Greene County Democrat

Category: Politics

  • Eric Holder says the Electoral College must be abolished

    Lee Moran Trends Editor, The Huffington Post

    eric-holder

    Former Attorney General Eric Holder called for an end to the electoral college voting system on Friday.

    With Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote but losing the election, he said it was now time to change the way the U.S. elects its presidents.

    “I’m in the process now of writing an article that says there’s a simple solution to it and we have to just abolish the electoral college,” Holder told “Real Time” host Bill Maher.

    He acknowledged such a move would require a constitutional amendment, which Maher quipped would mean “some heavy lifting.” “But so all right, it involves heavy lifting, let’s lift heavy, let’s do it,” Holder replied.

    The duo later discussed why, despite President-elect Donald Trump’s claims throughout his campaign that the election was rigged against him, the electoral college system actually meant the opposite.

    And they found common ground on why voting days should be moved to a weekend or made a public holiday.

  • Students lead new wave of anti-Trump protests

    Susan Miller , USA TODAY

     

     Los Angeles protest Trump’s election and  protestors in New York City march to Trump Towers to protest election results

    High school students led the charge Monday as protests against President-elect Donald Trump rolled into a sixth day.

    Hundreds of teens, many not even old enough to vote, exited classrooms on both coasts, carting signs and chanting slogans against a man they say poses a threat to their future. The students are part of a protest movement that has seen tens of thousands taking to the streets in U.S. cities large and small after Tuesday’s election. Monday’s protests happened in Los Angeles, Denver, Portland, Ore., and Silver Spring, Md., among others.

    Hundreds of students from about a dozen Oakland high schools walked out on their classes and took to the streets. “We hope to get our rights and just get our freedom. We want less racism, stop the violence, all of that,” said 14-year-old Salvador Briseno, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

    While most protesters acknowledge they can’t change the fact that Trump beat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the electoral vote count, they say they want to make a statement that the Republican’s barbed campaign comments against women, Muslims, immigrants and beyond aren’t acceptable and Trump’s policies have not earned a national mandate. Clinton still leads Trump 48% to 47% in the popular vote.

    In Los Angeles, students converged Monday on Mariachi Plaza, a gathering spot for the city’s iconic musicians, and marched to City Hall. The walkout was part of a planned demonstration in the Los Angeles Area School District, KTLA reported.

    “Although it has been nearly a week since the presidential election, many students remain concerned about the outcome and want their voices to be heard,” Superintendent Michelle King said in a statement released by the district Monday morning, KTLA said. “These are important conversations that need to take place. We want our students to know they are not alone.”

    The students carried signs with message such as “Be Kind Not Racist,” “We Reject the President Elect” and “Bridges Not Walls.” Many of the youths were Latino, and some lifted aloft Mexican and American flags as they trekked down the street. Some protest signs were in Spanish.

    A few students had a rejoinder for those charging that the younger generation, many loyal to Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries, bears responsibility for Trump’s stunning upset.  “Don’t Blame Millennials or the 3rd Party Vote; Blame the DNC,” one sign read.

    United Teachers Los Angeles union applauded the walkout, saying the union “stands proudly” with the students, KLTA reported. “We believe students should join their communities in expressing themselves through peaceful protests,” the union said in a statement.

    In Silver Spring, Md., a northern suburb of the nation’s capital, youths from five high schools walked out en masse Monday morning for a student-led march. About 500 students, some chanting “we reject the president-elect,” blocked traffic on a busy downtown boulevard on their journey to Veteran’s Plaza. School officials said no teachers were involved in organizing the protest.

    “We want the children to realize what their political power is and how to utilize their voices,” said pastor Jeffrey Thames, who joined the protest at one point. Other passersby offered words of encouragement.

    In Portland, Ore., hundreds of students from at least three schools also staged a walkout and march to City Hall. The protesters caused some disruptions for shoppers and merchants when they headed to a shopping mall.

    While most of the anti-Trump protests have been peaceful, Portland has had a turbulent week with nightly demonstrations that have turned violent and led to at least 100 arrests. On Saturday, protesters blocked streets and tossed bottles and other projectiles at police officers.

  • All 14 Amendments approved statewide Hillary Clinton sweeps Greene County 4,006 to Trump’s 838

    Hillary Clinton polled 4,006 votes to 838 for Trump in a heavy turnout in Greene County, although Donald Trump won the electoral vote nationwide, in yesterday’s November 8 General Election.
    Clinton received 82.2% of the vote in Greene County, which included 3,543 straight Democratic votes, to 17.2% for Trump; Gary Johnson received 13, Jill Stein 5 and there were 11 write-ins for President of the United States.
    In the race for U. S. Senate in Greene County, Democrat Ron Crumpton received 3,829 (80.6%) to 918 (19.3%) for incumbent Republican Richard Shelby of Tuscaloosa. Shelby was re-elected statewide in Alabama by a large margin.
    Congresswoman Terri Sewell was running unopposed for re-election. She won easily with 4,200 votes (99%) in Greene County.
    In local races, Carol P. Zippert was running unopposed for District 1 on the Greene County School Board. She received 811 votes with 9 write-ins against her. Kashaya Cockrell was elected to District 2 on the Greene County School Board with 661 votes and 116 write-ins against her. These are the unofficial returns. When all the votes are tabulated and counted on November 15, the specific names of the write-ins will be available.
    Greene County supported 10 of the 14 statewide amendments voted on yesterday. Greene County voters approved all of the amendment but 7,8,9 and 10. Statewide all amendments were approved, 12 by strong majorities and Amendment 9 for Pickens County and Amendment 12 for Baldwin County were approved by 51% of the statewide vote, based on unofficial returns.
    Statewide voters approved adding members to diversify Auburn’s Board of Trustees (Amendment 1), support the budget of Alabama State Parks (Amendment 2), make procedural changes in the Alabama Constitution to give more power to County Commissions (Amendments 3, 4, and 5), place “Right-to-Work” provisions in the Constitution (Amendment 8), insure the legality of local legislation passed over the past thirty years (Amendment 14) and a variety of Amendments that applied to specific counties and localities in the state.

  • Donald Trump projected to be the next president of the United States

     

    Associated Press

     

    Donald Trump is projected to win the electoral votes necessary to become the next president of the United States, according to the Associated Press.

    The billionaire businessman bested Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in a stunning upset after entering Election Day as the underdog.

    Clinton conceded to Trump over the phone shortly before his early morning victory speech, less than an hour after campaign chairman John Podesta addressed her supporters the Javits Center in Manhattan saying they were not ready to give up on the race.

    In a notably humble tone, Trump congratulated Clinton for running a tough campaign in his victory speech, saying, “We owe [Clinton] a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country.”

    Trump also thanked members of his campaign, giving shoutouts to Rudy Giuliani, Chris Christie, Jeff Sessions, Ben Carson and Mike Huckabee. Trump called Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, “a very special person who believed me” and “an unbelievable star.”

    Despite repeatedly receiving criticism throughout his campaign for taking what some described as a devisive tone, Trump took a graceful and concilllatory tone in his address to the nation. “While the campaign is over, our work on this movement is really just beginning,” he said to the cheering crowd of supporters.

    Trump pledged to bring the country together following the historically contentious campaign. “I pledge to be a president for all Americans,” said Trump. “Working together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding our nation and renewing the American dream.”

    Trump defied nearly all polls by flipping multiple states President Obama won in both of his presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012 including Ohio, Florida and Iowa. He also carried North Carolina, a state Obama won in 2008 but lost to Mitt Romney in 2012.

    Trump jumped out to an early lead, picking up victories in Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and South Carolina. Vermont was the first state to go to Clinton. The GOP nominee quickly pulled further ahead after capturing must-win Republican stronghold states like Texas, Kansas, Louisiana and Nebraska. Trust in the polling leading up to Election Day took a hit early when Virginia, a state many polls comfortably placed in the winning column for Clinton, turned out to be far closer than previously projected.

    Trump entered Election Day with only a 28.6 percent chance of winning according to FiveThirtyEight. As the night progressed, and Trump continued to rack up Electoral College votes, election forecasts from The New York Times and FiveThirtyEight started to sharply lean toward a Trump victory. Clinton led nationally 46.6 percent to Trump’s 43.3 percent in Real Clear Politics’ polling average before Election Day.

    The financial markets reacted quickly as Trump’s victory became more apparent, with S&P futures ESc1 down more than 4 percent and Dow Industrials futures falling more than 700 points.

    1. 1.Mexico’s peso plunged to its lowest-ever levels as Trump’s chances of winning the presidency increased. Concerns of a Trump victory have weighed heavily on the peso for months because of his threats to rip up a free trade agreement with Mexico and tax money sent home by migrants to finance building a wall on the southern U.S. border.

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  • World Confab on rising temps begins calls for focus on Africa

     

    flood-in-kenya

    Floods in Kenya

    Nov. 7, 2016 (GIN) – Marrakesh, home to mosques, palaces and gardens, will be going green for COP 22, the international follow-up to last year’s historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

    World leaders will be gathering there for the next 11 days to advance the landmark agreement, where an unprecedented number of countries agreed to limit the increase in average global temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius.

    But it remains to be seen if the world will successfully limit warming to prevent the point of no return.

    As the host country for the COP22 talks, Morocco is determined to make this meeting the “African COP”.

    Morocco – where 40% of the population still works the land – already feels the impacts of climate change on its agricultural production. Last year, Morocco went without rain for more than two months. Overall it received 42.7% less rain during its main planting season than in an average year.

    Mohammed Ibrahimi, a farmer with one hectare of apple trees in Boumia, recalled that last December there were temperatures of 77 degrees. “Normally it is 33.8 or 35.6 at that time of year,” he says. As a result, he harvested just 20 tons “when I’d expected 40 tons.”

    The impact of climate change is being felt around the world but the irony is that while Africa is the least polluter it suffers one of the worst impacts.

    Seven of the 10 countries most at risk from climate change are in Africa (Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Nigeria, Chad, Ethiopia, Central African Republic and Eritrea).

    “COP21 was a failure because the things mentioned were things they could do, and not what they should or must do,” remarked Nnimmo Bassey,

    Meanwhile, some 245 participants, from 37 different countries (among which 23 African countries) joined “African and international Conference” on the “Issues and challenges of COP22” – in Casablanca, Morocco, Sept. 23 to 24. The final document read:

    “Record-breaking temperatures month after month, a succession of cyclones, hurricanes, floods, forest fires and debilitating droughts remind us that climate change is a reality which already affects hundreds of millions of us.

    “Africa, host of the COP22, suffers most directly and dramatically the consequences of runaway climate change: resource and environmental degradation, food insecurity, water stresses, increasing poverty, health risks, and massive population displacement. Africans are not responsible for climate change, so our commitment is in the name of justice: of climate, but also of social justice.” w/pix of floods in Kenya

     

     

  • ‘Loving’ star Ruth Negga on why interracial couples aren’t a statement “They just wanted to be in love.”

     

    Zeba BlayVoices Culture Writer, The Huffington Post

     

    The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a Virginia law banning marriage between African Americans and Caucasians was unconstitutional, thus nullifying similar statues in 15 other states. The decision came in a case involving Richard Perry Loving, a white construction worker and his African American wife, Mildred. The couple married in the District of Columbia in 1958 and were arrested upon their return to their native Caroline County, Virginia. They were given one year suspended sentences on condition that they stay out of the state for 25 years. The Lovings decided in 1963 to return home and fight banishment, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union.
    This image released by Focus Features shows Ruth Negga, right, and Joel Edgerton in a scene from, “Loving.” (Focus Features via AP)

    Joel Edgertgon and Ruth Negga as Richard and Mildred Loving in “Loving.”

     

    She isn’t flashy or overemotional, but rather ignites the screen with a quiet gravitas. She plays the soft-spoken Mildred Loving, a Black and Native American woman who took on the state of Virginia in 1967 for the right to stay married to her husband Richard Loving, who was white. The couple had been sentenced to a year in prison for violating Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act of 1924. At the time of the case, a total of 16 states had similar laws, known as “anti-miscegenation” laws.

    Because of the Lovings and their landmark case, Loving vs. Virginia, the laws banning interracial marriage across the South were struck down, deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. And yet, despite a 1996 TV movie and a stellar 2011 documentary by Nancy Buirski, the Lovings and their story are still widely unknown.  The real Mildred and Richard Loving, after the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a Virginia law banning marriage between African Americans and Caucasians was unconstitutional.

    That’s all about to change with “Loving,” written and directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Negga opposite Joel Edgerton as Richard Loving. The film has been building up steady buzz since it premiered at Cannes in May, and various outlets have described it as “Oscar bait.” But it is so much more than that.

    At its heart is Ruth Negga, an Ethiopian-Irish actress known for small roles in films like “World War Z” and “The Samaritan” and a current role on AMCs “Preacher.” Negga is poised for superstardom and accolades thanks to her performance in the film, out Friday, but the 35-year-old actress is far more concerned with making sure the Lovings’ legacy is recognized.

    In a conversation with Negga earlier this week, the actress expounded upon the power of the Loving story, the absurdity of racism, and making space for other actresses of color:

    It’s wild that the Lovings made such an impact on so many lives with their case, and yet very few people are aware of their story. Did you know about the Lovings prior to joining this film?

    I knew about the Supreme Court case, but I didn’t know about the couple behind it until I came upon Mildred’s obituary [a few years ago], which I found deeply emotional. When I auditioned for Jeff he gave me the documentary by Nancy Buirski, and I watched it and I just fell in love with this couple.

    I’ve known about the history [of anti-miscegenation laws], but it’s still quite shocking to watch old footage and hear people give reasons for that racism as if they’re being totally logical. It made me so angry. None of it made sense. None of it. I remember thinking, what’s so terrifying about us? That these laws were made? I thought, “This is a story that really needs to be told.”

    Were you at all daunted by the idea of playing someone like Mildred Loving? Someone so important, but so little known? Did you feel an added responsibility to “get it right?”

    I was daunted, but I wasn’t daunted to the point where I didn’t want to do it. I think I was really propelled by my own need to see people like that on a screen. My own need to see a story like this being told. My own personal need to see people like me on the screen. That became stronger than my fear, which I’m glad about. I felt like I was the right age, had the right spirit. I felt a confidence that I hadn’t felt before. And it wasn’t that I had this huge super ego about it. It was that I felt this was the right story at the right time and I knew I would work hard. I knew I’d have the graft to do her justice.

    What’s so powerful about this story is how ordinary the Lovings were, despite the huge impact that they made. But there’s this idea that interracial relationships are somehow always about making some sort of statement, or that just by virtue of being in an interracial relationship a couple has “solved” racism. What do you think of that? 

    We deify most leaders of any movement because they’re super charismatic and they have this sort of glow, they’re really good orators. This couple wasn’t. And yet they were equally as charismatic and compelling, in a very quiet way. They weren’t making a statement, they just wanted to be in love.

    I think it’s kind of uncomfortable that anyone would accuse a relationship of being a maneuver. I find it very difficult that we still ask people in these relationships to explain themselves, constantly.

    This couple wasn’t giving an “F U” to the establishment. This wasn’t an act of defiance. It was about, “I want to raise my family where I want to. I want to legitimize the rights of my children.” But I do think that the deeper involved they got in this movement, Mildred realized the deep unfairness of this, and that it wasn’t just going to effect her it was going to effect other couples. She felt that that was a good thing if that was the fall out of their struggle. It’s such a complex situation.

    The Lovings have both passed, but they have one surviving daughter: Peggy Loving Fortune. Were you able to connect with her at all? 

    Yeah she was on set with us quite often. We had talks. It’s private. I don’t really want to share our chats because she’s quite a private woman as well. Maybe I should have asked her more questions, maybe I could have asked her more questions, but I don’t really like asking questions that are unnecessary for the sake of asking questions. It’s showing that you’re being a good student rather than doing the work. The thing with Peggy is that, of course we wanted her a approval. But I think we would have known if she was not happy. I do believe that. Because she’s not a pushover. This is her family. And I think that she wanted to be a true legacy.

     

  • Jury selection has begun in S.C. shooter Dylann Roof’s trial

    By Yvette C. Hammett, UPI

    dylan-roof

    Dylann Roof, the man accused in a shooting spree that left nine dead at a historic Charleston, South Carolina church appears before a judge on June 19, 2015

    CHARLESTON, S.C., Nov. 6 (UPI) — Final jury selection for the Dylann Roof federal murder trial began on Monday and is expected to be a long and tedious process, authorities said.

    Picking 12 jurors at the historic courthouse in downtown Charleston won’t be quick, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty, The State reported. The federal trial is expected to take place in two phases. The first phase is to determine guilt or innocence. The second phase, if the self-proclaimed white supremacist is found guilty, is to determine whether the death penalty should apply or if he will get life in prison.

    The 22-year-old Roof faces 33 separate charges stemming from the mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston on June 17, 2015. Nine people died, including a state representative. Some of the charges are for hate crimes.

    Jury selection started in September with a pool of 3,000 potential jurors. The group was vetted and pared down to about 700. The pool will be pared further to a dozen jurors and six alternates over the coming weeks.

    “This is the most challenging jury selection in the American legal system,” said Johnny Gasser, now in private practice in Columbia but who has tried 10 death penalty cases as first a state prosecutor and then a federal prosecutor.

    “There’s nothing like it,” said Gasser, who has served on the U.S. Attorney General’s Death Penalty Review Committee. “And cases don’t get any more high profile than the Roof case.”

    Roof had agreed to plead guilty to murdering nine people, rather than going through a lengthy and expensive trial, only if the death penalty gets taken off the table, his lawyers said. Roof’s attorneys argued in court filings and in hearings that the death penalty is unconstitutional and should not be considered.

    Federal prosecutors argue that the racial motivation and depth of the crime call for the death penalty, The Wall Street Journal reported.

     

     

     

  • Venus & Serena Williams open center in Compton to fight gun violence

    Written By NewsOne Staff

    serena-and-venus-williams

    Serena and Venus Williams

    The world is used to expecting greatness from Serena and Venus Williams on the tennis court, but the sisters are changing up their game. The Williams have opened the Yetunde Price Resource Center in their hometown of Compton, California.

    The community service center is named for their older sister who was killed by gun violence in 2003. It is the first endeavor under the Williams Sister Fund, an organization designed to support the sisters’ philanthropic efforts to fight gun violence.

                “The resource center will be able to map all of the resources in and around the Compton community while providing customized assistance that will be a vital asset to improving our ability to service our youth, adults and families,” said Mayor Aja Brown.

  • Vote on Tuesday Nov. 8 in General Election!

    ballot-box

    Next Tuesday, November 8, 2016 will be a General Election in Greene County and throughout the nation.
    Voters will have a choice between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald J. Trump for the 45th President of the United States. There are several other third party candidates who will be on the ballot in many states.
    The decision is actually between the Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine, candidates for President and Vice President on the Democratic ticket and Donald J. Trump and Mike Pence on the Republican side.
    Congressman John Lewis said, “ So many people sacrificed and some gave their lives for the sacred right to vote, so we must all vote to honor their memories and struggle.”
    In Alabama, voters will also choose between incumbent Republican Senator, Richard Shelby and Democratic challenger, Ron Crumpton. There are other statewide unopposed races for judgeships in Alabama on the ballot.
    In local races in Greene County, Dr. Carol P. Zippert is running unopposed as the Democratic candidate for School Board in District 1 and Kashaya Cockrell running unopposed as Democratic candidate for School Board in District 2.

    Alabama voters will also have to vote on 14 Constitutional Amendments. These amendments deal with some procedural changes, some county specific issues and some critical issues affecting the full state.
    Amendment No. 1 deals with adding diversity to the Board of Trustees of Auburn University; Amendment No. 2 deals with protecting the funds for State Parks; Amendments 3, 4, 5 and 6 deal with procedural issues and greater local control for County Commissions; Amendment 7 deals with employees in the Sheriff’s office in Etowah County; and Amendment 8 which enshrine the state’s current anti-union right-to-work law in the Constitution.
    Amendment No. 9 would allow a person up to age 75 run for Probate Judge of Pickens County; Amendment No. 10 relates to Calhoun County; and Amendment No. 11 allows counties to sell certain land in manufacturing zones at less that fair market value to attract industry and jobs.
    Amendment No. 12 relating to charging tolls on roads and bridges in Baldwin County; Amendment No. 13 dealing with prohibiting age limits on eligibility to run for political office, other than for judicial officers, who are currently limited to 70 years of age; and Amendment No. 14 a procedural amendment on the Budget Isolation Resolution (BIR) and insuring that local legislation enacted between 1984-2016 is legal based on procedures in place at the time.

  • Shocking reports of rape by Government soldiers of Boko Haram victims

    nigerian-president-buhari-with-rescued-girls

     Nigerian President. M. Buhari and rescued girls

    Oct. 31, 2016 (GIN) – Dozens of young girls, rescued from Boko Haram kidnappers, were made victims again by the Nigerian soldiers and policemen assigned to protect them, according to accounts documented by investigators for Human Rights Watch.

    The New York-based rights group found forty-three cases of “sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation.” Four victims told HRW they were drugged and raped. Thirty-seven said they had been coerced into sex through false marriage promises and material and financial assistance.  “It is bad enough that these women and girls are not getting much-needed support for the horrific trauma they suffered at the hands of Boko Haram,” said Mausi Segun, senior Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch. “It is disgraceful and outrageous that people who should protect these women and girls are attacking and abusing them.”

    Victims of rape and sexual exploitation may be less likely to seek health care, including psychological counseling, due to the shame they feel, said HRW. Fewer than five of the 43 women and girls reported receiving any formal counseling after they were sexually abused.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, upon learning of the girls’ allegations, said he was “worried and shocked” and ordered police to “immediately commence investigations into the issue”.

    “The welfare of these most vulnerable of Nigerian citizens has been a priority of his government,” presidency spokesman Garba Shehu said, adding that the allegations raised by the HRW “are not being taken lightly”.

     

    Human Rights Watch said it wrote to several Nigerian authorities in August requesting comment on the research findings. The minister of women affairs, Aisha Jumai Alhassan, promised in a meeting with Human Rights Watch to investigate the allegations and then respond.   Last month, hundreds of people displaced by Boko Haram militants held a protest in Maiduguri, accusing officials of stealing food rations after photos were seen on social media showing food with aid agency logos being sold in shops. A spokesman for the governor disputed the charges, saying “it is radically difficult to divert food.”    In a separate matter, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) announced they have secured the release of 876 children held by Nigeria’s army and security forces.

     

    The army routinely detains civilians who have been living in areas once ruled by the insurgents on suspicion they might be linked to militant activities. However, rights groups say there is no proper legal process for children, since they do not get formally charged and some end up in so-called rehabilitation centers, which the groups say are like prisons.

     

    The United Nations says children should not be detained.