Volume 5 Issue 9…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…March 8, 2002

Webster defines sovereignty as (1) supreme excellence or an example of it and (2) supreme power especially over a body politic. The second definition fits the notion of sovereignty implicit in the actions of the state of Mississippi in seceding from the Union (1861) and creating the Sovereignty Commission (1956).

Prior to the Civil War, each of the states that seceded from the Federal Union (1861) enumerated reasons for its actions in the form of a declaration, much like the Declaration of Independence. Mississippi avowed, "Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun. These products have become necessities of the world, and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization. That blow has been long aimed at the institution, and was at the point of reaching its consummation. There was no choice left us but submission to the mandates of abolition, or a dissolution of the Union, whose principles had been subverted to work out our ruin."

In 1956, two years after the Supreme Court outlawed segregated public education in its Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision, the Mississippi State Legislature created the Sovereignty Commission to "protect the sovereignty of Mississippi and her sister states" from federal government interference. Funded with tax dollars, the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission (MSC) operated in secret; its twelve member board of directors included state lawmakers, judges and governors, who served as chairmen of the board from the time of its creation until 1977.

In 1998, the MSC files were opened as a result of a 20-year court battle led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Files on some 250 organizations and tens of thousands of individuals, including civil rights workers, college students, state government officials and others were compiled by the MSC. Citizen spies were paid $100 to $150 dollars for information. Black and white snitches infiltrated and sowed division within the civil rights movement. According to David Ignebretson, the ACLU executive director who led the court fight to force Mississippi to unseal MSC records, "The agency spied on people, played dirty tricks on them and tried to do anything it could to disrupt the civil rights movement."

According to Associated Press reports filed in April 1998, "At its first staff meeting, the commission hired an executive director to oversee daily operations. Its first investigators were a former chief of police of the Mississippi Highway Patrol and a former FBI agent. The commission also hired a full-time public relations director to devise projects that would portray Mississippi in a favorable light." The commission gathered information through its own agents, a network of spies, law enforcement agencies, newspapers and the white supremacist Citizens Council (KKK), which it paid more than $190,000 in tax money from 1960-1964. (Sources: Journal of the State Convention, E. Barksdale, State Printer, 1861, pp. 86-88, http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives and http://www.upress.state.ms.us.)

The Dark Knight-Batman/White Ninja/Zorro epitomizes the saying that 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.' He loves to eat; nothing must interfere with scheduled nourishment. Enrollment in an after school program posed such a predicament. When asked for his comments, the Dark One/Ninja/Zorro announced his resolution, "I must take some snacks to that tutorial."

People do not become slaves overnight; their freedom is taken away a little at a time. One morning you wake up wearing "gold stars." Chillingly reminiscent of Adolf Hitler's takeover of Germany, Americans were told Thursday (2-28-02) that since 9-11, there has been a "shadow government." Justified as a national security measure, the frightening aspect of this revelation is that Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said, "I have heard absolutely nothing about this."

According to the US Constitution, there are clear lines of succession. James Madison proposed, "Three branches that would check and balance one another: a two-house legislature (Senate and House of Representatives), an executive and judicial branches. Each would have specific functions and would see that the others did not overstep their bounds. Sen. Robert Byrd, President Pro tempore of the Senate and third in constitutional succession, has been kept completely in the dark, raising serious questions about the "shadow government" following constitutional guidelines.

A similar subversion of the US Constitution took place in Mississippi. Responding to Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), the State legislature created the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission (MSC), a Gestapo segregation-era agency that compiled files on 250 groups and tens of thousands of ordinary citizens. The information was used to terrorize individuals, families, businesses and organizations that fought to gain constitutional rights for black Americans. When intimidation did not work, people were killed on orders from MSC chairmen, who were Mississippi governors.

Modeled on the FBI's Counter Intelligence Program (Co-InTel-Pro), southern states established sovereignty commissions to fight court-ordered school desegregation. These agencies made the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) extra-legal enforcers of segregation. Federal and state judges were selected based on their allegiance to the KKK and pledge to defend segregation. The KKK viewed court files and witness lists to aid jury tampering.

Today, such vetting is called "strict construction" to telegraph George W. Bush's litmus test for federal judges. Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott and his "lifelong" friend Charles Pickering participated in sovereignty commission decisions and actions. Erstwhile segregationists, Lott and Pickering cannot hide their past and to avoid recanting or repudiating their beliefs and actions as sovereignty commission henchmen, they want to be viewed as men of their time. They broke laws by resisting court orders and decisions. Now, as elected officials, they legislate and adjudicate those laws.

America's judiciary supports Article 1 Section 2 -the 3/5 Compromise of the US Constitution - as affirmed by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney in Dred Scott v. Sanford and Bush v. Gore. "A black man has no rights that a white man is bound to respect." Whether Bush's "shadow government," a shadowy judiciary or the KKK, the object is to operate outside of constitutional channels to control government. White Americans agree to violate laws that are supposed to prevent discrimination, while trying to preserve the appearance of democracy, when in fact, they support white supremacy. John 2002

On March 19, 2002, DeKalb County, Georgia voters will decide the fate of the Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). DeKalb is losing revenue because many of us shop in Cobb and Gwinnett Counties, where the sales tax is lower. DeKalb is being bled dry; it is time to stop the hemorrhage. On March 19, vote NO!

"Shall a special one percent sales and use tax for educational purposes be imposed in DeKalb County for not longer than 20 quarters, beginning July 1, 2002, to raise not more than $560,000,000 for new schools, land, additions, renovations, equipment, school buses, and technology systems, not to exceed $524,404,330 for the DeKalb School District; $14,304,339 for the Decatur City Schools; and $221,291,331 for the Atlanta School System as described in the notice of election?"

Say No! Twenty (20) quarters is five (5) years. We have had SPLOST for five years, as well as the one-cent MARTA and HOST sales taxes. We are the most taxed people in Georgia. Stop SPLOST! Vote NO!

Disgruntled wants to know: The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the convictions of three cops in the Abner Louima case. Cops sodomized Louima with a broomstick. Under strict construction, which is Bush's judicial litmus test, 'a black man has no rights white men are bound to respect.' What more does it take for blacks to see slavery is still our lot in the land of the brave and the home of the free?

Disgruntled feels: Big Brother! Foreign policy experts say executive power is used in four major areas, i.e., psychological, political, military and economic. Various US agencies since WWII have engaged in domestic and foreign propaganda or psychological operations. Kin of the current CEO, Richard Nixon was famous for his 'dirty tricks.' Only people brainwashed by Big Brother believe the CIA and other spies stopped using psych-ops on the American and foreign public.

Disgruntled says: Nations engage in wars for revenge and/or profits. Espousing vengeful rhetoric, Bush claims America is striking back for the 9-11 attack. Most of those identified as 9-11 'terrorists' came from Saudi Arabia. The US is bombing Afghanistan and leveling mountains where energy conglomerates plan to lay pipelines to carry oil from the region. Beyond the rhetoric, profits will be made in the war on terrorism.

On the heels of the DeKalb Commission vote to deny the Hickory Ridge Landfill re-zoning request, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney's office issued this statement: "Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) is pleased South DeKalb residents won a major battle in the fight to protect their community from the eight landfills that operate in South DeKalb. McKinney, a strong advocate for environmental protection, has spoken out on numerous occasions to protect the quality of living and the environment and the economic health of all DeKalb.

In a recent letter McKinney asked the Commission to "stop the expansion of landfills in South DeKalb." The entire community came together; I was glad to see that happen. The quality of life in DeKalb was threatened by the Hickory Ridge request. I hope this is the end of this issue and we can move on, now, to other issues that will keep DeKalb County clean, vibrant, educated, and in good economic health."

For the victims of environmental racism, this is a naive statement. South DeKalb is the final destination of more than 30 percent of all garbage collected in Georgia. Politicians seeking election and reelection may see the commission's vote as a finale. For residents of the funky hood, this was not a matter of political expediency. We are at war; this was one battle. The war is far from over. Attorneys for BFI, owners of Hickory Ridge Landfill, have vowed to sue. With a strict construction judge, BFI could win, especially if the county puts up a less than vigorous defense. So, instead of seeing last week's vote as a victory, we see it as a temporary reprieve and remain ready to continue the war against the environmental racism perpetuated by those who see where we live as a garbage dump for the region.

A message arrived in January marked, "For your eyes only: Do not publish until the 'shadow government' breaks." Signed Peep City, it came from our Deep Cover Operative (DCO) Peep City Barnabas. While making holiday party rounds, Peep got wind of a very hush-hush gathering at an opulent New England estate. Blanketed with security, even the live-in help was given the weekend off. Pledging anonymity and vowing never to acknowledge this meeting, the tight-lipped group of Democratic Party operatives huddled to compare notes.

Totally exasperated with Al Gore's lack of fight in "wimping out" to George W. Bush on not counting votes in Florida, Democratic money men have seen enough of "quick change" Al. Motivated by fears that Bush's right-wing policies have eroded constitutional protections, they feel Democrats must fight to preserve hopes for democracy. As Peep City saw it, there was a general consensus that the "war on terrorism" made Bush a known quantity; to have a chance in 2004, Democrats need a known quantity as well. In other words, "You can't beat somebody with nobody."

Then, like a bomb dropping on Afghanistan, the name no one dared utter BILL CLINTON was spoken. To Barnabas' surprise, no one ducked for cover or evacuated the premises. Instead, the discussion quickly turned to whether or not someone should approach Bill or build support for a draft effort. Most felt, for the former President to take such a draft seriously, given the demands on him and his family, they had to do more than just raise money to press their point. A majority believed their best hope of convincing Clinton to make the sacrifice lies in a rank-and-file grassroots effort that appealed to Bill's love of America. Even those talking of holding their noses felt Democrats need someone with proven experience to challenge Bush on policy issues. Support was unanimous, even after considering all the negatives. "With Clinton, we knew who ran the government, but with Bush, we have no idea." To Peep, the question remains, "Will Bill take the field in 2004?"

The rule is so simple, even those with little in the way of gravitas grasp it. Dubya and Bubba know that when the capitalist economy is in a recession, you cut taxes to stimulate consumer spending. This simple rule of cutting taxes in a recession applies everywhere, except where black Americans live and in Third World countries. Prime examples are the IMF/World Bank rules imposed on Argentina and the city of Atlanta, DeKalb and Fulton Counties, where the mayor and CEO want to increase taxes. Atlanta, DeKalb and Fulton Counties are majority black areas where the MARTA one-cent sales tax is levied. Though imposed in black areas, it finances public transportation and economic development in white areas where the tax is not levied.

DeKalb and Fulton Counties have some of the highest tax, foreclosure and auto repossession rates in the country. Yet, our elected leaders, Vernon Jones and Shirley Franklin, proposed budgets that increase the tax burden of the citizens living in these jurisdictions.

Gov. Barnes and Georgia's legislature recognize the need to spur consumer spending by approving two sales tax-free periods (March 29-30 and Aug. 2-3). Certain clothing, computer equipment and school supplies will be exempt from state and local sales taxes. The sales tax holidays only apply to 2002, but officials estimate shoppers will save some $17- $22 million.

Increasing taxes during a recession, especially when so many in DeKalb and Fulton Counties are hurting, is just plain dumb. Someone please give Jones and Franklin this elementary economics lesson!

Email: www.nytimes.com February 28, 2002 -Eighteen of the energy industry's top 25 financial contributors to the Republican Party advised Vice President Dick Cheney's national energy task force last year, according to interviews and election records. Critics of the Bush administration's energy policy have long suspected that many of the corporations that were invited to advise the White House were large energy concerns that had contributed heavily to President Bush's campaign and the Republican Party in 2000. The White House has refused to release the names of the companies and individuals consulted during the formulation of the administration's energy policy last spring. It has been sued for the information.

Email: alaarkam@webtv.net The greatest fear of rich white nations like Britain and the USA is that Africans throughout the Diaspora will unite on the crucial issue of Reparations. They fear President Mugabe precisely because he is determined to restore to the Zimbabwean people the rich farmland, which Europeans stole from them. They fear the Reparations Movement in the Americas because it demands complete restoration of all that oppressive white governments robbed us of, including our mother tongue, our original culture, our land and our ability to govern ourselves.

Email http://baltimorechronicle.com "An important tenet of journalism is that you should always ask, 'Who benefits?' In the case of a war, the answer to this question is of paramount importance. Suppose, for example, that profits from military contracting were to go in the pockets of a former U.S. President whose son (and a presumed future heir) is now President? Suppose further that such profits escalate in times of conflict. Wouldn't this be of concern to the public? Wouldn't you expect the media to be all over such an important ethical (not to mention moral), and maybe legal angle?

Though described by the industry Standard as "the world's largest private equity firm," with over $12 billion under management, chances are readers haven't ever heard of the Carlyle Group. Isn't that a little odd, considering it is run by a veritable who's who of former Republican political leaders? Former Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci is Carlyle's chairman and managing director (who, by the way, was college roommate of the current Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld). And that partners in this mammoth venture include former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III, George Soros, Fred Malek (George H.W. Bush's campaign manager, forced to resign when it was revealed he was Nixon's 'Jew counter'), and presumably George H.W. Bush?

We say 'presumably' because the privately-held Carlyle doesn't have to reveal information about its partners or investments to the SEC or to anyone else. Our former President is reported to be active in seeking investments for the Carlyle Group from the Asian market, and word is he's paid between $80,000 to $100,000 per presentation.

All told, Carlyle has about 420 partners all over the globe, from Saudi princes to the former president of the Philippines. Its investments run heavily in the defense sector; they make money from military conflicts and weapons spending. (Written by Alice Cherbonnier)

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