Southern politicians maintain power through Ku Klux Klan voting lists

David Duke, Former Grand Wizard of Ku Klux Klan and Former Congressman of Louisiana

Is the right wing of the Republican party bringing back the style of politics that existed during the decades following the Civil War in the South?  Has racism's wider acceptance, and public demonstrations, increased with the election of an African American President?  Does the David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, mentality still hold prominence with some voters in the South and how might that impact the rightward trend of America?

In the United States there has been a cultural uniqueness in the South that has set it apart since the days of the major settlements that spanned the region, bringing trade and slaves to develop its agricultural lands and wealth in cotton.

Romney family member offers example of courage, human values

Carol Forsloff---

[caption id="attachment_22259" align="alignleft" width="264"] Mitt Romeny[/caption]

While members of the media seem to treat politicians as sterotypes and targets for derision often what is overlooked is a human factor of what they do that is good and exemplary, like a Romney family member's own example of a profile of courage.

Mitt Romney was mocked for a photo related to his adopted, African American grandson during his election campaign against Barack Obama for the Presidency.  One of the news commentators of MSNBC, Melissa Harris Perry made fun of a photo of the Romney family shown with the newest family member, an African American child. She later apologized, and Mitt Romney accepted the apology. But Harris Perry might well have been advised to know the Romney family history before casting aspersions on character.

At a time when the Mormon church struggled with its endogenous racial discrimination represented by the church interpretation of the story in the Book of Genesis of Cain`s killing of his brother Abel came that dramatic example of that Romney family courage. The church`s interpretation of God`s punishment was the black skin assigned to Cain so that people forevermore would recognize the skin color and remember it as negative, especially given the further interpretation that God also cast Cain aside and directed he be separated from his brethren. The doctrine was used to justify slavery during America`s period of slavery and segregation. But family patriarch, George Romney separated himself from the segregationist mindset in his compassion for a civil rights worker from his state who was shot and killed as she was in the South helping voter registration of African Americans.

Viola Liuzzo was a mother of several children who went on that mission to work with other civil rights workers and was murdered by Ku Klux Klan members while driving on a highway with 19-year old Lerot Moton following one of those voter registration events. The violent hilling of Liuzzo came on the heels of the famous march on Selma in 1965, where television images showed violent attacks by white citizens and police on the civil rights workers in the march.

George Romney responded passionately to the violent killing of Liuzzo by declaring a day of mourning and affirming his commitment to the rights of all people, regardless of color. This advocacy was in direct contrast to Mormon practice at the time, as he joined other political figures in reminding people of all political persuasions that the United States doctrines of equality must umbrella everyone.

So while media folk often relish poking fun at politicians in sometimes cruel ways, it might be good to remember those examples of the good they do, just as we need to shine a light on anyone who offers an example of humanitarian justice.

Whistleblower offers insights into human trafficking

[caption id="attachment_20015" align="alignleft" width="300"] Human trafficking around the world[/caption]

Michell Spoden----Sex trafficking occurs when people are forced or coerced into the commercial sex trade against their will or because of lack of financial freedom and opportunities. Kathryn Bolkovac is a true hero that had the courage to stand up for what she believed in by exposing corruption and sexual abuse she witnessed.   Helping raise awareness and create solutions for the human trafficking issue is no light endeavor.   It is the type of character in an individual for whom many likely have much respect.

1. What is your name, age, nationality and occupation?  (if you have more than one title please list it here) Kathryn Bolkovac-American-Consultant


2. Please tell our viewers why you chose to become a police officer?

My journey to becoming a police officer was a non-traditional one. I had already experienced a lot of life as an employee in various industries including the insurance industry and hotel management sector; I married at an early age  and was a divorced mother of three before becoming a police officer… being a police officer was not something I always dreamt about becoming. I had always been interested in justice and law topics so when the opportunity came along, I decided to give it a try. I think it is important for police officers to have diverse life experiences that allow them to better relate to the community and needs of people. Law enforcement agencies are and must obviously be prepared to take quasi-military actions in times of crisis; however the basic human service element is the core of policing.

            When do you think this epidemic started on an international level?

This phenomenon of Human Trafficking is nothing new; one just needs to read a bit of history or the bible for that matter with regard to slavery. Coining the term of Human Trafficking is what is new. Human Trafficking has been facilitated internationally and across borders based on very simple things. : Innocence- Ignorance –Apathy--Potential Market and--The desire to live a better life.  Then all you need is the greed of the corrupt individual, group, corporation, or tyrannical government to take advantage of the situation and impose power and control techniques.

     What would you tell the people out there that want to make a difference to do?

1)       Be the Eyes, Ears, Voices, & Advocates, in a non-judgmental and supportive way

2)         Research, Read, ask Questions and  Report to Law Enforcement or Hotlines any suspicions you may have with regard to the potential of criminal activity, child abuse, or what appears to be prostitution.

3)         Get Involved-Volunteer-Participate in Community Groups

4)         Contact your legislators and inquire about what is being done to stop the demand with regard to the accountability of “Johns”, the solicitation of prostitutes and the purchase of pornographic materials. What do you want as a community and or society?

5)         Contact your law enforcement officials, ask about what kind of funding allowances are budgeted or available to better train law enforcement with regard to the identification and investigation of human trafficking. Is it being addressed in or police academies in a meaningful way that enables law enforcement officer to collaborate with prosecutors and judges for successful prosecution. Are we open to reaching out to get advice from experts who have been working on these issues for decades?

7)         Contact prosecutorial officials ask them what training they are undertaking to better prosecute human trafficking cases, and the interpretation of anti-trafficking laws.

8)         Encourage you school administrators to seek outside professionals, and trainings in the identification of HT, and to implement student trainings, regarding use of social media, sexting, craigslist, etc.

9)         Know your neighbors; learn about the country and culture from which they may have originated.  Could they have been subjected to serious atrocities, might they be in fear of law enforcement, and what support to they have as a member of the community.

Do you think the media needs to do more to expose this sort of thing?

Responsible and accurate media reports are always a great asset.

What sort of policies should be in place to keep government authorities accountable?

This is a difficult question as globally we work in different regulatory systems around the world. The United Nations is incapable of enforcing treaties that have been agreed to or ratified, they have their own problems with regard to accountability and protecting whistleblower’s,  and rely on political agenda’s with regard to decision making. Many things are being implemented and reviewed at the international levels and in grass root organizations; these include more oversight, codes of conduct, penalties and standards for prosecution. Policies are only as good as the people or person who is responsible for enforcing and or interpreting the policy. Policies are guidelines, not law. Some form of Universal Jurisdiction for law enforcement and prosecution may be an option in the future however this has many constitutional hurdles and must not be entered into lightly from the perspective of U.S. law. We must be flexible and creative in this respect.

       This is typical of the sex offender and my question to you is; what can you tell victims today about how they should care for themselves in the midst of current survival or aftermath of sexual abuse through rape and sex trafficking?

With regard to aftercare form any trauma. Do not do it alone. Seek outside and professional help. Always talk to people you are not alone.

1. What is your motto and why?

I do not have a motto, life circumstances change to often to live by a single motto.

1. What are some of your future goals?

Too many too mention, but continuing my advocacy work and speaking about the ways to proactively combat the root cause of human trafficking is at the top of the list.

The factual account of what I experienced is documented in my book entitled:

The Whistleblower, Sex Trafficking, Military Contractors, and One Woman's Fight for Justice"

If you  have not read it it may give you more insight and direction as to where things are today and how you can help.

What is your skill set? 

The book is a separate project and goes deeper into what happened in Bosnia and details the spider web of mismanagement and corruption that allows this activity to continue today. It will take you through my trial against the private U.S. Government contractor DynCorp, in the UK and bring you up to date on where things are today. It may also give you some insight into how your own area of expertise may be used to support legislative efforts for law changes.

I try to encourage the average person to contact their local law enforcement agencies and inquire about what is being done in their own state or local community to educate officers on this subject.

Please check the websites of the Human Trafficking Pro-bono Legal Center,   POGO (Project on Government Oversight), GAP (Government Accountability Project) , Heartland Alliance, International Justice Mission, Human Rights Watch, The Polaris Project, or other non-profits to learn more. I hope you will continue to spread the word of the book and film. 

Web Site: http://www.bolkovac.com/

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This article was written by Michell Spoden, writer and advocate.  Michell Spoden is a regular contributor to this Journal and has done interviews with outstanding and unique people all over the world. She is the author of Stricken Yet Crowned and is also pursuing a transitional housing project for woman with an agricultural aspect. She has a degree in Business Science Administration and is finishing her bachelor’s in Project Management.

Here are some of the risks to creativity from bipolar illness and depression

Carol Forsloff — Mental health scientists have long known that there is a higher percentage of visual artists and musicians with bipolar disorder and depression than the normal population.  But is this just a tragedy for the social order and those who suffer from the illness or are there benefits that can teach us about ourselves and bring compassion , understanding and art appreciation as well?

Even great scientists and politicians, who brought high creativity to their endeavors, have also been categorized with bipolar disorder or depression. Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin looked at life out of unique life’s lenses. As a result  of Darwin’s perception, we have an understanding about how man and all nature evolved. And as a result of Lincoln’s deep feelings about himself, and his integration of those feelings with all humanity, the Great Emancipator forged the documents and the government strength to win a civil war over slavery and abolish the institution of slavery as an institution in the United States.

Experts tell us that creative people with bipolar disorder and depression may be drawn to the arts or other ventures where innovation is the mechanism for generating ideas that are outside what many would describe as the ordinary boundaries of performance.

The American Journal of Psychiatry from 1987 found that in 30 creative writers, there was a higher rate of bipolar disorder. They also were found to have higher IQs. A study in the  Journal of Affective Disorders in 2007 also found a higher percentage of creative skills in bipolar patients than those without a diagnosed mental disorder. Some mental health experts maintain that creative people are drawn to the arts and certain sciences because in looking for ways to ease their personal pain, or to understand themselves and their universe, they use their perceptions to uncover new pathways, new ideas and new ways to express their art. In doing so, they become leaders and often great contributors to the culture.

Those individuals with bipolar disorder have periods of both mania and depression. In their heightened states, great mood swings can occur; yet often it is within that uptick of mood that creativity can abound, as demonstrated by great works of art done during these episodes.  And while researchers continue to look for medications and cures for these episodes, some researchers wonder if in doing so we will eliminate that mechanism for creative advancement at the same time. In other words, our cure, or our need to make “them” like “us” may in fact reduce a level of creativity in our culture that brings value to our culture for generations.

 

 

 

Oregon region working to remove its red, to be green in race relationships

[caption id="attachment_10684" align="alignright" width="336"] La Grande, Oregon--one of the conservative towns in Eastern Oregon[/caption]

Carol Forsloff — The South has wonderful traditions of courtesy, decorum, family connections, and a friendly way of greeting people that make people smile. It is, however, a region that remains in the shackles of its past, still struggling to cross the racial divides. But it is not the only place where racial divisions continue and where history put an X on the hearts and minds of people for generations, with Oregon being one of those places that many would not know, or remember, with its own racist past.

Oregon also almost became a slave state. There were loud voices from those who saw the potential of the new frontier, discovered for the country’s expansion by Lewis and Clark, sent by Thomas Jefferson following the purchase of the Louisiana territory, extending to Oregon. The expedition brought a hardy type of folks with rough and tumble ways and also a tradition of using slave labor or cheap labor for expansion. That was particularly true of the gentlemen farmers and the new entrepreneurs, who saw opportunity in the new lands. Those new lands promised a level playing field for the new, bright business man of land and cattle and later railroads and the industrial movement, that also maintained a caste system of color throughout much of the Wild West.

The Oregon County provisional government may have outlawed slavery in 1844 but that was to keep African Americans out of the state and was not a voice of the abolition movement.

When Oregon became a state in 1859, the country was divided North and South. The term Yankee often did not reference the Westerner, but the classic country man was not one dedicated to the expansion of human rights in the new territories. And the restrictions on personal affairs continued until the 1950’s, a time when intermarriage between people of color, including Hawaiians, African Americans, Asians, and Native Americans, was illegal under Oregon law. Miscegenation laws were passed in 1866 and remained until 1951, with a number of legislators opposing the law as "unfair to children"

The problem continues in some places in Oregon. While the spotlight often focuses on the South, the rural areas of Oregon retain its racial divides. Portland, the progressive city that folks point to as modern, upbeat, and environmentally friendly, still has a low percentage of African Americans, and most of these people live in defined districts, areas of the city that have been labeled by color for generations. Only 6.4% of Portland's population is African American. And Bend, Oregon, about a three-hour drive from Portland, is one of the ten cities in the United States with populations over 50,000 with the least population of African Americans at .3%. Folks who visit there notice it is a "very white" city, yet still extol the friendliness of the folks.

There have been pockets of enlightenment and the enlightened, dating back decades. Girls Polytechnic, a technical high school that no longer exists, with the transitions of its once active base  in central Portland. Girls came from all over the city to attend the school.  African American girls (as it was an all-girls school) were on the rally squad, student council offers and figured into school beauty contests, albeit not the more prominent one at Rose Festival. That has changed, and many of the high schools have integrated May courts and representation at major affairs. But it has been a long, hard road for the rank and file of African Americans who continue to face problems related to the state’s past in many areas of Oregon. And Oregon as a whole is considered enlightened with most people cringing with notions of racial prejudice and looking forward, not behind, when it comes to the advancement of minorities.

Those government officials and humanitarian groups often focus on the South and sections of the Midwest for racial imbalance, but Oregon is one of those areas in need of education and communication on matters of race. It may be green on the outside, but it has conservative areas and its redness in the areas of race continue to haunt a state known for its enlightenment and yet a place that has had its own struggles with race in America.