In this last speech, Frederick Douglass exposed how the same class of elites who had been slave plantation owners falsely accused Black men of being predators and rapists of White women, and then manipulated mobs who lynched them without trial, to build racial hatred against Black men. Douglass explained that these evil actions, like slavery, hurt all Americans. The same class of elites still divides us by race today but has now found new ways to separate us.
Over the past year, unionization has been a hot topic in Alabama. An Amazon facility in Bessemer has twice voted on the issue of unionization, with workers choosing not to form a union both times. Recently, workers at a Starbucks in Birmingham voted to organize, becoming the first Starbucks in Alabama with unionized labor. But what does being part of a workers union really mean, and how might continuing efforts to expand unionization impact Alabama?
Even as I share this story, that same feeling of dread swamps me. My gut is knotted. And yet, I need to feel that. I think we all do before the runoff election and before another November passes.
Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on The Jeff Poor Show as they discuss the Trump endorsement of Katie Britt, the county-by-county ground game that Britt has run, and the apparent difference between Alabama and Florida in that Florida has competitive political races and Republicans there contrast themselves from Democrats.
commemorate Flag Day each June 14 with flags and red-white-and-blue items at our home, the State Auditor's office, my car, and even my clothes. Often, people will remark: “You’re getting ready for Independence Day mighty early” or some other comment that lets me know they do not realize it is Flag Day, June 14.
If there is one thing Donald Trump respects above all, it’s winning. Winning is his gold standard. Winning is his North star. All manner of sins can be forgiven by winning. All shifts in narrative, policy, or principle can be explained by winning. Even the corporate press is willing to meet Trump on his own winning terms, as they carefully keep track of his win/loss record in the 2022 midterm election cycle.
Sadly, too many of us spend our lives looking for something other than God to fill our longing for meaning: business, family, entertainment, and politics come to mind. But in relentlessly pursuing secular things that hold little eternal value, we remain unfulfilled and wonder why our lives never reach a state of satisfaction. There is no doubt that many people pursuing things other than God achieve a measure of “happiness” for a time: Fame. Comfort. Status. Pleasure. Wealth.
First, I appreciate your willingness to think outside the box and ask hard questions. I admire the search for a better way with the understanding that there may not be one. I appreciate that you are open to finding one or not finding one, as the case may be.
Let me put it this way: when liberal outlets like Media Matters are railing against conservatives because of a movie, it sets my mind to thinking that I really want to see it! To go a step further, when conservative outlets and pundits are urging their followers to go see it … yep, I am even more inclined.
Dr. Martin Luther King argued that the arc of the moral universe is long and bends toward justice. This geometry lesson was used to illustrate a belief that history is pulled gravitationally towards freedom.
“Because this is exactly the kinda [expletive] you write about, I just wanted to tell you my story. It doesn’t matter how [bleeped] up your life is. Prayer works. Love works. Kindness works. Goodness works.”
I think it is easy for us to assume that scientists are immune to the influence of their own beliefs and biases as they do research. We have this presumption that scientists are dispassionate and unbiased individuals who are committed to the truth and always simply report the facts. Kuhn’s book points out this fallacy, as his research into the history of science reveals that scientists are clearly not objective.
According to nationaldaycalendar.com, June is also: National Give a Bunch of Balloons Month, National DJ Month, African-American Music Appreciation Month, National Zoo and Aquarium Month, Men’s Health Month, National Adopt a Cat Month ...
On Wednesday morning, the unthinkable happened: a man who was upset that the Supreme Court appears ready to overrule Roe v. Wade was arrested for attempting to murder Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
With accusations of corruption and crossvoting piling up in Alabama's elections, and more polarization than ever at the national level, young voters increasingly question America’s conflict-ridden two-party system.
Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on News & Views with Joey Clark as they discuss why the Alabama U.S. Senate race is the 3rd most expensive in the nation, how congressional leadership fund PACs work and the possible expectations of major donors to campaigns.
How do we keep our Constitutional Republic? And, most importantly, are you willing to make a difference?
Why is this race so important as to be worth $24.5 million from organizations largely outside the state of Alabama? Understand, this is not a race to determine which party controls the Senate in November. Alabama is as safely a Republican seat as there is (notwithstanding the blip that was Doug Jones). The bigger issue for Republicans in November is regaining control of the Senate.
Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on Midday Mobile with Sean Sullivan as they discuss the contested races in the recent Republican Primary election, Democrat crossover voting in the Republican Primary and the upcoming runoff election.
State government continues to take more money from Alabamians than ever before. Will it use that money to continue the historic expansion of state government, or finally take less taxes from citizens?
Why did our Alabama Unfiltered podcast get yanked from YouTube after an hour? Last week, we interviewed Dr. David Williams of Tuscaloosa and a Concerned Doctors board member. He gave us a “where things stand” with covid, update. He told the truth. Why wasn't that ok?
Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on The Jeff Poor Show as they discuss the questions raised by the Executive Director of the Alabama Democratic Party, whether the Republican Party should insist on closed primaries to preclude Democrat crossover voting and the Republican U.S. Senate runoff.
I hope Katie Britt is chuckling to herself. Her decision to decline to debate Mo Brooks under the circus big top before the June 21 run-off election for US Senate is both politically savvy and downright hilarious for those of us with a warped Machiavellian sense of humor.
People tend to make jokes and judgements about lawyers, politicians, and lobbyists being liars and/or living without personal scruples; politics does indeed seem to breed some more than capable fish-story-tellers.
On primary night, State Representative Andrew Sorrell and pastor Stan Cooke received enough votes to advance to the June runoff in the race to become the Republican nominee for State Auditor. So, what exactly are they running for? What does the state auditor do? And maybe, more importantly, what does our state auditor not do?
Life has standards, at every turn. Actual standards once clearly defined are supposed to matter because, if they don’t matter, then we have no institutions of … well, anything. So why then is it okay for the Christian church to keep taking it on the chin without saying anything about it? You didn’t see that question coming did you?
"So, when I pay $75-100.00 to fill up my service vehicle, paying the $2-3.00 extra in gas taxes doesn’t even register compared to the pain of the doubling of gas prices. I don’t even consider the additional gas tax. But you can believe I think about our Democrat friends, and President Biden - the founder of the pain that you are quick to blame our state leaders for. ..."