Day: June 19, 2010

The Beginning Of Current Events For “The Progressive Professor”: The Rosenbergs Executed, June 19, 1953!

Ronald Leave a comment

On this day, June 19, 57 years ago, at the age of eight and a half, current events, rather than history, began for the author!

I remember vividly watching television, and having whatever show I was watching, being suddenly interrupted by a news bulletin, declaring that “The Rosenbergs”, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, convicted atomic spies, had been executed, leaving behind two young sons!

For a little boy, the whole concept of execution was shocking enough and scary enough that it became the first real memory of current events that I would recall! I did not understand the whole case at that young an age, but as I studied it in later years, I became convinced that this couple were not given a fair trial, and doubts still exist even today as to the guilt of one or both of them!

Their sons have spent a lifetime trying to clear their parents’ names, but the fact is that it was unprecedented that President Dwight D. Eisenhower would NOT give them a pardon from the death penalty, and instead give them life without parole!

Why was it shocking what Ike did? Because NEVER before or since has any convicted spy been executed, with all of them having a life term instead! 🙁

Why did the Rosenbergs have to die? It is obvious that it was a “political” trial in the era of McCarthyism, and that the couple had to be the “sacrificial lambs” to quiet those led by Joseph McCarthy involved in promoting the Red Scare!

So for 57 years now, the author has been witnessing what others call “history”, but he considers “current events!” 🙂

South Carolina: An Embarrassment Again Politically! :(

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South Carolina has long had an image of being an intolerant place, and a state of embarrassing politicians! 🙁

The state of historic hard line political figures including John C. Calhoun and Strom Thurmond, it has had the embarrassment of Governor Mark Sanford going to Argentina and meeting his lover behind his wife’s back, and refusing to resign! 🙁

It is the state of Republican Senator Jim DeMint, one of the absolutely worst senators ever put into office by voters, since the enactment of the 17th Amendment in 1913!

It is the state of Alvin Greene, an African American with no qualifications or experience to be a United States Senator, somehow magically winning the Democratic nomination over a state senator by a vast margin, with no one having any idea how he did it! Greene had no website, no campaign funds, did no campaigning, is totally inarticulate, and faces a felony charge on pornography next month, but yet is the choice of the Democratic voters! Maybe, the answer is that his name was first on the ballot, and the average voter probably had no knowledge of the race when they voted! 🙁

This is also the state of Nikki Haley, the front runner for the GOP nomination for Governor, born a Sikh, but converting to the Methodist faith at age 24. Haley, endorsed by Sarah Palin, and calling herself an ally of the Tea Party Movement, is controversial enough, but now she faces an opponent who is using her religious background as an issue! Gresham Barrett’s campaign is trying to plant fear among evangelical Christians as to Haley’s true religious beliefs, as if it should matter! 🙁

This is the issue of what is a “good Christian”, something unique to evangelicals, including Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network, who is exploiting the issue for the upcoming runoff election! 🙁

This is a sign, unfortunately, of what former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, a Mormon, will face when and if he runs for President, and competes in the South Carolina primary, a race notorious in the past for the badmouthing of Senator John McCain in 2000, when he ran against George W. Bush, and racial bigotry was exploited! 🙁

In South Carolina, if it is not race that is the issue, then it is religion! 🙁

Haley won 49 percent of the vote in the gubernatorial primary, but it will be interesting to see if she can go over 50 percent and become the nominee as a result of the exploitation of the religion issue by her opponent’s campaign! 🙁

Whatever one thinks of Nikki Haley, it will be a bad reflection on South Carolina if she fails to gain one percent plus more votes because of the issue of what is a “good Christian!” 🙁

Black Politicians: Failure To Reach Higher Office A Reality :(

Ronald Leave a comment

With the election of Barack Obama in 2008, it seemed as if America was ready for a Renaissance on race, that black politicians could expect to reach the Governorships and the Senate in noticeable numbers!

When it comes to the House of Representatives and the mayoralty of cities, African Americans have been able to make a substantial record of success! With 42 members in the House of Representatives, and many African Americans who have served and are serving as Mayors of their cities, there is much to be proud of!

But when it comes to Governorships and Senate seats, the record is paltry! 🙁

There have historically been only three Black Governors and six Black Senators. Douglas Wilder was Governor of Virginia in the 1980s, and Deval Patrick is presently the Governor of Massachusetts. David Paterson succeeded Eliot Spitzer as Governor of New York when Spitzer resigned in 2008.

Hiram Revels served one year in the Senate from Mississippi during the Reconstruction period, as did Blanche Bruce for a full term from the same state in the same era. They were, of course, not elected, as the 17th Amendment, providing for direct popular election of the Senate, did not become part of the Constitution until 1913.

Since then, Edward W. Brooke served two terms as a Massachusetts Senator from 1967-1979. Carol Moseley Braun served one term from 1993-1999 as Senator from Illinois, so far the only Black woman in the Senate. Barack Obama, of course served four years from 2005-2009 from Illinois, and finally, Roland Burris was appointed to fill out the term of Obama in 2009-2010.

Meanwhile, the news recently has not been encouraging on the issue of Blacks at the top level of government, state and national! Roland Burris has been under suspicion since his appointment by disgraced Governor Rod Blagojevich and is not running for a full term. David Paterson is also under attack and is not running for a full term as NY Governor. Deval Patrick has been running behind for reelection in Massachusetts, but seems now to be recovering.

Unfortunately, Artur Davis, Congressman from Alabama, gave up his Congressional seat to run for the Democratic nomination for Governor, and was expected to win, but in a tremendous upset, his opponent won overwhelmingly in the primary, by 62-38 percent!

And Kendrick Meek, Congressman from South Florida, was thought to be the Democratic nominee for the US Senate by default, until billionaire Jeff Greene suddenly entered the race on April 30, and has pulled even with Meek.

Even more problematical for Meek is that he runs a poor third against Republican Marco Rubio and Independent nominee Charlie Crist, the Governor of Florida. Crist is appealing for Democratic backing in the race, and is a threat to Meek in gaining backing of a majority of his own party in the Fall campaign, even if Meek defeats Greene in the primary in August!

So there is a good chance that there will be no Blacks in the Senate, and at most, maybe just Governor Deval Patrick winning a second term in Massachusetts!

This is not exactly what many African Americans hoped for just a short time ago! 🙁