Bama Soccer Defeats Tea Party

   Saturday May 11 My Momma's hometown of Collinsville Alabama defeated the Tea Party, the Heritage Foundation of Jim Demint and Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Eunie Smith, Kris Kobach and the 8 senators National Journal recently named hellbent on sabotaging immigration reform. At same time the Panthers all Hispanic 1-A History making team made a strong case for the Dream Act.
    Jeff Sessions of Alabama, a card carrying practicing United Methodist, and S.C. Tim Scott of the Tea Party and Chic Fil a were placed on their back heels.

    Read this link if you were asleep over the weekend.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/co-author-of-immigration-study-resigns-from-heritage-foundation/2013/05/10/128147f8-b97f-11e2-b94c-b684dda07add_story.html

     Fellow with the Heritage Institute is about the same place as Jesse Helms Pioneer club was back in the 70's when they questioned the intelligence of black people. Jesse Helms shoulda lost to Harvey Gannt in 84, but he didn't.

     Collinsville Panthers have these grand American kids from El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and China to prove the Tea Party pathetic.

       Edgar Padilla. He will go to Huntingdon College this fall as a pre med student. In El Salvador his father saw Oscar Romero in the flesh. Oscar Romero in on the Justice Porch of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.  with ML King, Jr. and Rosa Parks.  I doubt we ever see a bust of Sessions, Kobach, Albert Lee Smith or Jim Demint and Tim Scott there.

     Luis Segura. Number one in his 2013 class at Collinsville HS this year.

     His cousin Jorge Segura, likely the star of the team though Adam Morales had a semifinal game from Heaven to get the Panthers to the finals. Ask Trinka Gorham Payton of Auburn University and the Liberty Baptist Church Vacaction Bible School. She will testify and Jorge's character.

     David Hernandez. His older brother was the first Hispanic male to graduate from Collinsville HS and his middle brother Phil was looked at by Georgia Tech as a field goal kicker. His sister Yuli has more intelligence, grace and integrity than 3/4ths of the sorority girls of the University of Alabama I have met.

    Octavio Cheng. Reads English, Spanish and Chinese. Aptitude tests through the roof. Likely candidate for Ga Tech or Vanderbilt when he becomes a Senior. My alma mater, Furman, where World Cupper Clint Dempsey played, already knows about Octavio. It is Furman's loss if Octavio chooses to go elsewhere. His first cousin from Raleigh N.C. enters Furman this fall.

     Dr. Scott Argo, blonde Caucasian white boy is also a grad of Collinsville HS, class of 98, Brooke Shepard's class. He had a great inspiring quote on Coach Miller's facebook wall I will share.

     Bring the Tea Party to Collinsville. Either they will be converted to the Dream Act or they will go down 59 to the Bham airport in shame.

   Quoting Dr. Scott Argo from Coach Julie Wehby Miller's Wall:  In the middle of doing great things, No one understands the things they are doing are great!!!


http://highschoolsports.al.com/news/article/-1695993626941496629/class-1a-4a-boys-soccer-final-no-9-collinsville-4-no-7-westminster-oak-mountain-1-photos-video/

Lottie Moon, Chic Fil A and Immigration Reform

  Jim Demint of the Redeemer Presbyterian PCA church in Greenville SC and the Heritage Foundation and the Tea Party that made Trey Gowdy famous was on NPR this morning in an interview. See the link at the end of this blog.
   Tomorrow Demint will be in Mobile Al most likely with Jeff Sessions of the 8 Senators most likely to sabotage immigration reform according to the National Journal.
    Demint, many conservatives are saying is traffickin bogus numbers. For sure he doesn't know much about the great Americans on the Collinsville Soccer team about to be threepeating in the Bama Semis Championship series.
     Demint may be unwittingly reincarnating the Brown shirt church Bonhoeffer resisted in Germany. Even Chic Fil aleadership which held a day long simultaneious broadcast in the homechurch of recent North Bama Bishop Willimon, Buncombe Road in Greenville, differs with Demint, Trey Gowdy, SC Senator Tim Scott on immigration reform.
    Dan Cathy and CFA endorsed The Dream Act as a path to citizenship in 2006. All this leaves Demint not much more than the Chaplain of the Upstate posse comitatus of Mark Powell's novel The Dark Corner. And it is a dark dimwitted corner for sure.
   Where it leaves S.C Gov Haley's nominee to the board of PBS, Brent Nelsen I'm not sure. We do think Nelsen was a founding member of Redeemer Prez with Demint. Bob Inglis I think was networked to the church but he fell out of favor with Demint.

     Trey Gowdy's recent fellow church Member at FBC Spartanburg was Harry Dent's daughter, www.ginnybrant.com. Ginny was a trustte of the SBC IMB (missions board) about the time Dan Cathy's sister was wife of the VP there. Sister and VP are former missionaries to Latin America's Brazil.

     So how is Trey Gowdy, Tim Scott, Demint and Sessions gonna go down with Lottie Moon. What is the Baptist witness in South America if Billy Graham's home church is silent when this little sewing circle of Pharoahs is hell bent on sabotaging Immigration Reform.

      How do you say in Collinsvlle Alabama stay silent about this foggy SBC leadership and witness when you invite Hispanics to Vacation Bible School for 15 years, tell them about Jesus and then all of a sudden wallah Jim Demint produces this Report that they cost two much to be first order Christians in America, Their citizenship is in purgatory till the Koch brothers get through with the wedge issue.

    Willimon said The Bama Law, the Demint motif reminded him of the fugitive Slave Law. What is first Baptist Spartanburg and The WMU on 280 national headquarters reminded of; and when are they gonna have a prayer meeting with Dan Cathy and Ginny Brant, Willimon and Sessions and get some of these matters resolved before the Justice porch of the National Cathedral in Wash DC with Oscar Romero, Martin and Rosa comes crashing down on their Tea Party Head?

Demint's interview this morning on NPR Morning edition is easy google. He is asked about Haley Barbour and Cato Inst reservations about his numbers.

Sweet Billy, 91

..Today is my Dad's Birthday. He died in August 99. On the main marker at his grave, the one he shares with Momma, it says: The Godly He Doth Set Apart.

    I have already testified on Mike Huckabees national Day of prayer, on facebook walls of Collinsville Trade Day, and a former member of Bethany Baptist church in Gaffney, Elaine Fowler; testified there about my Dad as a prayer warrior.
    Daddy was the pastor of Bethany for 16 years.

     He liked Baseball, though he wasn't all that good at it. I joke he's the last batter in Moneyball, the one Brad Pitt rewinds for insight.

    Dad excelled at insight, though he wasn't always the most eloquent at his explanations of new visions. He conveyed insight from the heart. The Bible says its whats in the heart that counts. That was brough home for me this week with a feature on Will Campbell in the Nashville Tennessean. Google it.

   Daddy was the Will Campbell of Gaffney. Wayne Whiteside, Johnny Dawkins, Florence Reaves, Kathryn Sossamon, Janelle Moss, James Broome and Joe McCluney woulda told you that.

    He loved going to the Southern Baptist Conventions before the fundies ruined it. When Momma would go she would take in the workshops and preachin while Dad worked the Halls. She would brief Daddy and that's how he concocted his report, the presentation after Training Union back at his local parish would come from.

   Sometimes he and another local preacher would fly out to Portland or somewhere. Bobby Crocker, his buddy from Draytonville had a hilarious anecdote about Portland.

   He'd call in Carolina in the Mornin and give Raymond Parker a report on big WAGI FM (waggy). Raymond would say when Dad hung up, Billy Fox calling in live from Portland, or Pittsburg or Kansas City wherever.

   Toward the end my Dad was a big fan of the Apostle. He had the little  tape of the soundtrack. Billy Bob coulda put him in the movie, cause Apostle he was. Amen.

Jeff Sessions and Adolph Rupp

  I saw Glory Road again today, the Basketball movie about the West Texas Miners and how they beat Mighty Kentucky of Pat Riley and Rupp in the early 60s. Great ending. Rupp trying to hold on like Jeff Sessions is now but history was passing him by.

   And Tom Brokaw and Ken Burns just endorsed Speake Alabama's Lucas Black on Morning Joe Friday. Yall know Joe, proud Southern Baptist and UBama grad. I think his bro an alum too. Friend of Saban and Paul Finebaum; the Finebaum who says Coach Nick voted for President Obama

    Fast forwad to the upcoming vote on Immigration and the Dream Act. Sessions is the voice of South Alabama Timber owners and the vestiges of the White Citizens council now in the guise of theTea Party. Check Eunie Smith's  history and take the sheen off Kris Kobach.

    The Miners this year could be the Three peating Collinsville Panthers soccer team. ClintDempsey has heard of them and Daniel Alarcon.

     Hey staff of Sessions, look it up.

    Great morality tale playing out again in Bama, and folks from Will Willimon to www.bcoc.net 's founding extended family Melissa Rogers have Sessions number.

    Would be sad if all internationals boycott the winning U Bama athletic program and a few of Saban's top picks get the point of who calls the shots for Sessions and Shelby.

     Don't hold the Collinsville Soccer team and their brothers and sisters hostage to shenanigans about the border. Dream Act now, Sens Sessions and Shelby and the Bama Tea Party delegation.

   Ask Chick Fil A. Ask Willimon. Visit ethicsdaily.com. The whole world will be watching, even the George W. Bush Library staff.

Barr's Big Day

I'm gonna stream some comments I've made here and there today on the dedication of the W43 Lybury in Dallas.  I was hoping to be in Gainesville Ga today for the 30th anniversary of Baptists Today. Wanted to hear Kate Campbell sing Kris Kristofferson's song about Jesus and Martin, My God They Killed him. But been a rough last 6 weeks

    So W and Barr:

Barr is stealing the day at the Library Dedication at SMU. First she tells her Granddaughters on The Today Show Jeb shouldn't run, there are other families out there that need a shot; then she gets seated beside President Obama and starts a running conversation on the dais with Barry thats driving Hardball on MSNBC goofy and got Beschloss and all the Presidential historians tryin to figure out what they're havin so much fun about. I think Barr just told Barry her Moonlightin taxidermist joke

And more facebook postings for todays blog fodder.

Good proportion on the dais: Three Democrats and Two Republicans. W in good humor and you could see the respect and admiration Laura had for President Obama as he was speaking. I am proud of W. today. The 2000 S.C. primary is still a matter of some mystery and intrigue to me, his speech at Bob Jones and Jimmy Eptein's boy at North Greenville asking W. if he had accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. W. made a stop in Gaffney that year; and Bob Peeler was the first he shook hands with on the PBS documentary about the S.C. Primary

• Bush's ambassador to Canada married a girl from Gaffney, Susan Clary. I've had an email exchange with David Wilkins this week. Still Atwater wrote that memo to the Reagan Bush committee in 84 and Karl Rove is a turd blossom. But Karl Rove knows Eric Motley by name, and Eric Motley knows two good friends ofmine by name, one a lifelong friend now on the faculty of Furman Religion Department.
• So God Bless America.....I talked to President Carter Sept 30. Thought he did a good job too.
 


 

I liked George. I saw the Movie W. I like Laura but thought Barr stole the day early on the Today show. Chris Matthew finally cut loose about 40 minutes ago and put it all in perspective. 43 shoulda never been President but James Baker of Rice University got to Florida and made it so. I have more thoughts on my wal. Even under the circumstances it was a great day for America. Trish Nixon and the LBJ girls were there. Michelle didn't look too happy. Barr and Barry had a good chat. Weather was nice. All in all great day for America, under the circumstances.

Immigration prayer for Jeff Sessions

   In Baptist world and beyond Wednesday night is prayer meeting. So I called several folks last night after hearing reports on NPR about the rallies nationwide for immigration reform yesterday.

   I called Trinka Payton of the Liberty Hill Baptist Church in Collinsville, Alabama and asked her to mentions Sessions in prayer

I texted my friend Randall Balmer at Dartmouth.

Called a friend in Bham and caught him at the Barrons game at the new field, but he said he would pray during the 7th inning stretch.

Tried to get word to Malcolm Argo of the FBC Americus, Georgia

My Presbyterian friend in Raleigh John Baker, texted him and asked him to get Ernie to pray.

     Senator Jeff Sessions is on the wrong side of History on immigration reform. Children who have been in our public schools since 6th grade and have done their work and demonstrated character have earned their citizenship, no further questions, no sabotage by the border fence.

   I am convinced the Judge Frank Johnson of page 120 of Taylor Branch's The King Years is speaking from the grave to tell Sessions his version of "The Law" doesn't allow for the circumstances that gave Johnson the Lincolnesque moment to stand up to George Wallace's lawyers at Key Moment in the Selma Struggle.

If Senator Sessions wants some Christian input in this moment, invite UMC Bama Bishop Willimon to testify under oath before Congress what he saw in Bama

Invite Robert Parham of ethics daily.com the son in law of former Bama SBC Prez Walter Nunn to testify.

Read my Indian Springs blog here at this site.

Senator, John C Calhoun is dead. Long live Martin King and Judge Frank Johnson, and the saints on the Justice Porch of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Let Freedom Ring.

April 4, 1968, Gaffney South Carolina

   The pastorium for Bethany Baptist Church of 205 Dogwood Drive had four phones in the sixties, one in the kitchen, one downstairs in the basement between the stairwell and the garage, one in Daddy's study and one in his and Momma's Bedroom. It was the bedroom phone I answered late afternoon 45 years ago. Sandra Darwin, one of the church members said Stephen I know yall are kinda fond of the colored people and if you haven't heard yet Martin Luther King has been killed.

   I thanked her for calling.

   My Daddy was a Baptist preacher and I knew good preachin when I heard it and MLKing was a fabulous preacher. And what he said mattered. I was in the 9th grade, the last year of segregation in Gaffney. Things had been interesting in Gaffney for some time as I found out a few years ago in Tim Tyson's essay in Jumpn Jim Crow. But I had no idea at the time. I just knew King could preach and Daddy would come in on occasion from a conference talking about what Marney had said and Uncle Prentice and Uncle Gordon would have some intense conversation at my Grandfathers in Rome Georgia when the extended family got together.

Both of them were preachers too.

I've read a lot about Martin, from Marshall Frady's bio, to the early Garrow piece and recently Pulitzer Taylor Branch's The King Years. Frady and Branch in particular soar.

In 86 I moved to Bama and not long after was downtown and heard a Baptist deacon say, and could easily been April 4 87 as Momma was still livin and it was this time of year: I say we dig the nigger up and shoot him again.  One of his buddies later said it was a joke; maybe the deacon had a Django Unchained side to him I never quite go.

Last year a Moslem friend and I went to Selma to walk across the Bridge, a highlight of my stay on this earth. I was there with John Lewis and Ethel Kennedy and about 100 thousand other people.

This morn I called John Lewis office in D.C. Talked to an Emory grad from Charleston, S.C. Told him to get word to John was proud of him for speaking at Ga Tech today, and it had crossed my mind as I'm sure Lewis knew well, had King not been assassinated, on April 5 68 he planned to be in Winder, Ga

I've heard my friend Kate Campbell sing the Kris Kristofferson song My God they Killed Him. I hope to be in a room with some good Baptists in Gainesville Ga April 25, The Governor Nathan Deal's home congregation. If she don't sing it after a few numbers I may call it out from the audience.