tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68923122481680207862024-03-16T14:52:32.095-04:00Erik Fleming's WeblogThe personal web journal of the Honorable Erik R. Fleming, the 2006 and 2008 Democratic nominee for the United States Senate from Mississippi and former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives. He is also the host of the podcast, “A Moment with Erik Fleming”.Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-41862013005819641822023-12-20T02:09:00.000-05:002023-12-20T02:09:51.869-05:00Dred of a New Year<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjo891GyHgfX2TjCtgEEDbea3jWsz245YK_6l6O1TglBAh-fKvIWhwU1IW3qDaTMn0KxCLwV9uHN9uAsALO7YbRYcYeuwnoMlhF-ZQxArCCpQGeikjiODTrALgo0L9oq6HLv5AaFDq9WoWw7gBG8UtC9K8OQ74JThSSP-U1eV5I-1QGsdXa4nB1akqFdZN9" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="156" data-original-width="323" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjo891GyHgfX2TjCtgEEDbea3jWsz245YK_6l6O1TglBAh-fKvIWhwU1IW3qDaTMn0KxCLwV9uHN9uAsALO7YbRYcYeuwnoMlhF-ZQxArCCpQGeikjiODTrALgo0L9oq6HLv5AaFDq9WoWw7gBG8UtC9K8OQ74JThSSP-U1eV5I-1QGsdXa4nB1akqFdZN9" width="320" /></a></div>I am not looking forward to the new year. Not that 2023 was all that great for me, but what I fear about 2024, does not give me much motivation to see it come. Normally, as the new year approaches, I, like many millions of others, find hope that the new year will bring about opportunity and growth, prosperity and peace of mind. 2024 does not seem like it will be that kind of year.<p></p><p>I have been watching news, reading articles, observing social media posts, listening to podcasts throughout 2023. It has been daunting to my soul. Never have I felt so powerless and hopeless, not even during my darkest days of depression. Then, I could say I was in an emotional fog. Today, it is more terrifying because I am fully cognizant of what is going on.</p><p>I feel that by this time next year, I will be reminiscing about what we had as a country, as a culture. I will be coming to the full realization that the America many of us sought to create, an America that would truly live up to its creed of equally created men and women, endowed with life, liberty and happiness, will not come to pass in my lifetime, if ever. I say this with much despair, because this is not a normal time.</p><p>In my lifetime, I have seen self-hatred rise in the Black community to the point where not only do we peddle poisons to our community, but we will kill each other for the right to do it and profit from it. However, that hate has risen, or should I more accurately say, fallen to a new level, where we look at others from different parts of the diaspora with disdain and extreme prejudice. They have forgotten the basic concept that there is no community without unity. I fear that if the prevailing negative voices are not tempered, consequences will occur that will cast a pall over our community for generations. </p><p>People divided can be easily conquered and subjugated. As a new authoritarian phase in America emerges, we, African Americans, will feel the brunt of it, because many will believe the rise of a new fascist nation to be partly our creation. From the backlash that energized it to the division, and apathy, in the diaspora that allowed it to grow unabated. That burden would not be fair, but it will be our burden.</p><p>There will be no life preserver of the free press or the civil courts to aid us at that point. Whatever our new subjugation is, we will have to endure it for more than a moment in time. Those that will be naive and think they will be special enough to avoid the persecution will be the examples used to keep us in line. All of this could possibly start in 2024.</p><p>My semblance of freedom has been good for the most part. I did not achieve all I wanted to achieve, but I did have personal, financial, physical, mental, and spiritual victories along the way. However, I am not guaranteed any more of those achievements, and my fate is not totally in my hands. My freedom, my fate will be determined by African Americans that I don't know, that have lost faith in their Blackness under their delusion that they are the Blackest of Black folks. </p><p>These delusionists will either not vote, vote willingly for authoritarianism, or vote unwillingly through protestation for authoritarianism. That is their right. However, their right will cost me, my family and my true friends ours.</p><p>I am sorry for this obituary. I pray that I am wrong. Correction: I vigorously pray that I am wrong! However, if cooler heads don't prevail, if true consciousness doesn't settle in, if truth remains pressed underground, this bleak outlook of the aftermath of 2024 will be a predicate tome for our new normal.</p><p>As we are still in 2023 though, there is still time for hope. There is still time to plan and strategize. There is still time to educate, energize, organize, and mobilize. There is still time to mitigate, and maybe outright defeat, the principalities and powers that seek to devour our very souls. </p><p>We must overcome our timidity with a boldness from a righteous place. No more tolerances of lies. No more embracing misconceptions. No more being agents of our own demise. We should seek the truth, because truth is our protection and our freedom. We should seek unity, because unity is our strength. We should seek peace, because just as light ends darkness, peace ends hostility. </p><p>This would be a 2024 worth anticipating. I'll settle for a 2024 that allows me to anticipate, with hope, 2025.</p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-65142923594205929522023-12-13T01:16:00.000-05:002023-12-13T01:16:10.172-05:0086<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwDFzq1dnJzLR0p9QU45-RNAKMphJ92gbkbj5XwPgWd-ls7-2rb9CFCpM04SLLUwloxT9sJ5VPUpu4KJbH2dpijCdLPrq0Syg77oGrT1jaOlO4UXkfNUrO4xL-ICI21Nd615nCz4QSwyilnIxAM3sg1r6694YrXc-rxSzlZ_0jQqQKEDqkeSqjVEZszkeb" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="724" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwDFzq1dnJzLR0p9QU45-RNAKMphJ92gbkbj5XwPgWd-ls7-2rb9CFCpM04SLLUwloxT9sJ5VPUpu4KJbH2dpijCdLPrq0Syg77oGrT1jaOlO4UXkfNUrO4xL-ICI21Nd615nCz4QSwyilnIxAM3sg1r6694YrXc-rxSzlZ_0jQqQKEDqkeSqjVEZszkeb" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>On December 6, 2023, a Black woman named Verna Mae Jackson died in a work-related accident at FedEx World Hub in Memphis, Tennessee. She was loved in her community and respected at her job. A tragic circumstance, especially during this holiday season.</p><p>However, there is another tragic aspect to this story. Ms. Jackson was 86 years old. 86!! Here is a link to the story: <a href="https://trib.al/vYFHVqf">https://trib.al/vYFHVqf</a>.</p><p>Why is anyone 86 years old working at a manual labor job in 2023? I am sure people reading this will say that she obviously loved her job and that she was dedicated. I get that. What I don't get in this day and age is why any of us are compelled to continue to show that dedication at 86 years old.</p><p>Ms. Jackson should have been enjoying life as a retiree, living off the money she accumulated during her previous years of service. However, our economy, and past public policy, doesn't allow for that anymore. People like Ms. Jackson have to work to survive, well beyond even the sanctioned retirement age of 65.</p><p>That doesn't sound like an economy that is beneficial to all of us, especially African Americans. With a wealth gap disparity that shows for every $100 a white person has, a Black person has only $5, that doesn't sound like an economy that is beneficial to us. That disparity leads to tragedies like the one that befell Ms. Jackson.</p><p>How many other Ms. Jacksons are there in America? How many other Black people are literally working until the day they die? It would be one thing if Ms. Jackson owned FedEx and she passed away in her office. But the reality is that very few of us in the Black community are afforded that luxury.</p><p>I hope that Ms. Jackson was like Oseola McCarty, the Mississippi washer woman, who saved up enough money at the age of 86 to retire off of, and create a scholarship at a university. However, the tenure of the story, and the times that we live in, doesn't give me much hope that was the case. Instead, it seems indicative that Ms. Jackson was doing what she could to survive day to day, paycheck to paycheck.</p><p>None of us should be living paycheck to paycheck at the age of 86, but if we don't make enough to save at 26, 36, 46, or 56, we'll be working, like Ms. Jackson, until it is time for us to go to the next realm. It also seems that the people near Ms. Jackson's age in our government have no desire to fix it, except in favor of those near Ms. Jackson's age that reside in the domain of the 1%.</p><p>People need to be paid a living wage, at the very least. People have been demanding a living wage since 2012. Right now, based on inflation, that wage would have to be $20.32 an hour. That would be a gross salary of $42,265.60. If Ms. Jackson was making that amount of money in Memphis, she would have to make $49,652 in Atlanta and $89,213 in San Francisco to maintain her modest lifestyle.</p><p>The disparity in the cost of living, the dissolution of pensions, the diminished impact of labor unions, policies that encourage greed and financial institutions not being held accountable have led to more Ms. Jacksons out there working than should be tolerated. That has been detrimental to African Americans, not only financially, but physically and mentally.</p><p>I do not want to be working until I am 86 years old. You shouldn't either. So to truly honor the life of Verna Mae Jackson, let us fight for a living wage and economic policies that provide Black folk a fairer share of the nation's wealth. A nation that we basically built.</p><p>Rest in Peace, Ms. Jackson. My condolences to her family.</p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-34625943663822180072023-11-16T04:54:00.000-05:002023-11-16T04:54:54.167-05:00So What?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdJts5Vf0YBIdPsYs1dprWQGCZTQopCeqL6hQBDnOSLOLSSyZRyErIH5uHwZ25qodErD4p2Y5NBxz-LNHTDx0kl83Hr4aOhLV9YOVnRZ1zWCFg7yu0z2XWwppthURxv352pnJaSQswRDPBmgZg6uoZeSoRNOFo5podwt3KOZKHk7kB5Ppl6u_rK_Df1Bt/s275/IMG_4922.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdJts5Vf0YBIdPsYs1dprWQGCZTQopCeqL6hQBDnOSLOLSSyZRyErIH5uHwZ25qodErD4p2Y5NBxz-LNHTDx0kl83Hr4aOhLV9YOVnRZ1zWCFg7yu0z2XWwppthURxv352pnJaSQswRDPBmgZg6uoZeSoRNOFo5podwt3KOZKHk7kB5Ppl6u_rK_Df1Bt/s1600/IMG_4922.jpeg" width="275" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I saw this headline: "Biden voters say more motivated to stop Trump than to support president." It was based off of a poll that said 50 percent of Biden voters were voting to stop Donald Trump from becoming president again rather than supporting President Biden's policies and performance. Only 38 percent of Biden voters were voting for Biden because they wholeheartedly support Biden.</p><p>My immediate reaction was: So what?</p><p>The bottom line for me is that on November 5, 2024, Trump fails at another attempt to be President of the United States again. This country cannot handle another day of the twice impeached, criminally indicted, sexual offending grifter (and wannabe dictator) in office.</p><p>If that description of Donald Trump sounds harsh or offensive, then I have achieved my objective. Donald John Trump, Sr. has done everything he can to disrupt and discredit the political process on a narcissistic whim. He had four years to rise to the occasion and serve the nation with dignity and respect, and he failed in spectacular fashion.</p><p>His lack of humility and false bravado cost Americans jobs, financial stability, and, for far too many, their lives. Our standing in the world diminished and his fiscal priority, massive tax cuts for the wealthy (his peers), led to our eventual credit downgrade by Moody's and Fitch, respectively.</p><p>We were on "Infrastructure Week" watch for four years under the Trump administration, while President Biden actually got Congress to pass, and fund, the legislation. But if people are voting out of fear and disgust against Trump more so than supporting the man who has restored some professionalism back to the White House, then so be it. I know that is a Machiavellian way of thinking, but if Trump becomes a loser again, then the ends would justify the means in this case.</p><p>Trump (referred to as TFG in many circles) has doubled down on his fascistic rhetoric and his ardent supporters have started implementing the first phase of the plan that would end democracy in America: <a href="https://www.heritage.org/conservatism/commentary/project-2025" target="_blank">Project 2025</a>. Now I know many people think that last sentence was strictly hyperbole, but I personally don't want any American to see if I am right or not.</p><p>So if you want to vote for President Biden to have another four years and continue the progress his administration has made, awesome! If you want to vote for President Biden to ensure we have a democracy on January 20, 2025, and that is your sole motivating factor, great! If you want to vote for President Biden just so Trump doesn't win, I'm down for that as well.</p><p>Just vote for the Biden-Harris ticket on November 5, 2024. Generations of Americans will be glad that you did, for whatever reason.</p><p><br /></p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-24917324230590738012023-11-08T05:26:00.001-05:002023-11-08T19:26:02.508-05:00Will 2024 be 1968?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSINQhHNs-2eU7Y15cgDIlwygcIjD1SmXYiprv-f7L3GiJmSZftnZX6H1jPJN3dEO7Zwq1MpxJGhjYaiVSLLKgrehlF-08O1Zbdf4nEGAmlZ-oCVTRmlrpc5I9wE66NEYZ6L4KrzO0zBy55k8_MSLWVsLH0potBEdywfAZhiBOf3IaC6-chua8Lobho01T" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSINQhHNs-2eU7Y15cgDIlwygcIjD1SmXYiprv-f7L3GiJmSZftnZX6H1jPJN3dEO7Zwq1MpxJGhjYaiVSLLKgrehlF-08O1Zbdf4nEGAmlZ-oCVTRmlrpc5I9wE66NEYZ6L4KrzO0zBy55k8_MSLWVsLH0potBEdywfAZhiBOf3IaC6-chua8Lobho01T" width="317" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Many historians claim that 1968 was a turning point in American history. It was a tumultuous year with war, assassinations, a President deciding not to run for re-election, protests and controversial political conventions. Many Americans wondered if the country could survive such upheaval, uncertainty, and unrest.<p></p><p>Yet, here we are. Still the nation many countries seek to emulate or envy. Still the refuge for those huddled masses yearning to be free. Still viewed as the nation of opportunity, the bright city on the hill.</p><p>However, I wonder for how long. </p><p>I was just three years old in 1968. The world was still a place I wanted to explore. It was a time where I would get deep into my World Book encyclopedia collection and believed in endless possibility. As an adult, I miss that time in my life when I was oblivious to the chaos.</p><p>Now I can't be oblivious to what I am seeing and hearing and feeling. I am watching the nation I grew up in devolve into something I don't care for. Something I thought we were moving past.</p><p>What started me thinking about a possible comparison to 1968 is the chatter I am hearing from the political talking heads wanting, suggesting and encouraging President Biden not run for re-election. President Joseph Biden is performing in his capacity as president beyond his expectations. He has passed major legislation, guided us through a pandemic, and has shown empathy and strength at the correct time. He has made historic appointments and encouraged us to be our better selves, much like the president in 1968, Lyndon Baines Johnson.</p><p>Johnson's presidency saw the creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the enactment of the Great Society, and the passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. Astronauts were on the verge of landing on the moon and we were, as a nation, respected around the world, politically and culturally. However, our police action in Vietnam became his undoing.</p><p>Amidst the protests and the graphic devastation of war appearing on American televisions daily, Johnson felt that his leadership of the nation was being questioned and it became too much of a burden to bear. He died four years later.</p><p>Now the talking heads are suggesting that President Biden go the same route as LBJ. Step aside. Don't run for re-election, even though you'll probably be re-elected. Allow someone younger to assume the mantle. The protests against war have begun anew, with the conflict between Israel and Hamas growing deadlier by the day. And just like 1968, there is a foreboding conservative nationalist threat on the horizon. </p><p>Is there an equivalent of a Robert Francis Kennedy waiting in the wings of the Democratic Party? I would say, emphatically, no! Would Kamala Harris face the same fate of Hubert Humphrey if there wasn't? I sincerely hope not.</p><p>Yet, here we are. Facing the uncertainty of a world where Donald Trump, and his cult-like following, would regain the seat of power. Watching white supremacy generate a following through fear and misinformation. Engulfed by an atmosphere of division and acceptance of the lowest common denominator of decency.</p><p>Another Democratic president admonished us by saying we have nothing to fear but fear itself. However, without fail, we are allowing our fear to create paralysis through analysis. This is not the time to cower in fear. This is the time we show that we learned the lesson taught to us in 1968.</p><p>We cannot continue to allow our enemies to set the tune for us to dance to. Their talking points cannot be our talking points. Their misinformation cannot be our source of information. Their fear cannot define and restrict us.</p><p>We must rally around true leadership and clear vision. We must exude confidence and value intelligence. We must move forward, not repeat the mistakes and missteps of our past. We cannot afford to let our righteous dissidence divide us to the point where supremacy and fascism become palatable. Again.</p><p>Before we make 2024 another 1968, I suggest that we assess what we have accomplished, look at the big picture, and strategize the defeat the true enemy of the ideal of America: ignorance. The majority of the American people have shown us that they do not want to end the democracy experiment at every election since 2020. Now is not the time to stop heeding their wishes.</p><p>In 1968, we ceded to Richard Nixon. In 2024, we cannot cede to Donald Trump. However, if we keep wanting to make the same mistake we made 55 years ago, our worst fears will become our worst reality.</p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-25213748944233161952023-11-01T02:07:00.000-04:002023-11-01T02:07:48.081-04:00We Could Be Gaza<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikjDdLN8hDqs02a5cYRda7GGyjOgVbvgzBhNJFXQDoIkI4pZpAjpJu4jrRujGEBR3bYRdjjTvC5FXDifXMq38KslZRZJaeeHQGfn8SXD-NrdIX9cMSJVmH8z8GLZmwWNMe14jTZMJxv304-YyOe4ZykIpugfcX9Qc5rkH5NWeXDU3tGXC1dBIRVZB590U7" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="2070" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikjDdLN8hDqs02a5cYRda7GGyjOgVbvgzBhNJFXQDoIkI4pZpAjpJu4jrRujGEBR3bYRdjjTvC5FXDifXMq38KslZRZJaeeHQGfn8SXD-NrdIX9cMSJVmH8z8GLZmwWNMe14jTZMJxv304-YyOe4ZykIpugfcX9Qc5rkH5NWeXDU3tGXC1dBIRVZB590U7" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I was talking with a coworker recently about the conflict between the nation-state of Israel and the terrorist group Hamas. He exclaimed that he was glad Israel was bombing the hell out of Gaza. I asked was he okay with the killing of innocent Palestinians. He stated they were not innocent.</p><p>The reason he said they were not innocent was because they elected Hamas to run the government in Gaza. When I told him that the people of Gaza chose Hamas to run the government in 2006, and they haven't had an election since then, his reply was that they should have done something about that before it came to this conflict.</p><p>That statement had me thinking about 2024 here in the United States. My mind went to the factual fear that we, in America, could be in the same precarious position as the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. We could possibly elect a political group that would end elections and impose an authoritarian rule over us for decades.</p><p>The world would look at us, like my coworker looks at Gaza, and say they get what they deserve because they elected them. The scary part is my coworker, and millions like him, will be preparing to vote for that pro-authoritarian political group a year from now and not see the connection between that group and the terrorists that control Gaza.</p><p>Hamas dehumanized their enemy and slaughtered hundreds of them in one day. They indoctrinated enough constituents to dehumanize them as well to maintain their control in Gaza and justify their brutal attack. But not all Palestinians in Gaza were indoctrinated. They oppose the actions and presence of Hamas yet they have no power to challenge them. Now they are suffering the consequences of Hamas' actions. Thousands of them have died. Those that have not died are homeless.</p><p>That is a bitter price to pay for being subject to authoritarian rule. Unfortunately, that price could be extracted from us here in the United States if we continue to act cavalier towards the 2024 election.</p><p>I am aware that people are tired of hearing that every election is important. However, I would rather be tired of hearing how important an election is than not having an election at all.</p><p>Therefore I will say this: It is imperative that we vote in every election, but our very survival demands that we vote in record numbers in 2024. Not just for the survival of democracy, but for our very existence. If that sounds dire, it is because the stakes demand such.</p><p>The threat of authoritarian rule must be eradicated by the power of the ballot. The love for our country and for our fellow citizens must triumph over the miseducation, discontent and hate that fuels the proponents of authoritarianism. We cannot afford to be divided and conquered. We must unite against this perverse, invidious threat within our borders.</p><p>Failing to do so will put us in the same atmosphere of despair the citizens of Gaza are encountering right now. Thus, it should be apparent that failure is not an option.</p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-57363425892632944272023-10-25T04:57:00.000-04:002023-10-25T04:57:58.169-04:00KAOS Agents<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzg9rprgJ1lymBG2beTN-FcMcQ3co_48V8n5O0ZScBE0yTnqDr3eBmOzQiNWfqNbGxZWwGPrhB-25xbGcIAVWzWqJXu3zonJ3yaJfdeQ0w6ZnmdCIGKpGuUs4b_cO_jUjaEvmWBqgoKjxx4KUuYAuILNnzTxVCrqTq5KDYTinjoyRS4fAkMRJOxRjljX9K" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzg9rprgJ1lymBG2beTN-FcMcQ3co_48V8n5O0ZScBE0yTnqDr3eBmOzQiNWfqNbGxZWwGPrhB-25xbGcIAVWzWqJXu3zonJ3yaJfdeQ0w6ZnmdCIGKpGuUs4b_cO_jUjaEvmWBqgoKjxx4KUuYAuILNnzTxVCrqTq5KDYTinjoyRS4fAkMRJOxRjljX9K" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>In the 1960s spy-based sitcom "Get Smart", Maxwell Smart and his fellow CONTROL agents battled the agents of KAOS, which was billed as the "international organization of evil." Despite Maxwell's ineptitude, good always triumphs over evil, which meant CONTROL always defeated KAOS. The current comedy of errors playing out in the United States House of Representatives could easily pass for another episode of the show.</p><p>Unfortunately for us this is not a sitcom. This is real. This is chaos personified, and it has real world consequences. The only display of ineptitude in this moment has been perfected by the Republican majority in the House. As I am writing this, it has been 21 days since the House has had a Speaker. Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida started this debacle by offering a motion declaring the Speaker position vacant. He was able to get seven other Republicans to vote, along with all of the Democrats present, to successfully remove Kevin McCarthy of California from the Speakership.</p><p>How can one member of the House have the ability to do that? Because McCarthy allowed that possibility to happen in order to end the 15 rounds of voting earlier this year it took for him to be elected Speaker. Yes, he mortgaged away stability in order to attain the position for a mere ten months, the shortest tenure of a Speaker in U.S. history.</p><p>Now that he has been ousted, the position cannot be filled because no Republican has been able to secure 217 votes to replace him. Three have tried, but only one was able to obtain a floor vote, Jim Jordan of Ohio. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Tom Emmer of Minnesota failed to even carry their campaigns to a floor vote. Now it is Mike Johnson of Louisiana's turn.</p><p>Why is this happening? Because the Republican Party does not want to govern, they want to create chaos. Chaos is normally the best friend of the minority party in legislative bodies, not the majority party that can set policy and elect leadership. However, when you have campaigns based on emotion, and not substance, these are the type of people that get elected, people not capable of leadership and governance.</p><p>These are the members of the current Republican Party. A party where hypocrisy knows no bounds, humility has no place and hubris has no limits. A party where facts are loose and truth goes to die. A party where "owning the Libs" is more important than rising to the challenges before them.</p><p>They cannot be held accountable because they control the narrative. Their most loyal constituents are told on a daily basis that the chaos they see emanating from their closed door meetings are the fault of President Biden, former President Obama, and the Democrats that permeate the "Deep State." Therefore, they don't have a timetable to settle this issue, because their voters think that everything is okay and the champions of their "conservative" cause will eventually win the day and bring Donald Trump back into the White House.</p><p>Nevermind a conflict in the Middle East.</p><p>Nevermind a war in Eastern Europe.</p><p>Nevermind an approaching government shutdown in less than a month.</p><p>It makes me wonder if this chaos is not intentional. I mean, it is a distraction from Trump's legal adventures. 91 felony counts in four indictments. Civil cases concerning fraud and defamation. Even more than a distraction though, it plays into the narrative that government doesn't work, especially for white Americans who fear that a government that serves all the people will ignore their needs and privilege. The more chaos created, the more appealing the Republicans appear to their base of voters.</p><p>Again, it sounds like a nefarious plot for a spy-based sitcom. However, there is no humor to be gleaned from this scenario. The only hope is that the majority of the voters, even in the most gerrymandered of districts, will be able to see the truth amidst the chaos and choose wisely a year from now.</p><p>The Republicans are incapable of governing. The Republicans have no desire to be accountable and responsible. The Republicans have no capacity for leadership, which they have proven by not finding a leader amongst their own ranks that they can rally around. </p><p>As far as I am concerned, the Republicans can own me and my kind on social media all day long. I, and the majority of the American people, would rather have leaders, willing and able to govern, in times like these. </p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-52221833290788750322023-10-10T13:56:00.000-04:002023-10-10T13:56:41.456-04:00The Cost of Extremism<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wndlU5WnXQH2U5BZxzFCDBZjcO9cHCyuGKTByleqkvXj9kxoxBfsJNXWQ5KwwIjzpCt7zSRxqj_hh9ly5AwcoQry99Egm_TzkKum6xP5kb9_412JxbDbaaIkUrKMG0hd8EzC1kzH_1YNtWsLomvWPx-rChEfbjK8bFCn4HuCvZANP36oWGEdkWCwxk56/s300/IMG_0082.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wndlU5WnXQH2U5BZxzFCDBZjcO9cHCyuGKTByleqkvXj9kxoxBfsJNXWQ5KwwIjzpCt7zSRxqj_hh9ly5AwcoQry99Egm_TzkKum6xP5kb9_412JxbDbaaIkUrKMG0hd8EzC1kzH_1YNtWsLomvWPx-rChEfbjK8bFCn4HuCvZANP36oWGEdkWCwxk56/s1600/IMG_0082.png" width="300" /></a></div><br /> On Saturday, October 7, 2023, Hamas launched the deadliest single day attack on the Nation of Israel. As of this writing, 900 Israelis lost their lives. In the subsequent retaliation from the Israeli Armed Forces, over 700 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have died. A tragedy of epic proportions that have some political doomsayers projecting this is the start of World War III.<p></p><p>I don’t agree with that prognostication. However, as the smoke clears and peace eventually returns to the region, history will be an unkind reminder of how we got to this moment. It is also a precursor of what can happen in our country, if extremism in the political discourse is allowed to continue.</p><p>I am not an expert on the Middle East. I am an expert when it comes to violent rhetoric, oppressive action and a militant response. If you, as an electorate, allow your frustration to cloud your reason, and you elect the angriest, some would argue craziest, candidates to public office, this outcome could become an inevitability.</p><p>Thirty years ago, The Oslo Accords were suppose to lead this region of the world toward a two state solution, a recognized Nation of Israel and a recognized Nation of Palestine. Because of extremist bad actors in both Israel and Palestine, those accords never got the political oxygen needed to work.</p><p>In Israel, you had hard-liners elected that put an unbearable stranglehold on the Gaza Strip, limiting access to travel and trade. In Palestine, you had the second largest, and most militant, faction, Hamas, overtake Fatah, the largest faction, politically and militarily. While the Israeli hard-liners were dismantling the institutions of the Israeli government for their own political gain, Hamas was secretly planning and building for a massive assault, fueled by the anger of oppressed people, who equate their section of the world to an open-air prison.</p><p>Then October 7th happened.</p><p>People in America are trying to access blame on either Hamas or Israel, Trump or Biden. The real culprit is the world as a whole. One, the leaders of the world did not devote enough diplomatic time and effort to carry the Oslo Accords all the way, through several administrations in several countries. Two, the world, collectively, with the current trend of nationalism spreading like a global political pandemic, has set a terrible example that unfortunately Israel and Palestine has chosen to follow.</p><p>Nationalism is a deterrent to global peace. It is a breeding ground for fascism and terrorism. And if America doesn’t get its act together, this horrific scene could play out within our borders. Right now, we have to support Israel’s right to exist and condemn violent attacks. We also need to acknowledge the oppression felt by citizens in the Gaza Strip and commit to a peaceful solution, because violence only brings more violence.</p><p>But more importantly, we have to end the extremism here in America, so not only can we intervene to generate peace and work toward a true two state solution, but to be that example to show the rest of the world that we can be a strong, recognized nation-state without fear of being part of a vibrant global community.</p><p>Let the Hamas attack be a warning to us that we need to get our house in order. Once we relegate the extremist elements in our nation’s politics to back bencher status, then let us work to bring peace, justice, prosperity and equity to the world, because all people, of all nations, follow good examples.</p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-91645403504970568302023-10-04T01:03:00.002-04:002023-10-04T04:36:15.541-04:00Mr. Speaker, a Thank You would have served you well!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMrwWJRXDRbhB4nCyMSyn038SJTssIA99joSPOsp8LOzeFuH9UYWUKD0KgGUXwRXqqwz6L9RkEiBw-qdH1YJt0ct5smq8b2jPrGLk1qlDDm2_AzDOKPrXquplYg9j94cm-DJT2tARfqEijc6GsDyG8SkfZmIRAnpMsAAc60aIk5Nn5fsAUNjN0m-2lJbOq" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="318" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMrwWJRXDRbhB4nCyMSyn038SJTssIA99joSPOsp8LOzeFuH9UYWUKD0KgGUXwRXqqwz6L9RkEiBw-qdH1YJt0ct5smq8b2jPrGLk1qlDDm2_AzDOKPrXquplYg9j94cm-DJT2tARfqEijc6GsDyG8SkfZmIRAnpMsAAc60aIk5Nn5fsAUNjN0m-2lJbOq" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>By a vote of 216-210, Kevin McCarthy, a Republican Congressman from Bakersfield, CA, became the first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives to be voted out of office. He was in the position less than ten months.</p><p>Even though the House has a Republican majority, several GOP members voted with the Democrats to remove him. It was Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida that offered the resolution to vacate the chair, but he did not know that all of the Democrats were going to vote with him, and seven Republicans, to remove McCarthy. He can thank former Speaker McCarthy for that.</p><p>McCarthy had just averted another crisis during his tenure as Speaker, pushing through a resolution that avoided a literal government shutdown at the literal eleventh hour. McCarthy was able to get just about all of the House Democrats and nearly half of the Republican Conference to pass the resolution, which will allow the government to operate until November 17th.</p><p>On the ensuing Sunday morning talk shows, McCarthy, instead of thanking the Democratic House Leadership for their assistance and support, bashed the Democrats and blamed them for the near shutdown. He did this knowing that Gaetz, or one of his other Republican enemies, was going to present the resolution to vacate.</p><p>Therefore, his political ungratefulness cost him the job that he coveted so much. A job he endured 15 ballots, and several years, to attain.</p><p>Had McCarthy just done the usual Washingtonian thank your opponents for their allegiance to country over party shtick, he would still be Speaker. How? Because it would have given the Democrats to opportunity to decide which Republican they wanted to defeat. Many probably would have voted present. Some probably would have even left the chamber. All because he would have shown gratitude, humility and a modicum of trust.</p><p>But his decision to play the partisan game cost him his job, and defined his legacy.</p><p>McCarthy, when he entered the House Chamber on October 3, 2023, looked like a man defeated. Hard to say if he was reflective at the moment. Hopefully, at some point of his life, he will be. Maybe then he will understand how far a simple thank you will get you in American politics, a lesson learned for him much too late.</p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-78265026095641831882023-09-08T18:25:00.007-04:002023-09-08T18:52:06.642-04:00It’s Time to End The Tuberville Obstruction <p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqg4wK3ewszCitb04Qzn9i4Dws2kxtBw1wKbpNyrU7UhbZ8mmuCdXklGLobBSJ0tpIkTL3rMAZZIVLPRFCOLFBiaYAERVOF80absqtxfBLoLAneSxZXWOwjCTLpHFcMrhnnEB_Avq_RD0wJnodBVQLgUMSvb0kEL7SVTvVXt5W2AdPx2gVhIgkltP9ytZx" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2550" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqg4wK3ewszCitb04Qzn9i4Dws2kxtBw1wKbpNyrU7UhbZ8mmuCdXklGLobBSJ0tpIkTL3rMAZZIVLPRFCOLFBiaYAERVOF80absqtxfBLoLAneSxZXWOwjCTLpHFcMrhnnEB_Avq_RD0wJnodBVQLgUMSvb0kEL7SVTvVXt5W2AdPx2gVhIgkltP9ytZx" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21px;"><br /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Secretary of the Navy </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Carlos Del Toro - Naval Academy graduate, 22 years of Navy service; Highest Rank-Commander</span></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 26px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall - West Point graduate, 11 years of Army service; Highest rank-Lt. Colonel </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 26px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth - Williams College graduate, No military service, 14-year career in the Department of Defense. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 26px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Tommy Tuberville - Southern Arkansas University graduate, No military service, No prior public service before election to US Senate in 2020. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 26px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Senator Tuberville is in no position to decide the fate of military personnel other than the advice and consent role granted to the body of the US Senate. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Nor does he have the authority, moral or otherwise, to disparage the credentials of the persons highlighted above. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 26px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">The Senator needs to end his 9-month obstruction that constitutes a threat to our national security. The President already sent a message by not moving the headquarters of the United States Space Force to Huntsville, Alabama. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 26px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">It is time for Majority Leader Schumer and other leaders of the United States Senate to take the necessary steps to ensure that these appointments, including the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, to go forward. </span></p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-22597753899591010432022-08-31T01:00:00.000-04:002022-08-31T01:00:03.362-04:00Jackson, Mississippi On My Mind<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7N15uCDpZmzAZFGENsSetoY811WLKEDMWW1cpO7F2aYD4n7DS9CFAFKf7Mcb6C49wPs3viqW3wCV04TdSPbV7VuTRMKXC7PAC2B9CqOimIpxWWJAaooq4k0IHPjidWRZBd-cV4Csu4qVxXFJS6v1JV8yYegH5dP5ZMOr38_5JZpsJcpO1WEspwIKxIw/s800/4ECBC8D5-EA0E-4D30-9F31-33920B26ACC2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="800" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7N15uCDpZmzAZFGENsSetoY811WLKEDMWW1cpO7F2aYD4n7DS9CFAFKf7Mcb6C49wPs3viqW3wCV04TdSPbV7VuTRMKXC7PAC2B9CqOimIpxWWJAaooq4k0IHPjidWRZBd-cV4Csu4qVxXFJS6v1JV8yYegH5dP5ZMOr38_5JZpsJcpO1WEspwIKxIw/s320/4ECBC8D5-EA0E-4D30-9F31-33920B26ACC2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p> It is heartbreaking to see what is happening in my former hometown of Jackson, MS. This tragedy has been a long time coming and to see my friends, Nsombi Lambright and David Blount, on national television expressing their frustration and discomfort pains me greatly. <p></p><p>The history behind Jackson’s water infrastructure woes is a sad one, worthy of a Ken Burns’ documentary. However, this situation is a true example of how to turn tragedy into triumph. </p><p>It is time to show the world the Mississippi I remember, a state that when challenges hit, the leaders and people band together to face those challenges head on and conquer them. </p><p>It is time for Gov. Tate Reeves, Speaker Philip Gunn, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Mayor Chokwe Lumumba to work together to quickly get the O. B. Curtis Plant up and running, while using all their political capital to get all the financial resources necessary to completely renovate the Capital City’s water infrastructure, once and for all. </p><p>There is no time for partisan bickering, posturing or finger pointing. Only positive and result oriented action. </p><p>Students need to be in school. Businesses need to be open at full capacity. </p><p>Fire hydrants need to be functional. </p><p>Citizens need to return to a normal standard of living. </p><p>17 years ago, people outside of Mississippi didn’t think we would recover after Katrina. We did. </p><p>It is time to remind the rest of the nation of Mississippi Resolve once again. We are taught as Christians to have faith based on what we cannot see. My faith in Jackson, Mississippi is based on what I have seen in the past and know in my heart to be true. </p><p>It is time for good men and women to go to work! </p><p>May God continue to bless Jackson, Mississippi, strengthen its people and keep the Capital City in His favor now and always.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-41641587836732247712022-06-26T21:04:00.003-04:002022-06-26T21:12:30.599-04:00The Reparation Plan, Part 2 - Individual Development Accounts<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqXlcHTjtTXVolLu-XAgrql06uuLXsJR0xLHOfguxVzfaIsJ4RHeWDK64kkbWl4PaPc1bmwSPKKac8MtZ-o6TpYO1uSAFHkK7T4sfifsPLtiPpTy4LWJnEN34wmb7Q0Qnb_YMO5d5W5JBajdi_bzM_hu-ppyiEO-9Yso7wWFm1vfLTwUGW0YzHRGU9Q/s1280/5D2C398D-A87D-42DF-99B2-3DF47DBCDEFE.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqXlcHTjtTXVolLu-XAgrql06uuLXsJR0xLHOfguxVzfaIsJ4RHeWDK64kkbWl4PaPc1bmwSPKKac8MtZ-o6TpYO1uSAFHkK7T4sfifsPLtiPpTy4LWJnEN34wmb7Q0Qnb_YMO5d5W5JBajdi_bzM_hu-ppyiEO-9Yso7wWFm1vfLTwUGW0YzHRGU9Q/s320/5D2C398D-A87D-42DF-99B2-3DF47DBCDEFE.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> In the first plan, I targeted increasing endowments at HBCUs. In the second plan, we talk about money to individuals. This is the plan that most public officials are afraid of: giving Blacks folks checks. That fear was exaggerated in one of the funniest sketches of The Dave Chappelle Show. You can click the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8LroCgg3uc" target="_blank">link here.</a> This plan does not encourage every African American to get a check. As stated in the previous blog, to be equitable, the US Government would have to come up with $97 trillion to distribute amongst 41.1 million African Americans to accomplish that.<p></p><p>The reality is that 46 percent of African Americans make at least $50,000 a year and the wealth gap between the richest African Americans and the poorest African Americans is the widest of any ethnic group. Although for every $100 a White American makes, an African American only makes $5, the disparity cannot be made up by increases in income alone, especially since over 20 percent of the African American workforce is employed in the public sector. More African Americans need access to assets, such as property, savings and investments.</p><p>That is why in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 individual development accounts (IDAs), promoted and secured by the US Government, were created. The purpose of an individual development account was to help citizens on federal assistance to save money for a car purchase, home purchase or college/technical school tuition. The goal was to get individuals to save $1000 over a period time, anywhere from two to five years and, in return, they would receive an additional $1000 to $4000 as a reward for their financial discipline. In the current program (which as of the last four years has not been funded), the Department of Health and Human Services distributes grants to nonprofit or local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to manage the accounts and/or even provide the initial deposits for qualified individuals entering the program. It is estimated that it costs about $64 per person for these organizations to manage an IDA program.</p><p>In order to eliminate those administrative costs and pass downs through agencies, the US Government should give the money directly to the individuals, via a savings/investment account from an established financial institution. Ideally, those financial institutions would be Black-owned and operated. From there, the individual can set up a savings account or a two-year certificate of deposit (CD) to draw interest on the account, something you cannot do currently with IDAs. This would increase the net worth of the individual and increase their chances of getting off assistance, achieving home ownership and improving their quality of life.</p><p>Now for the numbers. There are over 8.2 million African American adults living in poverty. This plan is asking that each of the 8.2 million individuals receive $10,000 to establish these IDAs. That would mean that some households would receive more than others, if they have multiple adults under one roof, however, if all of those individuals were able to get out of poverty it would create a better environment all the way around. That comes to an $82 billion investment in some the poorest areas of our nation. Even better, just imagine $82 billion in assets flowing through the 42 Black owned banks in the United States. Divided equally, that would be nearly $2 billion in assets per bank! Black banks with more assets mean more mortgages and more small business loans given in African American communities, which will increase the collective wealth of African Americans.</p><p>Then there is the incentive piece. If each individual maintains $10,000 in their respective accounts after two years, they'll receive an additional $2000 from the US Government. That would be an additional $17 billion invested, coming out to a grand total of $99 billion given out in two years, at the most.</p><p>The goal, again, is to build Black wealth in America. If reparations are to be given, the main focus should be building wealth in the community that played a major role, historically, in building America's wealth. That seems fair and equitable, as well as long overdue. So far the price tag of the two plans is $206 billion, a sizable expenditure, but a bargain considering past context. However this is just the second step. Policy can create equality, but equitable reparation takes major investment.</p><p><br /></p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-45166762278233653752022-06-19T18:38:00.003-04:002022-08-17T11:29:24.221-04:00The Reparation Plan, Part 1- HBCU endowment <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-yVqUCudewkvRh7_ORkosZD-_k9SlYjlm5xTv-GgiHCBEm0RYQF6r9ZuoNoU15izC-wgaW9GvrNEzwilvnsZ6qZPxscObBV5dJTMpPeSJeOkegGT7spvwMzt4jZKSqlswUbh8nvyk1bdmMLtWhfzqSUhxKdhCrZ0tvBuzcL8B-P49wJ95mRyKABZPg/s1280/5D2C398D-A87D-42DF-99B2-3DF47DBCDEFE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-yVqUCudewkvRh7_ORkosZD-_k9SlYjlm5xTv-GgiHCBEm0RYQF6r9ZuoNoU15izC-wgaW9GvrNEzwilvnsZ6qZPxscObBV5dJTMpPeSJeOkegGT7spvwMzt4jZKSqlswUbh8nvyk1bdmMLtWhfzqSUhxKdhCrZ0tvBuzcL8B-P49wJ95mRyKABZPg/s320/5D2C398D-A87D-42DF-99B2-3DF47DBCDEFE.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>On this Juneteenth weekend 2022, I decided that I would start a small series of blogs dealing with the issue of reparations for African Americans. It has been an issue in this country since the 18th Century, when the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers, first proposed that freed slaves should receive compensation from their previous enslavers/owners, loosely based on Biblical Scripture (Deuteronomy 23: 15-16; 24: 14-15). Warner Mifflin, a Quaker who freed his slaves in 1774, is considered the first vocal supporter of reparations, advocating for restitution in the form of cash payments, land and shared crop arrangements. In 1783, Belinda Royall, who was 70 years old at the time, petitioned the Massachusetts General Court for a pension from the proceeds of her enslaver’s estate, which he abandoned. The court granted her an annual pension of 15 pounds and twelve shillings, which is the equivalent of $2,785 in 2022 US Dollars. She only received the pension for two years. By the way, her enslaver was Isaac Royall, Jr., whose will bequest led to the formation of Harvard Law School.<p></p><p>The closest the Federal Government came to reparations was the formation of the Freedmen’s Bureau, which provided relief assistance to newly freed slaves (1865-1872), and Special Field Orders, No. 15, where we get the phrase “40 acres and a mule” from. Around 40,000 freed slaves had settled on 400,000 acres of land in Georgia and South Carolina before President Andrew Johnson, the first US President ever impeached, rescinded the order and returned the land back to its former owners. Senator Thaddeus Stevens, R-Massachusetts, sponsored a bill for the redistribution of Confederate land to African Americans, but it did not pass, while Southern Democrats did everything they could to strip the Freedmen’s Bureau, operating under the Department of War, of its necessary funding.</p><p>As Black Codes and Jim Crow segregation became a way of American life, talk of reparations basically just became social chatter within African American communities, while Black intellectuals debated more publicly about how to co-exist in America, or even entertaining leaving the country altogether. After the Black Power Movement and the passage of Civil Rights legislation, the subject of reparations started to gain interest, however, it was not until 1987 when the first national organization, the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA) was formed. I was a member of the Jackson, Mississippi chapter for a number of years.</p><p>Still very little was done outside of HR 40, first introduced by Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan, in 1989 (now sponsored by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D Texas, and under committee consideration some 32 years later) and a 2002 federal lawsuit that was dismissed in 2006. Then 2020 happened. Between the murder of George Floyd and the exposure of health and wealth disparities brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, renewed calls for reparations have been at the forefront of American politics, even as a question posed to presidential candidates. Despite its popularity amongst African Americans, 63 percent of Americans, as a whole, are opposed to offering reparations to African Americans for previous historical injustices. There has also been a debate about who should qualify for reparations that has escalated in the 21st Century, with one group starting a movement that only non-immigrant descendants of Africans enslaved in the United States should receive a settlement.</p><p>Here’s what I believe: Every African-American citizen of the United States should receive reparation for the historical injustices colonial America, the United States Government and its respective states has inflicted on them and their ancestors. The Peculiar Institution, as American slavery has been referred to, was one of the cruelest and most influential events in world history. It has had generational impact on African Americans and, as a nation, our relationships with other nations globally. Haiti not being recognized by the United States an independent nation after the successful slave revolt in 1804 set that nation’s growth back for centuries as an example. Therefore, it is imperative that we give African Americans reparation now and it must be done in several ways to be truly restorative. To paraphrase Malcolm X, taking the knife out of one’s back is not justice, it is temporary relief. Helping one heal from the wound is the just and right thing to do.</p><p>So my first proposal in the healing process is for the United States Government to provide a $1 billion endowment to every Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the United States. Endowments are the life blood of universities. I know many of you thought it was tuition, especially if you had to pay student loans, but tuitions are actually tools to exclude students in private, well-financed institutions and as a stop-gap for publicly funded state institutions, in which endowments vary. Many HBCUs became state institutions strictly for survival after the American Baptist Home Mission Society, which was responsible for the creation of many HBCUS (and the University of Chicago), pulled out financially due to the Great Depression. State funding helped keep tuition at HBCUs affordable but without a substantial endowment to moderate the cost of operating and expanding these institutions, tuitions have risen and have become a barrier to the very community they seek to elevate.</p><p>Historically, large university endowments start with a generous benefactor, such as the aforementioned Mr. Royall, or William Marsh Rice, whose will created Rice University in Houston, Texas. Rice University and Jackson State University, my alma mater, has approximately the same student population, over 7000. Rice’s endowment is over $8 billion. Jackson State’s endowment is over $60 million. Rice is private and has been producing engineering graduates since 1912. Jackson State is public, was initially set up to produce Black teachers and ministers, and didn’t have an engineering school until the 21st century, after the Ayers Settlement in 2002. I bring up this distinction for a simple fact: Jackson State’s mission was similar to the majority of HBCUs, therefore the alumni, who became very successful educators, didn’t make the same amount of money, or more correctly, didn’t attain the same amount of wealth, as their Rice counterparts, who became very successful engineers. Endowments are bolstered primarily by their alumni, therefore the wealthier the alumni, the larger the endowment.</p><p>Thus it is not a mystery that the largest endowment for any American university is Harvard University’s, valued at over $53 billion. The largest endowment of any HBCU is Howard University’s at over $713 million. So it is clear that one of the steps that will lead to repairing the racial wealth divide in the United States is to provide every HBCU with an infusion of $1 billion to each of their endowments. Since there are 107 HBCUs in the United States, then that means an investment of $107 billion.</p><p>To some that may seem steep, and to be honest I’m only getting started as this is only part one of the plan, keep in mind that it was estimated that the actual cost of labor from 1619 to 1993, when the estimate was calculated, of enslaved African Americans was over $97 trillion!</p><p>If every HBCU is awarded an endowment of $1 billion, it will almost guarantee that every HBCU in existence now, will be in existence for generations to come, providing thousands of African American children the opportunity to attend college and improve their chances of building personal wealth that would shorten the wealth gap between White and Black Americans. Black Americans with more personal wealth will be able to attain assets like property, savings accounts and other investments. </p><p>More African Americans gaining generational wealth over time means not only a better African American community, but a better nation overall. Also with a larger endowment, HBCUs can expand, without needing political influence and approval, and strengthen their academic research capabilities, which is essential to universities.</p><p>Repairing the breach is going to cost money. Policies can only do so much, but financial investment shows commitment to a better society. This is just the first step.</p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-16803968952332664062022-05-30T13:41:00.002-04:002022-05-30T13:43:27.632-04:00A Different Kind of Memorial Day<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UbX95W69sx8ALd8zt02LP34uoRMoUeYnse8FI-vJGV7f0QUH2inkIXvnp98d8XoG3qqhQ8Yk5BL4XkBXAxYdgEefbTKAgYQeydE4qP1DhyeG2FUv4iuHkPI1NgNNbyHoVh2RnIXoW3zxvCQt0XdLIlgUHyZqx6mGUs1_jbZnBJA-CW80syGFfyzbZQ/s2049/BEB689EA-A0C6-4CCA-A55B-E9A85D511597.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UbX95W69sx8ALd8zt02LP34uoRMoUeYnse8FI-vJGV7f0QUH2inkIXvnp98d8XoG3qqhQ8Yk5BL4XkBXAxYdgEefbTKAgYQeydE4qP1DhyeG2FUv4iuHkPI1NgNNbyHoVh2RnIXoW3zxvCQt0XdLIlgUHyZqx6mGUs1_jbZnBJA-CW80syGFfyzbZQ/s320/BEB689EA-A0C6-4CCA-A55B-E9A85D511597.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Traditionally, Memorial Day is a day in which we acknowledge the sacrifices made for our continued democracy here in America. We remember that men and women died on battlefields to make sure that our journey toward freedom and true equality would progress. However, in light of what has recently happened in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York, I believe this Memorial Day has a different meaning.<p></p><p>21 people died in Uvalde, 19 of them children. 10 African Americans were killed in Buffalo, all because they were African American. These two events happened within the span of a week. Those events remind us of several things. The shocking nature of these events reminds us of our humanity, for if we had totally lost our humanity, we would not be bothered or mortified. These events remind us of our mortality, because we know, in the current world we live in, that could have been one of us or our children, and how precious each and everyone of our lives are. These events unfortunately remind us that hate is prevalent in this world, and though we cannot totally eradicate hate, we must always be vigilant against it.</p><p>We cannot allow hate to dictate our politics any longer. Hate leads to mass shootings. Hate leads to insurrection. Hate leads to racism. However, Dr. King admonished us repeatedly that hate cannot defeat hate, only love can do that. As altruistic as this next statement may sound, the fact is our politics needs to be driven by love.</p><p>The Abrahamic Religions teach us to love one another to reflect our devotion to a God that loves us. In every facet of our lives. Politics is part of our lives. Politics is the vehicle that provides the leadership that is suppose to govern us. If we choose our leadership based on hatred, then we will be governed by an agenda of hate. We will continue to have public policy that discriminates, punishes, and isolates when governed by hate. We will continue to have public policy that constricts freedom, restricts justice, and retracts progress when governed by hate.</p><p>On holidays like Memorial Day, we, Americans, profess our love for America. Yet, when public policy that expresses that love, like the New Deal and the Great Society, comes forward, somehow the politics of hate, cloaked in the sheep’s clothing of patriotism, is allowed to swoop in and dismantle those policies. Lives have been lost to create policies of love, such as outlawing slavery, protecting the right to vote, and banning assault weapons, but hate has been allowed to usurp those policies in the name of individual rights.</p><p>When the men whom we Americans have deemed our Founding Fathers wrote the United States Constitution, they envisioned a nation that could defend itself, promote the general welfare and secure individual liberty simultaneously. Though they did not see a world where African Americans were eligible to serve in public office, despite several African Americans serving as administrators during the Articles of Confederation period, nor a world where people from various nations would seek a new life for their families, not unlike the Founding Fathers’ ancestors themselves, they created a document of love that could be expanded to incorporate what they could not foresee.</p><p>It has been those individuals that have been driven by hate, using the fuel of fear to propel them to power, that have done their dead level best to stymie the progress of this nation at every turn. Political evolution, defined as progress, has proven to be strong throughout American history, however it has also been shown to be vulnerable to hate and fear.</p><p>We cannot legislate morality, nor can we regulate and predict the hearts of men. We can, however, be prepared for battle against hate and fear, with a well-educated, vigilant electorate. As easy as it sounds, it is a scary proposition to face hate head on. Imagine an 18-year old young man from Moline, Illinois, or Irvine, California, or Greenwood, Mississippi, or Warner Robins, Georgia, being recruited/drafted to serve in the United States Army to fight in some foreign country they never even imagined visiting. Imagine showing up on the frontline, hearing bullets whizzing by, mortar shells landing and exploding, watching men dying right in front of them, yet summoning the courage, while suppressing their anxiety, to move forward.</p><p>Those that died in those circumstances we commemorate on Memorial Day. We memorialized them as being brave, but we dehumanize them if we don’t remember that they were scared young men, fighting for a principle they believed in. The difference is that they overcame their fear and pursued a greater purpose, some fatally but many more successfully. The fallen we revere on this day. The living we acknowledge on Veterans Day. </p><p>The truth, however, is that there are many Americans who battle every day, on this soil, for the principles they believe in, the principles of love that protect freedom and demand equality and justice. And some of them have died. How do we memorialize them? We see innocents slaughtered in hate, disguised in the form of individual liberty or mental illness, on a frequent basis. How do we memorialize them?</p><p>We memorialize them by continuing the struggle. We memorialize them by standing up for what is right. We memorialize them by demanding justice, equity and equality. We transform our anxiety and apathy into bravery and activism. We don’t desire a day of commemoration for the fallen, but generations of peace and prosperity for all Americans.</p><p>We cannot allow hate and fear to dictate our politics any longer. We need to exercise the politics of love and compassion to continue America’s progress. We need to be, as our anthem states, the free and the brave in doing so.</p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-46920130184950046882022-03-27T17:20:00.000-04:002022-03-27T17:20:56.502-04:00A Love Very Few Can Understand<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMXi7jjK9h6lIP1HyLN6_eEGlM86w2yiT8yJ5zPEHj26pJDLKbxJkNSzZOgmfSO1jZ-YBoxTRB32gUia251I3cOohTem2zdbvvkqnvfcksihoqgZZsdzNGg0EFRWRMcTpk3icja_7ZiHtE9_GEXdk2Jy5ECk_SasxdlVCpNgqQKqjcm6chVemRIrFRA/s2688/EFFA33E5-96CC-4344-A58E-F3D2C1BB5974.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="2688" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMXi7jjK9h6lIP1HyLN6_eEGlM86w2yiT8yJ5zPEHj26pJDLKbxJkNSzZOgmfSO1jZ-YBoxTRB32gUia251I3cOohTem2zdbvvkqnvfcksihoqgZZsdzNGg0EFRWRMcTpk3icja_7ZiHtE9_GEXdk2Jy5ECk_SasxdlVCpNgqQKqjcm6chVemRIrFRA/s320/EFFA33E5-96CC-4344-A58E-F3D2C1BB5974.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> United States Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), in the third day of the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be the 116th Associate Justice to the United States Supreme Court, said these words:<p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>“I’m not gonna let my joy be stolen, because I know - you and I - we</i> <i>appreciate something that we get that a lot of my colleagues don’t.” </i></p><p style="text-align: left;">He was expressing a sentiment that many of us that identify as African Americans have been trying to express for generations. We, as a people, have been marginalized, vilified, persecuted, abused, oppressed, enslaved, imprisoned, and even murdered in a nation which is considered, by friend and foe alike, the greatest democracy in the history of world. Yet, despite these historical facts, many of us feel that this is our home, our native land, and we will defend it against, and thrive in it despite, all enemies foreign or domestic.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Senator Booker, Judge Jackson and I are generational contemporaries. We were born when the Great Promise of America: <i>“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’’ </i>was actually being codified into the United States Code and enforced by the Federal Government. Our champions have been elected, appointed to cabinet positions and the courts, and even honored for their martyrdom. Our contemporaries have made enormous progress in the corporate/financial arenas outside of the Black community, increased our representation in the halls of government and have occupied the two highest positions in our government. Yet, with all the gratitude we can muster, our generation, and our children, and grand children are demanding and encouraging America to be better than it has ever been, especially towards our people.</p><p style="text-align: left;">We understand that there are still many barriers to overcome, many “firsts” yet to be attained. We know the struggle for equal justice, let alone equitable justice, is still formidable. We know, historically, that the power we have attained politically is fragile and must be fortified. We acknowledge that the financial gains we have made can be wiped out without our due diligence. It is known fact to us progress cannot be achieved without struggle. Yet, myself, Senator Booker, Judge Jackson, and many others engage in this struggle without malice. We engage because of love.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Even though the words of the most prolific document to declare independence from an empire were written by a person flawed by his personal practice of enslaving human beings, our love has embraced those words to be our declaration as well. Yes, we have lovingly usurped them, for ourselves, our future generations, and on behalf of our previous enslaved and oppressed ancestors. </p><p style="text-align: left;">This is not to suggest that our generation is monolithic in thought. No group of human beings are wired that way. Many African Americans do not love America, for historical and contemporary reasons. Those of us that do love America have attained that love at different stages of our life experience. However, I will say that those of us who truly strive to make America better for all of us have that love. It is a love that has been passed down from abolitionists, politicians, lawyers, scholars, ministers, entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, organizers and soldiers for many generations. It is our duty to pass it down as well.</p><p style="text-align: left;">But love brings about hurt. Hurt is what led Senator Booker to make his eloquent remarks. Hurt is why Judge Jackson shed a tear or two. Hurt is why we who experienced that moment in the proceedings were relieved when we saw and heard it. Because when you love, you can be disappointed. When you love, you can be caught off-guard. When you love, you can be offended. Love makes us vulnerable, but it is also our greatest strength. Our love for this nation is this nation’s greatest gift.</p><p style="text-align: left;">People tend to take love for granted, so do nations. America may take our love for granted, but we cannot afford for our continued love to wane or diminish. Our love has delivered us from slavery and Jim Crow, and it will deliver us from micro aggressions, trolling and insurrections.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The Apostle Paul, in the first chapter to his letter to the church in Philippa, wrote:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Gospel.”</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">If we change the wording to reflect the charge we have to love our nation it would read: </p><p style="text-align: left;">“Some indeed praise America even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former praise America from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to our chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that we are appointed for the defense of the nation.”</p><p style="text-align: left;">We have an incredible obligation to defend the idea of America. We have to make America the land of free and the home of the brave in the truest sense. Love gives us freedom. Love gives us courage. It is a love that few can truly understand, especially if they are not a member of our identified subset, but it is one that must be shared, because we know that love conquers all that oppose it.</p><p style="text-align: left;">That love is what Senator Booker talked about that day. That love is what moved Judge Jackson that day and has motivated her throughout her legal career. That love is what helped us relate to what transpired in that moment of the hearing and gives us that hope for a better tomorrow. It is that love that is going to save our nation for posterity.</p><p style="text-align: left;">As Dr. King reminded us in his last speech, there will be more difficult days ahead. There will be more unjust sentences, more cases of excessive policing, more poverty, more black businesses failing, more attempts to suppress our rights. However, Dr. Cornell West reminds us that: <i>“You can’t lead the people if you don’t love the people.” </i>To paraphrase, we can’t lead America to be the best it can be if we don’t love America and all its potential. Even if very few can understand that love. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>“<b>America</b> - - this monument to the genius of ordinary men and women, this place where hope becomes capacity, this long, halting turn of ‘no’ into the ‘yes’ - - <b>needs citizens who love it enough to re-imagine and re-make it.</b>”—-Dr. Cornell West (emphasis added)</i></p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-1349735636032093412022-03-06T13:39:00.001-05:002022-03-06T13:46:50.462-05:00Black in the conflict <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLvM-It8xSBxmC71Px0npyOnZvbkbp8EaxYUtYBnNAAx_jpSE6cNyFMVA-sIDxnaWZTXIWdjK3fg1_uRridSRYjTzo2rj2nq8_F1X_Ke-fGb7xDkdSZBeg5rJh6lYQlD_LCMQP-44huT5KqXe0JzEaNelpwTOj5Rbv0WmN3NFhsciv2mRqE8PEjbQzrw=s1888" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1888" data-original-width="1278" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLvM-It8xSBxmC71Px0npyOnZvbkbp8EaxYUtYBnNAAx_jpSE6cNyFMVA-sIDxnaWZTXIWdjK3fg1_uRridSRYjTzo2rj2nq8_F1X_Ke-fGb7xDkdSZBeg5rJh6lYQlD_LCMQP-44huT5KqXe0JzEaNelpwTOj5Rbv0WmN3NFhsciv2mRqE8PEjbQzrw=s320" width="217" /></a></div><br /> As I write this, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is going into its 12th day. The Ukrainian people are putting up a decent resistance but Russian forces have seized two cities and are constantly bombarding the countryside, whether ceasefires have been agreed upon or not. <p></p><p>We have seen Ukrainian refugees scattered across Europe, primarily in countries aligned with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO for short. However, the sad pictures became even sadder when those of us on social media saw some all to familiar images. I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t some kind of Russian propaganda put out there to further divide Americans, as they have been successful in doing so recently. </p><p>Unfortunately, they were legit. African people attempting to leave Ukraine were being denied access to the trains carrying other refugees across Ukrainian borders. To the surprise of many, there were, at the start of the invasion, some 80,000 African and South Asian immigrants in the country of Ukraine, the overwhelming majority of them students. Many of them are from countries that don’t have much, if any, diplomatic presence in Europe, so when those that did get on the trains got off, there wasn’t any one from their consulates greeting them. It has been the benevolence of international non-profits and kind individuals that have assisted them. </p><p>Many in the diaspora were ready to say to hell with Ukraine because of this, but as I stated in my previous blog, an overthrown Ukraine undermines democracy and human rights for the world. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is 27 years older than the current Ukrainian democratic government. Africans in Ukraine have a better chance for human rights victories with a fledgling democratic government than an authoritarian government controlled by Vladimir Putin in Moscow. This crisis will go a long way in improving race relations there, assuming that the Ukrainian Resistance will be victorious, and that is a pretty safe assumption. Think long game.</p><p>Meanwhile, another unfortunate development has occurred during this conflict. The first American casualty, for lack of a more appropriate term, in this new Cold War, is an American athlete. Brittney Griner, one of the stars of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), is being detained in Moscow’s International Airport, allegedly for possession of a Russian-banned substance, hashish oil. Yes, I see the irony in Russia having a banned substance list, considering their history of doping athletes. </p><p>Griner has played professionally in Russia in the past, so many believe she should have known the drill and not brought ANYTHING illegal into the country, especially now with tensions so high between Russia and the United States. Many are questioning why would she, or any American, consent to play there during this period in history. Maybe if female professional athletes were paid more, they wouldn’t take that risk, but that is another topic for another blog. It is my hope that Griner is not being used as a political pawn in this international game of diplomatic chess, but history has shown that this is probably the case. It is yet another unfortunate complication that has caught the attention of African Americans, across the political spectrum, who are demanding her release from Russian authorities. </p><p>So, no matter how some outspoken African American socio-political leaders and social media influencers want to distance themselves from the events in Ukraine, we have skin in the game and we cannot ignore it. Need I remind you that nearly 30 percent of all the women, and nearly 20 percent of all the men, enlisted in the US Military are African American. If this escalates beyond the borders of Ukraine, it will be our Black brothers and sisters fighting for world democracy, yet again. If you don’t want to see those service star flags flying for another decade in your neighborhood or home, pray for the resilience of the Ukrainian people and do what you can to help the resistance. Don’t ignore it. </p><p><br /></p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-57289192548998161582022-02-24T12:18:00.003-05:002022-02-24T18:53:06.005-05:00The Strong-arm Blueprint<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6-UVVf3p69b0TUI1i7UOlbc6FtG1_0-lOajCZdpZS6n8F179P2JMYEb9yTquf2aJz0aqtHHAavX9rRhDj_k1BIPcIHctZPvzWWUOa1pJBuOWFz8C9G5m1TA6r5IESRvTKJvnQHlBOwK1OSXOWq_fDqW-rRGp2ljnFoB62jcaskJbVxcaHFDgJLRGHuw=s460" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="460" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6-UVVf3p69b0TUI1i7UOlbc6FtG1_0-lOajCZdpZS6n8F179P2JMYEb9yTquf2aJz0aqtHHAavX9rRhDj_k1BIPcIHctZPvzWWUOa1pJBuOWFz8C9G5m1TA6r5IESRvTKJvnQHlBOwK1OSXOWq_fDqW-rRGp2ljnFoB62jcaskJbVxcaHFDgJLRGHuw=w320-h213" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered and executed an invasion of a sovereign independent nation, Ukraine, the eighth largest country in Europe. The Western World has expressed their disdain for this invasion, but they are not surprised that this has happened. Currently, it seems, despite severe economic sanctions, leaders of those nations that support Ukraine’s sovereignty are unable to avert this invasion.</p><p>Donald Trump is watching, and so are his minions. Fox News talking heads have gone as far as to ask why is the United States upset with Russia for taking this invasive action, while at the same time criticizing President Biden for not stopping Putin. This blueprint that Putin has contrived to invade Ukraine is the one they want to follow if they attain full political power again. They want to outlaw protests that are not state-sanctioned. They want to control the press. They want to marginalize minorities, or groups they deem unfit. They want to occupy cities that they feel fester dissent.</p><p>You are saying that can’t happen here? The man who believes it can happen, and wants to implement this if given another opportunity to lead the nation, received 71 million votes in a losing effort, with nearly half of the nation’s population voting. It can happen. The only way it cannot happen is if the majority of Americans engage to make sure it doesn’t happen. There will always be the few and the proud amongst us that will challenge oppression every time it rears it’s ugly head, but we also tend to be the people in the aftermath of a struggle that say with hindsight confirming our vision, “I told you so!”. It has to be a collective effort this time around and for years to come, because oppression, especially in the form of white supremacy, will never go away quietly until it has been totally eradicated.</p><p>The world atrocity Putin has committed should be answered decisively. When Sadaam Hussein tried to reclaim Kuwait, his actions were met with swift and decisive force. But Putin is no Hussein, especially when he is sitting on the second largest nuclear arsenal in the world. However, his brutality and his thirst for totalitarianism should not go unpunished. If Russia wants to hack us, we should vociferously hack them. We’ve cutoff his assets, let’s cut off his access, sealing any border Europe has with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Then instead of fighting the war he wants inside the boundaries of Ukraine, we should assist in taking the fight to him in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. If Putin wants to promote civil unrest in the United States, then he needs to deal with civil unrest in Russia.</p><p>You can’t just punch a bully to get him off of you, you have to beat the hell out of him.</p><p>How we respond to Putin will have big implications on the world stage, but the most important stage will be in the theater room of the Mar-A-Largo mansion. If we defeat totalitarianism for all the world to see, Trump will not have his blueprint to exact the same strategy within the boundaries of the United States. However, if we fail, then white supremacy will have another millennial foothold, not only in the United States, but the entire planet.</p><p>It is ironic that the country that has generationally benefitted from white dominance has to be the one to stop the global spread of it, but history dictates that is our role. It is like the recovering, but occasionally relapsing junkie having to destroy the overbearing, control hungry drug dealer that wants to poison the entire nation. Nevertheless, this is where we are in this moment in history. We cannot fail. We cannot allow Trump, Putin, or the many like them globally, to be successful any more. If we cannot save Ukraine, we cannot transform America. It may be trite to say that Ukrainian Lives Matter, but it is imperative to say that Ukrainian Sovereignty Matters. Our future as Black Americans depends on stopping Putin, because if we don’t, we know that there is one American that will see the strong-arm blueprint and use it on us when given another chance. If you truly believe that Black Lives Matter and are Relevant, then you do your part to make sure that the Biden Administration, the United Nations and NATO are successful, even if it is just being able to get on your knees and pray. </p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-25056714440613224772021-04-01T23:44:00.000-04:002021-04-01T23:46:40.819-04:00The question<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7qKt_3vPzNRGNfx-qnqb22AHI41OCmjt226a2Aa5BywuRU_1etlW_d69NQuyclkDvSvDFf75W-xErpsFA8eEQnnVrG9_msHigtRTVr9b1qDAEADKh-d-QC-ZyTchGZMqivuWM4tcVgV4/s866/20190703_164027606_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="750" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7qKt_3vPzNRGNfx-qnqb22AHI41OCmjt226a2Aa5BywuRU_1etlW_d69NQuyclkDvSvDFf75W-xErpsFA8eEQnnVrG9_msHigtRTVr9b1qDAEADKh-d-QC-ZyTchGZMqivuWM4tcVgV4/w231-h266/20190703_164027606_iOS.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><p><br /></p>So what are we going to do now?<p></p><p>States are doing their best to roll back advances in election reform throughout the country. Corporate leaders are speaking out against this legislation. Civil rights organizations are suing to stop this legislation. Legislators are being arrested protesting this legislation.</p><p>So again, I ask the question: what are we going to do now?</p><p>We, the average American citizens, cannot be totally apathetic about these bills being passed by legislatures controlled by people who want to limit access to democracy. They are also the same people who want to control people's identity, people's bodies and people's right to assemble and protest. That translates to our identities, our bodies, our rights to assemble and protest. It is too easy for us in the democratic republic form of government this nation-state created with the US Constitution to let others do the work, raise their voices and take the literal and figurative blows.</p><p>We don't have that luxury anymore.</p><p>Those in the community that support this legislation and the people that author these bills are active. They attend meetings. They watch the news. They reach out to their elected officials. They interact in their social circles, in-person and online. They even show up at Capitol buildings. <br />Whether they have all the facts or not, they engage. </p><p>We should engage. And now.</p><p>History teaches us that if we don't engage, we lose what we have gained. It is easy to say they control everything, so what they give us, they can take away. Truth is what certain Americans have gained throughout our history, it has been a bloody struggle. Therefore, one cannot revoke what has been earned by blood without a struggle. They don't have the moral authority, and it is questionable in most cases whether they have the legal authority, to take away our rights.</p><p>Unless you don't exercise your authority.</p><p>If you, and I, don't vocally oppose such actions, we are abdicating our authority given to us by the Constitution of this country, and the men and women who sacrificed comfort, security and life itself for that power.</p><p>You have the power to challenge injustice. You have the power to rebuke oppression. You have the power to determine who your elected officials are. No matter your level of education or socioeconomic status. No matter what community you are from.</p><p>This is your charge. As well as mine, and others.</p><p>If you are reading this and you believe that you are doing everything you can to not allow certain actions to be taken that jeopardizes our democracy, then great. Pass it on and share it with others that need this charge. If you are like me, however, one needs to remind him or herself that freedom is not free and that we, as a free and determined people, must always be vigilant, and even defiant, to protect it.</p><p>We proclaim self-determination to limit how others try to define and restrict us. That should encompass our role in the governance of the nation we are citizens in. No one has the right to re-subjugate a people that simply yearns to be free, nor should those who seek such repression be given any sort of solace to do so. We must agitate, for that is the best way to cleanse our nation from this overwhelming stench of repression that has engulfed us for centuries.</p><p>We have dominion over forces that seek to harm us. Our recognition of that dominion should lead us to action. It does not matter how big your ripples are in the pond, just make some. Do not let anyone attempt to take your right to vote without a fight. Do not let anyone take your right to justice without a fight. Do not let anyone take your right to exist without a fight.</p><p>Now is the time for us to stand up for us. Now is the time for us to resist those that seek to harm us. Now is the time for us to do something for our present and our future.</p><p>Join the fight to defend our right to vote, by any way that you can.</p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-74834887591035309582021-02-24T00:32:00.002-05:002021-02-24T01:49:33.710-05:00A Legislative Idea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><div>The United States Congress is now in the process of investigating what led to the insurrection that took place on January 6th. They are seeking the facts in order to find solutions, and maybe create legislation, to make sure that this type of terrorism will never happen again at the Nation’s Capital. I have a suggestion when it comes to future legislation. Ban political candidates from advertising or conducting social media with guns in their possession or in the background.</div><div>Why? Recently, Rep. Lauren Boebert, the Republican Congresswoman from Colorado, while participating in a video conference for House Natural Resources Committee, had two assault rifles on her shelf serving as a background. Needless to say, that caused a commotion, especially when the committee was voting on whether members of the committee should be allowed to bring guns into the meetings. Boebert’s “protest” did not work and the amendment to the committee rules was passed.</div><div>Now, Boebert is a die-hard advocate for the 2nd Amendment, she even lives in a town called Rifle. She has made a big deal about carrying her Glock in the Capitol building. She made a video the day before the insurrection of her loading her Glock while walking in DC. But in light of the times, it is time for her, and others, to act responsibly.</div><div>Public servants can have strong positions on issues and take uncompromising stances if they so desire. However, if they are truly servants of the people, they have to show awareness of the moment. For the first time since the War of 1812, the US Capitol was seized. That was an unsettling moment for the majority of Americans. Politicians should be cognizant of that fact.</div><div>Therefore, since self-restraint does not seem to be forthcoming, it is time for legislation to ban political candidates from using guns or targets in their political messaging. This does not infringe on their 1st or 2nd Amendment rights. A politician can talk about their position on gun rights and show their NRA ratings all they want, but now is not the time for them to be showcasing their personal arsenals or casually pointing rifles at their daughter’s suitors.</div><div>It clearly implies for solutions that don’t involve a democratic process. It invokes further insurrectionist thoughts and actions. History bears this out, as the insurrectionist of 150 years ago used the medium of photographs and artwork effectively to invoke the passions of supporters and terrorize their opponents. Can you imagine L. Q. C. Lamar and Stonewall Jackson having access to Facebook, Twitter and Zoom?</div><div>We do have a modern example of how devastating that imagery can be. Ten years ago, a US Congresswoman was shot in Arizona, Gabby Giffords. Prior to the shooting, Sarah Palin’s PAC created literally a target map of several members of Congress, including Giffords, which had the faces covered by crosshairs. Now, Palin’s map did not motivate Gifford’s assailant, as he was planning to kill her five years prior to the ad or the actual attack, but it pretty much ended Palin’s national political future because of the immediate perception.</div><div>Politicians in America should not be perceived in any way as to be supporting a violent overthrow of the government. Thus, a ban, even just a temporary one, is needed in this volatile political climate. One can be a strong advocate of gun rights, I’m just stating that cooler rhetorical displays need to prevail at this moment. </div><div><br /></div>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-84472144399074951402021-02-02T10:49:00.001-05:002021-02-02T10:53:32.922-05:00My 56th Birthday Present<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2DhHthA3JGeCMedRV_-xbdR5eyPEUDJjT5LEUo9DqFbg9TzJK33xn6wXo6wxQcR5EoD6I6S7DEtKk04Bu0e2cVFW9GVi1AOy1DwIy2VyKIgPDvdJhN0XGqgkfKmhdqfgPeL23GUh5rfA/s2048/20190130_225055090_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1445" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2DhHthA3JGeCMedRV_-xbdR5eyPEUDJjT5LEUo9DqFbg9TzJK33xn6wXo6wxQcR5EoD6I6S7DEtKk04Bu0e2cVFW9GVi1AOy1DwIy2VyKIgPDvdJhN0XGqgkfKmhdqfgPeL23GUh5rfA/s320/20190130_225055090_iOS.jpg" /></a></div><br /> Today is my 56th birthday. I planned to enjoy a nice day off from work and quietly celebrate. However on January 27th, I received my results back from my January 25th COVID-19 test. It came back positive. I am now one of the 27 million Americans that have been afflicted in one way or another by this virus.<p></p><p>I have been fortunate that I did not have to go to the hospital, unlike some of my friends who have been documenting their struggle/journey. I am fortunate to still be amongst those dwelling on this planet and not one of the nearly 450,000 Americans who lost their battle. I am at the tail-end of my personal quarantine and hope to be nearly 100 percent within the next few days.</p><p> I will be going back into the environment in which I contracted the virus soon. I will continue to do my best to protect myself, but I have to be even more conscious in my efforts. This reminds me of the constant battle frontline workers deal with daily and the stress they endure to do their jobs effectively while trying to protect themselves, especially those in the healthcare profession.</p><p>My life had been impacted directly and indirectly by the pandemic already. Now the virus has physically touched me and I am not pleased. I pray that those of us who contract this virus will be able to fight it successfully like I have. I pray for strength for families that have lost loved ones to this. More importantly, I pray that those leaders responsible for providing the resources necessary to end the pandemic are successful, in spite of themselves and their shortcomings.</p><p>I further pray that we never, as a country, have to endure something like this again, and if we do, that we are better prepared to meet it head-on. This sucks. Yet, I am blessed. I am glad to have family and friends that care. I am glad that I am able to take care of myself.</p><p>Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes! I'll cherish them more this year than I have in the past. Since I don't know how many more of these birthdays I'll have coming, I'll do a better job of cherishing each one of them more. I guess having COVID-19 on your birthday gives you perspective. </p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-9004502856507361092021-01-13T14:03:00.000-05:002021-01-13T14:03:56.195-05:00The New Era<p> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As I write this, it has been a week after the attempted coup by the 45</span><sup style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">President of the United States to stay in power despite losing the popular vote and the Electoral College. Now that the shock has worn off, Americans are back to being as divided and stressed as usual , in the middle of a pandemic and the economic crisis it has wrought.</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">This is the point where we, collectively, have to start looking forward. We are on the cusp of a unique hybrid in historical terms. This is the Progressive Reconstruction Era of America. We must take advantage of it and prolong it as long as we can before the insurrectionists can figure out how to end it, just to subjugate us once again. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">I don’t believe another Jim Crow era is coming but I do believe another attempt is in the works and will be trotted out for implementation. We have to be organized and educated enough to stop it, even with our enhanced tribalism. I am not asking for unity anymore in the altruistic sense, I just believe a practical commonality of purpose will suffice to stem any regressive public policy brought forth by the new white nationalistic insurgents. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">If you have studied American history, then you know that we had a Civil War, a Reconstruction period, and a successful insurgency that created an additional 100 years of oppression that African Americans survived. Meanwhile, white Americans in the North experienced an equivalent to the European Renaissance we refer to as the Progressive Era. This is the era of industrial and technological breakthroughs, unbridled growth in wealth and national expansion. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">Interspersed with these changes also came social policies to attempt to address the disparities this growth period in America created. These policies built on the foundation of the greatest public policy action of the Reconstruction period: Public Education. It became evident that manpower was needed to fuel this industrial revolution but nothing was in place to empower the men, women and children that provided that manpower. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">Thus came the creation of labor unions to protect workers, especially in the areas of working conditions and wages; the academic discipline of social work to better study and combat the rising abject poverty and ease the stress of the new industrial working class; and political parties like the Progressive and Labor Parties to mandate these protections and remedies into law. Members of both the Democratic and Republican Parties also created progressive wings within their organizations. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">The one thing that was missing in this period of history was a commitment to end racial discrimination in America. It would be the students, children and grandchildren of these progressives that would become the new abolitionists that united with African Americans in the Civil Rights Era. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">That brings me back to this opportunity that is before us now. President Trump went to Alamo, Texas to symbolically state what many of us have already known: this is the last insurgent stand for white nationalistic supremacy in America. Several generations from now, if we do what we are supposed to do, historians will look back on January 6, 2021 as a major turning point milestone. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">But for that to truly happen, we must finish the work of the Progressive Era and substantially narrow the wealth gap in our society. We must finish the work of the Reconstruction Era by enhancing educational opportunities and create venues for true wealth building in every American community. In addition to finishing this work, we have an additional charge: That socioeconomic status will not determine our level of education, our access to healthcare, our ability to self-define our communities, our representation in government or our full attainment of wealth in this capitalist system. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">This is a moment in time where we truly can set our individual and collective future. History has taught us that we don’t have any time in this moment to waste. Just when we , as African Americans, thought the worse was behind us with the end of the peculiar institution of slavery, insurrection came and took us down a different but equally oppressive path. We cannot afford to make that same mistake again. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">A new era of American history has been ushered in. May it be a long and prosperous one. <o:p></o:p></p>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-19216436118170838682020-12-02T21:21:00.000-05:002020-12-02T21:26:53.601-05:00A Hope for the New YearSo 2020 is nearly over. It has been a challenging year for me personally as it has been for most Americans. People I know have struggled throughout the year and some have even died. There have been times when it seemed this year kept getting worse and there was no end in sight. But we are here in December, literally days before the beginning of a new year.<div><br></div><div>When this year started, people were talking about 2020 and relating it to vision. One pastor even reminded us that 20/20 vision is just average vision not exceptional vision, so we have to strive to do better than average. Right now, there are Americans who will settle for average, because they have suffered major setbacks.</div><div><br></div><div>Yet, here we are on the verge of a new year, which represents a new hope for all of us. Many are enthused about new political leadership, which will in turn bring new policies.Things are slowly coming back from entertainment to shopping and dining out. We have adjusted to virtual work and school and masks have become a fashion statement as well as an act of social responsibility.</div><div><br></div><div>More importantly, what has become evident is our resiliency. Despite pandemics, recessions, and public displays of incompetence, we, collectively, have persevered. This is a fact we have to acknowledge and embrace to boost our hopes even further.</div><div><br></div><div>For those of us who are African-American, survival has been the story of our 401-year existence in this part of the world. We have experienced so much cruelty, trauma and hardship for generations that it is not a surprise some of us have thrived in this terrible environment. More importantly, we turned early tragedy into a powerful voice that has resonated throughout the year.</div><div><br></div><div>Therefore 2021 has to be more than a year we look forward to with hope. We have to evaluate what we truly accomplished this year and use 2021 as a milestone year to build something better. Getting back to normal or average is not an option for us. </div><div><br></div><div>We have earned a seat at the table of politics but now we have to do so at the table of economics. 2021 has to be the year that we lay the foundation for building wealth in our community. Five dollars of wealth for a white person's $100 cannot be acceptible any more. We have to use our collective political capital to increase our collective economic capital. We will never be truly free until we do.</div><div><br></div><div>We cannot have an individualistic, selfish approach to this. Having a select few attaining wealth while millions of African Americans continue to lag behind is not going to improve our unique dynamic. We ascribe to the philosophy that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, but we don't ascribe to the belief that poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere. 2021 needs to be the year that changes.</div><div><br></div><div>We have to push for public policy that addresses economic disparity. We have to have benevolent actions that create entrepreneural opportunities for African Americans. We have to increase assests in black-owned banks and endowments at historically black colleges and universities. We have teach the value of entrepreneurship and support as many black-owned businesses as possible.</div><div><br></div><div>It will not be easy. However, I believe a group of people who have generation after generation survived the worst mankind has to offer: chattel slavery, Jim Crow laws and Black Codes, lynchings and murderous brutality, can achieve such a lofty goal. All it takes is a commitment along with the faith and hope a new year brings. Here's to a great 2021.</div><div><br></div>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-6641538762886435972020-07-18T10:22:00.001-04:002020-07-18T10:41:53.998-04:00Our turn to "do the work"Many people refer to the World War II veterans as part of the greatest American generation. I am not here to argue that. However, I will say that with passing of Rep. John Lewis and Rev. C.T. Vivian on July 17, 2020, I'm reminded that passing of the most influential generation in American history is upon us. The veterans of the American Civil Rights Movement did more to shape our country domestically than any global war ever could.<br />
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Lewis was the last of the "Big Six", the six most prominent civil rights leaders of the Movement. He was the only one of the six to be elected to public office, thus positioning himself as the protector of the advances they fought and, in the case of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., died for. John was respected by many in both parties as the American hero he was and the conscience of a nation he evolved to be.</div>
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He never stopped being civilly disobedient. He never yielded on an issue of principle. Most importantly, he never gave up, even as his 80-year-old body was failing him.</div>
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The same can be said about Rev. Vivian. Vivian, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Rev. James Bevel, Rev. Hosea Williams, Diane Nash, Andrew Young, Bob Moses, Julian Bond, Ella Baker and Rev. Joseph Lowery formed the support team for the Movement. They were the lieutenants that made things happen, whether it was recruiting, organizing, project managing, as we call it today, advance work, or media drops. Vivian then in his later years became more of a leader in his own right, pushing the concept of racial reconciliation, hosting workshops in every corner of this nation.</div>
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Yet, until his dying day, he never stopped being civilly disobedient, he never yielded on an issue of principle, and he never gave up on his hope for America to be truly a more perfect union.</div>
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In historical irony, for Vivian and Lewis to pass away on the same day, it is to me as profound as John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both passing away on July 4, 1826. Lewis and Vivian's legacy will be forever cherished by those of us who were given the opportunity to serve publicly. By simply continuing to "do the work", they helped shepherd a change in America.</div>
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Although these good and faithful servants are receiving their reward, let us truly show our appreciation for them by stepping up, continuing to "do the work", and never giving up the fight or the hope.</div>
Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-3456107478597522242019-07-01T15:50:00.001-04:002019-07-01T15:50:55.096-04:00Coming back into the fray <p dir="ltr">So it has been a minute since I last posted, which was concerning the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. But now I'm coming back to the fray to do more writing and to support my new podcast, "A Moment with Erik Fleming".</p>
<p dir="ltr">The podcast is about a half hour long and will be supported by Anchor. The direct website to the podcast is: www.anchor.fm/e<u>rik-fleming1</u>. This may also prompt me to go ahead and build a personal one page website that will have links to everything GOOD about me. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Anyway, now more than ever, it is time for me to engage again. It has been over a decade since I last ran for or held political office. There are many things going on now that I cannot sit idly by and not at least offer some insight. The 2019 and 2020 elections may truly be the most influential of the century. It's time to come back. </p>
Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-44600056985772524862018-02-16T12:34:00.001-05:002018-02-16T12:34:54.805-05:00My thoughts on the Douglas High School tragedy Wednesday...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-PMl3c_rjBABKQYK_Ds4od7RT9wWVOX04rmZ4qv7Ctoc3dxguZdMxlqY2mniVNmHMrPFRETK1vc5TyUcmsCXSsC-W5i3aNhAsDWm923TfrZnjyvkk-Owdq0LPpfWRVUz1CQcZChsI7tr/s1600/IMG_20180216_123255.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-PMl3c_rjBABKQYK_Ds4od7RT9wWVOX04rmZ4qv7Ctoc3dxguZdMxlqY2mniVNmHMrPFRETK1vc5TyUcmsCXSsC-W5i3aNhAsDWm923TfrZnjyvkk-Owdq0LPpfWRVUz1CQcZChsI7tr/s640/IMG_20180216_123255.png"> </a> </div>Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6892312248168020786.post-30556695912055270732017-09-26T15:29:00.000-04:002017-09-26T15:29:08.840-04:00Leaving MississippiBy October 15, 2017, after 34 years of residency, I will be leaving the State of Mississippi. I have found love and I will be getting married. My soul mate lives in the Atlanta, Georgia area, so I will make the journey to be with her and enjoy my final days, however long that is, there.<br />
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It has been an incredible journey since I first set foot on the campus of Jackson State University in August of 1983. My matriculation at Jackson State laid the foundation for me to find myself, because self-identity is crucial, and understand comprehensively my calling to public service. My years on "The Yard" exposed me to so much of Mississippi, the Black Diaspora, and the rest of the world. It is one thing to grow up in the "The City of Big Shoulders"; it is another to become an adult in Mississippi.<br />
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The citizens of Mississippi have made me feel welcome. For nine years, I had the privilege of serving in the Mississippi House of Representatives, trying my best to do their will. I was given the opportunity twice to represent the Mississippi Democratic Party as their nominee for the United States Senate. I have enjoyed many family reunions, church services, picnics, parties, football games and mint tea/lemonade/beer/bourbon drinks. I've had the unique privilege of traveling through all 82 counties and speaking (and partying) at nearly all of the institutions of higher learning.<br />
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Most importantly, I became a father to a native Mississippian and he is developing into the most special young man any father could ever be proud of. That will be the toughest transition of all, being away from him, but being the hero he has always been to me, he has worked out a strategy that I will strictly adhere to, to ease that angst and stay involved in his life.<br />
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I have friends that I am leaving behind. People who have been a constant reminder of how good human beings can be. I will miss you greatly. However, as long as I have my right mind, I will always have the memories that will make me smile and remind me that Mississippi is a exceptional place.<br />
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There will be those that will probably be glad to see me go, for whatever reason. I have to accept that, because we have all come up short and not been our best with everyone. I have asked for forgiveness from them and from God for those times. Maybe the distance will make that happen eventually.<br />
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Nevertheless, when you have been blessed to live 52 years on this earth, the good outweighs the bad. I would not trade in my experience in Mississippi for anything in the world. My only hope is that, as history will judge, that my time was significant enough to help move this state forward in some small way. I wish I could have done more and learned more. I did learn how to survive here though, and that will be a quality that I can take with me to Atlanta, or anywhere else God leads me to be in the future.<br />
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I'm gonna miss going up Highway 49 seeing the cotton growing and being harvested. I'm gonna miss Walnut Hills and Mary Mahoney's, Doe's and Char, Smith's Downtown and Widemann's. I'm gonna miss hanging out at the casinos and playing Mississippi golf. But at least I know I'm only six hours away if get homesick.<br />
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Anyway, before I get too sentimental, I just wanted to thank the people of Mississippi for letting me be a part of the experience in the most hospitable of ways. Y'all have made me a better person and a more conscious human being. Take care for now and may God continue to bless y'all, strengthen y'all, and keep y'all in His favor always.Erik R. Fleminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08105738078011717035noreply@blogger.com0