W.E. A.L.L. B.E.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Mob Rule In Sumner Update: Jackson Free Press: Delta Manhunt Leader’s ‘Guard’ Disarmed After Katrina

Charlie Smith / The Greenwood Commonwealth
John Whitten was "playing war" in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina according to the former Biloxi police chief.

by Ward Schaefer
The Jackson Free Press
September 18, 2009
Originally Appeared/Posted:
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/delta_manhunt_leaders_guard_disarmed_after_katrina_091809/

See also: A Delta Manhunt, with Booze and Guns, Sept. 2, 2009
See also: A Sordid History: Manhunt Leader Has History of Violence - Sept. 9, 2009

When Bruce Dunagan heard that Tallahatchie County prosecutor John Whitten III was involved in a vigilante-style manhunt last month, he wasn’t surprised. Dunagan, who was Biloxi's police chief during Hurricane Katrina, remembers Whitten testing the limits of the law in the aftermath of the 2005 storm.

Whitten arrived in Biloxi as a colonel in an all-volunteer organization called the Mississippi State Guard, which the governor can call on to assist the National Guard during natural disasters. Dunagan had never heard of the Mississippi State Guard until several days after Katrina hit, when he started hearing complaints about military officers at Biloxi High School, which was serving as a special-needs shelter.

"A lot of the complaints were that they're all drunk, they've got weapons, they've got machine guns," Dunagan told the Jackson Free Press this week.

Dunagan decided to visit the high school with officers from the Biloxi Police Department and members of the Mississippi National Guard. When he arrived, he saw that Whitten had set up offices inside the school. His officers found loaded .45-caliber pistols in the offices, which they confiscated.

"They are all dressed up in battle fatigues, and unless you look closely at their uniform at the tab—over the right pocket it says 'Mississippi State Guard'—you wouldn't know," Dunagan said. "Everybody thought they were National Guard. I did. The police officers up there did."

After brushing off Dunagan's request to see his orders once, Whitten turned over his orders from the state, which revealed that he was to report directly to the civilian nurse in charge of the shelter.

"He said he hadn't been drinking, but he certainly struck me—from many years in law enforcement—as being under the influence," Dunagan said.

Dunagan then took his officers outside the school, where they searched Whitten and his fellow state guardsmen's vehicles. Among the weapons they found, Dunagan said, were fully automatic M-16 rifles, "ammunition you wouldn't believe, every kind of weapon, bayonets, a machete."

Whitten explained that he had brought the weapons after hearing news reports of dire, unsafe situations. Thanks to his federal Class III firearms license, he is allowed to own military rifles. Nevertheless, Dunagan said, the small armory was dangerous in an emergency situation. Dunagan's officers confiscated all the weapons and asked Whitten to leave.

"That's all well and good up at their gun club, but not down here," Dunagan said. "They were all out there playing war in the middle of a disaster."

Dunagan's description of his run-in with Whitten bears some similarities to the Aug. 20, 2009, incident that landed Whitten in the news. According to some eyewitnesses, Whitten was the leader of a group of armed citizens who assisted law enforcement officials in a search for Will Pittman, a burglary suspect outside the town of Sumner, Miss. in the Delta. Multiple sources, including law enforcement officers, told the Jackson Free Press that Whitten and other armed citizens were drinking and that they heard multiple shots fired during the manhunt. Whitten has also confirmed to the Associated Press that he allowed other citizens to drive an armored personnel carrier that he owns to the search area.

Calls to Whitten's office were not immediately returned.

© Jackson Free Press, Inc.

See Also On W.E. A.L.L. B.E....

Mob Rule In Sumner, MS:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/08/breaking-newsmob-rule-in-sumnerms.html

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Special: Mob Rule In Sumner, MS:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/08/27/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

Round 2: "Mob Rule In Sumner,MS" Update & Online Townhall Meeting With Tallahatchie County Citizens...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/09/round-2-mob-rule-in-sumner-update.html

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Special: Online Town Hall Meeting...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/09/03/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

9/16/2009 @9PM C~W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Special…All Eyes Are Still On Mississippi: Free The Scott Sisters!!!

Celebrating 2 Full Years In The Biz: Ain't No Stopping Us Now!!!

September 2009 Theme: I Got The Will & The Power...

Air Date: Weds. September 16, 2009

E-mail: r2c2h2@gmail.com

Time:

9 PM C/10 PM E/7 PM P
Call-in Number: 646-652-4593

Listen To The Show Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/09/17/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

Topic: All Eyes Are Still On Mississippi: Free The Scott Sisters!!!

The Scott Sisters (l-r): Jamie & Gladys

Find Out Why 2 Innocent Sisters Are Serving Double Life Sentences For An Alleged Armed Robbery Of $11 And What You Can Do To Help Free Them…

Featuring Special Guests:

Sis. Evelyn Rasco, The Mother Of The Scott Sisters

Mrs. Rasco, Jamie + her older Brother

Terrance Scott, The Son Of Jamie Scott & Nephew Of Gladys Scott

Jamie w/Sons Terrance +Richard (back)

Renowned Civil Rights Activist, Jackson,MS Councilman & Scott Sisters Attorney Bro. Chokwe Lumumba

Video: Free Jamie & Gladys Scott
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvdT3nFc5bA

INJUSTICE: A DOUBLE-LIFE SENTENCE FOR $11.00!

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Scott County, MS ---- In a trial fraught with legal malpractice and witness coercion, Mississippi Judge Marcus Gordon oversaw one of the most blatantly corrupt trials in history, culminating in the staggering over-sentencing of sisters Gladys and Jamie Scott to double-life each in an armed robbery where no one was murdered or harmed and the amount alleged to have been taken was a whopping $11.00.

On December 24, 1993, the Scott County Sheriff’s Department arrested the Scott sisters for armed robbery even though three young males, ranging from ages 14 to 18, confessed to committing the crime. Despite this, the corrupt sheriff used coercion, threats, and harassment to compel them to turn state’s evidence against the Scott sisters due to a long-standing vendetta against a family member. The 14-year-old male would later testify that he did not read the statement and was pressured to sign a written statement prepared by the sheriff without an attorney being present.

As if that weren't bad enough, these young women received incompetent legal representation at the lower court trial. Their attorneys, Firnist J. Alexander, Jr. and Gail Shaw-Pierson failed to interview and subpoena witnesses, only calling one witness when there were several. Incredibly, the jury never even heard any testimony from the alleged victims. The sisters were advised to not testify on their own behalf by their attorneys, Alexander and Shaw-Pierson, denying them the opportunity to speak for themselves.

In October of 1994, Jamie and Gladys Scott were sentenced to extraordinary double life terms each in prison, even though neither sister had prior convictions and there was no violence involved in these charges.

The four State’s witnesses provided conflicting testimony and one alleged accuser was not called to testify – he was not questioned or subpoenaed by defense attorneys Firnist J. Alexander, Jr. or Gail Shaw-Pierson. Witnesses admitted however, that reports prepared by the Sheriff, of their descriptions of the event contained no such claim. In other words, the sisters were not present. Jamie and Gladys Scott were not involved in the armed robbery and they did not conspire to plan such. Witnesses all testified that they were coerced and threatened by Deputy Sheriff Marvin Williams. Testimony also revealed that Marvin Williams prepared statements of the events from the night of December 24, 1994 BEFORE obtaining signatures and BEFORE the witnesses were brought into his office. In other words, the statements were not written by witnesses. (1) Three affidavits exist – they all state that the Scott Sisters were not involved in this robbery. One affidavit is written by a trustee of the local jail, his account of the facts reveal that a wallet was located a few days after this alleged robbery and that wallet contained the photo ID of one of the alleged victims of the trumped up robbery and three twenty dollar bills. The trustee also reveals that there was NOT a robbery, he was also threatened to be sent to Parchman Penitentiary if he told the truth.

According to the Request for Commutation of Sentence and/or Pardon prepared by attorney Chokwe Lumumba, the Scott Sisters challenged their convictions on direct appeal; arguing that there was insufficient evidence to convict them, and the guilty verdict was against the overwhelming weight of evidence, which should have exonerated them. The court of appeals found no error and affirmed the convictions on December 17, 1996. As a result, they filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court, which was denied on May 15, 1997. They consequently filed an Application for Leave to File Motion to Vacate Conviction pursuant to the Mississippi Post Conviction Collateral Relief Act. The Supreme Court also denied that application.

This family is shell-shocked, yet determined to fight on. They have tried to have faith that at some point this unbelievable travesty would be corrected and their upside-down lives righted. Yet 14 long years later nothing has changed, the women's five children are still being raised by their now ailing mother, and their father has died of a massive heart attack because of this. The emotional strain this burden has placed upon their family is immeasurable.

Jamie Scott writes, "What began as an implication and outright miscarriage of justice, has catapulted to destroy an entire family. Gladys was a 19 year old pregnant mother, and myself, Jamie, a 22 year old mother during the time of our arrest, conviction and sentencing for a crime we did not commit." She continued, "We are convinced that once this chain of events is exposed and unraveled, the events that occurred, the lives that have been destroyed, the pain and suffering the citizens of Scott County have endured; everyone will be utterly amazed, astonished and compelled to assist us in our plight for freedom. We pray that the people would insist upon an investigation into their misconduct and miscarriage of justice."

Gladys and Jamie’s older brother has recently returned from and has served in the US Army for 22 years, while his sisters remain victims of wrongful convictions in the very country that he proudly represents. The defendants and their family are wholly depending on support from the press, organizations, and all those dedicated to justice in making this debacle as public as possible.

*And the judge? Judge Marcus Gordon has a bit of a history, American history. In 1964, three civil rights workers, Schwerner, Chaney and Goodman, were found dead. Edgar Ray Killens was found guilty of the murder of these three men – in 2005! Guess who was the judge? Killens, an old KKK organizer, was charged with three counts of manslaughter – not murder – and sentenced to 20 years in prison for each count.

Contact Info For Mrs. Evelyn Scott (The Mother Of The Scott Sisters)
Mrs. Evelyn Rasco (The Mother Of The Scott Sisters)
P.O. Box 7100
Pensacola, Florida 32534
e-mail:
rqueenbee2222@yahoo.com

website:
http://www.freethescottsisters.blogspot.com/

For More Information Please Read The Following…

Letter From Jamie Scott:
http://freethescottsisters.blogspot.com/2009/08/letter-from-jamie-scott.html

Jamie & Gladys Scott: Wrongfully Convicted
http://www.blackcommentator.com/327/327_ror_scott_wrongfully_convicted.html

Please Contact The Following Officials To Help Us Free The Scott Sisters!!!
• Margaret Bingham, Superintendent of Central Mississippi Corrections Facility, (601) 932-9077, mbingham@mdoc.state.ms.us, fax (601) 932-9077, P.O. Box 88550, Pearl, Mississippi 39208

• Christopher Epps, Commissioner of Prisons for the State of Mississippi, (601) 359-5600, CEPPS@mdoc.state.ms.us, 723 North President St., Jackson, MS 39202

• Emmitt Sparkman, Deputy Commissioner, (601) 359-5610, esparkman@mdoc.state.ms.us

• Gov. Haley Barbour, (877) 405-0733 or (601) 359-3150

PLEASE WRITE THE SCOTT SISTERS!
Jamie and Gladys need to read from you, please let them know that you care by dropping them a card or a letter. It would mean a whole lot to them if you would do so!

Jamie Scott #19197
CMCF2/A-Bldg.
B Zone, Bed 196
P.O. Box 88550
Pearl, MS 39288-8550

Gladys Scott #19142
CMCF/B-Bldg.
P.O. Box 88550
Pearl, MS 39288-8550

****
Want More???

Want To Hear More Tha Artivist Presents…W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio??? Click On The Following Link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe

E-mail Us Your Questions And Comments @ r2c2h2@gmail.com

As Always Please Spread The Good News!!!

Friday, September 11, 2009

From Colored To Black:World's Oldest Person Dies In Los Angeles At 115...

In this April 6, 2009 file photo Gertrude Baines celebrates her 115th birthday, at the Western Convalescent Hospital in Los Angeles. Baines, who was named the world's oldest living person by Guinness World Records, died in a Los Angeles hospital Sept. 11, 2009 said Dr. Charles Witt.
(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

World's Oldest Person Dies In Los Angeles At 115
By SOLVEJ SCHOU, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – Gertrude Baines, who lived to be the world's oldest person on a steady diet of crispy bacon, fried chicken and ice cream, died Friday at a nursing home. She was 115.

Baines, who remarked last year that she enjoyed life so much she wouldn't mind living another 100 years, died in her sleep, said Emma Camanag, administrator at Western Convalescent Hospital.

The centenarian likely suffered a heart attack, said her longtime physician, Dr. Charles Witt. An autopsy was scheduled to determine the cause of death.

"I saw her two days ago, and she was just doing fine," Witt told The Associated Press. "She was in excellent shape. She was mentally alert. She smiled frequently."

Born in 1894 in Shellman, Ga., Baines claimed the title of the world's oldest living person when a 115-year-old woman, Maria de Jesus, died in Portugal in January.

"I'm glad I'm here. I don't care if I live a hundred more," Baines said in November after casting her vote for Barack Obama in the presidential election. "I enjoy nothing but eating and sleeping."

The oldest person in the world is now Kama Chinen, 114, who lives in Japan, according to Dr. L. Stephen Coles of the Gerontology Research Group, which tracks claims of extreme old age. Chinen was born May 10, 1895, Coles said.

The oldest person who has ever lived is Jeanne-Louise Calment, according to Coles. She was 122 when she died Aug. 4, 1997, in Arles, France.

Baines outlived her entire family, including her only daughter, who died of typhoid.

Baines worked as a maid in Ohio State University dormitories until her retirement and has lived at the Western Convalescent Hospital in Los Angeles for more than 10 years.

"Living that long is like winning the genetic lottery," Robert Young, a scientist and senior consultant with Guinness World Records, said at her birthday party in April.

Staff at Baines' nursing home described her as a modest woman who liked to watch the "Jerry Springer Show" and eat fried chicken, bacon and ice cream. She refused to use dentures.

"I don't know how she does it. She only has her gums, no teeth," said Susie Exconde, the nursing director who found Baines dead in her bed at about 7:25 a.m.

Witt, Baines' physician, said that when he visited her earlier this week, she only complained that her bacon was soggy and arthritis was causing pain in her right knee.

Baines celebrated her birthday at the nursing home April 6 with music, two cakes and a letter from Obama.

Featured on local television newscasts when she voted last year, Baines, who is black, said she backed Obama "because he's for the colored." She said she never thought she would live to see a black man become president.

"We were hoping to have her until the next election," Exconde said. "We'll miss her."

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Jackson Free Press: A Sordid History: Manhunt Leader Has History Of Violence

Charlie Smith / The Greenwood Commonwealth
Tallahatchie County Prosecutor John Whitten was sued in 1995 for stopping a truck at gunpoint and handcuffing the driver, even though he wasn't a cop.

by Ward Schaefer
The Jackson Free Press
Story Originally Appeared/Posted:
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/a_sordid_history_090909/
September 9, 2009

See also: A Delta Manhunt, with Booze and Guns, Sept. 2, 2009

The man who allegedly led a group of armed white citizens assisting in a search for a black burglary suspect in Sumner has a history of taking the law into his own hands.

John Whitten III is a prosecutor for Tallahatchie County and the town attorney for Tutwiler. On Aug. 20, 2009, he attempted to assist law enforcement officers in searching for 28-year-old Will Pittman on the outskirts of the town of Sumner. Although he holds no law enforcement position, after hearing about the burglary, Whitten drove his Jeep to the cotton field and wooded area that officers were searching.

Will Pittman's brother, Cornelius, who also tried to assist in the search, told the Jackson Free Press that Whitten was drinking beer and wearing a gun, and he appeared to be leading a group of armed white citizens who congregated nearby. Cornelius also alleges that Whitten searched his car and threatened to kill Will. Multiple sources, including a law enforcement officer, state that they heard gunfire during the incident.

Almost 15 years ago, Whitten was sued and paid damages for an incident that shares similarities with the Aug. 20 incident. On March 19, 1995, Whitten stopped, at gunpoint, a truck that he claimed was trespassing. According to court documents, the truck's driver, Randy Cox, was driving onto land that his brother was leasing and intended to farm. To reach the land, Cox and two passengers, John Spinosa and Tod Logan, used a dirt road that crossed land belonging to Whitten.

Whitten, then a municipal court judge for the towns of Oakland, Tutwiler and Webb, called on the truck to stop and then fired several shots from his .45-caliber pistol, the last of which stopped the vehicle by puncturing a tire.

Whitten ordered Cox, Spinosa and Logan out of the truck and onto the ground at gunpoint. The three men testified that Whitten was cursing and threatened to throw Cox into a bayou after he had him handcuffed. Accompanied by several other men armed with loaded assault rifles, Whitten took the three to a camp on his property, where he questioned them for nearly an hour before finally agreeing to release them.

In 1997, the Mississippi Supreme Court ordered that Whitten be publicly reprimanded and fined $2,500 for the incident, on the recommendation of the Commission on Judicial Performance.

In 1998, Cox, Spinosa and Logan sued Whitten for assault, battery and false imprisonment. Whitten argued that his actions were legitimate, as he was making a citizens' arrest. A jury disagreed, though, and awarded Cox $50,000 and Spinosa and Logan $30,000 each in compensatory damages. Whitten filed a counter-suit for trespassing, but the jury, while finding in his favor, awarded him no damages.

In 2000, the Mississippi Supreme Court upheld the three men's awards on an appeal by Whitten, while also granting Whitten $10 for his counter-claim on a technicality.

In hearings on their civil suit, Cox, Spinosa and Logan, all of whom are white, also claimed to have heard Whitten refer to a municipal judge in Sumner as "that nigger judge." In his testimony, Whitten denied using the phrase. The allegation had special resonance, however, given the Whitten family's troubled history with race.

In 1955, Whitten's father, John Whitten Jr., was one of the defense attorneys for J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant, who were accused of murdering Emmett Till in Money, Miss. An all-white jury acquitted Milam, and John Whitten Jr. was credited with the memorable closing line, "Every last Anglo-Saxon one of the you has the courage to free these men."

Will and Cornelius Pittman's father, Ellis Pittman, is an attorney in Clarksdale and encounters John Whitten III frequently in court. Ellis Pittman told the Jackson Free Press that he has argued with John Whitten III after Whitten used a racial slur in his presence, while speaking in a judge's chambers.

Whitten did not return repeated calls to his office, but he told the Associated Press and the Greenwood Commonwealth that Pittman's allegations are false.

Mob Rule In Sumner, MS:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/08/breaking-newsmob-rule-in-sumnerms.html

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Special: Mob Rule In Sumner, MS:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/08/27/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

Round 2: "Mob Rule In Sumner,MS" Update & Online Townhall Meeting With Tallahatchie County Citizens...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/09/round-2-mob-rule-in-sumner-update.html

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Special: Online Town Hall Meeting...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/09/03/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

AP: Vigilante Justice? Federal Officers Investigate Delta Incident...

Rogelio Solis/The Associated Press

An Aug. 20 daytime burglary leading to a frantic search, including the use of an armored personnel carrier, is the talk of the tiny Delta town of Sumner, shown in this Aug. 28 photo, known for its painful past.

Holbrook Mohr
The Associated Press

In the Mississippi Delta, nothing spreads faster than a rumor that an armed white mob chased black thieves through a cotton field. Throw in an armored personnel carrier and a racially charged past, and it's no surprise federal investigators are checking it out.

It's especially so in Sumner, population about 400, the town where two white men were tried and acquitted in the notorious 1955 slaying of Emmett Till, a black Chicago teenager lynched for allegedly whistling at a white woman.

Clearly, there was some kind of search Aug. 20 in a cotton field near Sumner, and a young black man was arrested. The details, however, are anything but clear. The local speculation is as plentiful as cotton bolls, rife with suspicion and distrust.

And beneath the racial overtones is tension between the father of one suspect and the elected Tallahatchie County prosecutor, both strong-willed, small-town lawyers with colorful personalities.

This much is known: A crop duster pilot named Pat Ryan came home from work Aug. 20 and interrupted a burglary. Two men dashed out the back door and into a cotton field. One ran out of his boots, which were found in the field near a trail of stolen pocket change.

Word travels fast in Sumner, where even a hint of excitement draws a crowd, and neighbors rushed to Ryan's home. Police officers from nearby towns, sheriff's deputies and a dog team from the State Penitentiary searched for the burglars. Even firefighters showed up.

John Whitten III
(Photo by Charlie Smith)

John Whitten III, 60, the white-haired and bearded county prosecutor, headed for the scene in a Vietnam-era Jeep. Friends followed in a British FV432 armored personnel carrier that's part of his military memorabilia collection.

Cornelius Pittman, 24, heard his brother was one of the suspects and rushed to the scene to talk him into surrendering.

What happened next depends on which witness you ask.

Whitten says he offered the personnel carrier - which he says is licensed and street-legal - to aid police in their search. Whitten said police declined, and the vehicle was sent home.

That's not how Pittman describes it.

"John said, 'I can run over him with the tank and get human meat in the tracks and that ... can stink for weeks or I can burn him out,' " Pittman said.

Cornelius Pittman also said Whitten wouldn't let him leave.

Whitten disputes that, saying he told Pittman "to get your brother to give himself up before somebody gets hurt." Whitten acknowledged looking in Pittman's trunk to make sure he wasn't helping the suspects escape, but he said Pittman opened the trunk voluntarily.

The Tallahatchie County sheriff has not responded to numerous calls. Sumner's police chief said the burglary happened in his jurisdiction, but not the search, and he provided little information.

Authorities said they arrested William Pittman, 28, uninjured, at a nearby home. Charged with breaking and entering, he was released from jail that day.

Whitten, a self-described military history buff, said he's the victim of a smear campaign orchestrated by Clarksdale attorney Ellis Pittman - the Pittman brothers' father - who wants to discredit authorities to keep William Pittman out of prison.

Attorney W. Ellis Pittman
(Photo By Thomas Beck)

The two lawyers have a turbulent history, according to Ellis Pittman, 46, a Tallahatchie County native. He said the two nearly came to blows in a judge's chambers more than a year ago when Whitten used a racial slur. Whitten denies it.

Whitten's father, John Whitten Jr., was a defense attorney for two men accused of killing Till in 1955. Till was abducted in neighboring Leflore County and his body was found in the Tallahatchie River. The trial took place in the Sumner courthouse.

John Whitten III says his family connection to the infamous case makes him an easy target for racial hysteria.

This isn't the first time Whitten has been accused of taking the law into his own hands. Whitten was fined $2,500 in the 1990s when he was a city judge and accused of holding three suspected trespassers at gunpoint after shooting their truck tire.

Federal authorities, meanwhile, are trying to sort out the events of Aug. 20. Several people said the FBI has contacted them.

Britt Brown, a 59-year-old black former police chief of nearby Tutwiler, said there was no white mob while he was there.

Instead, Brown said, it was a group of people both black and white who were concerned or curious and just standing around.

But Terry Taylor, an officer for the Webb and Tutwiler police departments, said at least six civilians, some armed, including Whitten, joined the search.

Recordings Ellis Pittman made indicate someone fired several shots.

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat whose 2nd District includes Sumner, asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate.

"I've talked to a number of people in the community who, to be quite honest, have been traumatized by what they saw as vigilante activities on the part of unauthorized citizens," he said.

Ryan, the burglary victim, wants to move on.

"There was no tank. There was no machine gun. There were no missiles. There was nobody shooting into the cotton field," Ryan said. "I've got two wishes in this whole thing: I wish it was two white guys (who broke into the house) or I wish they would have gotten away with it before I got home."

See Also On W.E. A.L.L. B.E....

Mob Rule In Sumner, MS:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/08/breaking-newsmob-rule-in-sumnerms.html

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Special: Mob Rule In Sumner, MS:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/08/27/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

Round 2: "Mob Rule In Sumner,MS" Update & Online Townhall Meeting With Tallahatchie County Citizens...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/09/round-2-mob-rule-in-sumner-update.html

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Special: Online Town Hall Meeting...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/09/03/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

Great Health Care Articles On The Pink Slip Living Life Laid Off Blog!

Making The Health Care Debate Personal
http://livinglifelaidoff.com/2009/09/09/making-the-health-care-debate-personal/

Why We Should Pay For Health Care But It Shouldn’t Be About Business
http://livinglifelaidoff.com/2009/08/25/why-we-should-pay-for-health-care-but-it-shouldnt-be-about-business/

Let’s Talk About Health Care – Part One: Why Health Insurance Sucks When You’re Living Life Laid Off
http://livinglifelaidoff.com/2009/08/18/let%E2%80%99s-talk-about-health-care-part-one/

Let’s Talk About Health Care – Part Two: More Concerns, Especially For The Ladies, Working Or Living Life Laid Off
http://livinglifelaidoff.com/2009/08/18/let%E2%80%99s-talk-about-health-care-%E2%80%93-part-two-more-concerns-especially-for-the-ladies-working-or-living-life-laid-off/

*Check Out The Pink Slip Girl a.k.a. Sis. Mariam Williams On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio*

Staying Creative & Upbeat While Living Life Laid Off...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/04/09/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Why Is Universal Health Care ‘Un-American’?

Why Is Universal Health Care ‘Un-American’?
by Rev. Jim Rigby
September 07, 2009

Last week supporters of health-care reform gathered around the country, including in Austin, TX, where 2,000 people crowded into a downtown church to hear speakers talk about different aspects of the issue. Asked to speak about the ethical dimensions of health care, I tried to go beyond short-term political strategizing and ask more basic questions. This is an edited version of what I said.

Is anyone else here having trouble with the fact that we are even having this conversation? Is anyone else having trouble believing this topic is really controversial? I have been asked to talk about the ethical dimension of health care. Here’s one way to frame such a discussion:

If an infant is born to poor parents, would we be more ethical to give medicine to that child so he or she does not die prematurely of preventable diseases, or would we be more ethical if we let the child die screaming in his or her parent’s arms so we can keep more of our money?

Or, let’s say someone who worked for Enron, and now is penniless, contracted bone cancer. I’ve been asked to discuss whether we are more ethical if we provide such people medicine that lessens their pain. Or would we be more ethical to let them scream through the night in unbearable agony so we can pay lower taxes?”

I can’t believe I am standing today in a Christian church defending the proposition that we should lessen the suffering of those who cannot afford health care in an economic system that often treats the poor as prey for the rich. I cannot believe there are Christians around this nation who are shouting that message down and waving guns in the air because they don’t want to hear it. But I learned along time ago that churches are strange places; charity is fine, but speaking of justice is heresy in many churches. The late Brazilian bishop Dom Hélder Câmara said it well: “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist.” Too often today in the United States, if you talk about helping the poor, they call you Christian, but if you actually try to do something to help the poor, they call you a socialist.

Some of the other speakers today have been asked to address what is possible in the current political climate. I have been asked to speak of our dreams. Let me ask a question. How many of you get really excited about tweaking the insurance system so we just get robbed a little less? (silence) How many of you want universal health care? (sustained applause) I realize that insurance reform is all that’s on the table right now, and it can be important to choose the lesser of evils when that alone is within our power in the moment. But we also need to remember our dream. I believe the American dream is not about material success, not about being having the strongest military. The American dream is that every person might have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

It’s amazing to hear Christians who talk about the right to life as though it ends at birth. They believe every egg has a right to hatch, but as soon as you’re born, it’s dog eat dog. We may disagree on when life begins, but if the right to life means anything it means that every person (anyone who has finished the gestation period) has a right to life. And if there is a right to life there must be a right to the necessities of life. Like health care.

I believe the American dream was not about property rights, but human rights. Consider the words of this national hymn:

“O beautiful for patriot’s dream that sees beyond the years. Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears.”

Doesn’t that sound like someone cared about the poor? There are those who consider paying taxes an affront, but listen to these words:

“O Beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life.”

“Mercy more than life” -- have you ever noticed those words before? Supporting universal health care does not make you socialist or even a liberal, it makes you a human being. And it makes you an ambassador for the American dream which, in the mind of Thomas Paine, was a dream for every human being, not just Americans. As we struggle to get health care to all people, we may have to settle for the lesser of two evils, but remember your dream -- the true American dream, a human dream. Whatever we win through reform is just first step toward a day when every human being has a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Rev. Jim Rigby is pastor of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin. He can be reached at jrigby0000@aol.com.

9/9/2009W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio I-Witness History: The Complete Interview With Renowned Emmett Till Case Expert Dr. Hugh Stephen Whitaker

Celebrating 2 Full Years In The Biz: Ain't No Stopping Us Now!!!

September 2009 Theme: I Got The Will & The Power...

Air Date: Weds. September 9, 2009

E-mail: r2c2h2@gmail.com

Time:

9 PM C/10 PM E/7 PM P
Call-in Number: 646-652-4593

Listen To The Show Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/09/10/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

"When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions."
~Carter G. Woodson

*W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Exclusive* I-Witness History: The Complete Interview With Dr. Hugh Stephen Whitaker, Pioneering Emmett Till Murder Case Researcher

Note: In light of recent events concerning the residents of Tallahatchie County (See http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/09/round-2-mob-rule-in-sumner-update.html & http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/09/jackson-free-press-delta-manhunt-with.html), W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio is proud to run the entire interview with former Charleston,MS, native and pioneering Emmett Till murder case researcher,Dr. Hugh Stephen Whitaker, for the W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Family & public at large...

Bio From EmmettTillMurder.com

Dr. Hugh Stephen Whitaker was born in 1939 in Charleston, MS (near Sumner, the site of the Emmett Till murder trial). His stepfather, N.Z. Troutt, was chief of police in Charleston in 1955, and he was appointed as deputy sheriff for the duration of the trial. For his Master’s thesis, submitted to Florida State University in 1963, he wrote “A Case Study in Southern Justice: The Emmett Till Case,” the first book length study of the Emmett Till murder, and the only such source for another twenty-seven years. Whitaker’s thesis is the only one to reference the original trial transcript, in addition to first-hand interviews with many of the trial participants (the sheriff, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and all of the jurors).

Two years after receiving his Master's degree, he wrote his doctoral
dissertation, “A New Day: The Effects of Negro Enfranchisement in Selected Mississippi Counties” (all of which were in the Mississippi Delta), also submitted to Florida State University. He taught at Temple University, the University of Southern California, and Florida State University. Formerly married to Aide Steele of Tutwiler, he has two daughters, Linda and Heather, and two grandchildren. He is happily married to Penny Young since 2005.

Read Dr. Whitaker’s thesis A Case Study Of Southern Justice: The Emmett Till Case
http://www.emmetttillmurder.com/whitaker-review.htm

*FYI*
Dr. Whitaker's thesis was a key source for the literary great James Baldwin's play, "Blues For Mister Charlie."

Contact An American Civil Rights Veteran Today:
http://www.crmvet.org/

More On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio:

Susan Klopfer: Blogging For Justice & History For Emmett Till & The Mississippi Delta...

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/08/20/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

45th Annual Mississippi Civil Rights Martyrs
Memorial Service & Conference & March For Justice
*Pre-Event Show With Bro. John Gibson*

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/06/18/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

Meet James Young The First Black Mayor Of Philadelphia,Ms.
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/07/meet-james-young-first-black-mayor-of.html

A Great Profile Of Civil Rights Cold Case Justice Crusader Alvin Sykes...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/03/great-profile-of-civil-rights-cold-case.html

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Special~Meet Alvin Sykes: Civil Rights Cold Case Justice Crusader...

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/04/02/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Special: The Shame Of A Nation...The Emmett Till Legacy

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2009/03/12/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

See More Emmett Till On W.E. A.L.L. B.E.:

The Ghosts Of Emmett Till
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/08/ghosts-of-emmett-till.html

FBI Report: Woman Emmett Till 'Whistled' @ Still Alive...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/09/fbi-report-woman-emmett-till-whistled.html

What I Will Teach My Black Son To Fear....
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2006/12/what-i-will-teach-my-black-son-to-fear.html

Park In Honor Of Emmett Till Opens Friday Sept. 19, 2008, in Mississippi...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/09/park-in-honor-of-emmett-till-opens.html mett-till-opens.html

Mississippi Comes Face To Face With Brutal Past In Emmett Till Exhibit...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/03/mississippi-comes-face-to-face-with.html

Tha Artivist Remembers Ernest Withers (1922-2007)...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/11/tha-artivist-remembers-ernest-withers.html

Mississippi Still Burning Like Southern California...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/mississippi-still-burning-like-southern.html

No Justice, Just Us For EMMETT...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/03/no-justice-just-us-for-emmett.html

More Dr. Gene Young On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News...

Barack Obama's Installation Is The End Of A Long Road To Washington For America's Civil Rights Campaigners...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/01/barack-obamas-installation-is-end-of.html

In Remembrance of Virgil Ware - Before the September 11 Attacks...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/09/in-remembrance-of-virgil-ware-before.html

Dr. Young Gives Food For Thought On What It's Like To Be A Civil Rights Pioneer...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/04/dr-young-gives-food-for-thought-on-what.html

Hear The Wisdom Of Dr. Young On These Following W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio
Specials...

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special: Yes He Did...So Now What??? Defining The Obama Presidency...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/11/16/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

N-Word MADNESS!!!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/07/28/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-A-LL-BE-News-Radio

Saving Black Boys...Raising Black Men
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/08/10/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

April 13, 2008~The State Of Black America Part One*

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/04/13/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special: February 18, 2007~"We Shall Overcome"-The Henry Hampton Collection (Creator of the Award Winning Eyes On The Prize Documentary)
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/02/18/tha-artivist-presentsmaking-b

As Always Please Spread The Good News!!!

W.E. A.L.L. B.E.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Mob Rule In Sumner Update: Jackson Free Press: Delta Manhunt Leader’s ‘Guard’ Disarmed After Katrina

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

9/16/2009 @9PM C~W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Special…All Eyes Are Still On Mississippi: Free The Scott Sisters!!!

Friday, September 11, 2009

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Thursday, September 10, 2009

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Great Health Care Articles On The Pink Slip Living Life Laid Off Blog!

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Why Is Universal Health Care ‘Un-American’?

9/9/2009W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio I-Witness History: The Complete Interview With Renowned Emmett Till Case Expert Dr. Hugh Stephen Whitaker

James Reese Europe: Jazz Lieutenant

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