If Herenton and the others who play in this racialist game were presiding over a city that was prosperous for Black people I would be somewhat pacified. Instead the last time I was in Memphis they were debating a curfew for teens as a means of slowing the massive crime spree that had been taking place. In addition the government was still reeling from the corruption charges that had rocked several politicians.
All of this leads me to believe what seems obvious - the naked racial politicking by Herenton and others are merely for selfish purposes. He wants to get a seat in the Congress. He seeks as many Black people as possible to "vote their race" rather than vote on the present state of affairs in the city and its schools.
The Article:
One of the most hotly contested issues of the Democratic congressional primary race between Willie Herenton and Steve Cohen may be why the district lines are drawn the way they are.
The 9th Congressional District has been predominantly in Memphis for decades. In recent years it has grown to take in small parts of the suburbs. The lines could change again after the 2010 Census, when the Tennessee Legislature begins its usual reapportioning process.
Herenton and his supporters have repeatedly said the district’s borders were drawn to enhance the possibility of black representation in a congressional delegation that’s all white.
“I want you ... to help us to retrieve for our children what we lost in representation,” Herenton told a predominantly black crowd of 300 people Saturday at an East Memphis campaign rally.
To make the point even plainer, Herenton quoted radio talk show host and political blogger Thaddeus Matthews.
“Think about that. White folks, y’all got all 11. We just want one,” Herenton said to cheers from the crowd.
The legal concept and practice of drawing districts that reflect a majority black population, however, is not that simple. It’s rooted in the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Section II of the act requires that, in certain circumstances, districts be drawn to “give effect to the political preferences of the minority population.”
“This is actually a fairly technical area and it’s been the subject of a lot of litigation over the years, trying to interpret how Section II applies,” said attorney John Ryder.
This is yet another reason why I believe that "Majority Minority Districts" should be made illegal. They assure power for the Democratic Party and too often assure that the Black community's interests are neglected. In as much as a sizable number of Blacks "who can" are moving out of these districts toward more diverse districts - it seems rational that the districts should be made as such as a means of allowing new, more effective leadership to take over. I have more PRIDE in thriving Black schools and local economies than I do in seeing a Black face in the legislature.
Herenton: We Just Want One (Black In The US Congress From TN and I Want It To Be Me)
3 comments:
So crime in a city is an indicator of economic prosperity? Wow, how myopic of you. Newsflash chief: Herenton actually did a fine job as mayor of this city. But I guess if Herenton happened to be a republican as long as he was mayor crime would disappear and thus the city would be more prosperous, right? But lemme guess, Atlanta doesn't have it's share of crime to talk about today? What, Atlanta isn't prosperous enough?
My friend RiPPa the facts remain despite your denials.
Unfortunately the Wikipedia entry for Memphis did not follow the standard template where they provide the economic breakdown of the population.
Stay tuned I will find this information.
[quote]Although in 2004 violent crime in Memphis reached a record low for over a decade, that trend subsequently reversed. In 2005, Memphis was ranked the 4th most dangerous city with a population of 500,000 or higher in the U.S.[16] Crime in Memphis increased in 2005, and has seen a dramatic rise in the first half of 2006. Nationally, cities follow similar trends, and crime numbers tend to be cyclical. Local experts and criminologists cite gang recruitment as one possible cause of the rise in crime in Memphis and to a reduction of 66% of federal funding to the Memphis Police Department.
In the first half of 2006, robbery of businesses increased 52.5%, robbery of individuals increased 28.5%, and homicide increased 18% over the same period of 2005. The Memphis Police Department has responded with the initiation of Operation Blue C.R.U.S.H. (Crime Reduction Using Statistical History), which targets crime hotspots and repeat offenders.[17] Memphis ended 2005 with 154 murders, and 2006 ended with 160. 2007 saw 164 murders and 2008 had 168. In 2006, the Memphis metropolitan area ranked second most dangerous in the nation, it also ranked as most dangerous in 2002 and second most dangerous the year before in 2001.
Recently, Memphis ranked second most dangerous among cities over 500,000 in 2007, as well as the second most dangerous metropolitan area once again.[18] In 2006, the Memphis metropolitan area ranked number one in violent crimes for major cities around the U.S according to the FBI's annual crime rankings, whereas it had ranked second in 2005.[19][/quote]
SHOULD I BE APPLAUDING the city leadership about these stats RiPPa?
You get no argument (or defense) from me: ATLANTA IS INDEED A VIOLENT CITY. The common point is that the political elite in both of these cities like the camera time the receive but don't quite know how to address the chaos which triggers an exodus from the residences and schools.
RiPPa:
I won't even bother to ask you if you approve of this naked racial politicking that is taking place in Memphis. From your Blogtalk of a few months ago - it appears that you are 'bout it bout it'.
Here is a table of poverty from 2003. Ironically Memphis and Atlanta are tied for 8th place.
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/Ranking/2003/R01T160.htm
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