VOTE!!!

Are you registered to vote?   In North Carolina, the deadline to register is this Friday, October 14, 2016.   If in doubt about your status, call your local Board of Elections to make sure you're on the rolls.  The upcoming Nov. 8 election is vitally important!  Your vote counts now more than ever.

The information below may be helpful to you.  Please remember that the controversial "Voter ID" law was declared UNCONSTITUTIONAL by the federal courts in July, 2016.

http://www.ncvoter.org/voting-in-nc/#ElectionDates

VOTER SUPPRESSION IS ALIVE AND WELL

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/04/3081614/florida-democratic-party-files.html

This is the kind of thing I'm worried about.  Click on the link to read about what's happening in Dade County, Florida.  Voter suppression is an outrage!

October 12 is the last day to register to vote in North Carolina for the Nov. 6 election.  If you're not registered, get it done today!

My Oh My Oh My

I've lived in the south for over 40 years.  I love it dearly and call it "home."  But I am saddened, shocked and dismayed that the voters of North Carolina today chose to violate the tenets of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States by passing Amendment One.  Not since 1875, when the state voted to disallow interracial marriage, has NC chosen to take away the rights of a minority.  Welcome to the 19th century.

I wish everyone in NC could have heard this eloquent argument by The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II prior to voting today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywImcNViPtc

Salute to Black History Month

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWtxCW9stNk&feature=fvsr

 

 First Cousins 

Standing in front of their grandparents'  sod house.
Overton, Nebraska, Christmas, 1913

My father is the toddler being held by his older brother, 3rd from the left.

 February is Black History Month.  As one who learned my true racial heritage late in life, I take great pride in singing along to the words of the Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing!

These are MY people.  This is MY family.  Celebrate diversity.

Wise Words

Below  is a small excerpt from an op/ed piece written for CNN.  Julian Zelizer recalls the midterm elections for presidents Reagan and Clinton, and how each was able to bounce back from miserable polls.  As a Democrat frustrated by the lack of screaming and yelling coming from others in my party, I found  the words hopeful and rational.  I also think Mr. Zelizer is absolutely correct.


"But Obama must also do a better job at telling voters what he is about. While the president has a large legislative record to boast of, it remains unclear to many voters, including Democrats who support much of the record, what it all adds up to.

It's time for Obama to state his agenda and lay out a set of governing principles that will guide him in his next two years as president. It's likely that the pressure of the 2010 midterm elections will compel Obama to present an argument to the public to build a case for his presidency."

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian E. Zelizer.

Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. To read the complete article, click here:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/08/30/zelizer.obama.agenda/index.html?iref=allsearch

FAIL!

Sorry, Mr. President - but your speech tonight was lame.  Don't make me wish I'd voted for Hillary!