The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s had one very important accomplishment — the elimination of the legal foundation of White supremacy in the Southern states.
One of the chief generals in that successful campaign was Oliver W. Hill Sr. (1907 – 2007). Hill, in case after case involving equal pay for teachers, equal access to public accommodations, job discrimination, unfair jail sentences and education, came up against and defeated some of the top lawyers in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
On a national level, he was as crucial to winning Brown vs. Board of Education as his good friend, Thurgood Marshall. In two interviews with Mr. Hill, I listened with great respect as he described his court battles against the Jim Crowers; as he related the many threats on his life and the burning of a cross on his front lawn and of numerous unrequested visits to his home by members of Richmond's police and fire departments for purposes of intimidation.
Mr. Hill, a legal warrior, well-deserved the praise given him by those who attended his funeral services in Richmond, Virginia's Convention Center.
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Someone, not a journalist, finally, had the nerve to ask the question that should be asked of all those who insist that "We must stay in Iraq for national security reasons."
When asked by a woman whether any of his five sons were in the military and, if not, when do they plan to enlist, Mitt Romney reportedly said, "It's remarkable how we can show our support for our nation. And one of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me to get elected because they think I'd be a great president."
He later said he "misspoke."
He misspoke alright. He showed that he, along with Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill Kristol, Paul Wolfowitz, Fred Barnes, Bill O'Reilly, Rich Lowery, Charles Krauthammer, Rudy Giuliani and Bret Hume etc., is one of those despicable individuals known as a fierce chicken hawk — those people who rant and rave that "we" must fight in Iraq because the country's national security is at stake. I'll believe that when I see them and their close relatives on the front lines.
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Other very revealing information focused on the war-by-choice in Iraq was found by Cal Thomas and Martin Schram. According to Thomas "The Washington Post reported the Pentagon has lost about 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols it gave to Iraq security forces in 2004 and 2005. The Government Accountability Office found the distribution of weapons was 'haphazard' and rushed, and that established procedures were not followed. The head of security training when the arms disappeared was Gen. David Petraeus."
Wrote Schram: "The statistics are both shocking and enraging. They provide a paint-by-the-numbers picture of a willful dysfunctionality perhaps without parallel in modern warfare. The Pentagon cannot account for 110,000 of the 185,000 AK-47 rifles it gave the Iraqis; 80,000 of the 170,000 pistols; 135,000 of the 215,000 items of body armor; 165,000 of the 140,000 helmets … Responsibility for the massive failure of accountability lies with the general in charge of creating and equipping the Iraqi security forces. It was Gen. David Petraeus …" It is Howdy Dowdy time.
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On a humorous note, Tina Turner and Diana Ross used to be the top hair-throwing divas in the entertainment industry. They are now history. The all-time hair thrower is Beyoncé. A recent photo taken at a concert she did in Washington, D.C. establishes her as the reigning Ms. Hair Thrower.
A. Peter Bailey, is the former editor of "Blacklash" the publication for the Organization for Afro-American Unity, and Ebony magazine.
