Remembering the 16th Street Baptist bombing in Birmingham
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Remembering 16th Street Baptist Church Bombings
Long before the events of 9/11, so-called Christian terrorists, better known as the Ku Klux Klan, bombed Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church--among many others--during the Civil Rights Movement
On Sunday September 15, 1963, nearly two weeks after Dr. Martin Luther King led the historic March on Washington, a group of Klan terrorists planted a high powered bomb in the basement of the very 16th Street Baptist Church that had served as King's de facto SCLC headquarters during the Birmingham protests earlier that year. The ensuing explosion killed four little girls; Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Cynthia Westley and Carole Robertson all died as they waited for Sunday services to begin.
Originally arrested for the bombing was noted Klansmen Robert Chambliss, who was tried for murder in October 1963 but was later acquitted by an all white jury. In 1977, Chambliss was tried a second time and was convicted and sentenced to life without parole, where he died in prison in 1985.
In 2000, fellow Klan terrorists Thomas Blanton and Robert Cherry were finally arrested for their complicity in the bombing and Blanton was convicted and sentenced to correctional facilities in Springville, Alabama. Both of these evil men lived far longer and better than the four little girls who they conspired to kill, and while my pastors and mentors may remind me that vengeance belongs to the Lord, I would be lying if I did not state that I hope that the remainder of their lives were filled with strife and turmoil due to their unrepentant pernicious ways.
California Gov. Gavin Newsome prevails
Yesterday, Californians rejected the Republican led recall action against Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) with "no's" leading by better than 30 percentage points as of this morning.
In yesterday's blog, I made brief mention of Newsom's Republican challengers, Larry Elder and Caitlyn Jenner, but I refuse to grant anymore column space to two half-witted attention seekers. What I will note is that in some ways, yesterday's recall election could serve as a harbinger of things to come in 2022. Specifically, Republicans gambled that their anti-mask and vaccine rhetoric, all expressed under"freedom," would resonate with voters that they concluded are tired of shutdowns and government forced mandates. Well, they “tried to roll the dice and just crapped out,” as the late Eazy-E once rapped, as it seems that more people are concerned about defeating the Coronavirus than shrugging a shoulder at the sick and the dying as so many Republicans seem willing to do.
As such, the Hobbservation Point extends kudos to Gov. Newsom and we wish him well in the days ahead!
Ol' Hobbs the Environmental Advocate
As my once jet black hair turns grayer by the day, I am learning that I am more of a naturalist and environmentalist than I ever realized. Growing up in rural Florida and South Georgia, I had hours of fun hunting deer, squirrels, and rabbits with my father and maternal cousins, but last summer, when a nearly three foot water moccasin happened into my yard and refused to budge like it was paying some bills there, after I shot and killed it with my .22 rifle, I actually felt kind of bad about it.
I also find that as time goes by, that each time I drive through North Florida and see another heavily wooded area being cleared for some new development or roadway, that I find myself lamenting the loss of the majestic oaks, pines, palm trees, and habitats for the displaced wildlife.
I provide this insight into my nature loving ways because an issue that has not gotten nearly enough national attention is the development of the Barack Obama Presidential Library on Chicago's Southside. While the former president is a native of Hawaii, having his library in Chicago makes sense because his rise to political prominence began in the Windy City. But what's vexing many native Chicago Southsiders is that the area in which the Obama Library will be built, Jackson Park, is being decimated to make way for his and other brick edifices. Several environmental groups filed federal suits for injunctive relief earlier this year seeking to prevent the Library and other developments from being built in Jackson Park due to conservation concerns--but to no avail!
Now, this segment isn't a slight against the first Black president--one I voted for twice and will forever respect for his keeping the Great Recession from becoming the Second Great Depression, and his signature Affordable Care Act, one that allowed people with pre-existing illnesses (like me) to get cleared for health insurance. Still, I cannot help but wonder whether his library could have been built elsewhere in the city, perhaps even by retrofitting buildings or spaces not in great use?
I don’t know, and while I may never receive an adequate answer on this matter, what I do know is that in an era in which we decry global warming and other weather related issues, the fact that we continue to replace trees with concrete surely will not reverse the toll that our selfish human designs are taking on our environment.
General Milley in Peril?
Yesterday, the news media were all abuzz about "Peril," a soon to be released book by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa that states that General Mark Mulley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden, surreptitiously called his counterpart in China during the last days of Trump's presidency to reassure the Chinese that no American attack was imminent.
According to the book, Gen. Milley allegedly said to the Chinese commander, "If we're going to attack, I'm going to call you ahead of time...We are 100% steady. Everything's fine."
Wow!
If true, I believe that such statements were overtly insubordinate by General Milley. Please note that I wrote "statements" and not "sentiments," because the simple truth is that we know from those closest to Mr. Trump that the former president was irate and oft irrational during his last 30 days in office after Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, and his Attorneys General William Barr and Jeff Rosen, all concluded that the election had been fairly won by Joe Biden. So I get the idea that General Milley, one who had to sit next to many a tirade thrown by his old boss (including the one shown below of his screaming match with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi), may have held the sentiment that he would refuse a direct order if Trump sought to launch a war under specious circumstances.
The difference, however, is in the subtlety, with the appearance of deference to the commander-in-chief needing to remain firmly intact even if behind the scenes, the military response would have been "no sir, Mr. President, we are not invading or bombing China." Historically, two similar situations spring immediately to my mind, with the first being the German military high command's refusal to carry out orders given by Adolf Hitler during his final month of life in his bunker under the Reichstag--all the while lying to Hitler's face and claiming that his will was being done up above in the streets of Berlin. The second was early during the 9/11 attacks when commanders supposedly did not give shoot down orders of commercial jets despite the same being authorized by then Vice-President Dick Cheney.
Ergo, for Gen. Milley to place those calls to China when there's no evidence to date that suggests that Trump had dialed up invasion plans or nuclear strikes on the Chinese mainland is not only troubling, but perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that a general who is still on active duty, even chose to interview with Bob Woodward, a legendary Pulitzer Prize winner known for his exposes dating back to Watergate.
Such leads me to conclude that if Gen. Milley did place that call to China and make those comments, then he should resign his commission and head into private life immediately.
Nikki Minaj the anti-vaxxer
So, I probably couldn't name you five Nikki Minaj songs (without conducting Google research) even if my entire life depended on it. I do, however, know that the younger generations love her much in the same way that my generation loved Lil' Kim, Foxxy Brown, and Miss Trina, among others.
When I read that Minaj was against taking the Coronavirus vaccine and wanted to “do some more research," I wasn't really surprised because I know quite a few people who hold similar views no matter what any researchers or medical providers have to say about the safety of the vaccines.
While it is exhausting, and while I surely disagree with anti-vax opinions, when it comes to concerns that some have that Minaj's millions of followers on social media may be heavily influenced by her words, I cannot help but say, “hey, that’s on them,” while continuing to do my part to highlight those in the medical field who are doing their best to combat this horrific disease.
Part of my daily prayer for myself and those within the sound of my voice (or in sight of my writings) is that our collective wisdom and discernment increase exponentially. Some days I get it right, while on others, I get it way wrong, but suffice it to say that in as much as I LOVED me some Lil' Kim, Foxxy, and Trina back in the day, I wouldn't "even much" have given their contrary opinions on health related matters the same weight that I would have given the professionals who have studied and dedicated their lives to REAL medical research, not Google and YouTube reviews.
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People influenced by the uneducated and the uninformed are useless…