Leon Modeste

“Block the Vote!” This is the latest battle cry of the Republican Party as its members strive to make President Barack Obama a one-term president. The Republicans are attacking the very states, such as Florida, where President Obama has the majority vote. New voting laws have been enacted, perhaps the worst of which is closing the polls on Sundays, because there was an effective campaign for African American Church voters called “Souls to the Polls” where church members actually marched to the polls after Sunday service to vote.

The GOP strategy is to manufacture the big lie, by stating “voter fraud” is a major problem and the reason for new voter legislation; that is simply not true. Nationwide, since October 2002, only 86 persons have been convicted of election fraud while 191,130,871 ballots have been cast, so clearly that is not the true motivation for creating these new restrictions.

The GOP’s solution is to mandate every voter have a state issued photo ID. To date, 14 states, including Georgia, have approved such radical legislation to discourage voter participation.

Approximately 34 other states intend to pass similar restrictive voter identification policies. These are really an update of the old poll tax laws popular during segregation. God help us if we go all the way back to those Jim Crow tactics used to deter voters. Let us not forget the “Grandfather Clause”, which stated that a man was only allowed to vote if his grandfather had voted. If your grandfather was a slave, naturally, that ruled you out. Also, requiring voters; to pass a written exam, accurately count the number of jellybeans in a jar or pay a poll tax to vote? Even more devastating, people were lynched for registering to vote or actually voting and many lost their jobs and homes because they wanted to exercise their right to vote.

In its press release dated October 3, 2011, the Brennan Center for Justice states these new voting restrictions may affect five million voters. This could disenfranchise African Americans, the elderly, Latinos and the poor, all of whom are less likely to have the necessary documentation to obtain a photo ID. In addition, college photo ID will no longer be accepted for voting.

Georgia has passed a compulsory voter ID law despite former Secretary of State Cathy Cox’s comment that she cannot recall one documented case of voter fraud during her ten years as an elected official.

The GOP’s myopic focus and refusal to work with President Obama, despite the unemployment crisis and the national debt during these critical times is criminal. It seems their attitude is getting rid of President Obama and the country be damned. The strength of a democracy is depending upon the full participation of its citizenry in the electoral process.

Wake up America!

Leon Modeste

The End of Anger: A New Generation’s Take on Race and Rage is a very exciting, thought-provoking book covering contemporary America through black, brown and white relations. It is an authoritative account of the American dilemma in the aftermath of President Obama’s election.

The author, Ellis Cose, does extensive research with countless interviews and in-depth aggressive surveys of two groups; the black Harvard MBAs and the alumni of A Better Chance (ABC), a program offering an elite education to thousands of poverty-stricken youth.

However, I was particularly interested in his comments and observations concerning the diminishing of black anger with the increase optimisms as more of them enter into the mainstream of middle-class America. In contrast, anger is increasing in the white community as they feel threatened with the demographics shifting and they see their world turned upside down and a feeling of alienation taking place. Also, the marked increase immigration of the Latino population raises the question: will white America’s condition be worst in the future.

The Tea Party is a self-styled grassroots movement fueled by anger and resentment. In fact, their motto is to “Take Back America”. They want to recapture the past when racial minorities were not in charge; a time when Negroes knew their place. In addition, the changing demographics show a larger number of Latinos, especially the dark skinned coming into this country. Having a black president is further evidence to this group of Americans that their world is changing. Cose’s observation is that the Tea Party position in this society is that they are going to be worst off in the future than they are today and they are angry. They are desperate to recapture the past and they are quick to demonize their opponents. They do not intend to govern, but to disrupt and destroy.

Here lately, the Georgia Farmers are stressed because they lack the workers to harvest their crops. Immigration laws have stopped the easy flow of Latinos from coming over to pick the crops. There was a time that all the pickings such as; Carolina’s tobacco, Mississippi and Georgia’s cotton, was a job for the American “Colored”; a time of Jim Crow, oppression and segregation. The history of plantations, free labor, cruelty, rape, all of these practices, yet has a stench in the black man’s nostrils. The Tea Party prefers to go back to the America that made them very comfortable. Really, is it morally right to be comfortable at the expense of the dehumanization of your fellow man.?

Benjamin Jealous, the NAACP CEO, was outraged by the signs that had appeared at various Tea Party protests depicting President Obama as a monkey and that he be lynched. He was also troubled that blatant racist hate groups such as Stormfront and the Council of Conservative Citizens had aligned themselves with the Tea Party. Even David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader, has embraced the Tea Party. Nevertheless, Cose is hopeful that thinking people will see beyond the current cloud of anger to an America, in the future instead of the past, that will embrace all of us.

Wake up, people. America is not an island unto itself; instead, it is a bowl full of all kinds of races, cultures, religions, and a purely diverse nation. No one group can alienate itself within America and claim ownership. May be, once upon a time, white Americans were 99.9 percent in control and felt superior to all the other groups certainly the people of color. Now, according to Mr. Cose’s research, some whites are angry and uneasy. Consequently, the Tea Party and other hate groups are forming to maintain the status quo of the white race in an effort to combat the change that is inevitable.

Here is a man running for president, Gov. Rick Perry, whose family had a particular sign that clearly indicated insensitivity and lack of respect for a black man’s life, but that was clearly fashionable in his part of America. No longer is it acceptable that the governor of Texas or anyone else can have a “N—– Hunt” sign. The same way you would have a sign for a deer hunt or a quail hunt. N—– hunts were real. History shows black men were actually hunted as a sport and murdered. Why in this day and time does Rick Perry continue to hold on to this horrible memorabilia that’s been in his family since the 1980 or even before? Wake, up America.

This is unbelievable! Webster defines treason as “any” betrayal of a trust. The Republican congressmen in the House have sworn on the Bible to uphold the U.S. Constitution for the betterment of all Americans; not just their districts or even their political careers, but to do what is best for the nation.

It is unbelievable:

1. At a joint congressional session, President Obama was called a liar;

2. A leading Republican presidential candidate demanded that the president publicly show his birth certificate, which he did;

3. The speaker of the House has pledged to make President Obama a one-term president;

4. To believe an elected officials didn’t know the meaning behind the term “tar baby”; and

5. Raising the debt ceiling became a problem for Obama when it had been raised more than 70 times by previous presidents.

The gridlock over raising the debt ceiling was only passed when the House Republicans forced the President to remove any taxation of the wealthy. They argued the 2-percent capitalist giants should not have to share their wealth. In fact, they recommended the 36-percent tax of the rich should be lowered to 25 percent.

Obviously, their objective is to demean, discourage and disrespect our commander-in-chief, risking the possible consequence of the demise of our great country. Their continual petty politicking is noted in the latest incident to refuse the president’s invitation to hold a joint congressional session on Sept. 7. The House majority leader replied he would prefer that the session be changed to Sept. 8. He opposed Obama’s date because the Republican presidential candidates intended to have a debate on Sept. 7. You would think that the desire of the president would supersede this childish pettiness. And to think, this is after they have clamored for months to hear the president’s plans concerning the economy and jobs.

It is clear to me the GOP does not intend to cooperate with President Obama and let the country be damned. However, President Obama again has demonstrated his maturity, integrity and willingness to compromise because of his concern for a better America. Thus, he agreed to change the special session to Sep. 8. This is a sign of wisdom, rather than foolishness. This is the first time in the history of the United States that a president’s invitation of a joint congressional session has been refused. I wonder why?

What will the history books say? What will the children be taught in their history classes about the era of America’s first African American president? Obama pledged to change the Washington, D.C., environment. Unfortunately, no one but God can change the minds and hearts of a people.

I pray that before the last history book is written, our congressional officials will understand change will take a cooperative effort by all of us to make the words “United States” a reality.

Leon Modeste

“Black America” as a single entity is dead, a thing of the past; it is history.

Or is it?

I was stunned as I read Disintegration; the Splintering of Black America by Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Eugene Robinson. Consequently, there can be no single Black leader, as was A. Philip Randolph (Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters), Whitney Young (National Urban League) or Roy Wilkins (NAACP). When they spoke, we all listened. Sadly, few people know the current CEO of the National Urban League, Marc Morial, or Benjamin Jealous, NAACP president.

In fact, Martin Luther King Jr., president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, to be effective, had to work with a coalition of organizations such as the Congress of Racial Equality, NAACP, National Urban League, and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.

I have been blessed to have lived more than three scores and ten and have had a great deal of experience and exposure; God has truly blessed this octogenarian. I worked with Randolph; a member of the last segregated Negro Company during WWII (Camp Robert Smalls, Great Lakes, U.S. Navy); and I participated in countless civil rights initiatives. I should have seen this coming. I guess I was too close to the trees to see the forest.

Robinson divided Black America into four separate Americas:

1. Small transcendent elite with enormous wealth, power and influence that even white folks pay homage. This group of individuals has more influence than the above-mentioned Black organizations. To name a few: Oprah Winfrey, Robert L. Johnson (founder of BET, Sidney Poitier, Jackie Robinson, Will and Jada Smith, Frederick Douglas, John H. Johnson, (publisher of Jet/Ebony magazines), and President Barack Obama, who was also one of the first Blacks to become a U.S. senator.

2. Mainstream middle-class majority with a full ownership stake in American society. Many are graduates of historically Black colleges and by choice are members of Black social clubs, fraternities, sororities, tennis and golf clubs, and attend Black churches. They usually work in integrated environments. This group benefited the most from affirmative action, set-asides and civil rights legislation.

3. A large group of abandoned minorities with less hope of escaping poverty and dysfunction than at any time since Reconstruction’s crushing end. Then came the crippling Jim Crow laws.

4. Two emergent groups including individuals with mixed-racial heritage and recent Black immigrants from Africa and Caribbean nations, namely Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Barbados. This group tends to clash with the abandoned group, as these individuals have higher values regarding education, their children tend to be better academic achievers, and their families tend to be more stable.

There appears to be a disconnection between these four Americas based on demographics, geography, different profiles, mindsets, different hopes, fears and dreams. The author concludes that all segments must give the abandoned group members some hope of being able to escape, or the rest of us cannot truly feel we have escaped. Also, he concludes that every American must work to erase the race problem once and for all.

I found this book to be exceedingly interesting and thought-provoking. Robinson’s research and analysis is excellent and very well written. Disintegration; the Splintering of Black America is a must read for all Americans.

Leon Modeste

Leon Modeste

Ridiculous! Outrageous! These are reactions to Donald Trump’s insistence that President Obama is not an American citizen by birth despite all evidence to the contrary.

Trump doesn’t really want the truth; he wants to defame. Perhaps he was attempting to distract the president from the many major issues he is forced to face. Never in the history of America has a president had to release his birth certificate in this public format. Is Trump trying to prove the old adage if a lie is repeated often enough, people will begin to believe it is true? Donald’s “trumped-up” issue is a disservice to the American public and only gives further evidence that he tends to suffer from egomania.

Is Trump being used to offset the character and validity that President Obama is exactly who and what he said he is. Trump is reported to have said “he and others are going to have to assess the document’s authenticity.” Could it be that Trump is speaking for a segment of the Republican Party? His interest in being a potential presidential candidate is merely to get media attention. This is just a ploy. Thus, all of this drama over a birth

certificate is irrelevant. How do you make sense out of nonsense?

The idea of having the president of the United States respond to the false allegations of a court jester is ludicrous and embarrassing. What does this do to our global image with our allies and the other nations? How it that the GOP leadership has not clearly stated enough is enough? Is all of this part of a devious plan without regard to how damaging this may be to our country?

The Republicans are reminding me of Reaganomics. This term was given to President Ronald Reagan’s “trickle down” approach to economic issues. Reagan believed tax relief to the very wealthy would create an overflow that would enhance an economic hype of spending which would benefit the rest of society. This never happened. Today, we have Ryanomics (U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc.), which will be just as futile.

On April 15, the House approved the Republican-sponsored 2012 U.S budget. The vote was strictly along party lines: Republicans 235 and Democrats 193. The Republicans claim their plan would cut spending by more than $6 trillion over a 10-year period. The intent is to replace the current Medicare Health Care System with private companies. Thus, the elderly and the handicapped would be compelled to buy insurance from these insurance corporations beginning 2020. Can you imagine the increase in the cost of care and medicine? We all know that private corporations are in business to make a profit; therefore, patient fees will increase and services will probably be trimmed.

The Congressional Budget Office notes many states may have to reduce the number of participants in Medicaid, a federal-state health care program that serves the poor. Ryan also proposes to cut food-stamps, farm subsidies and the Pell college tuition grant. Come-on, that’s ridiculous!

Yet, for the wealthy, he is proposing to cut top corporations’ and individual millionaires-billionaires’ taxes cut from 35 percent to 25 percent. Here we go repeating a tactic that has already been proven a failure: Reaganomics then, Ryanomics now.

What about America’s less fortunate — the ones who really need the help? What if?

What if every year before the Congress meets, they are required to tour the poverty-stricken areas of America. Perhaps if our elected officials had a clear view of the blight, slum and poor districts of millions of Americans, they wouldn’t be so hasty to eliminate the services that help America’s poor.

What if the Tea Party’s fanaticism has pushed the House Republicans to the edge. What if they are not satisfied with the Republican Party’s nominee in 2012. Will the Tea Party nominate its own presidential candidate? What if?

Written by Leon Modeste

I recently read an article about a seemingly double standard on the continent of Africa. Unfortunately, I must agree. Just think about it; Egypt and Libya are not the only African nations having an internal conflict.

The United States and its allies have intervened militarily, and ostensibly, for humanitarian reasons in order to prevent further bloodshed in both these countries. These countries just happen to be north of the Sahara Desert and these people tend to look different from the people living below the Sahara Desert such as in the Ivory Coast, Ghana and the Congo.

The Ivory Coast, a nation below the Sahara with more than 22 million people, is a nation currently in turmoil because the former president Laurent Ghagbo, who lost his reelection in November 2010, refuses to relinquish control. Many people have been wounded, including a group of unarmed women, marching to protest Ghagbo’s power grab, who were fired upon by an army tank. An estimated 500,000 have been displaced, and 90,000 more have fled the country. Does not the humanitarian policy extend south of the Sahara? Is there a double standard?

Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi and President Ghagbo, they are both blood thirsty tyrants. Ghagbo’s forces began attacking people of neighboring countries whose governments refuse to recognize his unlawful, dictatorial regime. He has ordered the United Nations and French peacekeepers to leave the country and by imposing his own no-fly zone; he refused to let planes from the world body and France land.

President-Elect Alassane Quattara is equally determined to take control, and is ready to bring peace to the Ivory Coast. Without military assistance, the International Red Cross predicts the atrocities will far exceed the killings in Libya, a country with a population of 7 million.

The United Nations, the United States, the African Union and the European Union all recognize Quattara as the winner of the November election. I earnestly hope that the United States and its allies will intervene as they are currently doing in Libya. Also, this would be a response to critics regarding a possible double standard

My wife believes it has nothing to do with humanitarianism; it has to do with the price of oil, which is in North Africa.

Written by Leon Modeste

By Leon Modeste

Wake up America! The Republicans are attempting to create confusion under the guise of making it better for Americans when we all know that their primary focus is to see to it that President Obama will be defeated in 2012. They are doing this by creating havoc across America. By election time, Americans will blame this same confusion on President Obama.

First, a number of Republican governors led by Wisconsin’s Governor Walker intent to break the government employee union as Ronald Reagan did against the Air Traffic Controllers Union. Don’t think the Republicans will just stop against the Government Employee Union; the next place will be unions in the private sector.

Secondly, New Hampshire’s GOP House Leader is attempting to make it difficult for college students to register and vote by not permitting out-of-state students to vote on campus. Students must go back to their home towns to vote. Several other States are pushing to make it hard for college students and minorities to vote. We all know that college student and other young people played a major role in getting President Obama elected.

Thirdly, Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott has imposed a five-year waiting period before non-violent felons can vote after their release from prison.

And finally, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas Republicans are vigorously supporting anti-immigration bills in an effort to impede the growing voting strength of Latinos. The GOP strategy is obvious hostile toward unions, Latinos, college students and people of color, thus making it difficult for President Obama to be re-elected and greatly weaken the Democratic Party.

The GOP’s political surge is to control the government on every level; federal, state and local, including the U.S. Supreme Court (note the decision over the questionable Florida ballots during George Bush’s 2000 election)

The Republican Party represents the wealthy class. In addition, there are small powerful wealthy groups that control the means of productions here in America: Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Bank of America and more. This group consists of one half of one-percent of the population and control approximately 40 percent of America’s wealth.

Therefore, the essence of the GOP assault is neither political nor racial, but a class struggle: the wealthy versus the working class and the poor. A prolonged battle of this type could lead to the demise of our great nation, which we almost experienced in the meltdown of our financial institutions in 2008. Wealth, power and greed are a sure formula for disaster.

Wake up America, its later than you think.

The Republican-elect were ecstatic following their sweeping victory at the November 2010 mid-term elections. Now, they have a majority House of Representatives (242 to 193) and they have narrowed the gap in the Senate by less than ten votes (53 to 47). They have stated they would do the following:

• Repeal the entire Health Care law
• Block the extension of unemployment benefits
• Block the repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the military
• Oppose ratifying the nuclear arms treaty with Russia

President Obama admitted he took a “shellacking”. Also, the media noted he seemed disconsolate. Surprisingly, this Congress had been the most productive “lame duck” since the Congress under L.B. Johnson, the 36^th president (1963-1969). In fact, all the above was passed in addition to tax cuts for millions of Americans. So much for tradition. Some Republican leaders are saying they intend to make President Obama a one-term president. Based on his recent poll rating, this objective is questionable

On Jan. 5, 2011 the new Republican-elect were sworn into office. They continue to repeat their divisive, combative pretentious language to repeal or dismantle the Health Care Law signed by President Obama on March 23, 2010. Previous presidents since Teddy Roosevelt, the 26^th president (1901-1909), had been unsuccessful in their endeavor to pass such legislation; not to mention Kennedy and Clinton. They all tried to pass Health Reform. It took President Obama to get it done.

For the first time, this law has given 32 million people the right to health care insurance. To take the availability of health care away from Americans who obviously have a need is just downright wrong, insensitive and reprehensible. Casting blame on needy people as to how they got into this predicament in the first place is of no value. The fact is the people are without health benefits; the need is here, staring all of America in the face.

Implementation of sections of the Health Care Law began in September 2010. This month, January 2011, another phase of the law was activated effecting students, childcare, seniors and working class people. The Republicans prefer to repeal the entire law and begin again — time that could be better served on other needed legislation.

As President Clinton has said, if anything they should mend it – not end it!

At the Dec. 12, 2010 City Commission meeting, the united front of east Albany consisting of concerned residents, the religious sector and Albany State University should be commended on their steadfast opposition to Jaxx’s application for a liquor license on Oglethorpe Boulevard. The application was denied by a 5-2 vote with commissioners Howard, Hubbard, Marietta, Postell and Mayor Adams voting against it and commissioners Pike and Langstaff voting for it. The five demonstrated courage and foresight by doing what was best for the community and the students; they showed integrity as true representatives of the people.

A Denial Hearing was held earlier that day which was attended by approximately 75-100 citizens. Relevant facts were presented by Aaron Johnson, an economist from Darton College, and ASU’s Chief of Staff and University Counsel. Sharon “Nyota” Tucker, Esq.

Two relevant facts are: (1) ASU generates over $140 million annually to Albany’s economy and (2) the current number of convenient stores, grocery stores and existing liquor stores has already saturated the neighborhood with alcoholic products and another such store is not needed.

Alex Rowe testified he was being “picked on”. No, Mr. Rowe, we aren’t after you or your business; we just want what’s best for the community and young people. You would garnish our support with an alternative business

However, the most salient testimony was rendered by Attorney Tucker as follows:

• In a 1998 Supreme Court of Georgia decision, the court upheld the denial of a liquor license even when the applicant had satisfied the minimum distance requirements from schools and churches because the commissioners believed that the location of the liquor store would have an adverse or negative impact on the community and other businesses n the neighborhood.
• Since that time, the Georgia Supreme Court has handled down four additional cases which have upheld the exercise of similar discretion by local government authorities

It was stated in a 2007 study that east Albany felt alienated from the rest of Albany.  Hopefully, as a result of this victory, the people of east Albany will feel empowered and continue to be involved and will demand that they not be treated as “second-class” Albanians. When a people feel they belong, it gives meaning and purpose to a person’s life.

In unity there is strength.