National News About the Tea Party

This link is to Google and provides a brief list of the latest news stories (pro and con) about the Tea Party movement nationwide. To me, some of these stories reaffirm the wisdom of the Hickman County Tea Party group (as well as many, many others across the country) to focus more on local issues because the national Tea Party groups (controlled by different interests and agendas) may or may not be as open to diversity as the local groups are.

Nationwide Tea Party news

Is the Tea Party racist?

The "conventional wisdom" (or popular myth in this case) is that The Tea Party movement, made up of hundreds, if not thousands, of individual and often-unaffiliated groups, is composed of neo-Nazi racists.

There's one strange fact that seems to dispute this: according to a new AP-GfK poll conducted over Oct. 13-17, Herman Cain (a black man) is running not only neck and neck with the media-anointed favorite Mitt Romney, Tea Party supporters favor Cain over Romney by 33 percent for Cain to 29 percent for Romney and 13 percent for Perry.

Among conservative Republicans, Romney is the choice of 28 percent, Cain 27 percent and Perry 15 percent. Ten percent of conservatives say they're not sure whom they'd like to see win the party's nod.

Now it's true that some individuals, even with the local Tea Party come across as racist. At the first meeting I attended, a pleasant gentleman next to me  leaned across and whispered something about "the Big Nig" being on TV at the same time as the meeting. Puzzled, I said, "Big Nig?" He said, "Yeah, the Big Nigger in the White House."

Now, the truth is I've also heard very similar comments from some Hickman County Democrats, included one who has never voted Republican in his life. And of course there are obviously some Republicans who feel the same way.

So to me, smearing everyone in a group with the same red-herring brush is hypocritical. If there's anything racist, it's saying that all blacks must think alike. What is that supposed to be - some kind of racial, genetic defect? It's like saying all Republicans or all Jews are multi-millionaires or all Democrats are Communists. That's horse hockey!

If you look at some of the video from Barack Obama's campaign appearances, there are black Tea Party members, some of whom were in one audience holding pro-Tea Party signs.

Historically, Black Americans have sided with the Democrats, and those who are not Democrat are often (and erroneously) labeled as "Uncle Toms". Yet you can go back decades and find black U.S. Republican Senators such as Edward Brooke of the liberal state of Massachusetts, elected in 1966 by a whopping 60.7%–38.7% over his Democratic opponent.

He was also the first African American elected to the Senate since the 19th century, when selection came from state legislatures, and would remain the only person of African heritage sent to the Senate in the 20th century until Democrat Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois in 1993, and was the last Republican Senator elected from Massachusetts until the 2010 election of Scott Brown. He is also the only African American reelected to the Senate. Since the death of Charles H. Percy on September 17, 2011, Brooke is the second-oldest living and oldest living Republican Senator.

So let's put aside the racist stereotypes and deal with the issues, OK?

Quartzsite, AZ - Could it happen here?

OPINION
A Tale of Two Counties
By Jim Moore, Editor

Reading HickmanCounty.Topix.com, one would have to believe that things are bad and getting worse by the day in Hickman County. Perverts and rapists in the Sheriff's department, thieves in the County Clerk's office, sex offenders in the schools, indicted felons on the County Commission, drug addicts in the Emergency Medical Service (ambulance), thieves in the 911 Center, and on and on and on.

Tales of police brutality and corruption abound, along with specific details about cronyism, nepotism and dozens of other issues that do little but give Hickman County a bad name. There seems to be far more divisiveness and hostility than cooperation, compromise and civility.

One party (Democrats) have been in power for many years now. They've had ample opportunity to clean things up. Have they?

But believe it or not, Hickman County, TN is not alone. Few of you have probably ever heard of Quartzsite, AZ - but you should know about it. It seems to be a time bomb waiting to explode ... and it could happen here if our elected officials don't get their heads screwed on straight and start listening to the people.

This is YOUR online Hickman Tea Party home - use it!!

I was asked, anonymously, to create a home for local people interested in or supportive of the Tea Party. This may either supplement or replace the existing blog, HickmanTeaParty, which does not allow user comments or submissions.

While this is not the only blog for Hickman County (TN) Tea Party advocates and followers, it is - so far at least - the only one that allows you to add your own 2-cents worth, either with your own contributions or in response to those of others.

You'll also find Tea Party-related videos, photos and stories, some local, some of national interest.

The only "censorship" here will be for spam, slander and obscenity.

Policy on spam, slander, obscenity and so on

The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.

Reader Comments Policy

Do not post:

Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.

Obscene, explicit, or racist language.

Personal attacks, insults or threats.

Comments naming people not included in the news story.

The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.

Comments unrelated to the story.

Spam - Comments that are really ads for products.

If you violate the policy you will be blocked from making further posts.

Please note that in the event of threats of assaults or other illegal behavior, it is possible that law enforcement may become involved and if so your IP address will be available to them. Use this forum responsibly and you won't have to worry.

Commission to Citizens - We Don't Care What You Have to Say!

Even though the U.S. Constitution states that Americans have the right to present grievances to their elected leaders, the Hickman County Commission is not too supportive of this idea, and has voted NOT to allow citizens to address the commission for even one minute.

Of course, they can address certain committees if they do so 10 days ahead of time, but commission meeting agendas are easily changed so that issues of public concern do not come up in public, and what is said in a committee meeting is usually never discussed in a commission meeting unless it is in their interests, not necessarily that of the public.

The commission voted 13-6 (with 2 absent) against the resolution allowing the public to speak (10 minutes with 1 minute each) or comment during the commissioner meeting:

Yes votes who supported this request: Charles Booker, Ron Gammons, Ricky Murray, William Blackwell, Kenneth Bates and Robert Atkinsson

No votes who did not support this request: Lloyd Mangrum, Brad Leeper, Chris Chilton, Susan Sullivan, Keith Nash, Ron Puckett, James Hassell, Frankie Ward, Dusty Jordan, John Deal, Ronnie George, Gary Hanes and Todd Collins

Absent: Robert Capps (sick) and Michael Thomasson (wife in Emergency Room)

October County Government Meetings

OCTOBER MEETING SCHEDULE The Committees and Boards of the Hickman County Legislative Body will meet during the month of October, 2011, as shown below, to take up matters that may legally come before them. All meetings are open to the public. Persons requiring special assistance should contact the Committee's Chairman, County Commission Chairman or County Mayor at least 48 hours prior to the meeting date.
COMMITTEE	CHAIRMAN	DATE	TIME	PLACE
Beer Board	Billy Blackwell	Monday - October 3	5:30 p.m.	Justice Center
Salary & Benefits Committee	Robert Atkinson	Monday - October 3	6:00 p.m.	Justice Center
Recreation & Tourism Committee	Susan Sullivan	Monday - October 3	6:00 p.m.	Justice Center
Sheriff & Jail Committee	Frankye Ward	Monday - October 3	6:30 p.m.	Justice Center
AFT Appeals Board	Lloyd Mangrum	Monday - October 3	7:00 p.m.	Justice Center
Industrial Board	Tom Isbell	Thursday - October 6	6:30 p.m.	Justice Center
Zoning Appeals Board	Bob Bohn	Tuesday - October 11*	6:00 p.m.	Justice Center
Solid Waste Committee	Robert Atkinson	Tuesday - October 11*	6:00 p.m.	Justice Center
Emergency Services Committee	Lloyd Mangrum	Tuesday - October 11*	7:00 p.m.	Justice Center
Finance Committee	Brad Leeper	Thursday - October 13	6:00 p.m.	Justice Center
Planning Commission	Jim Ahl	Thursday - October 13	6:00 p.m.	Justice Center
Animal Control Study Committee	Susan Sullivan	Thursday - October 13	7:00 p.m.	Justice Center
Building & Property Committee	James Hassell	Thursday - October 13	7:00 p.m.	Justice Center
Budget Committee	Keith Nash	Thursday - October 13	7:00 p.m.	Justice Center
E-911 Board	Ronnie Martin	Thursday - October 20	6:00 p.m.	City Hall
Reapportionment Committee	Ron Puckett	Thursday - October 20	6:30 p.m.	Justice Center
Vision 21 Board	Robert Mitchell	Monday - October 24	12:00 p.m.	Career Center
Health Foundation Board	Chris Chilton	Monday - October 24	6:00 p.m.	Justice Center
County Commission	Steve Gregory	Monday - October 24	7:00 p.m.	Justice Center

Any person desiring to meet with any committee should contact the committee's chairperson at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting.

All meetings are subject to being cancelled by the Chairman for lack of business.

*Due to the Columbus Day holiday, these committees will meet on the second Tuesday instead of the second Monday.