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I’m flying tomorrow morning. That means I won’t actually get dressed until after I get through security. It’s not bad enough that I have to pack my carry-on bags at home, unpack them at the airport and then re-pack them while making sure strangers don’t make off with my stuff, now spread out on a table. I’m not even completely ready for my day.
I’ve taken to not fully dressing before flying. My belt, watch, glasses, cell phone - anything and everything that we attach to ourselves daily for our routine, I leave off. I put it in my carry-on bag and send it through the machine first. Then I finish dressing for the day on the other side of security. It’s not too bad except when I get those phone calls while driving to the airport. If you think it’s bad that I talk and drive at the same time, imagine me unpacking my garment bag or laptop case to enable me to talk and drive at the same time.
Once I get to security, for me, it’s always worse. I watch with envy as women with earrings and other jewelry breeze through the metal detector. I wear a silver bracelet I bought on my honeymoon 20+ years ago. It doesn’t come off but it does set off airport metal detectors. Not just now and then. Every. Last. Time. Thus I have to budget even more time for the wanding and pat down search before security releases me to finish dressing.
Everyone I know is all about safety. We watch our kids, buckle our seatbelts, don’t drink and drive and all the other stuff, too. At what point in time, however, do we as a nation decide enough is enough? Common sense and common courtesy don’t seem to be charge much anymore. Increasingly it seems as if common thugs are. As one video notes, there have been hundreds of millions of air travelers since 9/11 and only 110,000 complaints so perhaps it’s not the big deal it seems. But folks like Mandi Hamlin, Robert Perry, Michael Angone and Robin Kassner might beg to differ.
It seems Memphians need to be asking it anew. And anyone who, like me, enters the bloodsport known as blogging. Because the Memphis, TN Police Department is getting a lil’ sporty.
The blog is highly critical of the Memphis PD, popular with Memphis police officers and seems to get regular tips and information from sources inside the department. If there is a legal problem there, it would seem to be on the part of the leakers, not the blogger. If officers sign documents to the effect they will not divulge department documents, there’s an issue. If, however, those leaks don’t hinder ongoing investigations then there may be some room to apply Sunshine principles and note that the MPD works for Memphians, not the other way around. Obstruction of Justice is one thing. Abuse of power is another. I can’t find an application of the catchall “national security reasons” which would apply to the quashing of publishing material from a metropolitan source.
I just found out about this so I’ll be watching to see what issues unfold. At a minimum there are 1st Amendment implications here for bloggers and other authors and journalists. If Godwin and the MPD get away with this, what do we do with our local TV and print investigative reporters, for example? And how will knowing who Dirk Diggler is make a difference other than to expose Diggler to potential punitive actions based more in snark than statue?
Sound off in comments and click through to the stories. I’m sure there’ll be more ahead in the days to come, too. Stay tuned.
1st LT. Frank B. Walkup, IV
23 years old from Woodbury, Tennessee
2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division
June 16, 2007
Toni already has a great post up on her site, so I’ll just link to it.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Tennessee ConserVOLiance bloggers Kay Brooks, Kate from An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings and I represented the New Media at Joy Ford’s Monday press conference. We were joined by WTN radio’s Phil Valentine, Fox 17 News’ John Dunn, the Tennessean’s Chas Sisk and camera crews from two other local TV stations, sadly without accompanying reporters.
In the videos below, Scott Bullock of the Institute for Justice, Ford’s counsel in the matter, announces Ford will not be going down without a fight. It may be that Nashville government and Houston developers will get to bulldoze Joy’s building - but they will never bulldoze Joy! Since Joy’s husband died in 1999, she has fielded and rejected a steady stream of offers to buy her property. The latest came with an interesting twist. It wasn’t just a developer wanting her land, the city of Nashville was party to the deal.
As is always the case when government gets involved, there’s an iron fist in that velvet glove. Unlike developers who came-a-courtin’, the government wouldn’t take Joy Ford’s “No!” for an answer. When governmental chocolate and flowers didn’t work, Joy’s bureaucratic suitor decided to get a little rough. If he had been an actual man, we’d call his behavior ‘rape’ and prosecute him. Because it’s the government, Miss Joy is supposed to accept being violated and understand since the city is paying her, it’s OK. If that sounds suspiciously like a man’s rationale that he spent lots of money on this date and is therefore entitled to take what he wants if his date is unwilling, you won’t be far off the mark.
Faced with the threat of arrogant and powerful government seizing her property, Joy Ford had two choices. She could give up and quit or she could stand up and fight. Joy chose to fight. Some will question that choice. Who is she to stand in the way of development? She’s just one person and this is for the good of the city. Blah, blah, blah …
Let’s not forget - Joy is the injured party here. She was attacked first and is defending herself. She was minding her own business, literally, when she was forced into a conflict. She’s not fighting against City Hall, she’s fighting back against City Hall. There’s a difference. They drew first blood. The press conference videos below show how the battle lines are shaping up. In the meantime, drop Miss Joy a note and tell her you’re on her side. Send a donation to the Institute for Justice to help them stand up for her. Blog about the issue or talk about it with your family and friends. If we all do what we can, this is a fight we’ll win!
Thanks and a techie hat tip go out to Kay Brooks for her help and guidance in teaching me the ins and outs of Movie Maker so that I could post these videos. Being a bit dense, it still took a day or so to figure it out. I apologize for not having the video up sooner. Thanks, Kay!
Obama talks a lot about being President. Does he ever talk about WHERE he wants to be President of? I can’t remember hearing him say. You’d think it would be President of the United States. You just might be wrong.
This just in from World Net Daily via Cao’s Blog. The American flag is gone from the tail of Obama’s plane. He’s added some plush accommodations for the press traveling with him. He’s added a spiffy kitchen from which some really nice sounding meals can be distributed. He’s added his slogan and website URL to the outside of the plane. And on the tail fin, where the US flag USED to be, he’s added the sacred Obamalogo.
Sweet! Sounds like he wants to President of Obamaland. It reminds me of the South Park episode where Cartman inherits bank and buys an amusement park. The best one in Colorado (coincidental, DNC??) and he renames it CartmanLand! THEN he runs commercials telling everyone, “There’s SO much to do at CartmanLand and YOU CAN’T COME. ‘Specially if you’re Stan and Kyle!”
Seriously, Obama just gets weirder and more narcissistic by the minute. First he puts up some caricature of the Presidential Seal. Now he’s taken down the US flag from his campaign plane and replaced it with his own logo. Who knew he was this committed to “change”? What’s next, stopping off at the Denver Mint after his acceptance speech and have a special coin minted bearing his anointed likeness to pay his civilian national security force with?
Every pol is allowed a couple of stupid campaign trail screwups. Why Obama continues to intentionally and stupidly snub not just the people of America but the country itself is beyond me. And there are people who actually think he’ll be good for both us and the world. If the Democrats believe the world really hates America now, just wait until they get back in power.
Well folks, time to let your voice be heard if you’re concerned at all about Tennessee Toll Roads. Why? Well, our beloved government, once again, wants to represent us. They want to know what we think about Toll Roads in Tennessee. So they’ve scheduled public meetings for Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville. Ooops … did I mention those meetings were scheduled for July 10th, 15th and 17th respectively? I know, there was just so much publicity. How could it have slipped past me? Actually, there is one more public meeting on July 29th in Memphis which will at least partially address the matter so you Westies take notice!
Thanks to an email tip from Bobbie Patray of The Tennessee Eagle Forum, however, we can still make our voices heard. And we need to do so. Bobbie notes the meetings were not about specifics but “… about the concept of tolling in general and what it could bring to the State of Tennessee.” She linked to a story in the Knoxville News Sentinel which reports TDOT says there will be no Toll Road if public opposition is high enough. While that’s encouraging, one wonders what will have to happen for TDOT to accept that we don’t want Tennessee Tolls.
KNS reporter J.J. Stambaugh notes,
Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely drew a round of applause Thursday when he promised that the proposed Knoxville Parkway won’t be a toll road if the public is opposed to the idea.
It was the only applause he drew during the 90-minute meeting at Bearden High School, which was attended by about 50 people.
I don’t have any numbers for those attending in Nashville or Memphis but it seems the publicity for this little shindig in the East was as skimpy as elsewhere. The money quote is about a third of the way through the article.
Nicely and other officials, including TDOT Chief of Environment and Planning Ed Cole, explained that the Legislature has authorized TDOT to look at possibly building toll roads, but included the caveat that “strong public support” is a prerequisite for moving forward.
During a following question-and-answer session, Knoxville resident David Cochran asked Nicely to define “strong public support” for the audience, most of whom clearly were opposed to tolls.
“That’s one of the things we’re doing here tonight,” Nicely said. “I don’t think I can define ’strong public support’ tonight.”
Nicely’s response initially drew snickers and groans from the crowd, but he found himself showered with applause after adding: “There probably is more opposition than there is support for the project. … If that trend continues, we would not proceed.”
And there you have it. The will of the people is painstakingly sought in the decision making process. All the people have to do is rally enough opposition. But we don’t know how much opposition is enough opposition. And the person who will determine how much is enough can’t tell us how much that actually is. If that isn’t government in action, I don’t know what is.Fortunately for us, while public comments at the meeting are closed, your opinion on the matter can still be heard! For those interested, your comments must be in writing (either email or snail mail), send snail mail to:
Project Comments
Tennessee Department of Transportation
Suite 700, James K. Polk Building
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-0332
Note in the beginning of your letter your comments concern the proposed Tennessee Toll Roads and the recent public meetings held in regards to them. TDOT will be able to attach your comments to the appropriate file from there. Get them in the mail quick, too. Bobbie Patray notes there’s only a 21 day window after a meeting for your comments to be attached. No one at TDOT could clarify whether that meant 21 days from the last meeting or 21 days from the 10th for Memphians, 21 days from the 14th for Nashvillians and so on. Nor could they clarify whether or not it was a postmark of 21 days or actually received in 21 days.
If you prefer email, send your comments to Elizabeth Beeching at elizabeth.beeching@state.tn.us with “Toll Roads” in the subject line. They’ll print your email off and add it to the comment file.
If you have further questions or concerns on this, here are two additional sources of information. The folks at TDOT’s Community Relations Department were very helpful and encouraged me to call them at 615-741-2331. In addition, TDOT maintains a page listing the Public Comment Meetings available to all Tennesseans on all their projects here. Might be a good page to bookmark.
That’s it. Get busy! Go write and tell them “No Tennessee Toll Roads!” If we don’t we only have ourselves to blame!
It is interesting how little things show up out of nowhere to encourage you. I’ve been wondering how much good I’m doing championing the cause of Joy Ford. Joy is the owner of Country International Records, a small Music Row label, whose building is currently being seized by Nashville through Eminent Domain proceedings to permit a high dollar development by Houston’s Lionstone Group. The City has its armies of lawyers, the MDHA and even a Music Row mogul or two on its side. Miss Joy has a radio talk show host, a city councilmanandabloggerorthree, even on the left. Doesn’t seem like much of a fair fight.
But on Tuesday of this week, I found myself encouraged by the contribution one person can make. It’s not that my posts on Joy Ford’s plight have been the most popular posts since they started - although they have. People are reading! It’s not just that my posts have prompted other bloggers to get involved as well - although they have. People are writing! On Tuesday, it turned out to be the proverbial who is reading what we’re writing and not merely how many are reading.
Reviewing my server logs showed that Nashville PR firm, McNeely, Pigott & Fox, stopped by. This is significant as their homepage lists both the Lionstone Group and MDHA as clients they are proud to work with. The people of Nashville may want to make note of that. McNeely, Pigott & Fox are proud to represent the bad guys in the fight to force Joy Ford from her property. Those of you who currently use MP&F might want to rethink your associations. Business is business, I know. But who one does business with is just as important as the business one does. The offline contact information for MP&F is listed at the bottom left corner of their homepage.
Speaking of who one does business with, another visitor came from Nashville architectural firm, Earl Swensson Associates. ESA specializes in beautiful, high dollar buildings. Pictures at their site seem to indicate they’ve done work with Vanderbilt and HCA among other clients. ESA is also one of the few publicly identified anchor tenants of Lionstone’s development which will oust Miss Joy. Surprise of surprises, they are designing the complex as well! I wonder if ESA knows how their nice, new home is being acquired and built? If so, I wonder if HCA’s Bill Frist, late of Washington DC, knows his company is doing business with a company willing to benefit from a mockery of the Constitution and Private Property Rights? How Conservative and Republican is that?
The Institute for Justice stopped by! Nice to have a friendly face in the crowd. IJ is a small group of lawyers who litigate for Liberty. One issue with a special place in their hearts (evidently these attorneys have them) is Eminent Domain. They are currently working around the country to stop abuses such as the one MDHA wants to foist on Joy Ford.
And then there were the unknowns. There were a couple of high powered, Washington DC law firms that spent a lot of time on the site. They read the posts on Joy and followed all the links. I have no idea which side they’re on. Like WWII folks used to joke when they saw a plane in the sky, “I hope it’s one of ours!” But it would be unrealistic to assume only the good guys were taking an interest in what’s running through the Tubes.
I’m sure there will be more days like today. Regardless of who comes by, I found the information encouraging. The word is getting out, people are noticing and a couple are even looking to see if there’s a fire associated with all that smoke. Those of you on the side of Liberty, keep your heads up and your powder dry. This ain’t over by a long shot. In fact, it may be just about to get interesting …
I like the concept expressed in an old science fiction story about professional arbitrators whose motto is, “May truth triumph over victory!” To truly win, the truth must be the most important factor for all parties. Once a party puts winning the argument above the truth, they lose.
Tim Chavez’s posts at ‘Political Salsa’ on the plight of Juana DeLaPaz and Nashville’s 287g program are poster kids for trying to win while ignoring the truth. In his series, Chavez reports only the details he wants us to hear. He exercises little restraint in drawing unwarranted conclusions, and refuses to abide by standards which he insists others adhere to. If Chavez is trying to rally support against “bad guys”, he’s failing.
If the facts are as he says, it’s hard not to be outraged. But what if facts are left out which might make a difference to a reasonable person? Let’s start with Chavez’s standards for journalism. How can we tell if Chavez is telling the truth? There’s not a single link supporting any of Chavez’s statements. He provides email links to register your outrage. Just no links to what he uses to outrage you. Tim used to be an Old Media journalist. You’re blogging now, Tim. This is New Media. Links are your friend!
This is America, after all. Good people can disagree. But let’s back our opinions with our names or at least our e-mail addresses to continue the discussion so some common ground can possibly be found. …
I tried to go to your blog site to contact you personally but there was no visible name and your profile would not come up.
I hope you are not ashamed to use your real name with your opinions. That is the least we should offer each other as Americans in the marketplace of ideas.
Chavez may have gotten some facts right. But given his presentation, interpretation and characterization of those facts, he leaves lots of room to question their veracity. His approach seems more intent on inflammation than information.
Chavez reports DeLaPaz was kept in her car for an hour in the heat while 9 months pregnant. An hour’s wait for a traffic ticket? I wonder what Chavez would report had the officer put Ms. DeLaPaz in the back of his patrol car? “Woman arrested while helpless children left in sweltering car”? The real reason for Chavez’s outrage is that DeLaPaz is an illegal alien arrested under Nashville’s 287g laws. Tim despises 287g and Darron Hall, the man who brought it to Nashville.
If this seems excessive to you for a traffic ticket, we’re on the same wavelength. Is it possible Ms. DeLaPaz’s case involves something a bit more serious than “careless driving”? Tim Chavez doesn’t. He emphasizes Ms. DeLaPaz is a “CIVIL/MISDEMEANOR offender” guilty of merely a “TRAFFIC OFFENSE” (emphasis in the original) who was “… kept in jail on the charge of driving without a license…” But that’s not the whole story.
It was determined by ICE that [DeLaPaz] had been previously removed (in deportation proceedings a decade ago) and was kept in jail on the charge of driving without a license along with an ICE detainer …
It’s unclear from this whether Ms. DeLaPaz was deported in the 90s and returned or if she was ordered deported but never left. And what is an “ICE detainer”? But in light of this information as opposed to Chavez’s colorful rant, isn’t it more likely when the officer radioed dispatch he learned DeLaPaz was guilty of more than just a traffic violation? A commentor confirms the deportation hearing. Might DeLaPaz being a known flight risk be the rationale behind her incarceration and treatment as opposed to a cop’s delight in “torture”? According to one Immigration attorney, this sort of violation can be a felony. That seems a pretty serious omission on Chavez’s part.
I contacted Berry Hill Police to confirm the “careless driving” ticket and Ms. DeLaPaz’s immigration status. I was told only the Chief could comment on the matter and he’s out until Monday. The only thing clear in this muddy situation is that there is so much Tim Chavez isn’t telling us. One thing is certain. Chavez is doing his cause no good with baseless, inflammatory accusations presented out of context. As a journalist, and in the interest of presenting the best case for Ms. DeLaPaz, he should know better. Once his credibility is lost, he loses support for himself and his cause. That he would do this in the name of being this woman’s champion is the real outrage here.
I’ve been privileged to meet some interesting people recently. One new colleague in particular stands out. I met Asma Hasan at SamSphere Denver this April. She’s a talented writer, great conversationalist and very, very bright. She is also a passionate, articulate and intelligent defender of her Muslim faith. She has authored two books; American Muslims: The New Generation in 2000 and 2005’s Why I am a Muslim. She currently writes a weekly post for ‘Glamocracy’, Glamour Magazine’s blog coverage of the presidential election.
I read each week and find myself both agreeing and disagreeing with Asma’s insight and analysis of the topics she chooses. This week is a disagree week. This week’s post is titled ‘Sticks and Stones - and Cartoons’ and addresses the recent New Yorker cartoon cover of the Obamas. Asma thinks the cartoon chosen for the cover falls
… far short of the editors’ stated goal of satire. According to the editors (and to paraphrase them), they chose to highlight the smears against Obama to show how absurd they are. …
I don’t accept that explanation as I feel that the cartoon could only be the product of Islamophobia, or racism against Muslims and Islam.
The article the cover promotes is a pro Obama article. The cover and story depict, not what the New Yorker thinks of Obama, but what the magazine thinks Obama’s critics think of Obama. As such, it exactly achieves the goal of satire. Dictionary.com defines “Satire” as “Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity.” While inaccurate in its premise, that is exactly what the New Yorker is attempting.
Nor is the cartoon a product of “… Islamophobia or racism against Muslims and Islam” as Asma believes. The value lampooned by the cartoonist is that Obama’s critics incorrectly think him an Islamic terrorist. Islamic terrorists are bad and so incorrectly thinking Obama is one is also bad. That false depiction of Obama’s detractors masks the truth that rejecting those choosing terror over talking is a position shared by many Muslims. The cartoon’s rejection of Islamic terrorism does not make the piece anti-Muslim any more than criticizing Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church makes one anti-Christian. Rejecting a hate group doesn’t require me to reject everyone sharing a trait with their members. I can reject the Klan without hating all whites. I can reject The Nation of Islam without hating all blacks. And I can reject Islamic terrorists without hating all Muslims.
Asma is right about one thing. There is prejudice at the New Yorker. It’s just directed at those opposing Obama’s bid to be President. There are a host of real issues on which opposition to Obama is based. They are debated in the marketplace of ideas daily. Obama on Taxes, Obama on Energy, Obama on GWOT, Obama on Immigration, Obama on the size of Government and on and on. None of these were the basis for the New Yorker’s treatment of Obama’s detractors. The only point the magazine wants to leave in your mind is “The Right thinks Obama is a Terrorist!” That’s a lot more anti-Right Wing than it is anti-Muslim.
The New Yorker does a further disservice. It detracts from, and makes more difficult, legitimate discussion of issues related to Islamic extremists and Obama. We must be able to question Obama’s intentions to cozy up to radicals like Syria’s Assad without having the conversation hijacked by charges of racism. We need to be able to discuss how Muslim extremists view Obama without fearing demonization. If Obama becomes President there are things we need to know. What do Islamic terrorists think of his repudiation of his Muslim heritage? Does that make him an apostate to them? How do they treat apostates?
Hatred exists for every group - black, brown and white; Christian, Jew and Muslim; Democrat, Republican and Independent. It is to America’s shame that it is so. To our credit, it is less present in our society with each passing day. Most Americans reject the myriad -isms used to divide us. But they won’t go away until humanity goes away. The capacity for self deception and hatred is rooted in the fallen nature of man. There will always be those who won’t work to determine what should be opposed and what should not and what accounts for the difference between the two. Too bad the New Yorker isn’t helping.
I think Asma’s missed it in the case of the New Yorker cartoon. And that’s all I mean. She’s just wrong on this one. I believe she still “gets it”, nonetheless. I’ll keep reading her stuff and learning from her. I’ll keep respecting her political and religious views, even when we disagree. She’s not a terrorist and I’m not anti-Muslim. We’re friends, we’re colleagues, we’re Americans. That’s a change from the New Yorker’s opinions and from the views of most on the Left - but it’s change I can believe in.
Cartoonists are disappearing like brunet anchors at Fox News
Silence links to a piece by Romenesko at Poynter Online. PO’s headline was ‘Cartoonists are disappearing like brunet anchors at Fox News’ and the story bemoans the shortage of political cartoonists as noted by James Rainey at the LA Times in his piece titled ‘Editorial Cartoonists: A Dying Breed’. Romenesko also quotes “Seattle Times cartoonist Eric Devericks [who] says that “media executives who fail to recognize the unique value of a local cartoonist are idiots and bad businessmen.”" My first thought was to wonder which is worth more, a political cartoonist or a good proofreader or spellcheck program? “Brunet”?
So I looked it up. Turns out “brunet” is actually a real word! It’s the male version of “brunette”. Who knew?
By the way, it may not be that political cartoonists are a dying breed. We have a couple of home grown guys from Tennessee who are starting out. Who knows, they may be the next big thing in political cartoons. Check out ‘Delta Bravo Sierra’ and ‘Pushing the Envelope’ for some fun Tennessee ‘toons!
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