Curl up by the fire with a good book

Don't forget to cast your vote in the poll to the left which asks your opinion of what Congress will do in the next two years.

Book News

These books have connections to Bessemer, in one way or another. With colder weather just around the corner, it's time to stock up on your reading material. Make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, and wrap yourself in your Snuggie and begin turning the pages.

The Sermon on the Mall

John Tarrant has written a nice book that explores the connection between progressive politics and the teachings Christianity. The Sermon on the Mall is based on the inauguration speech of Barack Obama. Here is part of the introduction.

The Messiah has come! Or so one may have thought
upon hearing the passionate, tear-stained declarations of hope
for universal peace, prosperity and goodwill to all men, women,
gays, lesbians, white folks, black folks, sick people, poor people,
and assorted "mutts like me" on the tongues of the multitudes
lining the streets, throwing their cloaks in his path. This was
the Palm Sunday-like scene at the inauguration of the 44th
President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama. Never
before had a president been welcomed with such unattainable
expectations for change in every phase of the national life, from
foreign policy, to heathcare reform, to the rebirth of scientific
inquiry, to the crisis de jour, an economy that was sucking the
life out of the entire planet. Can he pull it off? That was the
question in all our minds. And the other mostly unspoken
question we all still have in a knotted place in our stomachs is,
can he survive, literally, or will he suffer the fate of most every
messiah and fall to the cries of "Crucify him!," egged on by the
doomsday prophets and publicans predicting the end of the
American franchise.

This book is available from lulu.com.

A good read for those who understand that Jesus was a progressive, and that today's Republican party has become a tool of that faction of conservatives that doesn't mind dividing the people and demonizing anything and anyone progressive. Heck, they would even throw Jesus under the bus if he was involved in the current debate about health care, but I digress.

People who should read the book:

1) Anyone who feels that their "conservative" political views are substantiated by Christian principles.

2) Anyone who would like to be able to better articulate the way in which their liberal political views are based in the foundational principles of Christianity.

3) Anyone who enjoys an entertaining read.

The author's son is a friend of mine.


The Teller of Burnham Bank

Troy Post, formerly of Bessemer and the Bessemer Development Board, has written a novel titled The Teller of Burnham Bank.




From the publication page:

In The Teller of Burnham Bank, a small-town newspaper editor struggles to save an historic building from an evil politician who has a different view of historic "renovation." But when the editor stumbles across a mystery (as they often do in these types of books), the suspense will keep the reader turning page after page .... because, of course, that's the only way to read a book.

Mr. Post most likely draws from his experience in Bessemer in writing this novel. It will be available one week from today, from Palmetto Branch Press.

Here's the back cover hook.

“Hey, look at this one,” said James, holding up one of the photographs. “I wonder what’s up with her?”

The photo he held was a picture of the Burnham Bank Building from 1939, as evidenced by the tax assessment sign in the still documenting the year. No longer a bank but the location for a five-and-dime store, the building itself appeared to be in good repair, with an ornate, wooden door at the building’s corner and perhaps fifteen arched windows, each topped with a marble lintel. An elegant spire, a feature missing in the present structure, covered the roof. But what instantly drew our attention was not the building – it was, rather a woman who stood in the foreground.

With arms drawn high to shield her face, one thing was apparent: she did not want to be photographed.

An interesting read, no doubt, and with the tie to local politics and historical preservation (although the book is fiction) I'm looking forward to reading it.

Those Others

My book, Those Others, is in the mix for a Lambda Literary Award, in the Gay Debut Fiction category.



Check that out here, and also you can watch a video trailer and order a book from that site.

Suicide prevention events

On Sunday the Alabama chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will hold their fifth annual "Out of the Darkness Community Walk" at Heardmont Park in Shelby County.

Last year the walk raised $90,000 and was the fifth best in the nation, with 690 participants.

This year they hope to raise $100,000 with 800 - 1,000 participants.

Registration begins at 1:30 and the walk begins at 3:00.

With the recent interest in teen suicide including LGBT suicides Equality Alabama is supporting the event and asking their members to wear the purple Spirit Day t-shirt or their Equality Alabama t-shirt. Equality Alabama believes this is an opportunity to educate others about the specifics of anti-gay bullying and its relation to teen suicide.

More information about Equality Alabama's support can be found on their event page.

More information about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, this particular event and their LGBT initiative can be found at AFSP.

Here you can watch a panel discussion on bullying and suicide with emphasis on LGBT "bullycides".

Of course suicide is not limited to teens or to LGBT persons. Suicides occur among people with untreated or under treated clinical depression. Suicide among the elderly is another problem which occurs more often than you may think.

This event is important to everyone, because a suicide can occur in any family without advance notice. This event raises money for research, prevention and educational programs.

Please join this effort, either with Equality Alabama or not, and help with the efforts to prevent the taking of lives.

Tre'Juan Figures

Tre'Juan Figures was a 12 year old boy from Anniston, AL who took his own life in October 2009 after being bullied because he would not join a gang.

There will be a vigil on November 20 at 2:00 pm at Zinn Park in Anniston to remember Trey and to raise awareness for anti-bullying.

Here is an article about Tre'Juan's death.

Here is a more recent article from the Anniston Star about bullying and anti-bullying efforts and Jason Childs, whose organization Center for Progress in Alabama is sponsoring the vigil.

Equality Alabama will also be present at this event. Please join us at this event also.

Bessemer: moving on

Coming up in Bessemer

City council

The new city council will hold their first meeting on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 9 a. m. They have elected Jesse Matthews as Council President and Sherrina Rice as president pro tem.

Matthews has served as council president before, and it is good that they have elected someone with experience to lead the meetings.

Railroad hub

Also on November 9 a public hearing will be held for the Norfolk Southern rail hub in McCalla. The hearing will focus on the environmental study of the proposed hub area. It will take place at the Discovery Alabama Event Center at Watermark Place, from 4 to 7 pm.

The Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration have signed off on the report, and the public hearing is required by law under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Rudy Husband, spokesperson for Norfolk Southern said they hope to start construction in early 2011 and open the facility in mid to late 2012.

Norfolk Southern says the facility will create or preserve 8600 jobs and have a $4 billion economic impact over the next 10 years.

The hearing will include stations with displays that address concerns about the project, but also there will be a short presentation about the project followed by a moderated question and answer session.

Here is a link to where you can read the environmental assessment. No, I haven't read all of the >500 page document, but I can tell you that environmental concerns are addressed, and the concerns that were submitted by residents were addressed as well. This document is also available at the Bessemer Public Library and the Hueytown Public Library.




Bessemer DHR building

The construction of the Bessemer DHR building is on schedule.

The weather cooperated and allowed the slab to be poured before the rains came.


This pile of steel will soon provide the framework for the building.




Before the end of the year look for the second floor slab pour.

The building is scheduled for completion in July 2011.

The Bessemer No Spin Zone

People (who remain anonymous) are already poking fun at me after the Democrats in Alabama suffered defeat last night.

As if I expected every Democrat to win.

No, but when you 'work' for a party you support your candidates and you promote them and hope for the best.

I don't apologize for that. I don't duck and run.

So, here are some positive things from my perspective on the election.

Everyone in this state knows it is a red state. That is why the Blue Dot was developed here.

The Seventh

My candidate for the 7th congressional district, Terri Sewell, won handily. Of course that was expected and almost assured. But I supported Terri from when it first rumored that she would run. We needed a woman in congress and now we have one. Here she is in Selma last night at the historic St. James Hotel, thanking her supporters.



Here Terri and her mother are being interviewed by a Montgomery television reporter.


I personally thanked Terri's mother for giving birth to her, and for raising her as she did.

The County

Another bright spot is that Jefferson County's vote returned to Democratic in the governor's race.

Ron Sparks received 104,098 votes to Robert Bentley's 100,934. Not a huge margin, but a 51% to 49%.

Compare that to 2006 when Bob Riley took 53% of the vote in Jefferson County, compared to Lucy Baxley's 47%, and 2002 race when Don Siegelman had 56% and Bob Riley had 43%.

I'm leaving out 2008's Jefferson county vote for Obama, because I am comparing apples to apples with the governor's race.

The pendulum swings.

The Constitution

Here's a bright spot. All of the statewide amendments lost. For those of us that advocate constitutional reform, it indicates that the Alabama voters don't like the process either. Trouble is, most elected Republicans don't support true reform, so I don't expect anything from the Alabama legislature, or at least not a convention to write an new constitution anytime soon.


The Gays

For the ever increasing majority that believe in LGBT equality, a record 106 openly gay candidates were elected across the country. Here are some highlights.

Lexington Kentucky elected a gay man as mayor, construction executive Jim Gray.

North Carolina elected their first openly gay state legislator, Marcus Brandon.

Rhode Island will send an openly gay man to congress, as Providence mayor David Cicilline will represent his district in Washington, and will be the fourth openly gay member of congress.

Click on the link to read more.

The Nation

Across the nation, we avoided having two of the most unqualified and unprepared candidates elected to the senate, and one of those defeats means the Senate majority Harry Reid will remain in office. May we never have to hear from Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell again.

As for the future along the national scene, I have my doubts that the Republican gains will translate into Republican love over the next two years. They were the Party of No for the previous two years. Before that they were the Party of Yes to both tyranny and wasteful spending. A few new shrill voices will have a difficult time transforming the established Republicans into Teabaggers that want to cut, oh, say, farm subsidies and Medicare benefits and unemployment benefits and the things Americans hold dear.

And their leaders John Boehner and Mitch McConnell (if in fact they remain the leaders) have said (collectively) that their primary goal is to make sure Obama is a one term president and that they would not compromise. Obama reached out to them during the first two years and they refused to work with the Democrats, who thinks they will now?

And Boehner, whose emotional swings range from screaming, "Hell, no," in the House to crying after victory (it's not like it was his first win, remember), will not have the steadfastness nor the demeanor to be an effective leader in Congress. Just a prediction.

All this could easily result in two years of ineffective government, the Republicans in congress getting the blame, and a second term for Obama and another swing in the house with democratic gains in 2012.

The Hotel

Ms. Sewell's reception was held at the St. James Hotel in Selma, and Bobby and I spent the night there after the event. One word of advice. In a one hundred sixty year old building, when the elevator is stuck, and a while later they say it is working, don't believe them. We got stuck in the elevator, but there was no panic. They "reset" it, whatever that means, from the outside, and we were able to ride up to our third floor room, after just a few minutes.

Here is a view of the courtyard that is surrounded by rooms.



A ground level view of the fountain in the courtyard.

The St. James was built in 1837, and during the Civil War it was occupied by union troops who burned most of the city. The hotel was managed by Benjamin Sterling Turner during the war, and he later became the first African-American to serve in the U. S. Congress.

Now the first African-American woman to go to congress from Alabama celebrates in the same hotel. Neat, huh?

Here is the view of the Alabama river and the Edmund Pettus Bridge from our balcony, as the sun was rising.

Imagine the history seen from that balcony (and the balconies on the other sides). Riverboats and barges with cotton on the river. Northern aggressors coming into the city. The city burning. The city being rebuilt. Martin Luther King, Jr, speaking at Brown Chapel on Jan 2, 1965. Bloody Sunday a couple of months later. The successful march to Montgomery that began in Selma later that year. The election of the first black mayor. Annual re-enactments of the March. Terri Sewell being elected to congress.

Selma, like Terri, is an Alabama jewel.

Two polls (that don't have anything to do with politics)

The Election

If you are like many Americans and many in Alabama and even in Bessemer, in spite of all the hype and crazy people running for office you don't know much about this (here) election they are putting on today.

All you know is what you see on the political ads that run during the news, during the World Series (congrats to San Francisco!!! and (hot) bearded Brian Wilson), and during every television show it seems.



So you may or may not vote. I mean, OFA and other groups are doing all they can to Get Out The Vote. Democrats are trying to remind voters who first voted in 2008 that it is still important to vote. Republicans are screaming, "Fire!," in an effort to motivate their voters.

Some of you might even respond to this: here is your voter guide... or here.

And still, only 55% of voters are expected to turn out in Alabama, according to Beth Chapman, Alabama's Secretary of State.

Almost half of the people in this state don't care. So if somebody wins, say, the governorship, with just a little over half the vote, what it really means is that only a quarter of the people (or a little more) in the state want that person to be governor.

One person who doesn't want Robert Bentley to be governor is Jimmy Blake, who says he will contest the election if Bentley wins the election today, based on Bentley's reporting of campaign fund raising.

Polls

We've seen polls and polls and polls and polls and surveys. We even had a poller call at 7:10 yesterday evening. What good is that going to do?

Poll 1

Here are some of the results of the reader's survey I posted on Bessemer Opinions a few weeks ago.

23% of the respondents are straight and 19% are LGBT. That means that 52% of you are either unsure of your sexuality or so deep in the closet and so paranoid about being discovered that you were afraid to answer even on an anonymous poll.

61% of you are white, and only 6% are black. That leaves a lot of people of other colors. Or not.

See that's the problems with surveys where you can choose multiple answers. Some people didn't know that, so they didn't answer the race or sexual orientation questions. Or they are paranoid and they probably didn't complete their census form either.

The highest number of you, 31%, like the mix of subjects and the unexpected that you find on Bessemer Opinions. 16% want more Bessemer news and less gay news, 7% wanted more gay news and less Bessemer. You are still going to get the mix.

What this tells me is that Bessemer Opinions is popular among a wide variety of people with a variety of interests, and that I should keep reporting as I do on a number of subjects.

Poll 2

Yesterday I wrote this column for Daily Kos that compares the two Georgia megachurch pastors and the churches that have been in the news recently regarding gay issues. At the end of that column there was a poll asking "Which church offers the truer message of Christianity regarding gay issues?" The choices are New Birth Missionary Baptist Church led by Pastor Eddie Long or Church in the Now led by Pastor Jim Swilley, or neither.

Of the 42 people who have responded, 78% think Church in the Now, with the pastor who has been inclusive and accepting and recently came out as gay, is offering the truer message, and only 2% believe New Birth led by the pastor who was accused of having sexual relations with some of his male followers while preaching an anti-gay message is offering the truer Christian message. 19% say neither, and I assume those are people without faith, or people who have been driven away from the church.

Swilley and his supporters are hoping they can change the world. I think all, or most, Christian churches believe that, but let's hope he is right.

The Challenger

Some of you know that there is now a blog that has been created to stand up against my militancy.

From their "Welcome" page:

This blog exists to spend a little time answering the radical homosexual propaganda of Joe Openshaw, a gay organizer in Bessemer, Alabama. It is also a place for conservative Christians to have their say regarding the militant homosexual agenda in Bessemer.

Radical? One of my straight friends responded to that saying she thinks I am pretty moderate.

Militant? Militant? I can't even respond to that. Militant?

Anyway, for those of you who are keeping score.

1. There was a newspaper editor in town that threatened to file a lawsuit against me to force me to quit revealing the truth. He's gone. Fired.

2. There was another blogger, the "Bessemer conservative" I called him in a newspaper column. He's pretty much given up, but was real good at copying and pasting from those anti-Obama emails that used to circulate with so much mis-information.

3. And then there was Snuffy, who in a letter to the newspaper called me a communist and worse, and compared my loving relationship with my partner to screwing a horse. Anyone heard from him lately?

So I don't feel threatened by this newcomer, who so far has chosen not to reveal his whole identity. I know this is just a tease, but I am not going to post a link to his blog, yet, because he has already posted some statements which could be damaging to young gay kids. Here I am trying to prevent kids from killing themselves and this "conservative Christian" is destroying their self esteem and possibly contributing to their harmful actions.

If you want a link to the page, email me.

Bessemer - Day 1

This morning the new school board, city council and mayor were sworn in.

I sat with Judge Helen Shores Lee who is on the ballot tomorrow (one of my recommendations) and we had a good conversation about tomorrow's election in Jefferson County and the country, and about the supposed lack of enthusiasm among Democratic voters. She's not sure that lack of enthusiasm is real.

I spoke with Senator Priscilla Dunn who confirmed that she received an envelope full of letters regarding anti-bullying policy. Our efforts paid off.

I spoke with Judge Annetta Verin, and wished her well tomorrow. She administered the oath to all of the School board member (and twice to one of them) as well as to one of the council members.

School Board member Renna Scott neglected to say the word "solemnly" during the part of the oath where you "swear" or "affirm." Judge Verin was not going to let a simple omission turn into a future problem, and remembering the inauguration of President Obama, she suggested a re-do.

Here is Councilman David Vance being sworn in.



Here is Councilwoman Sherrina Rice being sworn in.



Here is Councilwoman Sarah Belcher being sworn in.



Here is Councilwoman Donna Thigpen being sworn in.



Here is Councilman Ron Marshall being sworn in.



Here is Councilman Jesse Matthews being sworn in.



Here is Councilman Cleo King being sworn in.



Here is Mayor Ken Gulley being sworn in. That is his mother and his wife Yvonne standing with him as Judge Eric Fancher administers the oath of office.



Mayor Gulley gave a positive and inspiring address.



In his address he said, "I pledge to do all that I can" to move the city forward and asked the citizens of Bessemer to partner with him.

"A government that works," is one of his objectives, and he wants to "tear down walls that divide us and build bridges to unite us."

The crowd stood and applauded several times during the ceremony, but the biggest applause was when it was official.

No one was happier, it seemed, than Cleo King, council member from my district.



Well, other than a throng of city workers, who were the first to stand and applaud when the new mayor was sworn in.

And business owners.

And developers.

And ordinary citizens.

Over the last few weeks it seems that former mayor Ed May (that feels good...to write that) has tried to solidify his imprint on the city with some appointments and such. We will see how those things hold out.

But for now, Gulley has said (after his election) that getting the city finances in order are a priority. Let's hope the council agrees. And let's watch for some early signs of new Bessemer businesses.

Hold on, folks. Bessemer is on the move.

Recommendations

I have recommended that you vote a straight Democratic ticket on Tuesday. Many of you won’t do that, for one reason or another, so I want to list several candidates where your vote is essential, and might make a difference, or that for one reason or another I support. These are candidates on my ballot in Bessemer, you may or may not have these candidates on your ballot.

United States Representative District 7 – Terri Sewell. Terri will be the first African American woman elected to represent Alabama in congress. A historic election and a well qualified candidate with a vision and drive to make a difference for the Black Belt region and the rest of the state.

Governor – Ron Sparks. Robert Bentley scares me, both because it is Halloween, but also because who knows what he is thinking?

Lieutenant Governor – Jim Folsom, Jr. Kay Ivey scares me too. And there’s something she’s not being quite open and honest about…but my lips are sealed.

Attorney General – James H. Anderson. Funny how Luther Strange talks about fighting special interests (lobbyists) and that’s all he’s ever been. Fighting with yourself…there’s a diagnosis for that.

Supreme Court Justice, Place 1 – Rhonda Chambers. She is more qualified and has experience that will serve her well on the high court.

Supreme Court Justice, Place 3 – Mac Parsons. Tom Parker was named Man of the year by a group that wants to take the right to vote away from women. We do not need him on the bench.

Court of Civil Appeals – Deborah Bell Paseur. She has a great name. She has served as district judge for 27 years and this would be a good fit for her.

State Treasurer – Charley Grimsley. Don’t let Boozer bankrupt the state. You’ve seen the commercial, haven’t you?

State Auditor – Miranda Karrine Joseph. I met Miranda at the Bessemer Farmer’s market one Saturday and we talked about the state and the people and moving forward.

Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries - Glen Zorn. We need an Ag Commish with experience and he’s got it. Plus, he’s been on a farm.

Public Service Commission, Place 2 – Susan Parker. She’s done a great job and keeps the people informed on issues. Keep her in there.

State Board of Education, District 4 – Yvette M. Richardson. Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, hang down your head and cry...

Circuit court Judge 10th circuit, Place 3 – David Carpenter. I’ve met David and he’s got good ideas about this court and is a great guy too.

Circuit court Judge 10th circuit, Place 4 – Helen Shores Lee. Doing a good job, needs to stay there.

Circuit court Judge 10th circuit, Place 12 – Anetta H. Verin. Hate to lose her in Bessemer but she’ll do a great job.

Circuit court Judge 10th circuit, Place 20 – Agnes Chappell. Lot’s of experience as a judge. She will do well.

Circuit court Judge 10th circuit, Place 24 – Stephen Wallace. Stephen is fending off hateful, misleading attack ads. Desperation on the part of his opponent.

District Court Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit, Place 10 – Lynneice Washington. Lynneice has served as assistant DA for eight years and is very familiar with the court.

Circiut Court Clerk, Bessemer division – Benny R. Watson. You have to love a candidate named Benny. He’s the current clerk and we need to keep him.

Now wouldn't it just be easier to vote a straight Democratic ticket?