Posts Tagged ‘Ted Haggard’

There’s a pearl of wisdom that’s been passed down in African-American

Ken Mehlman

households over the years. As to attribution, not quite sure. After a quick internet search, the inimitable Dr. Maya Angelou seems most often credited.

“When someone shows you who they are…believe them.”

The Grand Old Party, the supposed “Party of Lincoln” has repeatedly and consistently shown itself to be completely disinterested in meeting the political needs of the African-American electorate base. It wants our votes to be sure; but in the way the philandering husband never intends to legitimize his mistress but likes the privilege of stopping by on occasion when convenient. We know when and why you come knocking in the midnight hour of the election cycle; the routine is rather staid and superficial.

Time and time again the GOP has shown America who she is. It’s about time we start believing them.

Former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman was quite astute in his contention that the party needed to do more than simply ask for the African-American vote come election time. It must be about the business of consistency and sincerity.

Epic fail. Notice the L-sign with my thumb and index finger in the middle of my forehead.

This is not about than any singular email sent by a random, GOP staffer which celebrated the worst depictions of African-Americans. (And believe you me, there have been a bunch.) It is though about the party complicit in its promulgation and its reticence in condemnation. It is always a struggle for the GOP to not do the racist thing, to not do the homophobic thing, to not get an attitude after the fact when we remind you to do the right thing in response. It is a tiresome struggle to remind the GOP that we are Black, we are Brown and we are even gay and lesbian in this 21^st century America.

You don’t like us…any of us. We get it.

We know, we know. “Some of your best friends are (insert minority).” Yes, you will be quick to remind us how good of a relationship you have with “The Blacks.” But it’s time for you to hear what your relationship really is; instead of condescending and misguided Heritage Foundation talking points alleging something it’s not.

No, you don’t have a good relationship with “The Blacks,” “The Browns” or anyone else unlike you.

This is not about any singular candidate who confuses a coherent political agenda with a call-to-arms to question the President’s birth certificate. It is about the party in support of the legislation in Arizona born of such transparent silliness. We judge you GOP by the bills you write, the bull you speak and the Bush Doctrine you support.

“When someone shows you who they are…believe them.”

The Republican Party is still promulgating the lie that it is “The Party of Lincoln,” while gleefully disavowing documented civil rights history. The reasons why African-Americans have been so loyal to the Democratic Party are inextricably linked to the progressive legislative legacies of President Harry Truman through President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Some credit to be sure to Eisenhower but let’s not rewrite history.

The signing of the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act signaled the the mass exodus of then-Democrats to the Republican Party. The Democratic Party cratered itself because of its support of the movement. The political upheaval led to the birth of the Dixiecrats; the ancestral forefather of the Tea Party.

The Republican Party of 2011 is a direct descendant of the push back to the Civil Rights Movement, not the linear progression of the Abraham Lincoln legacy. For example, former “Democrats” Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms come to mind for starters. The present day Republican party is a reflection and evolution of the Dixiecrat vision and all of its segregationist splendor. The lies have gone on for far too long. It is time to tell the truth for the sake of those so easily caught up in anti-immigration and birth certificate disinformation.

Mo’Kelly is here to tell you GOP, African-Americans by and large are not appreciative of your paltry trinkets of disaffection. You want our votes, just not us. We get it. Trust me we do.

Well  you can’t have them.  And you surely don’t have us.

You’d let your party go straight to hell in a hand basket, riding the coattails of Sarah Palin and Donald Trump, rather than acknowledging the obvious; your president is a Black, American born man of Christian faith. You’d rather have your then RNC chair Michael Steele apologize and in effect “kneel” to radio host Rush Limbaugh than putting Limbaugh and his historical racism in its proper place.

You’ve shown us who you are…we believe you.

Not only that, Latinos are here to stay and there are more gay people in America than just an “unfortunate” Idaho senator in a Minnesota airport bathroom or a handful of closeted right-wing hypocrite ministers. Hopefully I’m not the one who had to break the news to you, but your track record suggests otherwise.

You want an America which reflects the vision of its founders, except for when it includes religious freedom for Muslims. You desire one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all; except for those of Latino descent and averse to proving citizenship on demand. You want an America for the pursuit of happiness, except for those who are gay or lesbian.

Trust me…we get it.

It doesn’t matter if you talk until you’re blue in the face about the alleged political inadequacies of President Obama, because you couch it within disrespect of his race, his wife and even his birthright. The bulk of your complaints are not politically principled, they’re just plain old pitiful. No, I’m not interested in hearing your arguments about the supposed excessive spending of this Democratic administration as long as you give equal respect to those carrying poster boards depicting that same President and First Lady as chimpanzees or savages with bones through their noses.

You don’t offer a reasonable political alternative, you only reaffirm why Democratic apathy (although unappreciated) will always be a lesser evil than Republican ignominy. We suffer no illusions, we are in a loveless marriage with the Democratic Party. But collectively trading down for a vindictive Republican mistress is not a viable option.

In the words of Johnnie Taylor, “it’s cheaper to keep her.”

You want the votes of African-Americans, just not all the fuss of having to respect those of us casting them.

I get it.

We collectively get it and we believe you. Re-election for President Obama in 2012 and thank you for your part in solidifying our decision.

If the initial response was “mixed” in nature, as more pundits weigh in and

Before Jheri Curl Toupee

parishioners are interviewed, it has turned more sour.  Like Mo’Kelly said…he should have remained silent.  Taking to the pulpit and “acknowledging” the allegations, yet not addressing them in any manner only poisons the court of public opinion.

Long did himself no favors.

Those who believed in Bishop Long’s innocence would do so irrespective of any public address.  Those who did not…the same would apply.  He only stood to lose those hanging in the balance…and losing them he is.

Not only that, it just ensures another round of stories which lead off with the specificity of the allegations, gruesome details and overall negative press.  More editorials alluding to the “questionable” text messages with preening  bathroom pics attached.  More in-depth analysis of Bishop Long’s “questionable” jheri curl toupee.

After Jheri Curl Toupee

Any story which has your name and coercive sex allegations is a bad story for you the defendant.  Any story which has the phrase “jheri curl toupee” and your name is a bad story for you the defendant.  Why Long doesn’t seem to understand this is beyond Mo’Kelly.

The media for the most part is not running his remarks, they are running stories ABOUT his remarks.  He’s being quoted, but little more.  His quotes are sharing virtually the same amount of space as his parishioners who are also quoted in the story.  For example, nobody knew who “Carol Alexander” and “Marcia McDonald” were prior to Long’s “sermon.”

But we do now and their quotes share the same page and space as Long’s.  They have  equal footing and in many cases, equal weight and stature.

Long should have remained silent.  This is a textbook case of a defendant ruining his/her own case even before it gets to trial.

He’s gained virtually nothing and lost more ground for speaking in the pulpit.  Don’t take Mo’Kelly’s word, just read the stories.

___________

Some said after his remarks that they are still waiting for more information on the sex allegations before forming an opinion.

“Do we know if it’s true? No,” said Carol Alexander, 51, of Mableton. “We’re praying that it’s not true.”

Christina Brown and her friend Marcia McDonald drove in from Covington because they wanted to hear Long in person after seeing television coverage last week.

After the service that they expected to hear a lot more than they did.

“I know him to be a great speaker,” said Brown, 34. “This wasn’t very convincing.”

McDonald said she found the Bishop’s message “very vague.”

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Long has in the past spoken vociferously against gay rights and gay marriage initiatives. Four men filed lawsuits against him and the church this past week, accusing him of using his authority as the church’s leader to seduce them into sexual relationships. Two of the men claimed Long had groomed them through the LongFellows Academy, a church-based mentorship program.

During his short sermon, Long went on to say that he expected the charges against him to be “dealt with in the court of justice.” He also likened himself to the Biblical hero David in David’s grueling, but ultimately successful battle against the giant Goliath.

“I’ve been accused. I’m under attack,” he said

“I’m not a perfect man. But this thing, I’m gonna fight.”

When he first addressed the congregation, Long denied rumors that he would step down from the head of the church he had led from the time it had just 300 members. He said he would “be here next week.”

After Long left the dais, the church’s choir sang a full-throated version of the song “Our God Is an Awesome God.”

He is expected to again address the church at its 11 a.m. service. He will also answer media questions at a news conference.

(Mo’Kelly:  Note, Long did NOT answer any media questions at news conference, merely inspired more questions.)

Orlando Sentinel

Yet one factor news has yet to get draw out is how many Spiritual Sons BJ Bernstein asserts existed. Long made no mention of the Sons during his sermon. Bernstein has asserted that she had received calls from numerous alleged victims and that the case could grow. By week end, the case was at four plaintiffs. Monday, local news awaits if Bernstein will have yet a fifth plaintiff revealed.

Long during his sermon said he would not defend the case inn public. Long has yet to substantively respond to the allegations. His attorney Craig Gillen has issued news statements calling the matter “unfortunate”. Long told his congregation Sunday about the scandal that, simply, life sometimes is unfair.

Lalate.com

—————

Somebody please demonstrate to Mo’Kelly how Bishop Long improved his public perception by even mentioning this in the pulpit or scheduling a subsequent news conference in which he answered no questions in relation to the case.

Exactly, he didn’t.  He made bad matters worse.  Bishop Eddie Long is burying himself all by himself and let this be a cautionary tale to the next celebrity finding him/herself in similar straits.

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and www.eurweb.com. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse…as well as entertain. For more Mo’Kelly, http://mrmokelly.com. Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

A media sampling below of the press response to the sermon/speech/pledge

Bishop Eddie Long

to “fight” by Bishop Eddie Long today.  The stories may seem somewhat similar as most reference an AP story or AP compiled reports.  But there has been some opinion injected.

____________________________

“I have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man, but I am not the man being portrayed on television,” Long said Sunday morning from the pulpit of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. “That’s not me. That is not me.”

Brown found that comment potentially revealing.

“It seems to be setting the stage that there’s something you may not like that’s going to come out,” said Stephen Brown, senior vice president of media strategy at Manning, Selvage & Lee.”

- Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Long also spoke during a second service later in the morning, during which a young man in a blue shirt stood up and shouted: “We want to know the truth, man!” He was quickly escorted out and did not return.

But most of his welcomes were warm. As Long entered the cathedral, a group of people shouted, ‘We love you bishop!’

- MSNBC

“Long did not address the allegations directly but spoke at length about enduring painful times. He used the word “painful” nearly 20 times. The term “difficult” came up seven times.

“We are all subject to face distasteful and painful situations. Bishop Long, Eddie Long — you can put your name in that blank — will have some bad situations,” he said. “The righteous face painful situations with a determined expectancy. We are not exempt from pain, but (God) promises to deliver us out of our pain.”

- NY Times

“The famed pastor of a Georgia megachurch said Sunday that he will fight allegations that he lured young men into sexual relationships, stressing that he’d be back to lead the church the next week.”

MyFoxAtlanta

There was no unequivocal denial of the allegations, only an implied one. Never did he state that he was absolutely innocent of the charges. In fact, Long didn’t even speak for 20 minutes. Although he referenced scripture, he never preached a sermon. He never offered a specific prayer for his accusers, young men he had once taken a personal interest in.

It didn’t get better at the “press conference” either. Once again, referencing his attorney’s advice to not address the situation directly, Long, again joined by his wife, re-emphasized New Birth’s record of service. Although he did say that he would fight the suits “vigorously,” he did not submit to questions and, even ignored a reporter’s direct question of his innocence. In fact, the usually loud-spoken Long almost whispered. His voice was so low that the digital recorder barely captured it, a marked contrast from the rest of the morning. Even his attorney Craig Gillen spoke directly into the microphone for all to hear.

- The Grio

Mr. Mo’Kelly appeared on KFAX radio as a guest of the Religazine Media Group last night to address the Bishop Eddie Long controversy.

Religazine Media Group

Part One

KFAX9242010A.mp3

Part Two

KFAX9242010B.mp3

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and www.eurweb.com. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse…as well as entertain. For more Mo’Kelly, http://mrmokelly.com. Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com.