Stooges Large and Small

There are stooges on the big stage, and stooges on the small stage. Ann Coulter qualifies as a big stage stooge. Yesterday Elizabeth Edwards decided enough is enough, and called in to Hardball, Chris Matthews' show on which Coulter was a guest. In the past Coulter has made light of the death of the Edward’s son Wade, and Edwards had this to say, “You wrote a column a couple years ago which made fun of the moment of Charlie Dean's death, and suggested that my husband had a bumper sticker on the back of his car that said ask me about my dead son. This is not legitimate political dialogue.”

Coulter did not back down, but she was visibly nervous, but Edwards stood her ground as well. Hardball Video (I had a hard time running this video, but you've probably seen it already).

I’ve already given Ann Coulter more time than she deserves, but here is my Coultergeist column for those who might not have seen it. It’s people like Ann Coulter who give the first amendment a bad name, but without it she (and maybe me) would not have a job. (This is a job???...not really)


And then there are stooges on the small stage. I thought the criminals were weeded out when the Quitman Mitchell administration was replaced by the Ed May administration. Bessemer revenue director Ryan Rancher has been fired, after being on leave since last month while officials investigated the revenue office. Randall McNeil, deputy director of the securities commission mentioned the possibility of criminal charges being filed.

And then there were the Three Stooges live on the Matt Murphy Show Monday. I won’t mention their names, but one of them is the host of the show, his guest just got fired from a weekly newspaper in Hoover, and the caller was his current boss at a local newspaper in Bessemer. They were stumbling all over each other (just like the Three Stooges I remember) trying to get the fired guy back up on the lofty pedestal he had created for himself.

Here is a sunflower blooming about 12 feet high.

That Was A Rally?

What was I thinking? A candlelight vigil and rally against violence that offers nothing to stop the violence and crime that is plaguing Bessemer. Nothing, but prayer and Jesus. From the “vigil” standpoint I understand this. But a rally against violence, in my mind, would involve a statement from the police department and city officials offering solutions, and the residents getting behind them.

But last night’s rally offered none of that. The police chief told me yesterday morning that he was not even aware of the rally. The keynote speaker was Mayor Ed May, and one of the highlights of his speech, other than “me, me, me”, was that the recent murders took place because Satan handed Eve the apple. Another highlight was his assertion that an increased police presence would not make the area safer. We heard about the Lake of Fire, and how God used the mayor’s wife to prevent him from ending up in Mobile, instead, bringing him to Bessemer to fulfill his destiny. Oh, and we had a hand raising for the audience to declare whether we want to go to heaven or hell. “Come on, raise your hands.” The theme there was if you commit murder on the street, you will go to hell. Plain and simple kids, don’t commit murder. There, wasn’t that easy?

“Where does murder take place?” the mayor asked. “In the homes,” he answered himself. Murders take place in people’s homes so having more police in the neighborhood would not prevent them. Mayor May, listen and learn. Josh Hughes was not in a home when he was killed, he was in the yard. The three men who shot each other on Dartmouth Avenue were not in their home, they were in the middle of the street.

But you are right, Mr. Mayor, murder can take place in the home. Although not in Bessemer, in September 2006, 22 month old George Amison slept in his bed in his apartment home in Fountain Heights on Birmingham’s north side. A bullet fired from outside came through the wall and killed him. The same could happen here in Bessemer.

The solution, according to the mayor, would be for each one of the audience members, to tell another resident about Jesus, and for that resident to do the same, until all of Bessemer had converted. His good v. evil philosophy reminds me of the president.

Mr. Mayor (and Mr. President), you can not frame everything as either good or evil. That’s part of the reason we are failing in Iraq, and it is the reason that progress is not being made in Bessemer.

There was no talk of finding a way to occupy kid’s minds and time with something useful and productive, like a rec center. No talk of tearing down dilapidated buildings that attract criminals. No talk of rooting out drug dealers and manufacturers. No talk of bringing in programs that allow kids to have supervision in the afternoons while parents are working. No talk of encouraging neighbors to get to know each other, and increasing efforts of neighborhood watch associations. No talk of opening a police substation on Dartmouth Avenue (this is not a knee jerk suggestion; crime on Dartmouth Avenue is nothing new), no talk of police making an effort to get to know the residents.

I take that back. There was talk of those things, just not from city officials. Elvira Kidd, Susan Lehman and I have decided that since current leadership is lacking, and since we do not have neighborhood associations like Birmingham does, we will start our own association. We have called a meeting for every resident of Dartmouth Avenue from Highway 150 to the Bessemer city limit. Later we hope our efforts will spread to surrounding streets. At this initial meeting we will be assessing the needs of our street from the viewpoint of those present and then brainstorming to hear possible actions that we might later decide to take. We will not be solving the problems this week, but we will at least be talking about them. It’s a start. If you live on Dartmouth Avenue, you will receive a flyer this week inviting you.

Prayer is fine and I am all for it. But prayer without action is useless, in fact it may even be counterproductive, lulling the faithful into a false security and allowing them to ignore real problems for which human feet rather than God’s hands might provide real solutions. Susan, Elvira and I will be using our feet beginning this week.

Bessemer Rallies and Wal-Mart Backslides

I am going to continue my advocacy for safer streets and less guns in Bessemer, especially since a local television station declared Dartmouth Avenue the most dangerous street in the state. I have written about Josh Hughes (scroll down to the second half of this post, where you see Western Tribune in bold) and about the other recent killings on my street on both this blog and in The Western Tribune. On Saturday a rally against violence was held on Dartmouth near where the killings took place.

On Sunday ABC 33/40 was on my block preparing to cover a story of another rally, occurring today, Monday, at 7:00 pm, at Broken Vessel Full Gospel Church on Dartmouth Avenue. Pastor Moulton told me that Mayor Ed May and Councilmember Earl Cochran are expected to be at this rally and that 33/40 will be back to cover it. I am hoping that the police department will be present to explain what they are doing (?) to curb violence.

If you live on or near Dartmouth, or anywhere in Bessemer for that matter, you are encouraged to attend this rally. Safety in Bessemer affects us all. Crime affects our city morale, our property values, our willingness to enjoy being outdoors, and other’s opinions of us. Hope to see you there.

My willingness to spend money at Wal-Mart is on a rollercoaster. There are so many reasons not to, but when they offered support to GLBT employees and joined the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce a year ago, I became more likely to support them. Now, folding to pressure from conservative “Christian” groups they are rescinding their support.

“I thought the company was moving in the right direction," one Wal-Mart employee wrote in an e-mail to Fortune. "But last week changed everything. Pulling funding from GLBT organizations is a slap in the face to gay employees, and it sends a very clear message. Diversity within Wal-Mart is only partially inclusive." Article

To me it is one thing if a company has never addressed the issue of gay rights, but when one signals acceptance and then reverses their policy, I agree, it is a slap in the face. I’m not saying I will not ever shop there; in fact there is something I have already planned to go and get. After all, they are still working to educate employees on GLBT issues, and support their gay personnel. But I just might increase my likelihood of Target shopping, and it won’t be long until Target and Publix are both in Bessemer according to the sign visible from I-459 near Eastern Valley Road.

And, if you have not read about Billy Gafnea's death in 1956, click here. This case needs to be reopened, if nothing else, exhume the body and determine the real cause of death!

More Cold Cases and Money to Solve Them

The House of Representatives voted this week to approve allocating $10 million a year for 10 years (total 100 million dollars) to probe unsolved civil rights cases from the 50’s and 60’s. Only Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul of Texas and Republican Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia voted against bill. The Senate is expected to follow suit, and the president has indicated he will sign the bill.

Matt Murphy who hosts a radio talk show on Birmingham’s 101.1 The Source FM yesterday said that was a waste of money. Then he danced around the issues of racism and justice and said the money could be better spent on security, that we are at war.

We spend well over 100 million every day in Iraq (check the Cost of the War link to the left). One day of freedom from the war of choice would fund this whole project. So I don’t think $10 million a year is going to affect homeland security one bit. Especially since they seem more concerned with harassing mothers for attempting to carry their toddler’s sippy cup on board. Now that is a grand use of the taxpayer’s money, right?

Just a few days of freedom from the war of choice would provide enough money to develop a program to inspect shipping containers coming into our ports. And that would give me more of a secure feeling than watching our troops referee a civil war at such great cost in lives and quality of lives. Or maybe even provide a way of enforcing border security!!!

My post from yesterday (Murder? 1956) should let you know that I believe in justice, regardless of the period of time that has passed. Someone who has lived with the demons of their murderous sins for 50 years may have suffered, but they have not paid the price that our system of justice demands.

Yesterday the Birmingham Peace Project presented their Music for Peace and Justice Series at Church of the Reconciler in downtown Birmingham. Church of the Reconciler is a non-traditional United Methodist Church that practices “radical hospitality” in welcoming everyone, including the homeless, all races, all cultures, all sexual orientations, all social status. The theme last night was Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender rights…Human Rights for All. The group sponsors concerts always with a theme of peace (and justice). I should have posted this before the concert. Oops.

Murder? 1956

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Debra Gafnea, who grew up in Brighton but now lives in Florida. She informed me that her brother had been killed in 1956 but that the nature of his death has not been established. He was 19 years old at the time, and on his 19th birthday he died near the Warrior River on a lonely road. The death certificate states “severance of the left jugular vein” and authorities claim he died as a result of an automobile accident after going through the windshield, but there were no cuts or scratches on his face as one would expect after being thrown through the windshield. Also, witnesses said the windshield was not damaged in the way it would have been had someone gone through it.

This story has now been published in The Western Tribune, in an effort to assist Debra in having the case re-opened. There are witnesses who are still alive, and who may know more than they said 50 years ago. The story involves a girl, a threat from another young man, and a car full of teens. Fifty years ago forensics was not what it is today. Fifty years ago this family could not afford to pay for an investigation.

There has never been an investigation of this death. Forensics today could probably tell from the remains if his neck had been slashed with a knife, for instance.

I am posting this because not everyone will see the story in the Tribune, and maybe, just maybe this link will be seen by or forwarded to someone who knows something. Please forward this to anyone who lives or lived in West Jefferson county and might know something.

Read about the case from Debra’s point of view. Seeking Justice for Billy Gafnea



Here is a picture of Billy’s jeans, with what looks to me like a bullet hole.

A close up

One of the girls said that Billy had been dragged behind a car, and here is a picture of his shirt, which could certainly look this way after dragging.

I also have pictures of Billy’s face, which I am not posting, and as I said above, there are no scratches on it .

A newspaper article that I have seen from Dec. 7, 1956 states that one of the boys (whose name I know and who was from Bessemer) admitted taking the car to his grandmothers house and cutting it up and burning the upholstery. He was arrested for leaving the scene. The two girls, and two boys, who know more than they told in 1956, are still living. One of the boys lived on 8th Ave and the other on West Lake Drive in Bessemer at the time.

The murder of a 19 year old in 1956 is just as unsettling as the murder of a 14 year old in 2007.

Bessemer Water is All Wet

Twice I have brought up Bessemer’s changing water service, reporting that GUSC, the Governmental Utilities Services Corp., would be buying out Covanta Energy’s contract to manage the city’s water plant.

Oops. The mayor vetoed that decision. The mayor doesn’t want GUSC to manage the water. He wants it to be a city department. The council attempted to override the veto, with Albert Soles, who voted in favor of GUSC on June 5, deciding to abstain, and Earl Cochran, who abstained on June 5, voting to support the mayor. The vote ended as a 3-3 tie, so the veto was not overridden.

The attorney for GUSC, Shan Paden says it’s his opinion that the council’s original vote was not subject to veto. I have a feeling this is not over.

But I got to thinking (uh-oh). What is more difficult to understand, the hydrologic cycle or the Bessemer Utilities water cycle?

The hydrologic cycle is science and nature and is logical. The Bessemer water cycle is not logical and there is nothing natural about it.

Water on our planet is in continuous motion between the rivers and lakes and oceans (97% of the world’s water is salty). Of the 3 % that is freshwater, 2/3 of it is locked in the Arctic and Antarctic ice caps. So the available fresh water, that we all depend on, makes up less than 1% of the planet’s water.

The hydrologic cycle explains the movement of water between the atmosphere and earth’s surface (precipitation) and back again (evaporation and transpiration), and along the surface and below (river flow, groundwater movement). It’s actually pretty simple and can be diagramed out with numbers showing how many cubic miles are in which compartments and how much moves on a yearly basis.

The Bessemer water system came to be in 1990, with the creation of GUSC, which then allowed Bessemer to build its own water plant and break away from Birmingham. Bessemer water service buys its water from GUSC. GUSC pays Covanta ($166,000 per month) to manage the water plant. Covanta is an energy company, who claims to be a leader in waste to energy technology. Covanta filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2002. Covanta wants out of the water business. The mayor wants the city to operate its own water plant or pay GUSC to operate it. Wait, I thought he did not want GUSC to operate it. Oh well.

Consumers don’t pay GUSC, we don’t pay the City of Bessemer, and we don’t pay Bessemer Water. We pay Bessemer Utilities for water. The little handbook that they give you says that our water is distributed by “the Water Department.” Who is that?

Now here is the kicker. I have been boasting about our water source and the mayor has been doing the same. The Bessemer Utilities Consumer Handbook that I have says the water “is purchased from the Birmingham Water Works.” That must be outdated ( I received it 2000), because the 2006 Bessemer Water Service Water Quality Report states “Bessemer Water Services purchases their water from Covanta Water Systems.” But didn’t I just say that Bessemer Water Service buys their water from GUSC. That is what the Birmingham News says. So Covanta doesn’t just “manage” the water plant, they “own” the water? No wonder the Mayor wants the city to control it.

After all, water scarcity is “one of the most critical health threats to human society today,” according to Environmental Health edited by Howard Frumkin. I am not going to go into it right here, but someday I may address the issue of the Ogallala aquifer, which lies underneath much of 8 states from South Dakota to Texas, and provides about 30% of all groundwater used for irrigation in the U. S. It contains “fossil water” that has been underground for thousands of years. We are using it too much, too fast, it is not replenishing itself, and when it’s gone (20 to 30 years for some areas), see what happens to agriculture in the Midwest.

Anyway, just agree that the Bessemer Water System is much more complex than the hydrologic cycle.

You might hear more about water scarcity from me. Sometimes it is natural, sometimes it is political, sometimes it is the result of war. It is always serious.

Western Tribune Column

I am one who believes that state Senator Charles Bishop should resign after his most recent incident of uncontrollable temper. You know, the school yard punch thrown on the floor of the Alabama Senate that at this writing has been posted on YouTube at least 11 separate times and seen by well over a quarter of a million viewers on that web site. Add to that all the showings on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, broadcast stations and blogs and literally millions of people in this state, the nation and around the world have seen it.

First of all, he is one of those party changing politicians who loses some degree of credibility when they morph from blue to red (are you listening Richard Shelby?) but that is a different issue.

There should be some degree of decorum among those we elect when they are conducting the business of our state. Alabama has enough to be embarrassed about. I don’t need to remind you of the ugly highlights in our history, but we and the people we elect should be especially concerned about the image we project to the public.

Don’t throw Senator Lowell Barron’s language at me in defending Bishop. Colorful language and expletive terms have been a part of politics from the beginning, and even our current President and Vice-President have been caught letting four letter words slip.

Still some will try to excuse Bishop because his action was prompted by Barron’s disputed insult toward Bishop’s mother. Please, the term that was used, if it really was said, is meant to insult the person being addressed, not their mother, and everybody knows this. People who would never insult their own mother sometimes use this term in describing themselves, as in “I’m the meanest… you will ever meet.”

And remember, this is not the first time Bishop has lost his temper in the senate. Remember that Bishop already came close to fighting with Sen. Zeb Little and they had to be separated by Senate Security. Bishop had invited Little to meet him outside to settle an issue. Are these adults? At least the fight would not have been in the Senate chambers.

It is embarrassing enough that our state legislature does not go to Montgomery to do what we elect them to do. Then to have this broadcast the world over? I can’t wait till the next legislative session begins, can you? Hopefully it will be without Charles Bishop.