Mississippi Remembers Governor Waller

As a new Mississippi resident, I am saddened to learn of the death of former Governor William Waller.  He bravely worked for justice, particularly in the murder case of Medgar Evers.   Later, as governor, he strove to modernize the state through empowerment and civic engagement.

On my elementary classroom bookshelf, I have a large video-literary tribute to Medgar Evers - lessons taught regularly to Mississippi school children. Our state is on the path to justice, thanks to the late Governor William Waller and so many other brave men and women who worked for justice when people were often afraid to do the right thing.  Here is a short story of Governor Waller's life, which I hope will inspire you to read his memoir:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/03/us/politics/william-l-waller-ex-governor-of-mississippi-dies-at-85.html?ref=todayspaper

Thanks to P.J. Crowley for Speaking the Truth about the Abuse of Bradley Manning!



PJ, Mike, Marie Joe Sestak

P.J. Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State and retired Air Force officer, resigned under pressure for speaking his conscience about the foolish and unnecessary mistreatment of US Army soldier Bradley Manning. Bradley Manning is being detained in solitary confinement for his role in the Wikileaks case.  Manning has been subjected to abuses reminiscent of Abu Ghraib during his interrogation.  You may already know that P.J. served the Clinton White House. Since President Obama was elected, he has done a superb job as spokesperson for the current Secretary of State.

Before I continue, let me offer my full disclosure: PJ is a friend of mine, who supported my campaign for state office back in 2006. P.J. and his wife stood by me when I testified as a Halliburton Whistleblower before the United States House Committee on Government Reform, and before the U.S. Senate Democratic Policy Committee.

I have always admired P.J.’s dignity and restraint – his patience and elegant responses during press conferences and media events that might have caused Jesus himself to flip tables on those who choose to distort the truth for profit in the media.

If you know me, you know that I can become quite animated when addressing my passionate social justice concerns. Over the years, I’ve tried to learn from P.J.’s dealings with the press. His temperament has always been gentle, but extremely disciplined.

So, when I read P.J.'s comments about the U.S. military’s treatment of Bradley Manning, I can’t help but believe that his statements to bloggers were deliberate statements of conscience – what we expect of our finest military officers and government officials. But, for speaking truth to power, P.J. lost his platform.

I read that the Obama Administration has distanced itself from P.J.’s comments, which is regrettable. But, if we are concerned with the ongoing Abu Ghraib-ness of our government’s treatment of political and wartime prisoners,  -- if we care about our image as a nation that adheres to the highest principles of military and civilian justice -- then, we need to stand behind P.J.

Right now, I have this to say to my friend: Thank you, P.J., for speaking your gentle truth in these very dangerous times.


But, it is not enough to thank P.J.  for his service to truth.  For the sake of our national integrity, we need to contact our senators and congresspersons to demand that our military interrogators abide by the Geneva Conventions and by the U.S. UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) in all dealings with prisoners under our control.    Here’s our link: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

Pierre C. Shadeaux: Louisiana's Oracle of Spring

No one seriously believes that a groundhog’s shadow can predict long winters or the imminent coming of spring. But, culturally, US news agencies have celebrated Pennsylvania’s Punxatawny Phil’s role as Spring’s Oracle as if the conditions in this one state could be generalized as valid for our whole country.

Down here in Cajun Country, native Lousianans reject the notion that a Pennsylvania ground hog could validly declare the coming of spring for our region. Indeed, Acadian farmers and other hurricane savvy Louisianans rely most heavily not on groundhogs, but rather, on expert meteorologists to provide precise daily wind and rainfall predictions in order to safely manage their crops and off-shore businesses.

Of course, Cajuns do playfully glean a touch of weather wisdom from the animal kingdom, but they reject the national cultural imposition of the ground hog as a mythic source of wisdom for their region. Instead, local Acadian communities have established their very own oracle to announce the coming of spring.

On February 2nd, Cajuns observed the behavior of Pierre C. Shadeaux (pronounced: Pierre C. Shadow) – a nutria who resides in his very own New Iberian castle. If Mr. Shadeaux fails to see his shadow on the 2nd, then winter will be prolonged for six more weeks. If he sees his shadow, then, Acadians hope to enjoy a long spring and short summer.

Yes, the foolishness of this game is obvious to every person who has ever spent a winter in this wonderful state. From one day to the next our temperatures rise to 70°, then plummet to the mid-thirties or mid-twenties, then rise to the 60s or 70s the very next day. But, this year on Feb. 2nd, we were absolutely exhausted from the extreme and inconstant weather, and so, we hoped Mr. Shadeaux would predict a solid transition to Spring. He did not fail to disappoint, even as we were sent home from school on Feb. 3rd, because of a “winter storm:”  Here's the video:  http://www.katc.com/videoplayer/?video_id=5980&categories=

Democracy in Egypt

Once, while sitting on the deck of a Nile River cruise ship with an Egyptian couple back in the late 1970s, my understanding of America’s place in the world as the premier Western democracy was turned on its head. As we sipped tall icy drinks and toasted the stunning beauty of the setting sun, suddenly, our hostess turned to me with her most winsome smile, declaring, “Egypt is the FREEEST country in the world!”


I was a young adult, still enamored with the idea that America was de facto, the most free country in the world. But my friend sweetly shared the cultural basis of her very different belief: “Egypt is the FREEEST country in the world!  Listen, In other Arab countries, you must wear the veil. Here, we choose." 

She persuaded me then and there that Egypt was the "freeest" Middle Eastern democracy, but I still clung to my faith in the world supremacy of American democracy.

My friend persisted:  "You have been a democracy for two hundred years, and you still have no equality for women! Here in Egypt, women have had constitutional equality for two hundred years! ”

Ouch! I was still stinging from the failed national campaign to add the Equal Rights Amendment to our U.S. Constitution back in the 70s, but my friend had not yet persuaded me that her motherland, Egypt, provided her a better democratic experience than my homeland provided me.

“Your businesses are coming here,” she continued, “Because it is easier to run a business here than in America. You have religious freedom, but we have it too! Here in Egypt, we have religious freedom! I am Christian. My daughter married an Israeli. My sister married a Muslim..."  This point was difficult to refute.  On the one hand, we had constituional religious freedom, but back in the 1970s Jewish and Catholic couples were still coming to Unitarian churches because their own synagogues, churches and families would not tolerate interfaith marriages.

My friend exuberantly persisted: "We speak five languages. We can be traditional, or we can be modern: scientists, physicians, politicians. Here in Egypt, you can do anything you set your mind to do. Anything!  Egypt is the FREEEST country in the world!”  In other words, women made their own choices. 

There was nothing to debate here, so I accepted her feelings and asked for another iced drink.

I can still remember that day, more than 30 years ago, when I could celebrate my new friend’s joy that her country was providing human beings with some of the fruits of democracy: freedom of speech, the right to vote, to participate fully in the work force and in the process of governance.

I reveled with her that Egyptian businesses had the uncommon sense to adjust their work pace to the extreme climate and weather conditions of their hot summers. American businesses have yet to learn to adapt to the demands of climate and weather.

I still recall with joy, the moments in my home and in hers, when we celebrated new friendships between Israeli and Egyptian airline industry workers - all because Prime Minister Anwar El Sadat and Prime Minister Menachem Begin had the uncommon decency to choose the path of peace to strengthen their nations' identities as modern democracies.

Thirty years ago, democracy had the comforting feel of a tall, iced cooler, something you could continue to sip and savor long after the glistening sun disappeared each night.  But over time, the freedom, the rights of the people were abused.  Now that the Egyptian people are standing up for their rights, we don't think of democracy as the perfectly frosty drink for a blazing hot day.  Our leaders too often call the democracy movement "destablizing."  That is unfortunate, and I pray our leaders will rethink this matter.

After all these years, I admit I have not been paying attention to thousands of small indignities that have sparked Egyptian citizens to rise up and stand for full restoration of their constitutional freedoms. The current crisis caught me completely by surprise, but it has set me to reflecting and remembering and hoping that the Egyptian people will win the day.

I pray for all those who are participating in the pro-democracy demonstrations in Cairo and other parts of Egypt, that, as quickly and as peacefully as possible, they take back their government and restore their nation as a Middle Eastern model of tolerance, equality, and equal rights for all.

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

Fifth Grade Mamou High Green Demon Band Members Hailey and Chloe created this poster to share their beliefs about human relations.  They asked me if they could carry their poster in Mamou's Martin Luther King Day parade. Classmate Hannah joined them as we walked the parade route on Saturday.  We were blessed with warm weather and wonderful plates of red beans, hot spicy sausage, and rice when we finished!

For the first time in our town's history, part of our Mamou High School Green Demon Marching Band led Mamou's annual Martin Luther King Parade on Saturday.  I can remember the days in Louisiana when the Federal Government celebrated this holiday, but the state did not.  So, school children did not always have the opportunity to reflect on the civil rights contributions made by Dr. King and by so many families in Louisiana who supported the Civil Rights movement.

How times have changed!  Today, we do celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday as a state and federal holiday.  Our children receive comprehensive instruction in social studies, science, language arts, mathematics, and of course, the fine arts -- even in our high-poverty communities.

Our state has aligned its curriculum and invested in textbooks that are very current, reflecting all of the important civic issues up to the 2004 election.  Textbooks appeal to our diverse communities, and connect students with the story of Louisiana's great history.  Our students are state-tested on their knowledge of US and Louisiana History, beginning in the fifth grade.

With such deliberate strategies to educate all of Louisiana's children, is it any wonder that my students would have such a grasp of the most critical need of our time: to learn how to get along "as brothers" ... and sisters? 

I love teaching in public schools as part of my ministry, because I learn from my students every day.  But this day had extra special lessons for me.  To paraphrase the great Southern comic philosopher, Jeff Foxworthy, wouldn't it be nice if all the grownups in the world were as smart as, if not smarter than ... our fifth graders?

On the Tragedy Which Occurred at Congresswoman Gabbie Gifford's Public Event

I was once told a story about Joseph Kennedy, Jr., son of the late Senator Bobby Kennedy, who was assassinated the evening he won the California presidential primary in 1968. As recounted to me back in the early 1970’s, Joseph was attending a Boston-area class on community organizing, facilitated by a prominent grassroots organizer.

With great enthusiasm, the instructor explained very popular "progressive" tactical steps for arousing anger in communities that were truly in need of organizing. This teacher described the process of choosing “targets,” that is, individuals who had decision-making power for this or that issue, and went on to explain the process of channeling the community’s anger into focused campaigns for positive change.

My friend told me that the younger Kennedy brought the classroom lecture to an abrupt halt with his serious, intense stare into the instructor’s eyes.

When asked if Mr. Kennedy cared to comment on the content of the lecture, the fledgling fatherless public figure was reported to have said: “Human beings must never be targets.”

To the best of my ability, I’ve carried that lesson with me into all of my community organizing endeavors, and I have tried with all my heart to abide by this lesson since this story was told to me by my friend.

But, times have changed drastically since those days when passionate idealists knocked on doors for clean water, affordable housing, and a fair and equitable health care system.

Political discourse in this nation has been rabid, destructive, and non-productive for a very long time. All in the dubious name of “free speech,” we have allowed our public commentators and aspirants to public office to demonize those who oppose them, and we have allowed individuals and groups to whip up an angry frenzy in communities plagued with mortgage foreclosures, job loss, pension loss, and general feelings of insecurity about our future as a free nation.

Politicians and community organizers continue to “target” those with whom they philosophically disagree in dangerous ways – and their rhetoric has become unreasonably aggressive and violently suggestive.

And now, We, the People, have again paid a terrible price for our passivity in the face of this aggressive rhetoric.

Today, we mourn the loss of a nine year old girl, Christina Taylor Green, a young girl born on September 11, 2001, who believed it her destiny to work democratically to improve the life of others.

We mourn the loss of Judge John M. Roll, a man who stopped by Congresswoman Gabby Giffords public event to extend the hand of friendship and hospitality.

We mourn the loss of all the citizens who were killed because they chose to attend Congresswoman Gabbie Gifford’s public event, during which she promised civil, polite discussion of the needs of her 8th Congressional District in Tucson Arizona.

We mourn the loss of those who were injured, who are fighting for their lives, including Congresswoman Gabbie Giffords -- who passionately, but collegially and respectfully represented the interests of her constituents.

We pray for the full and speedy recovery of all those who survived this senseless violence.

Most of all, we pray for our nation, that we may find our way back to the true spirit of democracy, where men and women, and children engage in political discourse with dignity, civility, passion, and full respect for every human being’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.