The DISH
Unbossed and unbought news and information you can use
Volume 7 Issue 38…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…September
24, 2004
Song for the Old Ones
By Maya Angelou
My Fathers sit on benches
Their flesh count every plank
The slats leave dents of darkness
Deep in their withered flanks.
They nod like broken candles
All waxed and burnt profound,
They say "It's understanding
That makes the world go round."
There in those pleated faces
I see the auction block
The chains and slavery's coffles
The whip and lash and stock.
My Fathers speak in voices
That shred my fact and sound
They say "It's our submission
That makes the world go round."
They used the finest cunning
Their naked wits and wiles
The lowly Uncle Tomming
And Aunt Jemimas' smiles.
They've laughed to shield their crying
Then shuffled through their dreams
And stepped 'n fetched a country
To write the blues with screams.
I understand their meaning
It could and did derive
From living on the edge of death
They kept my race alive.
Soul Journey
By Yohannes Sharriff
I am often amazed by the creative staying power of the Atlanta
vibe. Despite the absence of funding
from Atlanta's art community and the all too frequent closing of venues, it not
only manages to survive but to thrive. I
entered the spoken word arena in late '96.
The scene was a small close-knit community. The poets were the entertainers and
audience. It was our sanctuary.
We continued the tradition of seeking non-traditional means of
spiritual expression. With the faith and
purpose of itinerant preachers, we toured bookstores, cafes and coffee
shops. Tattered notebooks, journals, the
backs of receipts and crumpled napkins were lifelines for trembling hands and
unsure voices, as novices transformed into empowered poets determined to be
heard. With limited resources and a
fervent desire to serve a community, Atlanta poets nurtured the vibe. Today, Atlanta is the Mecca for spoken word.
Now, the universal appeal and impact of spoken word stretches far
beyond open mics. Its unique ability to
tell stories and convey messages rarely voiced in mainstream media make it an ideal
vehicle for grassroots movements and community development.
Born of the vibe, Soul Journey: Where Will Your Soul End Up? is a
non-traditional expression of faith and praise to the Most High. A year old, it is part of an ongoing effort
to expose the Christian community to the healing power of the spoken word. With its powerful message of faith and
redemption, Soul Journey connects and relates people of all ages one to
another.
In August, the cast and crew celebrated Soul Journey's first
anniversary with a performance at Upscales.
Another performance is planned for late October in Macon, GA. For information and bookings, email SoulJourney2004@aol.com or call 404-626-8139.
By John Burl Smith
On Saturday (9-11-04), Yohannes and I attended a community
celebration at the Marvelous Light
Christian Ministry of Lithia Springs, Georgia. The church's pastor is Rev. J. E.
Chandler. The gathering revived memories
of stories my great grandfather told about old-fashioned "campground
meetings."
An ordained United Methodist minister, Rev. Burl Lee rode a
circuit out of Kasciusko, Mississippi in the early 1900s. Desperate times for blacks, he talked of
journeys to isolated backwater communities that were connected only by word of
mouth. Listening to his adventures was
like reading the works of Mark Twain, Jack London, James A. Michener and
Charles Dickens.
Itinerant preachers, such as my great grandfather, were like
lifelines linking communities to each other and the outside world. Community centers back then, church services
and religious meetings were the only occasions when large numbers of blacks
could gather. Church-sponsored "campground meetings" were not only
spiritual affairs, they were socioeconomic and political events. People came from miles to renew
acquaintances, welcome newcomers, barter or sell dry goods and produce, show
off their crafts and be entertained by local artists and traveling minstrels.
My great grandfather said he tried to prepare people to survive as
best they could here on earth; whether or not they went to heaven was out of
his hands. Reflecting on the severity of
the times and threats from the Ku Klux Klan, he preached that blacks lived in a
hostile environment and were preyed upon by all manner of beasts and
devils. Lost children in the wilderness,
he admonished them to "watch out for those who mislead and misrepresent in
the name of the Lord, and depend on each other, while praying for better
days."
Different times today, with cell phones in almost every hand and
computers providing international reach, it is difficult to imagine churches
and preachers playing such a vital community role. However, like salmon swimming upstream, some
ministers still cling to the "old-time religion" and work to instill
a sense of community in their parishioners.
Today, such churches are considered non-traditional, meaning they are
concerned with the everyday human needs of their flock, as the "Circuit
Rider" and preachers of his day.
Coordinated by Ms. Monica Bell, the program we attended is an
example of how those old-time solutions fit our modern circumstances. Held outside, as music began to play, the
smell of food cooking filled the air.
While grownups set tables for the feast, children played. Feeling a real
connection and kinship, Yohannes blurted out, "Yea! Now, this is home!"
The program included a number of gospel groups and bands that had
CDs for sale. The Angels of Praise
dancers performed several routines with vocal accompaniment. Interspersed throughout the show were local
entrepreneurs raffling products and discounts for services. The finale featured Rev. Chandler and
Increase, who performed songs from their new CD "My Year of Increase." Like a family reunion, parishioners and
visitors ended a great non-traditional afternoon with the ever-popular reunion
favorite the "Electric Slide."
The old "campground" community spirit flowed through the
crowd, making their praise a reflection of how we as a people can have a
"year of increase." Our
inter-dependence is a source of strength and self-support; it is a proven means
of building wealth. This afternoon of
praise is truly a grand model that the entire black community can employ for a
"Year of Increase."
The Dark Knight-Batman/White Ninja/Zorro has been taught that he
is a work in progress. To grow and
develop to his full potential, change is necessary. He recently experienced more changes than
anticipated. So, when queried for
comments, the Dark One/Ninja/Zorro lamented, "Change can also be
painful."
Disgruntled says: George W. Bush's faith-based initiative is a garden-variety
political patronage program. Churches
allowed to belly up to the federal trough support Bush. This includes evangelicals that tell their
congregations for whom to vote without fear of repercussions. On the other hand, traditionally Democratic black
churches, where political candidates have been known to speak on Sunday, are
coming under heavy IRS scrutiny. Making
certain tax-exempt organizations do not engage in partisan politics is
certainly an important law enforcement function. However, as long as Bush's faith-based
initiative puts government in the business of funding certain religions, it is
hard to see how the IRS will be even-handed in fulfilling its oversight
responsibility.
Disgruntled wants to know: Like compassionate conservative, "conservative
Christian" is an oxymoron. Based on
biblical stories, Jesus Christ was the ultimate liberal. His reason for being was to improve the lot
of the downtrodden, a goal opposed by the establishment. Today, the word liberal has become a pejorative. For instance, as ridiculous as it sounds, GOP
mailings are warning voters that, if liberals win in November, Bibles will be
banned and men will be allowed to marry men.
War and fear are hallmarks of conservatives claiming to be followers of
Jesus Christ, who advocated love and peace.
This is definitely backwards. Are
conservative Christians more anti-Christ than Jesus Christ?
Disgruntled feels:
Straussian! Leo Strauss is the godfather
of neo-conservatism. Like Niccolo
Machiavelli, Strauss saw religion as a sedative to dull the senses of the
masses, making them receptive to state propaganda. This allows imperialist leaders to achieve
their agenda, which is rarely in the public's interest. The men shaping US foreign and domestic
policy are students of Strauss. Even
dullards ought to understand how Bush can simultaneously claim to be pro-life,
pro-war and pro-death penalty. He's run
by Straussians!
James G. Blaine (1830-1893)
Born in Washington County, Pennsylvania (PA) on January 31, 1830, James
Gillespie Blaine graduated from Washington College (1847). He taught at the Western Military Institute
in Blue Lick Springs, Kentucky before returning to Pennsylvania, where he
studied law and taught at the Pennsylvania Institution for the Blind in
Philadelphia (1852-1854).
In 1854, Blaine moved to Maine, where he became an influential
newspaper editor and leader in forming the state's Republican Party. A state party chairman (1859-81), Blaine was
elected to the state legislature (1859-1862).
He ran for Congress and served in the US House of Representatives from
March 4, 1863 until his July 10, 1876 resignation. During his House tenure, Blaine served as
Speaker (1869-1875) and chairman of the Committee on Rules.
A popular choice for the 1876 Republican Party presidential
nomination, Blaine became the subject of an investigation, which alleged he
used his influence as Speaker to secure a land grant for a railroad in Arkansas
and sold railroad bonds for a sizeable commission. Blaine obtained, but did not publicize,
documents purporting to show his role in the scandal. Instead, he read selective portions of the
so-called "Mulligan letters" in a failed attempt to defend himself
before the House of Representatives.
Tainted by scandal and perceived as dishonest, Blaine lost the 1876
Republican presidential nomination to Rutherford B. Hayes.
On July 10, 1876, Blaine was appointed to fill the US Senate
vacancy created by the resignation of Lot M. Morrill. He subsequently ran for the Senate seat and
served until his resignation on March 5, 1881 to become Secretary of State
under President James A. Garfield. After
Garfield's assassination, Blaine returned to private life and wrote Twenty
Years of Congress. Prior to becoming
Secretary of State, he made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential
nomination in 1880. Four years later
(1884), he received the nomination and ran against Democratic candidate Grover
Cleveland.
Little in the way of issues separated the parties'
standard-bearers; the campaign was bitterly fought over personal shortcomings
and public scandals. Democrats revived
the railroad scandal and "Mulligan letters," while Republicans
charged Cleveland with fathering an illegitimate child. The wholesale defection of reform Republicans
called mugwumps and the Republican factional feuding between Blaine's
"Half-Breeds" and Roscoe Conkling's Stalwarts reduced Blaine's
chances of winning. The coup de grace
came when Blaine, whose mother was Catholic, failed to distance himself from a
tactless comment made by Rev. Samuel D. Buchard, a New York Presbyterian
clergyman. Buchard referred to Democrats
as "the party whose antecedents are rum, Romanism, and rebellion." Blaine lost the support of New York Irish
Catholics and the election.
In 1888, Blaine supported Benjamin Harrison. As Secretary of State
under Harrison (1889-1892), he pursued an expansionist policy. He believed the USA was destined to dominate
the Caribbean and the Pacific. Expansion
was essential in marketing US products.
Blaine worked toward and presided over the first Pan-American
Congress. He resigned in 1892 to seek
the Republican presidential nomination, which Harrison won. Blaine died in Washington, D.C. on January
27, 1893. Originally buried at Oak Hill
Cemetery, he was laid to rest at Blaine Memorial Park in Augusta, Maine in June
1920. (Sources: www.bartleby.com and http://bioguide.congress.gov/
Blaine Amendments
"No State shall make any law respecting an establishment of
religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; and no money raised by
taxation in any State, for the support of public schools, or derived from any
public fund therefore, nor any public lands devoted thereto, shall ever be
under the control of any religious sect, nor shall any money so raised, or
lands so devoted be divided between religious sects or denominations."
On December 14, 1875, Congressman James G. Blaine proposed the
above amendment requiring states to abide by the First Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution, i.e., "Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
Blaine's amendment prohibited the use of state funds at "sectarian"
schools.
On August 4, 1876, Blaine's amendment passed the House by an
overwhelming 180 to 7, but narrowly failed to receive the required two-thirds
majority in the Senate. Nonetheless, the
amendment became part of a number of state constitutions. States either adopted it through the usual
constitutional amendment process or were forced to do so as a requirement to
gain statehood.
Thirty-seven states' constitutions contain provisions restricting
aid to "sectarian" schools.
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has challenged the
constitutionality of Blaine Amendments.
Its efforts include making the public aware of these amendments.
For example, few people know the amendment's history, particularly
its nativism and anti-Catholic bigotry.
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty (www.blaineamendments.org) is
working to raise public and judicial awareness of the amendment's hostile
origins. Through its web site, news
stories and amicus briefs filed in opposition to Blaine Amendments, the Fund
has enjoyed some success in clearing the way for federal funds to be used to
support school voucher programs, including those offered at religious schools.
While you may not support federally funded vouchers for religious school
programs, you should learn more about the Blaine Amendments and efforts by
religious organizations, such as the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, to
overturn these provisions. Their efforts
could impact the allocation of education tax dollars in your state and
locality.
Sex, Lies and Televangelists
The Catholic Church homosexual and pedophile scandal, which
received news coverage ad nauseam, rocked religious and secular
communities. A recent not-
as-well-publicized Church announcement indicated many of the lawsuits, which
resulted from priestly improprieties, have been settled. Skeptics and agnostics tend to view celibacy
and male-dominated priesthood as breeding grounds for homosexuality. But, is the type of illegal and salacious
behavior displayed by Catholic priests and exposed by the media really an
aberration?
There have been lots of sex and financial scandals in the
Protestant Church. The most publicized
involved heterosexual acts between consenting adults, most notable among these
are the adultery, lies and financial swindles of Jimmy Swaggart, Jim and Tammy
Faye Bakker and Rev. Henry Lyons. A
Baptist, Lyons, the lone black among these crooks, was convicted of swindling
more that $4 million from companies that wanted to sell life insurance, credit
cards and burial plots to church members.
Lyons and his mistress spent the ill-gotten gains living like the rich
and famous.
In none of these church scandals has there been a hint of
homosexuality. This could change, if
mainstream media tells the tale of the televangelist and his lover. For the past eight years, the president of
Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), televangelist Paul Crouch, has managed,
through bribes and closed court hearings, to keep his alleged homosexual
liaison with a former TBN employee and client of a TBN-affiliated drug
treatment facility out of mainstream media.
The Los Angeles Times recently ran a story about Crouch's efforts to
keep his alleged lover, Enoch Lonnie Ford, quiet. Ford, who has received a sizeable chunk of
cash to keep quiet, has written a book.
Unpublished, the manuscript is titled "Arrowhead," an apparent
reference to the TBN-owned cabin in the San Bernardino Mountains where the
homosexual assignation occurred.
Crouch, a former partner of Jim Bakker, is a world-renowned
fundamentalist televangelist that has consistently preached homosexuality is an
unpardonable sin. Revelations of a
homosexual tryst would certainly bring Crouch's remarkable career to an
end. It would also take a little luster
off of the holier than thou fundamentalist world and make the Catholic Church
homosexual scandal look like less of an aberration.
THINC || 2004 Issues || The DISH