asfoxseesit

My Photo
Name:

Born May 18, 1953; got saved at Truett Memorial BC in Hayesville, NC 1959. On rigged ballot which I did not rig got Most Intellectual class of 71, Gaffney High School. Furman Grad, Sociology major but it was little tougher than Auburn football players had Had three dates with beautiful women the summer of 1978. Did not marry any of em. Never married anybody cause what was available was undesirable and what was desirable was unaffordable. Unlucky in love as they say and even still it is sometimes heartbreaking. Had a Pakistani Jr. Davis Cupper on the Ropes the summer of 84, City Courts, Rome Georgia I've a baby sitter, watched peoples homes while they were away on Vacation. Freelance writer, local consultant, screenwriter, and the best damn substitute teacher of Floyd County Georgia in mid 80's according to an anonymous kid passed me on main street a few years later when I went back to get a sandwich at Schroeders. Had some good moments in Collinsville as well. Ask Casey Mattox at www.clsnet.org if he will be honest about it. I try my best to make it to Bridges BBQ in Shelby NC at least four times a year.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Laura Bush, Vestal, Elvis and Casey Mattox

This blog will be a work in progress
Here are some of the players
Laurs Bush, W's Wife of Midland Texas where CBF's Dan Vestal was an 80's pastor, and George W Accepted Jesus as his Saviour when Arthur Blessit was in town circa 84-88--see the Movie W.
Vestal, Jim Lacy's pastor; Lacy an oilman big fan of W. and a treasurer of Baptist Laity whose David Currie was panelist at the Collinsville Baptist Church Feb 24 or so 2002
Casey Mattox, CHS 93, my charge on occasion in his 6th grade when I subbed some for 35 dollars a day and lunch for $1.45
Charles Pickering, Allied Defense Fund for whom Casey now writes and has hissy fits about Planned Parenthood.
Friday Night Lights, first movie with Billy Bob and then highly acclaimed TV Series ( I asked BBob a question Feb 2007 in Florence, Alabama
Hillary Clinton, the President's wife

Okay, here is how I understand the story to date. Laura, who I always thought was pretty and woulda been an object of desire had I been her contemporary in Midland--the secret smoking and all woulda made her even more alluring and tempting--according to NPR recently stood with Hillary to say gains of women in Afhanistan must not be lost to the Taliban.
Planned Parenthood in Odessa, Tx, home of Permian MoJo football, has shut down and made a bigger load on the poor women there now who have to go to Midland.
When W. was runnin for second term in 04 TNR said it would be disingenuous for Bush to condemn fundamentalism in the Iran and Afghanistan while winking at milder versions among his own constituency.
Folks, Casey Mattox, homegrown in Collinsville is that milder version the TNR warned about and Elvis and Laurs Bush stand against him
More later bringing Elvis into the thicket

Monday, March 19, 2012

Bama US Senator Shelby, Nick Saban's wife and Immigration

March 17 High Noon I attended Town Hall meeting with Senator Shelby in small pizza place on 68 in Leesburg, Alabama; not far from Bill Glenn's Mtn Grill Restaurant. About 25 folks were there including two youngsters running for area Judge. My friend Melvyn Salter, SEBTS grad 1970--same one in N.C. my Dad finished in 56--was not there.
Bout the fifth time I've been in Town Hall with the Senator over the last 24 years or so, Twice in Ft Payne, Once in Valley Head, twice in Rainsville and Once in Collinsville, when he first became a Senator. He was a Democrat then, and I think Bill Shepard was there.
I asked the first question when after his brief intro. Whatever his faults, he has always been open to questions in these town halls, and tries to appear in every county at least once a year.
I said two weeks earlier I had been in Selma for the annual commemoration March over the Edmund Pettus. Marched this year with MLKing's son, Dick Gregory, Jesse Jackson, RFK's widow Ethel and others. Casey Mattox was not there.
Told the Senator I talked to several U Bama students that day. In particular talked to one about a Howell Raines piece of TNR Dec 83 about the Bear and George Wallace, and a Mother Jones current piece about Kris Kobach and the Bama Immigration Bill. Young fellow said he went to Catholic Church in Tuscaloosa with Coach Nick Saban's wife; sees her there quite often.
I asked the Senator if he had read the MJ Piece and had he had any occasion to discuss the immigration bill in Bama with the Sabans.
He said he'd had several conversations with the Sabans, found them gracious folks, but had not talked about the Bama Bill with them.
He went on to say he felt the Bama bill was reaction to the failure of the Federal government to take action of Immigration, but said it was fault of both parties. Said over the last 15 years or so the U.S. had created a "monster" when it comes to immigration.
As he talked he seemed to take a stance more like George W. Bush and Newt Gingrich, than Romney and Santorum. He did say he voted for Romney in the Bama primary as distinct to SBC Deacon Gov Bentley's vote for Santorum
The Cherokee County Herald was there and it appeared another paper. I think you can google their stories in a few days.
I stopped back by Bill Glenn's later in the day to give him a report for a free tea, as he moonlights as a politician himself, but he was in the back. Place was starting to pack as it does most weekend nights, so I matriculated on to find a wide screen TV somewhere for some March Madness; and I walked up to the cemetery to talk to Momma as she had died 24 years earlier on that day.
I think she woulda been proud of my conversation with the Senator and my intentions with the conversation.
Maybe more later

Monday, March 12, 2012

Casey Mattox, the ADF and the Girl Scouts

Here is a letter from the Bham News Of March 9, a Friday. Casey Mattox and the Allied Defense Fund are out to lunch, and Mr. Lowther who had a piece in Viewpoints of Bham News Sunday where he felt compelled to demonstrate his Southern Baptist Credentials and connect President Obama to Jeremiah Wright once again, and Martha Barksdale who I am convinced with the late Mary Katherine Reed need to take Casey to the woodshed need to have a conversation.
More about Mr. Lowther later.
In the meantime Casey and the Girl Scouts as seen by a Ms. Rice from Vestavia Hills:

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, I was a very young, professional woman serving in executive positions. Even at the top ranks of state government, I often was asked to take notes or serve coffee (those were the minor insults). I didn't refuse in indignation or go out and burn my bra; but, I sure as heck cared enough to pour my heart and soul into critical performance, with respect being the consequence. Proud women at all levels and all walks of life strove for recognition of women's abilities.

Within the past few months, women have increasingly been denigrated by conservative male legislators at state and national levels. Examples of proposed legislation:

-- Allow all insurers to refuse to cover contraceptives (after all, an aspirin between the knees is adequate birth control).

-- Disallow most prenatal screening; such medical information will make women end their pregnancies.

-- recognize that single parents are contributing factors to child abuse and neglect.

-- Refuse to celebrate the anniversary of the Girl Scouts; these girls are the sexualized pawns of Planned Parenthood.

-- A woman made pregnant by brutal rape, incestuous or otherwise, must have that baby.

The list goes on. Do not for one minute believe these are issues of religious rights or religiosity. These are arrogant displays of the conviction that women are simply incapable of morality or making sound decisions about their health or reproduction.

Mary Lee Rice

Vestavia Hills

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Marching in Selma with Jesse and Ethel

Kennedy and Jackson. I was there Sunday. Here is my report at baptistlife.com/forums Baptist History if you want to follow the conversation there and click on more links to put it in perspective. I'm sure Annie Lucas Brown has been, but I did not see anyone Sunday from the Collinsville Public Library though I did have a good conversation with Myles Smith last night at Jack's about what kind of public library in the most ethnically diverse town in the state might do if they were to be deserving of the kind of money they continue to ask for.
But that is beside the point to some extent for the purposes of this blog.

I rode down with a friend, a Muslim international student from a nearby Junior College who wanted to go for the History. I had very much wanted to go in 2007 but didn't make it to be there with Bill and Hillary and later to become President Obama.
But the weather was great Sunday and RFK's Widow was there as you see in the slide show below. Several Hispanics with an emphasis on repealing the Anti Immigration Bill at the Pep Ralley before the March on the steps of the Historic Brown's Chapel AME Church.
Mary Liuzzo, the daughter of Civil Rights Martyr Viola Liuzzo was present and near the front with the folks named in the article. In the crowd I met Hispanic Activists from D.C. and LA and Kansas and Kentucky; one good Baptist from Appalachia and a Bright U Bama student from Tuscaloosa; a Catholic who attends mass with Coach Nick Saban's wife.
Talked Several times to former Bama Gov Don Siegelman, and spoke to Ben Chavis.

I desperately wanted to say something to Jesse Jackson about our mutual friend Marshall Frady, but never had the opportunity without annoying folks near the front of the line.
Was Great, a Spiritual moment for me as I am aware of several stories of folks from Furman who were there that day in 65. And I felt like my MOmma and Dad and Stewart Newman were there with me.
I hope to go again for the 50th Anniversary March in 2015. Hope John Lewis is able to be there that day. My sister was strongly considering joining me, even some other friends from Collinsville. I think strong contingent from bcoc.net will be there in 2015 and wouldn't be surprised to see Aaron Weaver there, if the weather is grand as was Sunday.
I think at least 7,000 marched and another 2,000 lined the streets and another 1,000 waiting for us on the bridge and the other side. At least a mile march, more like mile and half before it is over; then you have to walk back to the car. But it was great for me. Friend in Bham bought me the two catfish dinner at the cracker barrel that night going back through.
It was great and I Deserved for That Great Day and Sweet Time in Jesus.

Oh, I got the word to almost every person I spoke to about Albert Lee SMith's widow introducing Kris Kobach to Scott Beason and the imperative they, like everyone who reads this testimony, read the current issue of the Mother Jones expose, 8 pages with a page profile of Kobach. I think there will be a strong word spoken to the Governon on Friday in Montgomery


Here is story from Monday Bham News and below are two select pictures from the slide show

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/03/sel ... pital.html
One photo has me before the March starts in yellow shirt to right of picture cheering on John Lewis; and the next shows Ethel and Lewis and others in the March. Click around to see the whole slate of pictures from the Bham News

>
> http://photos.al.com/birmingham-news/20 ... ch_14.html





al.com

http://photos.al.com/birmingham-news/20 ... rch_6.html

"I'm the only sane {person} in here." Doyle Hargraves, Slingblade
"Midget, Broom; Helluva campaign". Political consultant, "Oh, Brother..."