Lord God,
We have sinned against you (by allowing others to destroy your creation);
We have done evil in your sight (and now have no idea how to fix the problem).
We are sorry and repent (though it is unlikely we will really deal with our addiction).
Have mercy on us according to your love.
Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin.
(Forgive us).
National gun rights groups were able to scrape together 2000 or so folks in Washington, D.C. yesterday to tote guns and brandish theological absurdities. As has become part of the constant drumbeat of the extreme right, President Obama was referred to as a socialist out to steal people’s guns and violate the second amendment with some claiming that he may actually be the “Anti-Christ” or close to it. While this is usually hyperbole, some protesters seem to actually believe the President is no longer a Muslim but now Beelzebub.
Haley Barbour and Bob McDonnell, southern governors.
Just when you thought that Governor Bob McDonnell was putting the whole Confederate history month debacle behind him, Mississippi’s Governor Haley Barbour kicks up the dust again.
“To me, it’s a sort of feeling that it’s a nit, that it is not significant, that it’s not a – it’s trying to make a big deal out of something (that) doesn’t amount to diddly,” Barbour said in the interview aired on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Barbour articulated.
This puts Governor McDonnell in an even worse place than he was in earlier this week. Now he not only has to continue to apologize about his original flub up, now he has to take on Haley Barbour publicly about his ridiculous comments or face renewed heat from Virginians who are deeply embarrassed to once again find themselves on the international stage because of the ignorant comments of a politician (sometimes Republican, sometimes Democrat).
Sure Barbour is gaining party power, among the more radical elements of the GOP but that should not scare Bob McDonnell. He should stand up to Barbour and explain that the future of the Republican party is not in being revisionist. In fact, he should stand up to the extremist parts of the party who will now rush to the defense of Barbour as well.
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell admitted his sin of omission by leaving out any mention of slavery in his proclamation of April as Confederate History Month.
“The failure to include any reference to slavery was a mistake, and for that I apologize to any fellow Virginian who has been offended or disappointed….The abomination of slavery divided our nation, deprived people of their God-given inalienable rights, and led to the Civil War.”
Kudos to Bob McDonnell for standing up and admitting his office made a grave mistake. Earlier today I indicated that the Governor needed to learn a little more about the Civil War if he thought slavery was not a “significant issue.” Now, that he has clarified his understanding of the facts let’s hope he uses this moment to teach Virginia and the country about how far we have to move toward reconciliation.
Many people will ruminate why he didn’t get it right the first time. I think the more important opportunity before Bob McDonnell is to use this as a teaching moment.
Governor Bob McDonnell has avoided being a lightning rod on race since his run up to state-wide, and now national, visibility. He had a major endorsement from democratic-funder Sheila Johnston, a prominent African American, during his run for Governor who became an excellent validator of McDonnell on many levels since she is an entrepreneur, African American leader, and of course the founder of BET. There were questions when McDonnell suggested closing Twin Lakes State Park as part of a budget fix. The park has significant ties to the black community as our only state park open to African Americans during segregation, but the Governor has avoided the broader race debates that George Allen fought given that Governor’s many encumbrances with historical southerness.
Now McDonnell may have some explaining to do after reclaiming April as “Confederate History Month” yesterday, and it may become his own Macaca Moment. There are many months commemorated in VA but rarely those dealing a war over a state’s right to protect chattel slavery. And no other commemorative month coincides with a month when Virginia seceded from America. [time will tell how our attempt to secede from health insurance reform will be venerated.]
McDonnell says he issued the proclamation in an effort to revive Virginia’s tourism knowing the 150 Anniversary of the Civil War is approaching. And yet, he says:
he did not include a reference to slavery because “there were any number of aspects to that conflict between the states. Obviously, it involved slavery. It involved other issues. But I focused on the ones I thought were most significant for Virginia.“
Shockoe Bottom and Shockoe Slip were the major entryway for trading slaves who survived the middle passage. I know that the Governor is new to the neighborhood but about a 1/4 of a mile from the Governor’s Mansion there is a memorial to the slave trade that indicates how despicable slavery was in Richmond as the former capitol of the confederacy and Virginia as a whole. One might even describe the horrific love affair that Virginia had with slavery, significant.
I certainly hope that this does not become Macaca Moment because with all of those Civil War tourists we are trying to attract to the state it would be a shame to not have a strong Governor who can hel recognize the whole history of Virginia. Let’s not overlook the realities that the Civil War (not a “conflict,” Governor) was actually quite uncivil for those families who fought on all sides, including my own.
Slavery was even more uncivil.
This is a teaching moment. Governor McDonnell should learn, and then teach.
By: The Commonwealth Institute
Virginia needs to add 12,000 jobs per month, every month, for the next two years just to return to pre-recession employment levels. That sobering statistic is among the numbers released this week in a new and dramatic unemployment forecast from The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis.
By: Patrick Getlein
A little noticed bill this session is garnering the attention — and support — of the faith community. Patroned by Sen. Chap Petersen the bill would extend consumer protections to churches and other congregations and help protect them from consumer fraud.
Whoops!
The gun-guys, Virginia Citizens Defense League, endorsed the wrong guy in Harrisonburg and two days before the election and are now asking their members to vote for the incumbent. In an embarrasing email, their PAC Chairman admits their surveys are a total sham.
