a raise they haven't rec'd in 3-4 years. Who do these people think they are, and how do they get elected. Absolutely disgusting, unprofessional, and showing little or no class or character. They are both despicable.


nellie h at 11:29 AM April 26, 2013
Sharon Hodge is offensive. To treat guests to the meeting in such a way and disparage the gift they brought was beyond the pale. She is not a human. What an angry bitter old woman. She needs to be censured by the council. The council should hang the quilt right on her office door.


rideahd at 11:39 AM April 26, 2013
Iwill say this.If she is forced off council and sues and the city of martinsville can't afford it just tell me where to send my donation to help.And i don't even live in martinsville!This witch needs to GO!


Snickerboom at 11:45 AM April 26, 2013
I hope that this race-baiting hag is proud of herself for calling out these kids in front of everybody in attendance at this meeting and on TV. She can smile knowing that she made one of the students cry.
And, what "training" is the moron from NAACP referring to in their statement? Indoctrination, so that these white bred brats will get their minds right.
Don't put up mean spirited bullying of these kids just so that this witch, and her fake indignation, will shut up move on to the next made up "offense".


hikinggal1 at 11:49 AM April 26, 2013
Martinsville's mayor, Kim Adkins, should have intervened and allowed the young lady to proceed with her presentation. Her lack of response was just as inappropriate as the outrageous reaction of Hodge. (Obviously, Adkins is also intimidated by Hodge) Hats off to the council members who did speak on behalf of the students. They and Dr. Huff are to be commended for their professional and poised reaction to an obnoxious, racist council member, and a mayor who has absolutely no leadership skills. The Martinsville area desperately needs more individuasl like Dr. Huff and her students, and fewer individuals like Adkins and Hodge! Both Adkins and Hodge should resign their positions immediately if they are truly interested in having a positive impact on their community. The area needs strong leadership; NOT a "Silent mayor" and a council member who dwells in the past. Finally, I submit that Hodge should be the person who studies "racial diversity"----not Governor's school faculty, and students. Since Hodge professes to be a professional journalist, she should broaden her knowledge by the use of "imagery" in writing and dialogue. Perhaps then she will be better repaired to express herself in an articulate manner and will have a better understanding of the "imagery" and creativity used by the students. GOOD JOB, STUENTS AND DR. HUFF1


beachlady at 12:09 PM April 26, 2013
when one does not try to correct a problem they become part of the problem..


Seven777 at 4:43 PM April 26, 2013
Kim Adkins is likely intimidated by Hodges. It's no secret Hodges has fangs that she likes to use.


wgswst at 6:14 PM April 29, 2013
The children just got their first lesson in throwing pearls before swine.


Poptaert at 8:41 PM April 29, 2013
What a total cu*t!!! How's THAT for offensive!!!


david98_02 at 7:08 PM April 29, 2013
stay classy councilwoman and NAACP!

The New York Mets (10-13) Have Only Seven Problems; Otherwise, They’re Worldbeaters

By Nicholas Stix

1. They have only two reliable starters, Matt Harvey and Jon Niese. It takes five to tango;

2. They have the second-worst bullpen in baseball;

3. Their leadoff hitters don’t get on base. As Gary Cohen reported during Sunday’s regularly scheduled loss to the Phillies, teams that get their leadoff hitter on score 51% of the time; teams that fail to get their leadoff hitter on score only 16% of the time. Thus, while the Mets have so far displayed tremendous power, that has resulted in a great many solo shots;

4. A lack of timely hitting;

5. No speed on the basepaths. Remember “Reyes runs”? The Mets used to tear up the basepaths. We had Jose Reyes, Angel Pagan, and David Wright. Even players who weren’t known for base-stealing, like Jason Bay, used to swipe 10 or 11 per season. Now, we only have Wright, and he’s not exactly a kid anymore, if you get my drift. And not even Ruben Tejada, who was flying down the first-base line two years ago, as a rookie, looks very fast anymore;

6. No everyday center fielder for the second straight season; and (drum roll)

7. Ike Davis.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Poor James E. Cooke Jr.: The Savage, Racist, Black Career Criminal Who Raped and Murdered Lindsay Bonistall, Torched Her Apartment, and Tried to Frame the KKK, Maintains That He is a Victim of “Racism”; Aren’t They All?

 

War crime victim Lindsey Bonistall



War criminal James E. Cooke [guestimate: 2005-2007]


Posted by Nicholas Stix

W’chester Student’s Murderer Gets Death [No link; no longer on line]
June 7, 2007
New York Post

June 7, 2007 -- WILMINGTON, Del. - A judge sentenced a cold-blooded burglar to death yesterday for raping and strangling a beautiful University of Delaware student from Westchester before torching her apartment in an attempt to destroy evidence.

"The decision was fair and just," victim Lindsay Bonistall's tearful dad, Mark, told the Wilmington News Journal.

"There is still a lot more legal proceedings to happen. They'll take their course and hopefully the decision will be upheld and justice will be served."

The jury convicted James E. Cooke Jr. in March of first-degree murder, arson, rape, burglary and reckless endangering in the death of the White Plains co-ed, whose body was found covered with charred debris in her bathtub May 1, 2005.

Sophomore [sic] Bonistall, 20, was white. A handwriting analyst testified at trial that Cooke, who is black, had used a marker to write "KKK," "White Power" and other phrases on the walls of her apartment.

Cooke, 36, also tried to convince police in a 911 call before his arrest that Bonistall's death was part of a drug war involving white supremacists.

With DNA from semen in Bonistall's body and found under her fingernails pointing to Cooke, defense attorneys had asked jurors to find him guilty, but mentally ill.

Cooke, who denied he was mentally ill, was banished from the courtroom after frequent outbursts, including one in which he was wrestled to the floor.

Bonistall had been an all-state cheerleader and National Honor Society member at her high school, Good Counsel Academy in White Plains.


[A tip ‘o the hate to Violence Against Whites and The Phora for the first article. I dug up the rest.]

* * *
Lindsey Bonistall slay case: Retrial gets under way
Jury selection begins; Cooke acting as own lawyer
February 21, 2012
LOHUD.com/The Journal News [Gannett]
0 Comments [Likely none permitted.]


James E. Cooke of Newark, Del., is representing himself in his second trial in the murder of Lindsey Bonistall, a University of Delaware sophomore. Bonistall's family lives in White Plains. / File photo

Written by Sean O’Sullivan

Jury selection is under way this week in the Delaware retrial of James E. Cooke Jr. on charges he raped and murdered White Plains native Lindsey Bonistall in 2005.

Though Cooke, 41, was disruptive at his first trial — and has since fired two sets of defense attorneys — he was well-behaved Monday, on the first day of jury selection.

Cooke is now acting as his own attorney.

Bonistall, 20, was a sophomore at the University of Delaware when she was raped and murdered in her off-campus Newark, Del., apartment May 1, 2005.

Cooke was found guilty at his first trial in 2007 and was sentenced to death by Judge Jerome Herlihy. The Delaware Supreme Court overturned that outcome in a 3-2 ruling in 2009.

The justices ordered a new trial because the majority found Cooke’s first set of attorneys violated his rights when they entered a plea of “guilty but mentally ill” over Cooke’s explicit objections.

Cooke maintains he is neither guilty nor mentally ill.

The process of picking a jury, which will have to consider the death penalty if Cooke is again found guilty, is expected to take at least two weeks.

The trial in Wilmington is expected to last three months.

Because of the lengthy time commitment, nearly 60 potential jurors were excused Monday.

Cooke, dressed in a white prison uniform with the letters D.O.C. stenciled on the back, was largely subdued during the selection process.

A change of clothes was brought for him to wear in court, said his standby attorney, Anthony Figliola, but Cooke did not wear them.

Cooke’s demeanor was very different during a pretrial hearing last week before Superior Court Judge Charles H. Toliver IV.

Cooke became emotional when he was told he could not bring up certain issues, such as Bonistall’s sexual history, without meeting certain legal requirements.

Cooke then loudly claimed, as he has previously, that the prosecution was racially motivated, prompting Toliver to call in correction officers when Cooke would not calm down.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Toliver warned Cooke on Thursday as two Department of Correction officers hovered over him. “Let’s not do this. ... I won’t permit it.”

Cooke grumbled loudly that he felt Toliver was acting “like God.”

“Mr. Cooke,” Toliver answered, “No one has ever confused me with a deity. But I am a judge of the Superior Court of the State of Delaware and I will control my courtroom.”

Bonistall’s parents, Mark and Kathleen, who spent months in Delaware at the first trial, are also in court for the retrial.

The parents expressed dismay after the first verdict was overturned, saying in an email to The Journal News that “the rights of victims are virtually nonexistent in this country,” adding: “We want our family to be rid of this judicial nightmare, and Lindsey’s killer to be punished.”

Staff writer Richard Liebson contributed to this report.

* * *



Death sentence verdict in Delaware rape and murder case of Lindsey Bonistall
By Nichelle Polston
September 17, 2012
News Works

James Cooke Jr., has been sentenced to death by lethal injection, again, in the rape and murder case of University of Delaware student Lindsey Bonistall.

The ruling came Monday afternoon from Superior Court Judge Charles H. Toliver IV. However, Cooke still claims his innocence. "I never got a fair trial," said Cooke in the courtroom filled with jurors and Bonistall's family.

"The verdict I think was fair, it was proven twice now that Lindsey was an innocent victim and that she was killed by a career criminal. The way that Lindsey died was undeserving of any human being," said Kathleen Bonsitall, the victim's mother.

The murder of Bonistall who was killed in her off campus apartment in May 2005 went to trial twice, but the guilty verdict in the first trial was later overturned by the Delaware Supreme Court. Cooke represented himself during the retrial earlier this year and received the death sentence.

"It was pretty much anticipated that the judge was going to come down with the death sentence, we were prepared for that, said Anthony Figliola who represented Cooke after Judge Toliver suspended Cooke's right to represent himself.

An automatic appeal because of the death penalty will be filed in the next few weeks. "You are totally wrong for sentencing me period," said Cooke after Judge read all the charges in detail.

"What happened here today doesn't change the fact that Lindsey won't be getting in the car this afternoon returning home to West Chester, New York with her sister and her dad and her mom....but at least today's sentence reflects the brutality of Lindsey's attack and her murder," said Attorney General Beau Biden who was there during the ruling.

"This isn't an end for us, this is an end to an arduous process where we had to sit and endure lies about our daughter as a defense, there's something wrong with that system, it's broken, it needs to be fixed....victims need a voice and their voices need to be heard," concluded Kathleen.


Jack McElroy on Baumgartner; Usual Commenter Raps Jamie Satterfield: A Knoxville Horror Update

 

Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom, the victims of the racist atrocity I dubbed the Knoxville Horror



From left-right: Knoxville Horror accomplice Eric Boyd, defendant George "fuck that white girl" Thomas, and convicted rapist-killers and half-brothers, Lemaricus Davidson and Letalvis Cobbins, and convicted "facilitator," Vanessa Coleman



Disgraced, disbarred, convicted Judge Richard Baumgartner


[Of related interest:

“The Knoxville Horror: The Crime and the Cover-Up”;

“The Knoxville Horror: A Correspondence”; and

Knoxville News-Sentinel Commissar Jack McElroy Compares Knoxville Horror to Trayvon Martin.”]


By David in TN

Knoxville News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy has an editorial on disgraced Judge Richard Baumgartner's decision to start serving his six month sentence in federal confinement.

There was a commenter whom I've pointed out before, who calls himself "fatherc6231860." At the 14th comment he writes in part concerning Jamie Satterfield:

"Jamie's coverage of the Baumgartner and Christian/Newsom cases has certainly been in depth (well in depth except for those areas that tend to undercut her agenda). It has, however, been astoundingly biased. She has become little more than a (admittedly VERY skilled) cheerleader for the mob mentality that has surrounded this case from the very beginning."

Well, here it is again. This character calls people typing on a computer keyboard a "mob mentality." How would he describe the mentality of Davidson, Cobbins, Thomas, Coleman and Boyd? Is there any proof a reader of Jamie Satterfield's pieces on the Christian-Newsom torture-murders has murdered anybody?

I've seen this leftist mindset many times. It is one of the reasons the MSM ignores as far as possible this kind of crime. An excuse I've seen is, "people get too emotional about black on white murder."

By the way, when and where did the lynching of the Knoxville Horror suspects by the "mob" take place?


P.S.: The poster I referred to has made a couple more. He says Jamie "whitewashed the facts." He seems to be trying to re-start the "buying drugs" story that was floated early on.

Economics Blogger Provides Non-Analysis of America’s Collapsing Cities

Posted by Nicholas Stix

If you’re not willing to write honestly about a problem, don’t write about it at all. Silence does some damage, but dishonest or intellectually aborted talk does much more.

I just coined the phrase, intellectually aborted talk, because unlike racial socialists or neoconservatives, the writer below, Michael Snyder, doesn’t lie. A racial socialist will tell you that (white) “racism” caused the collapse of America’s cities; a neocon will tell you it was Democratic policies. By contrast, Snyder tells you nothing. He doesn’t go there. When it comes time to think, he aborts.

The closest he comes to thinking is when he gets the causality backwards:

All of that [$8 trillion in trade deficits since 1975] money could have gone to U.S. businesses and U.S. workers. In turn, taxes would have been paid on all of that income which could have helped keep our cities great.

[Billions of tax dollars have been seized from the white net tax base over the past 40 years, and sent to Detroit’s blacks. Much of the money was stolen by black leaders; the rest went to ordinary black goldbricks and criminals. If giving Detroit tax dollars were what was needed, it would be as beautiful today, as it was in 1950.]

But instead, our politicians have stood idly by as we have lost tens of thousands of businesses and millions of jobs.
Politicians haven’t “stood idly by”; they have been activists. They have seized trillions of dollars from whites, and given them to blacks and Hispanics.

Cities like Baltimore, Detroit, Flint, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Oakland, Milwaukee and Cleveland have been poverty-stricken hellholes for generations. Writing about them, as if their collapse were news, is misleading. For instance, the Golden Age in Detroit’s history that Snyder cites was 1950. The city’s collapse began with the murderous, racist, black 1967 riot.

The cities that Snyder cites that haven’t been “poverty-stricken hellholes” for quite as long—Las Vegas, Phoenix, Yuma, El Centro—were taken over by low-IQ, high-crime, Hispanic immigrants and illegal aliens years later than the previously mentioned cities.

There is actually only one sign that is necessary to see that a city has turned into a “poverty-stricken hellhole”: That whites have lost control of it. That is true of all of the cities Snyder lists, including Chicago. For while it may have a white mayor, whites long ago lost control of the Windy City.

I challenge the reader to find any analysis explaining why so many of America’s once-thriving cities have collapsed.

Actually, Snyder doesn’t even give “signs”; rather, he gives examples of signs that he fails to provide. A sign would be a general problem, say, rampant unemployment; out-of-control violence; failure to provide the most basic public services; owners deserting their property; a city unable to meet its routine fiscal obligations; and high rates of illegitimacy and child poverty, etc.

* * *
America the Fallen: 24 Signs That Our Once Proud Cities are Turning into Poverty-Stricken Hellholes
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/24/2013 16:22 -0400
Zero Hedge

Submitted by Michael Snyder of The Economic Collapse blog,[sic]

What is happening to you America?  Once upon a time, the United States was a place where free enterprise thrived and the greatest cities that the world had ever seen sprouted up from coast to coast.  Good jobs were plentiful and a manufacturing boom helped fuel the rise of the largest and most vibrant middle class in the history of the planet.  Cities such as Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Baltimore were all teeming with economic activity and the rest of the globe looked on our economic miracle with a mixture of wonder and envy.  But now look at us.  Our once proud cities are being transformed into poverty-stricken hellholes.

Did you know that the city of Detroit once actually had the highest per-capita income in the United States?  Looking at Detroit today, it is hard to imagine that it was once one of the most prosperous cities in the world.  In fact, as you will read about later in this article, tourists now travel to Detroit from all over the globe just to see the ruins of Detroit.  Sadly, the exact same thing that is happening to Detroit is happening to cities all over America.  Detroit is just ahead of the curve.

We are in the midst of a long-term economic collapse that is eating away at us like cancer, and things are going to get a lot worse than this.  So if you still live in a prosperous area of the country, don't laugh at what is happening to others.  What is happening to them will be coming to your area soon enough.

The following are 24 signs that our once proud cities are turning into poverty-stricken hellholes...

#1 According to the New York Times, there are now approximately 70,000 abandoned buildings in Detroit.

#2 At this point, approximately one-third of Detroit's 140 square miles is either vacant or derelict.

#3 Back during the housing bubble, an acre of land in downtown Phoenix, Arizona sold for about $90 a square foot.  Today, an acre in downtown Phoenix sells for about $9 a square foot.

#4 The city of Chicago is so strapped for cash that it is planning to close 54 public schools.  It is being estimated that Chicago schools will run a budget deficit of about a billion dollars in 2013.

#5 The city of Baltimore is already facing unfunded liabilities of more than 3.2 billion dollars, but the city government continues to pile up more debt as if it was going out of style.

#6 Today, the murder rate in East St. Louis is 17 times higher than the national average.

#7 According to USA Today, the "share of jobs located in or near a downtown declined in 91 of the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas" between 2000 and 2010.

#8 Between December 2000 and December 2010, 48 percent of the manufacturing jobs in the state of Michigan were lost.

#9 There are more than 85,000 streetlights in Detroit, but thieves have stripped so much copper wiring out of the lights that more than half of them are not working.

#10 The unemployment rate in El Centro, California is 24.2 percent, and the unemployment rate in Yuma, Arizona is an astounding 25.6 percent.

#11 It has been estimated that there are more than 1,000 homeless people living in the massive network of flood tunnels under the city of Las Vegas.

#12 Violent crime in the city of Oakland increased by 23 percent during 2012.

#13 If you can believe it, more than 11,000 homes, cars and businesses were burglarized in Oakland during 2012.  That breaks down to approximately 33 burglaries a day.

#14 As I have written about previously, there are only about 200 police officers assigned to Chicago's Gang Enforcement Unit to handle the estimated 100,000 gang members living in the city.

#15 The number of murders in Chicago last year was roughly equivalent to the number of murders in the entire country of Japan during 2012.

#16 The murder rate in Flint, Michigan is higher than the murder rate in Baghdad.

#17 If New Orleans was considered to be a separate nation, it would have the 2nd highest murder rate on the entire planet.

#18 According to the Justice Department’s National Drug Intelligence Center,  Mexican drug cartels were actively operating in 50 different U.S. cities in 2006.  By 2010, that number had skyrocketed to 1,286.

#19 Back in 2007, the number of New York City residents on food stamps was about 1 million.  It is now being projected that the number of New York City residents on food stamps will pass the 2 million mark this summer.

#20 The number of homeless people sleeping in the homeless shelters of New York City has increased by a whopping 19 percent over the past year.

#21 As I noted yesterday, approximately one out of every three children in the United States currently lives in a home without a father.

#22 In Miami, 45 percent of the children are living in poverty.

#23 In Cleveland, more than 50 percent of the children are living in poverty.

#24 According to a recently released report, 60 percent of all children in the city of Detroit are living in poverty.

As I mentioned at the top of this article, the decline of the city of Detroit has become so famous that it has actually become a tourist attraction.  The following is a short excerpt from an article in the New York Times...

But in Detroit, the tours go on, in an unofficial capacity. One afternoon at the ruins of the 3.5-million-square-foot Packard Plant, I ran into a family from Paris. The daughter said she read about the building in Lonely Planet; her father had a camcorder hanging around his neck. Another time, while conducting my own tour for a guest, a group of German college students drove up. When queried as to the appeal of Detroit, one of them gleefully exclaimed, “I came to see the end of the world!”

For much more on the shocking decline of one of America's greatest cities, please see my previous article entitled "Bankrupt, Decaying And Nearly Dead: 24 Facts About The City Of Detroit That Will Shock You".

So are there any areas of the country that are still thriving?

Well, yes, there are a few.  In particular, those areas that are sitting on top of energy resources tend to be doing quite well for now.

One example is Texas.  In recent years people have been absolutely flocking to the state.  There are lots of energy jobs, the cost of living is low and there is no state income tax.

But overall, things are really tough out there.  Over the past decade America has lost millions of good jobs to offshoring, advancements in technology and a declining economy.

Last year, the United States had a trade deficit with the rest of the world of more than half a trillion dollars.  Overall, the U.S. has run a trade deficit with the rest of the world of more than 8 trillion dollars since 1975.

All of that money could have gone to U.S. businesses and U.S. workers.  In turn, taxes would have been paid on all of that income which could have helped keep our cities great.

But instead, our politicians have stood idly by as we have lost tens of thousands of businesses and millions of jobs.  If you can believe it, more than 56,000 manufacturing facilities have closed down permanently in the United States since 2001.

We have allowed our economic infrastructure to be absolutely gutted, and so we should not be surprised that our once proud cities are turning into poverty-stricken hellholes.

And this is just the beginning.  The next wave of the economic collapse is rapidly approaching, and when it strikes unemployment in this country will eventually rise to a level that is more than double what it is now.

When that happens, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near our rotting, decaying cities.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Sen. Marco Rubio Invites Comments on Amnesty/Colonization Bill, Gets Hammered by Citizens, and Unleashes Thread Nazis (Byron York)

Posted by Nicholas Stix

A tip 'o the hate to my VDARE colleague, Patrick Cleburne

 

Rubio hit hard after inviting comments on immigration bill

By Byron York

April 27, 2013 | 6:30 am
137Comments

Byron York

Chief Political Correspondent

The Washington Examiner

@ByronYork

Popular in Politics

1.     Gang of Eight loopholes put many illegal immigrants on fast track to citizenship

2.     Rubio hit hard after inviting comments on immigration bill

3.     Five sad pictures from today's anti-NRA March

4.     Economic growth disappoints, Americans' income down, and more Americans believe country going in wrong direction

5.     Republicans win a round

Senator Marco Rubio, the leading Republican behind the Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration reform proposal, has often challenged those who criticize the bill to come up with ways to improve it. And not just his fellow lawmakers; Rubio has opened a new page on his Senate website asking for help from the public. "Visit our website and submit your ideas to 'Help Us Improve the Bill,'" says an announcement from Rubio's office Friday. "Since the immigration legislation was introduced, Rubio has received over 1,100 suggestions for how to improve the bill. Rubio encourages the public to continue reviewing the bill and sharing their ideas on ways to make the bill better when the time comes to amend the legislation."

 

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A visit to the "Help Us Improve the Bill" page shows the senator has posted just 147 out of the 1,100 suggestions he has so far received. Rubio's staff is reviewing each one — a wise move, given the emotions that the immigration issue can involve and the tendency of some people to say nasty things on the Internet. But even after screening for foul language and general content, the suggestions Rubio has so far received are remarkably negative. Actually, they are overwhelmingly, crushingly negative, criticizing a wide spectrum of issues included in the Gang of Eight bill. The commenters Rubio has invited to speak really, really, really don't like what he has done.

"This amnesty bill is awful and you should back away from it as you promised you would," says the very first suggestion, setting the tone for what is to come.

"Here's how to improve the bill," says another. "KILL IT." "The only way to improve this bill is to chuck it into the garbage can," says another. "We cannot believe you are so naive to believe that this bill would work." "My suggestion is a simple one," says another. "Throw out this bill and enforce our current immigration laws."

"NO, NO, NO," says yet another.

Other suggestions focus specifically on the enforcement provisions in the bill. "Secure the border first, this is not debatable," says one. "As a Cuban-American myself, I can tell that a lot of Cuban-Americans are against this bill if the border is not secured first," says another. "I would not be voting for Sen. Rubio again if border security is not first achieved." "NO amnesty for those here illegally," says another. Yet another: "Enforce the laws that we already have." And another: "Please — no agreement unless the borders will be secured, and no rewards for wrongdoing!!" "The border must be sealed FIRST," says another. "Obama lies. He will not enforce border security." Then: "Common sense would dictate STRONGER ENFORCEMENT at the border FIRST!!" "I suggest that until the borders are secure, nothing else should happen," says another. "We have been promised secure borders before and it hasn't happened. Once secure, we can discuss the rest of your bill." Says yet another: "I have no problems with compassionately dealing with the illegals that are already here, but by giving then amnesty (or whatever else you want to call it) before any real enforcement kicks in is the biggest problem. Don't tell me no one gets legalized until DHS submits and starts a plan to secure the border. That's not enforcement."

Still other suggestions focused on the economic effects of immigration reform. "Tear up the bill and start over," says one. "The 20 plus million unemployed Americans need to be employed before any talk of legalizing the illegals." "The days of open arms for aliens is long over we simply cannot afford it any longer our economy is in the worst condition that it has ever been," says another. "We have far far too many of our own people out of work, living on the streets and starving." "I do not think that amnesty is the answer," says yet another. "Our real unemployment rate is at least twice that which the government claims." "Not 'til every American, American senior, veteran have jobs should we even consider any form of allowing lawbreakers amnesty," says another. "You can improve it by scrapping it," says another. "We don't need more competition for the few jobs out there."

Still others focused on the ethical issue of rewarding immigrants who came to the United States illegally. "I came to this my now country LEGALLY," says one. "I feel every one has to obey the laws, and not be rewarded for breaking it." "This giving them a free pass," says another. "This is a country of laws and if I had followed the laws to become American citizen and now we are just going to let these people who broke our laws the same rights as the people that followed the rules this is not right." "You say your bill is not a reward, but these folks broke the law, how is giving them a chance to become citizens not a reward?" asks another. "As for improving your bill: Enforce the laws on the books." "No matter how thickly you try to veil it, illegals are being rewarded for committing a criminal act," says another, "while those who went through the system are cheated by those who 'cut the lines.'" Says another: "NEVER reward bad behavior." And another: "Absolutely no amnesty to those who entered the country illegally."

Still others focused on the process of legislating an issue as far-reaching as immigration reform. "The most important thing you can do to improve the bill is to break it into several smaller bills, each dealing with the aspects that you feel important," says a commenter who identifies himself as a former government executive. "Having served in the Department of Defense under five presidents…I can tell you that 800 page bills have many hidden aspects that are never uncovered until the bill is implemented." Says another: "The wiser plan is to not lump everything into one bill." Says another: "No way to improve this backroom bill."

Finally, some commenters are generally skeptical about Rubio's decision to work with Democrats in the Gang of Eight. "Knowing that most people of the left are happy with the bill makes me think that maybe your team of four senators were taken for a ride," says one. "You and your gang are destroying our country," says another. "I will never vote for you again if you do this." "You are selling us out," says another. "Savior of the Republican Party? More like its undertaker."

And Rubio takes flak not just for working with Democrats: "Disappointed to see you teaming up with the other RINOS in the Senate," says one. "Sorry I voted for you and you will not have my support in the future." "I've never been more disappointed in a politician than I am now with you," says another. "You're turning into another John McCain." "I thought that you were a conservative," says another, "but I guess that you are another RINO."

There are a few — a very few — positive comments. Some thank Rubio for taking on a difficult issue. Some express respect for him personally. But the bottom line is that the "suggestions" posted so far are decisively, almost unanimously negative. The majority suggest changes in the bill that would be absolutely unacceptable to Democrats and would kill any chance of the bipartisan agreement on which Rubio has staked so much political capital.

Rubio's staff is screening nearly 1,000 other suggestions and comments for eventual posting. [Don't hold your breath!]