#rename andrew jackson post office

[renamerolandopo]

...we are very much on the same page with continuing to do the work on getting Andrew Jackson’s name removed. We are working with internal contacts on that and will keep you in the loop whenever there’s additional progress. As you noted, this is a very unique situation of naming/renaming a post office. We learned in this process last year that it’s against the law to “rename” a post office if it has already been named by Congress previously – we were able to get around that because, in this situation, it was President Johnson who designated the Rolando Post Office as the Andrew Jackson Post Office. I am hopeful, in the same regard, that we may be able to find additional loopholes to ultimately get Andrew Jackson’s name removed from the exterior of the newly named Susan A. Davis Post Office.

Amy Kuhn, Chief of Staff, Rep. Sara Jacobs, June 13, 2023

[artistjojo1228]

Rock and Roll Storytime #5: Brian Jones and his Five(?) Children

Note: This is going to be a bit less light-hearted than the others I’ve posted so far. Please bear with me. 

I may occasionally admit to myself that I have schoolgirl crushes on the dead, but that doesn’t mean I won’t call them out for something they did. Take, for example, Brian Jones. I’ll admit that I love him, I’ll daydream about saving his life, and of course, I will stand up for him (because the Rolling Stones was once HIS band). But make no mistake, he didn’t have a good track record with his girlfriends or the various love-children he fathered over the years (which I especially take issue with being the child of two high school seniors and having never met my biological father). While I could tell you of his mutually-abusive relationship with Anita Pallenberg, I’d prefer to save that for another time. For now, let’s talk about those relationships, trysts, and one-night-stands that resulted in the births of his five confirmed children (there may be more, and I keep hearing of a daughter who was born just a few months before Brian’s death, but I’d prefer to stick with these five). 

1. Barry David Corbett (aka Simon): Let’s face it, Brian started out young, by which I mean that he was just seventeen when he got his then-girlfriend, Valerie Corbett, pregnant. Sources don’t agree upon whether she was just fourteen (ew) or seventeen (which isn’t much better). Bear in mind, in the 1950s, not only was teenage pregnancy a serious no-no, but very often, the mothers were given no say in what happened to their unborn child, often being forced to give up the baby for adoption not long after birth (while the fathers usually got off relatively light in comparison with, say, a mildly-damaged reputation). Reportedly, Brian’s solutions for this were, depending on sources, a shotgun wedding (Paul Trynka’s Brian Jones: The Making of the Rolling Stones) or an ILLEGAL abortion (most other sources I’ve read). In the end though, Valerie gave birth to Barry on May 29, 1960, and the child was given up for adoption and given the name Simon. Because Brian wasn’t listed as his father on the birth certificate, he didn’t find out Brian was his father until 2004, and by then, he was married with two kids of his own. 

2. Unknown name (Known as Belinda or Carol, depending on the source): Just a couple of months later, Brian was at it again, this time, having a one-night-stand with a married woman, Angeline, resulting in her pregnancy. She and her husband decided to raise the baby as their own, and on August 4, 1960, her and Brian’s daughter was born. Given that this resulted from a one-night-stand, Brian more than likely never knew about his only daughter’s birth. Brian’s bandmate, Bill Wyman, managed to get in contact with her for his 1990 book, Stone Alone. Growing up, she realized her adoptive father wasn’t her biological father when she was six, and by all accounts, she realized Brian was her father when her brother brought home a Rolling Stones record when she was fifteen. She has declined to let her real name be known to the public, most likely because the subject of Brian Jones is a sore spot in her family. However, it is made known in Stone Alone that she was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy (it can be hereditary), which, to her and Bill, explained some of Brian’s behaviors (e.g. switching off from conversations at random moments). While this probably doesn’t explain everything, and we’ll never know for sure whether Brian had epilepsy or not, I still think it’s an interesting explanation for at least some of Brian’s overall health problems. 

3. Julian Mark Andrews: Certainly, Brian was living up to the “Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll” lifestyle before he’d even become a rock star. For a time, a then 19-year-old Brian dated 16-year-old Pat Andrews. By her own account, she was in such denial about being pregnant, that it apparently took her sister marching her into the GP’s office just to confirm it. On October 22, 1961, Pat gave birth to her and Brian’s son, better known as Mark. Reportedly, on the day Mark was born, Brian sold his record collection so he could buy flowers for Pat and clothes for his newborn son. Sadly though, Brian’s support was not to last. One reason might be that Brian never was good at that whole “fidelity” thing to begin with. Another might be Rolling Stones manager, Andrew Loog Oldham’s, meddling. By one account, Pat went with Mark to visit Brian, who promptly started bitching about how Brian shouldn’t be seen with a girlfriend and a young child, wanting to market Brian as a single young man and not a family man (much like what once happened with the Beatles’ John Lennon). Brian, obviously, didn’t seem to have the heart or spine to stand up for Pat and Mark and stopped associating with them. Yet another reason, according to Paul Trynka, was Mick Jagger making a drunken pass at Pat, and then bragging about it (with much embellishing) in Brian’s presence (and by her account, he never gave her a chance to explain her side of the story). For one reason or another, Brian eventually cut off all contact with Pat and Mark. She eventually sued him to try and get him to pay child support payments, and when Brian failed to show up for court, the judge, more than a little pissed with Brian, awarded her the maximum sum allowed at that time of £2.50 a week for Mark as well as another £78 to cover Pat’s court costs and confinement expenses. However, after Brian’s death, the payments stopped coming. According to Laura Jackson’s book, he has no memories of his father. 

4. Julian Brian Jones Leitch: Yes, you’re reading that right, Brian had two sons named Julian after Julian “Cannonball” Adderley. 😑 By this time, Brian was dating 17-year-old Linda Lawrence, who gave birth to Brian’s fourth child (and third son), Julian, on July 23, 1964. Reportedly, Brian lived with Linda and her family for a while, but her parents kicked him out once they realized that he had no intentions of marrying their daughter. She was the first of Brian’s ex-girlfriends to come forward with a paternity suit, but it was dropped later that year and Linda was awarded a £1,000 lump sum when the suit was dropped. In October 1970, just over a year after Brian’s death, Linda married Brian’s friend and fellow musician Donovan Leitch (better known as Donovan), who taught Julian to play a guitar. He is the father of Joolz Leitch Jones (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJyE6DDbMzJgpU5mwCu1q8w), who is also a musician, much like his father and grandfather. Interestingly, I also found a clip of Julian singing “Sympathy for the Devil.” I’ll defer judgement to you guys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zja7DuuYi-M

5. Paul Andrew Molloy (aka John Maynard): This one’s a doozy, even with my already-low standards when it comes to rock stars and their children (*eye-ing Steven Tyler*).  This story starts with Brian dating 19-year-old Dawn Molloy on and off again throughout 1964, and her realizing she was pregnant. Brian straight-up abandoned her around this time , and Andrew, still of the opinion that the Rolling Stones should not be seen as family men (even though Bill Wyman was married and also had a young son), he essentially forced her to sign a non-disclosure agreement (witnessed by Mick Jagger, of all people) saying that she would not mention Brian or the child to the press and was paid £700 in exchange for her silence. She gave birth to her and Brian’s son Paul, on March 24, 1965. Soon after, she was forced to give her son up for adoption, and he was renamed John. Some thirty years later, he went looking for his biological family, and soon found out Brian was his father, and also got in contact with both Dawn and Bill. By that time, he was married with three children, and in a Daily Mail article in 2013, he was able to speak about his experiences. Likewise, Dawn has also written a book about her ordeal, Not Fade Away (which I haven't read yet).

And there you have it, the messy stories of Brian and the five children he’s been confirmed to have. And yes, somehow, Brian managed to have five children by the time he was 23, and he was dead at 27! Like I’ve said, there’s the kids speculated to be his, but I figured it’d be easier to stick with the five who are known. Though, knowing Brian, there is no doubt in my mind that there are probably scores more out there. One thing’s for sure though is that, despite my admitted infatuation with Brian, I cannot condone his behavior towards the children he knew he had, especially since I’ve been through a similar situation in my life. Thank God for contraception. 

Sources: http://www.earcandymag.com/foundationstonebook-2.htm

Stone Alone by Bill Wyman

Brian Jones: The Making of the Rolling Stones by Paul Trynka

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8OANZg8_iE

Brian Jones, The Untold Life and Mysterious Death of a Rock Legend by Laura Jackson

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/the-rolling-stones-children/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1353783/Being-Brian-Joness-son-greatest-thing-happened-me.html

http://www.angelfire.com/rock3/sixtiesfish/kidsweb/kids.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Jones#Early_life_and_children

[emblem-333]

In Retrospect, Henry Clay and the Elections of 1824 and 1832

The American “Antebellum Era” is seldom spoken about. Sandwich between the revolutionary and civil war periods, the antebellum age is defined by various titans of the time. 1824 was when the first generation of America’s Goliath’s began to exit stage right into retirement. In the formative years of the republic the position of Secretary of State was seen by many as a stepping stone to the presidency. After all, future presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and even the aforementioned James Monroe held the prestigious position before elevating to the Executive Mansion. Whomever Monroe selected to be his Secretary of State likely would succeed him in the presidency.

Henry Clay desperately wanted to be that man. So much so, he tried to dictate his own faith by crowning himself John Quincy Adams’ Secretary of State after making him president in after the hotly contested election of 1824 went to the House of Representatives, where he was House Speaker.

In any other previous election Clay would have been President. In 1824 Clay was young, vibrant, still riding off the fumes of his war hawking for conflict with Great Britain twelve-years earlier. Ironically, it was his nemesis Andrew Jackson ultra-successful campaign in New Orleans which shifted not only the tides of the war, but saved Clay’s career. By 1815 the British had enjoyed smashing success against the Americans after recently vanquishing the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, the red coats no longer needed to fight off the pesky Americans with one hand tied behind their back.

Four months and thirteen days after Bonaparte’s abdication, in 1814 the British burnt America’s capital to the ground. Though the Americans outnumbered the British by more than three-thousand men, the U.S militia groups proved not on the same level as the expertly skilled British fighting force already experienced from fighting Napoleon and his various allies. The White House burned, as well as many other public buildings, followed by the brief occupation of the District of Columbia. If it weren’t for Mother Nature and her conjuring up sudden, heavy thunderstorms and throwing in a tornado for good measure, forcing the British back to their ships, the capital likely suffers the fate similar to Carthage at the hands of the Romans - except no salting of the Earth in the literal sense.

If such events occurred, it is safe to assume the war’s main proponent, Henry Clay, his political career would go up in smoke. Instead, the Battle of New Orleans gave the United States the leverage it needed for its diplomats to carve out a favorable peace, basically resulting in the status quo ante bellum. The British dream of reconquering their lost colonies extinguished and the United States would never again face a on-land invasion. The War of 1812 didn’t benefit anyone besides Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay. The two people who’d continuously duke it out for supremacy in the world of politics.

It is initially believed before the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of the 1960s only white men could enjoy the privilege to vote. This is definitely true, but it is far too narrow of a description. You also must be rich and own land none of which easy to come by. This is how you get leaders who are not necessarily rockers of the boat into the White House under the perceived guise of anointment. Andrew Jackson represented the downtrodden poor and he saw himself as their champion.

1824 is the precursor to the election we just witnessed in 2016. A frustrated, vitriolic base in America feeling ignored find their man to pin all their hopes and identity on no matter what the facts are. Bypassing accomplished, skillful politicians along the way in favor of continuing the practice of scapegoating various minority groups.

Now, Henry Clay and those in his flock accomplished more than the establishment guards today could only dream. You can say many things about Clay, you cannot say he merely sat around and voted on bills that renamed post offices. Known as “The Great Compromiser” Clay saved the nation numerous times in 1820, 1833 and 1850 that did prolong the American Civil War and continue the practice of slavery. If you are to hold that last paragraph against Henry Clay I will not call you out on it. But at the various times it seemed war between the regions was unavoidable, the north and south were on even plains, the north becoming more industrial and advanced as time marched forward setting the stage for a war where the north held substantial advantages.

But the outcome of the American Civil War wasn’t a forgone conclusion. At many points the Confederates could have secured their independence. Clay successfully kept a ambivalent south obviously itching to succeed, from doing just that in times they likely would have won.

By 1824, Henry Clay started a war, ended one and saved the nation. At forty-seven Clay ran as one of the four Democratic-Republicans in the swan song election during the “Era of Good Feelings.” After the collapse of the Federalists, the Democratic-Republicans were the only viable political party in the U.S. The Federalists lived on in the Northeast, particularly New England in representative John Quincy Adams. A great man. An honorable, distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts whose unjustly forgotten in history. What did the Federalists in wholly was the Hartford convention in December of 1814, when the War of 1812 looked its most bleak for America. The convention called for removing the three-fifths compromise, which gave slave states disproportionate power in Congress and controversially flirted with New England seceding. When Jackson essentially won the war, the Federalists came off as unpatriotic to those outside of New England. This damned the already fledgling Federalists into their coffins.

Adams, son of second President John Adams, embodied the fictitious views we hold of the founding fathers today. Adams wasn’t a slave owner, fought against its expansion and later became a fervent abolitionist. Hamstrung by a congress becoming ever more friendly to his foe Jackson and lacking the skills someone like Henry Clay has, Adams’ presidency goes down rightfully as a failure and as merely a buffer between eras. Sort of like how no one can name the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins before Dan Mario and after Bob Griese. You’d be hard pressed to find people who know who David Woodley and Don Stock are. And you’d be equally taxed finding someone who gives two damns about John Quincy Adams.

Clay retired from his role as House Speaker, his term officially ending when the new congress is scheduled to have sworn in. His last act as House Speaker in 1825 is manipulating the House to bend to his whim and elevate Adams to the presidency after neither candidate in the 1824 election achieved the majority in the electoral college. Despite Jackson running away in both the electoral college (99) and popular vote (41.4%), it was Adams who’d be sworn in on March 4th, 1825. If Henry Clay won just three more electoral votes, enough to secure third-place from William H. Crawford of Georgia, “The Western Star” possibly is able to work his magic to select himself over both Adams and Jackson.

Arguably, the most damning political miscalculation during Clay’s first chapter in politics is not the “Corrupt Bargain,” but the naked ambition it failed to mask. If Clay simply not accepted Adams’ invitation to become Secretary of State, perhaps he’d become President feasibly in the near future.

So what-if Clay had become President in 1824? For starters, he’s more aggressive in pursuing his legislative goals than Adams. Like Barack Obama long after him, Adams fell under the delusion his political enemies were acting under good faith and not out of naked partisanship.

Clay dreamt of an American economy independent from the British through protective tariffs on foreign goods imported to the states. Part of this principal resides in Clay’s famed “American System.” It’s core tenets are:

• It’s main tenants are the establishment of a protective tariff, a 20%–25% tax on imported good.

• The establishment of a national bank would promote a single currency.

• The improvement of the country's infrastructure, especially transportation systems.

Much of this cannot be accomplished in four-years - especially with the Jacksonians wrestling more and more power away from people like Henry Clay. In two-years the newly formed Democrats takeover the House, Senate and the Executive Mansion by 1829.

Like Adams, a Clay presidency only is viewed in a better light by historians who admire their apparent foresight and compassion regarding the plights of native Americans and enslaved blacks, comparably when held up against expansionist slave owners like John C. Calhoun who referred to the institution of slavery as a “positive good.” While Clay acted as an unabashed war hawk in Congress in 1812, twelve-years have passed since then and he’s matured somewhat. Both Clay and Adams believed the Union was big enough as it was and foresaw the only way for the complete emancipation of slaves is through warfare.

Historian H.W Brands, author of the fantastic “Heir to the Founders” described the complex Clay as a slave-owning emancipator. As a slave owner himself southerners were more receptive to Clay’s rhetoric than Adams. Clay believed slavery to be evil, not just for the enslaved, but the slave owner and thought if given the chance the horrible institution would die the way it did in the north. The north did not have a fit of morality when they eventually abandoned slavery. Economically it became untenable. Such fate awaited the south.

The one flaw with this is logic is having to believe all the south wanted was to be left alone. In reality, the faction labeled “Slave Power” fought mightily to drag the north to not only accepting their wrong, but for them to join them in calling it right. When the Fugitive Slave laws passed and was signed by President Millard Fillmore, effectively making every norther complicate in the slave trade having to notify authorities if they suspected a black man to be an escaped slave, the Republic was firmly in the bloody grasp of the pro-slavey faction.

However, Henry Clay did not want to see the expansion of slavery and he didn’t want to see the expansion of the union, less they continue to open Pandora’s box again and again.

That all being said, imagine losing someone like Clay in the heated moments following Jackson’s elections. Numerous times before the Confederates firer on Fort Sumter, the Union nearly split itself in half. If Clay decided, after suffering defeat at the hands of Jackson in 1828, to retire can Daniel Webster, John Quincy Adams or anyone else hold a candle to how he handled the calamitous situation? Hardly. A Henry Clay presidency in 1825 likely leads to civil war between the regions and likely the loss of half a union.

Fast forward eight-years later, Jackson and his acolytes have firm control of the government. Jackson is running for re-election and during this time the following issues dominate the campaign:

• The expiring charter of the 2nd National Bank

• The Indian Removal Act

• The ongoing Nullification Crisis

The Democratic-Republicans splintered off, Jackson carrying the banner for the Democrats and Henry Clay running under the label “National Republican” made up remnants of the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans loyal to Adams and Clay.

Jackson despised the national bank because he believed it was directly funding Clay’s campaign. The American people perceived banks to be solely for the elite. Believing the national bank to be corrupt, Jackson set out to destroy it and by securing re-election the destruction of the bank was all but assured. The blame of the subsequent Panic of 1837 befell Jackson’s successor, Martin Van Buren, few realized it was his predecessor who laid the groundwork for the economic collapse.

Coming into the contest Clay had little chance of unseating the incumbent Jackson. Riding a wave of popularity, “Old Hickory” was viewed as one of the common folk while Clay a part of the political elite (because he was). Only way for Clay to pull victory from the jaws of defeat is if one of the following happens.

1. Andrew Jackson dies

2. Economic strife becomes prevalent sooner

3. Clay campaigns on his part in ending Nullification crisis and not stressing the importance of banking to an electorate which was at best apathetic on the matter.

Now the Nullification crisis was still ongoing during the election. South Carolinian John C. Calhoun renounced his role as vice-president to Jackson in favor of being elected senator to better oppose Jackson’s tariff bill. Ironically, Calhoun began his career as an ally to Henry Clay. South Carolinian politicians blamed the economic downtown of the 1820’s primarily on the tariff of 1812 which promoted American manufacturing heavily at the cost its European competition.

While Jackson and Calhoun nearly came to blows, Clay carved out a compromise which lifted the protectionist tariff until 1842.

If there ever was a time to fear monger about possible succession prior to the civil war, it was during the 1832 campaign.

So what if Henry Clay pulls off the monumental upset and unseats King Andrew I?

Well, for one, we see the president play a crucial legislative role in putting out the fires caused by Calhoun and Jackson. Back in the early 19th century, the presidency didn’t hold the powers it holds today. It mostly acted as a rubber stamp for congress, using their veto powers sparingly. Even the vicious King Andrew only used his executive powers to veto a bill he didn’t like twelve times in his eight-years in office. Times were different and the country was still finding itself.

Another plus for Clay and the nation is his election wipes away the travesty committed by the U.S government known as the “Trail of Tears” a series of forced relocations of Native American tribes west to make room for white settlers. The Supreme Court, headed up by Chief Justice John Marshall, said the Indian Removal Act was unconstitutional and the government had no right to do it. To put it bluntly, Jackson could have given less of a shit and relocated the native Americans anyway. Over 4,000 natives died on the trail.

The United States also averts the Panic of 1837 thanks in large part to Clay’s American System and the re-charter of the second national bank. Quite possibly, America missed out on one of their best presidents in Clay by not electing him in 1832 and saving themselves the worst of Jackson’s reign.

Course, the Democrats might’ve still held control of the House until 1840. The National Republicans/Whigs slowly ate away at their deficit culminating in them sweeping the House, Senate and Presidency with William Henry Harrison as their leader. How much Clay could have reasonably expected to accomplish is up for debate. What isn’t up for debate is the fact I believe Jackson did more harm to this country than good and like Trump, his greatest feat is his swindling of the American electorate to believe he emphasized and understood their plights. While Jackson can claim to have the best intentions, his disregard for the complexities of governance lead to much disruption and chaos.

The mystic of Andrew Jackson was just far too much to overcome for any mere mortal. It too five-years, the retirement of Jackson and an economic collapse that would not be rivaled until the Great Depression to shake the people out of Jackson’s trance.

[whereareroo]

SILVER COMET DAY #4

WF UPDATE (5/19/21)

Today was a scheduled day off. No biking.

Even though I appreciate the importance of rest days, I don't like the fact that they interfere with the rhythm of our long haul trips. During these long adventures, we really get into a "groove." We get up and we get going. We're focused on covering the mileage that needs to be conquered that day. It's liberating to be on "auto-pilot" with no distractions. Rest days interrupt the rhythm. Because they're important, we take rest days anyway.

I took the opportunity to enjoy a 2 hour walk around Jacksonville. There are numerous historical markers. Here is some of the stuff that I learned:

The city was founded in 1833. The White Settlers swindled the land from Chief Ladiga. For one year, it was called Drayton. In 1834, the city was renamed to honor President Andrew Jackson.

Near the town square, there is a historical marker on the site of Chief Ladiga's trading post.

The Alabama flag is everywhere. It's on flag poles, on car license plates, and in shop windows. The flag is a crimson St. Andrew's cross (resembling an "X") on a field of white. The flag was modeled after the battle flag used by the Alabama regiment in the Civil War. Essentially, it's a Confederate Flag.

I'm not from the South. Most of my readers are not from the South. If you're not from the South, you forget that the Civil War never ended. A walk through Jacksonville reminds you that the Civil War is ongoing.

The town square, named after the Forney Family from Jacksonville, is dominated by a memorial "In Memory of the Gallant Confederate Soldiers." There were 9 children in the Forney Family, and 5 of them became senior Confederate Officers. Here's the inscription that's on the memorial: “Let none of the survivors of these men offer in their behalf the penetential plea 'They Believed They Were Right.' Be it ours to transmit to posterity our unequivocal confidence in the righteousness of the cause for which these men died."

A short distance from the town square, on Pelham Street (named after a Confederate General), there is a very big house called "Twin Oaks." It was built in 1850. In October of 1864, General Beauregard of the Confederate Army used that house as his headquarters while he was relocating his troops to Nashville.

After a while, I stopped looking at all of the Civil War stuff. It makes me uncomfortable.

Despite the Civil War fixation, Jacksonville seems to be a thriving city. The main drag is lined with professional offices, local restaurants, and fast food places. I'm sure that much of the development is attributable to Jacksonville State University, which sits in the center of town. Due to Covid and the fact that the semester is over, its quiet now. The normal student population is 10,000. I took a walk on the campus and it looked pretty nice.

Before I leave the uncomfortable topics of slavery and the Civil War, let me tell you about Jerry Akin. Two nights ago, when we stayed at the museum in Piedmont, I studied an exhibit about him. I forgot to tell you about it.

Jerry Akin was born in 1760 or 1761. He died in 1896. He may have been the oldest person in American history.

Jerry was born into slavery. He was first owned by a former Governor of Virginia. During the Revolutionary War, he saw war ships in the rivers and he served meals to soldiers in Richmond. Once, he saw George Washington on a big white horse.

After the War, Jerry's owners moved to Georgia. They took Jerry and about 150 other slaves. Between 1780 and 1848, Jerry was sold to various owners in Georgia and South Carolina. He was enslaved in Augusta, Hamburg, Greenville, and Rome. In 1848, Jerry's owners decided to sell all of his slaves. At the time, Jerry was approximately 88 years old. Out of respect for Jerry, the owner allowed Jerry to select his new owner. Jerry arranged his own sale to the Akin family in Spring Garden, Alabama. That's right next to Piedmont. Jerry ultimately became a legend in the Piedmont area. He worked for the Akin family for approximately 50 years. He became known as Jerry Akin. Jerry is buried in a cemetery near Piedmont. His tombstone says: "Believed to be 136 Years Old." What a terrible story. What a wonderful story.

It's time for me to check my gear. We're back on the bikes tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed your day off.

[global-news-station]

A crowd of protestors tried to topple the statue of a former US president near the White House Monday evening as police responded with pepper spray to break up new demonstrations that erupted in Washington.

A wave of nationwide rallies calling for racial justice has swept the United States since the May 25 death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

On Monday, hundreds of protestors were pushed back by at least 100 security force personnel after they had thrown ropes around the statue of Andrew Jackson, the divisive seventh US president, in Lafayette Square park.

The word “killer” had been spray-painted on the stone plinth, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

Jackson, in office from 1829 to 1837, owned more than 500 slaves over his life and was a key figure in the forced relocation of nearly 100,000 Native Americans, otherwise known as the Trail of Tears.

“We had ropes, chains, a pulley to pull, and we were going to attach that and tear down the statue,” a 20-year-old protester told AFP, on condition of anonymity.

“The police attacked us. They’ve taken the law to their own hands,” Raymond Spaine, a 52-year-old black man cleaning his eyes with saline, told AFP.

A helicopter circled over the gathering of hundreds of people on the newly-renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza, as officers continued to use pepper spray to disperse the protestors.

President Donald Trump criticized the protesters, tweeting: “Numerous people arrested in DC for the disgraceful vandalism in Lafayette Park, of the magnificent Statue of Andrew Jackson, in addition to the exterior defacing of St John’s Church across the street.”

He also warned that vandalizing the statue could be punishable with jail time.

Local media reported that several people were arrested near Lafayette Square earlier Monday when police tried to clear a tent encampment. It was unrelated to the attempt to topple Jackson’s statue.

Earlier this month, police broke up a peaceful rally in Lafayette Square moments before President Donald Trump walked from the White House for a photo-op at the historic St John’s Church damaged by arson the previous night.

The clash over Jackson’s statue is part of the latest movement in the protests: tearing down statues and monuments to individuals linked to the US’ racist past.

Protestors initially focused on Confederate generals, such as the Robert E Lee statue in Richmond. On Friday, demonstrators in Washington tore down a statue of Albert Pike, the only statue of a Southern Civil War general in the nation’s capital.

But the spotlight has begun to shift to figures of US history previously considered untouchable, including Founding Fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both slave owners.

Another statue of Jackson was vandalized with red paint earlier Monday in Jacksonville, Florida, which is named after the president.

Trump has delivered blunt instructions to local leaders confronting the protests, telling authorities to “dominate the streets,” and he has been unapologetic about the heavy deployment of forces.

He also threatened to invoke the rarely used Insurrection Act, which would mean deploying the armed forces on US soil.

The post Protestors try to topple statue outside White House appeared first on ARY NEWS.

https://ift.tt/2BuQXUb

[ladystylestores]

George Floyd to be buried in Houston: Live updates | USA News

George Floyd will be laid to rest in Houston, where he was born, two weeks after his death in Minneapolis police custody sparked worldwide protests. 

Floyd’s death has launched a nationwide debate over defunding the police after being pinned down by the neck for nearly nine minutes by a police officer who has been fired, arrested and being held on $1.25mn bail.

Both Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and President Trump, a Republican say they oppose defunding the police, though they have sharply different views on what the future of policing in the US should look like. 

  Tuesday, June 9

18:19 GMT – Pentagon officials open to ‘starting a discussion’ about renaming Army bases named for Confederate icons

Officials at the United States Pentagon said on Tuesday signaled that they were open to starting a discussion about changing the names of 10 military bases named for Confederate generals from the US civil war era.

According to Stars and Stripes, both Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy want to have a “bipartisan discussion” about the topic.

The turnabout would mark a substantial change in the Army’s position on the naming of the 10 Army posts – Fort Lee, Fort Hood, Fort Benning, Fort Gordon, Fort Bragg, Fort Polk, Fort Pickett, Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Rucker and Camp Beauregard.

All the bases in question are located in Southern states and most were named during the south’s Jim Crow era in the 1910s and 1940s.

Check out this powerful statement from former Ft. Benning commander, @PaulDEaton52, on our demand to remove the names of Confederate officers from US military installations. Now. pic.twitter.com/cakYFlNGrH

— VoteVets (@votevets) June 9, 2020

In a statement issued by votevets.org, a former commanding general at Fort Benning in Georgia, retired Major General Paul D. Eaton, said he cannot fathom how Black soldiers must feel serving on bases named for a “traitor to the United States, a racist and an incompetent warfighter”. He likened it to Jewish soldiers serving at bases named for Nazi leaders.

“If the Army is going to be true to the idea that it judges its people by their skills and qualifications, and not their race, having bases named after those who believed otherwise is incompatible with the Army itself,” Eaton said. “The Secretary of the Army should order these bases renamed, today. This does not take an act of Congress. This does not require a conversation. It requires courage and action now.”

17:56 GMT – Joe Biden: ‘Now is the time for racial justice’

In a pre-recorded video testimonial aired at George Floyd’s funeral in Houston, Texas, former Vice President Joe Biden reached out to the surviving children of George Floyd with a heartfelt plea for their future and said, “Now is the time for racial justice.”

“I know you have a lot of questions, honey,” he said, addressing Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter, Gianna, who was in attendance at The Fountain of Praise church. “No child should have to ask questions that too many black children have had to ask for generations. Why? Why is Daddy gone?”

“Why in this nation, do too many black Americans wake up knowing that they could lose their life in the course of just living their life? Why does justice not roll like a river or righteousness like a mighty stream? Why?”

Biden added, “Little Gianna, as I said to you when I saw you yesterday, you’re so brave. Daddy’s looking down and he’s so proud of you.”

“When there’s justice for George Floyd, we will truly be on our way to racial justice in America.”

A recorded message from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is played at George Floyd’s Houston funeral pic.twitter.com/aTUgL96VPs

— Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) June 9, 2020

17:05 GMT – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ‘disgusted’ by Trump tweet about Buffalo protester

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday he was “disgusted” by President Donald Trump’s claim that a 75-year-old man seen in video being pushed by a Buffalo police officer during a protest “fell harder than (he) was pushed”.

“President Trump did a tweet today that surprises me even after all the tweets he has done,” Cuomo said at his daily news briefing.

“You read his tweets, you get to a point where you say, ‘Well, nothing could surprise me – I’ve seen it all,'” Cuomo added. “And then you get surprised again. You get shocked again. You get disgusted again.”

Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2020

Trump suggested that the protestor, Martin Gugino, had staged his fall at the hands of an officer during a protest last Thursday, and that he could be “an ANTIFA provocateur” who appeared to be trying to electronically black out police communications.

Two Buffalo officers were arraigned on assault charges on Saturday over the incident, which left Gugino hospitalized.

16:45 GMT – New York Stock Exchange observes 8-minute, 46-second moment of silence

The New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday observed an 8 minute and 46 second moment of silence in honour of George Floyd, who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for that length of time. The moment of silence at the NYSE, which is owned by Intercontinental Exchange Inc, began at noon, to coincide with the beginning of Floyd’s funeral.

The NYSE observes an 8 minute and 46 second moment of silence to honor the life of George Floyd https://t.co/i0xZ25A3wS

— NYSE (@NYSE) June 9, 2020

16:33 GMT – Floyd funeral begins in Houston, Texas

The funeral service for George Floyd began in Houston, Texas on Tuesday, with family members and other invited dignitaries filing into The Fountain of Praise church to pay their respect. The funeral caps off six days of mourning for the black man whose death inspired a global reckoning over police brutality and racial injustice.

Guests at the service will include Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Reverend Al Sharpton, Floyd family lawyer Benjamin Crump, Slim Thug, Leela James, Paul Wall, Floyd Mayweather, Congressman Al Green, Bishop James Dixon, and others. Sharpton will deliver the eulogy.

Mourners pause by the casket during Floyd’s funeral service [David J. Phillip / POOL/EPA]

In a burial following the service, Floyd, will be laid to rest next to his mother in the Houston suburb of Pearland.

About 6,000 people attended a public memorial on Monday, many of them waiting for hours in the searing Texas heat to pay their respects.

15:45 GMT – New York officer caught violently shoving protester charged with assault

A New York City police officer who was caught on video violently shoving a woman to the ground during a protest over the death of George Floyd was charged Tuesday with assault and other counts, prosecutors announced.

Officer Vincent D’Andraia is also being charged with criminal mischief, harassment and menacing in the May 29 altercation in Brooklyn in which protester Dounya Zayer says her head hit the pavement, resulting in a concussion, a seizure and a trip to the hospital, according to a news release from prosecutors.

D’Andraia, 28, is expected to be arraigned Tuesday, according to District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, who said he was “deeply troubled by this unnecessary assault”.

Shocking! NYPD officer violently throws protesting woman to the ground during NYC George Floyd protests. According to reports, the woman, @zayer_dounya , had to be hospitalized.#georgesfloyd #RIPGeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/4ByYxYmJAZ

— Election dot Org (@DotElection) May 30, 2020

The Police Department suspended D’Andraia last week without pay. He had been assigned to Brooklyn’s 73rd Precinct.

The head of D’Andraia’s union, the Police Benevolent Association, said the mayor and police leaders were “sacrificing cops to save their own skin” by sending officers out to protests with “no support and no clear plan”.

“They should be the ones facing this mob-rule justice,” union president Pat Lynch said in a statement. “We will say it again: New York City police officers have been abandoned by our leadership. We are utterly alone in our efforts to protect our city.”

15:35 GMT – New York state moves forward with sweeping police reform legislation

A sweeping package of police reform measures has started to move toward passage by the New York state legislature in the wake of the wave of protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.

The state Assembly and the Senate, both of which are controlled by Democrats, on Monday passed a ban on police officers using chokeholds to subdue suspects and a bill requiring law enforcement to disclose racial disparities in policing.

In the coming days, New York lawmakers will take up other bills, including the repeal of so-called section 50-a of the civil rights law that shields officers from having their disciplinary records disclosed.

“The legislation that will be passed over the coming days will help stop bad actors and send a clear message that brutality, racism, and unjustified killings will not be tolerated,” New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said in a statement.

New York State will lead the way on real reform. pic.twitter.com/1qp6CGZzwT

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 7, 2020

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he supported the reforms and would sign the bills into law.

Police unions including New York City’s powerful Police Benevolent Association, however, have pushed back against the state’s legislative agenda, which they said amounted to an “attack on law enforcement.”

13:55 GMT – Hearse carrying George Floyd’s body arrives at the The Fountain of Praise church in Houston 

A collection of flowers outside the church contain messages that include ‘Justice for George Floyd’, a church officials says the focus of the funeral service will be how Floyd lived.

“We celebrate a life that had its ups and downs as many lives do but also a life that was connected to God and one that all people around the world have now connected to because of the tragedy and the trauma by which he passed,” church co-pastor Mia K. Wright told CNN.

The funeral is private but will be live streamed, following the service he will be laid to rest alongside his mother Larcenia Floyd.

The hearse carrying George Floyd’s coffin arrives at the The Fountain of Praise church in Houston, Texas. [Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP] 

13:40 GMT – Trump tweet about protester pushed down by Buffalo police sparks online condemnation

US President Donald Trump tweeted that a 75-year-old demonstrator pushed to the ground by two police officers in Buffalo, NY suffering severe head injuries may have been a member of an amorphous movement Antifa, that Trump has threatened to designate a “terrorist” group.

Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2020

Trump claims with no evidence, that Martin Gugino was ‘appearing to scan police equipment’. The president has repeatedly characterised those clashing with police as organized, radical-left thugs engaging in domestic terrorism, though there is little evidence. 

His tweet about Gugino has sparked a backlash.

He’s 75 years old for god’s sake! For everyone who doesn’t know what Trump’s defending here is the video. pic.twitter.com/hle5ktmTp8

— Black Lives Matter (@HKrassenstein) June 9, 2020

The two Buffalo officers have been suspended, prompting 57 other officers to quit the force’s emergency response team.

13:05 GMT – London’s mayor announces that more statues of controversial  figures could be removed from Britain’s streets

Following the unauthorized felling of a slave-trader’s monument, as the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis continued to spark protests — and drive change — around the world, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was setting up a commission to ensure the British capital’s monuments reflected its diversity.

The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm will review statues, murals, street art, street names and other memorials and consider which legacies should be celebrated, the mayor’s office said.

“It is an uncomfortable truth that our nation and city owes a large part of its wealth to its role in the slave trade and while this is reflected in our public realm, the contribution of many of our communities to life in our capital has been willfully ignored,” Khan said.

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[randomconnections]

Exploring Western York County – Part One

Alan had a list of places he wanted to explore. That’s always a good thing. I got an e-mail from him several weeks ago with an attached Google Map showing places in Western York County, including the communities of Smyrna, Sharon, and McConnells. Our schedules finally aligned so that we were able to go on our photo trek this past Saturday.

We got an early start and headed north on I-85, exiting above Blacksburg. We bypassed the town on SC 5. I had added one more stop to Alan’s map just on the other side of town, so that would be our first target. Actually, most of this first part was in Cherokee County, rather than York County.

Kings Creek Trestle

When exploring the Swamp Rabbit Railroad from Blacksburg to Gaffney I learned about the dramatic railroad trestle across King’s Creek. The railroad was part of the old CCC (Charleston, Columbia, Charlotte), later Southern Railroad. I had seen photos of the trestle, and it looked quite dramatic. Here’s one by Todd Sestero from a Rail Fan website:

The rails are long abandoned. The trestle in question is quite dramatic – 1,215 feet long and 96 feet above Kings Creek, according to the Carolina Rails website.

Sadly, though, try as we might we couldn’t get close enough for a decent photo. There was a mineral processing plant near one end of the trestle, but the access road was gated and marked No Trespassing. We tried weaving through country roads, but all seemed to veer away from the creek. I guess it might have been possible to hike along the railroad to the trestle, but that was more than we wanted to do on this expedition.

There was talk of turning the abandoned rails into a multi-use trail, similar to the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville. Google Maps even has the “Triple C Rail Trail” listed from York to Kings Creek. There is a Facebook Page and a listing in Wikipedia. The Wikipedia entry states that, “…as of 4/18/15 all sections of this trail (except for the part shared by the paved York Bicycle Trail) are so overgrown as to be impassible. Also there is no signage of any kind signifying it exits at all.” If we had decided to walk, it would have been more of a bushwhack and taken much longer than we had planned.

Hopewell Presbyterian Church

One of these side-road attempts brought us out at Hopewell Presbyterian Church on the main road. We had passed it earlier and made note of its unusual construction, but had kept going in favor of targets already on our map.

According to its listing on SCIWAY’s SC Picture Project, the church was first formed in 1855 as Shiloh Presbyterian. The congregation was dwindling, so the building was sold to a black congregation and renamed Hopewell Independent Church in 1890. Apparently someone didn’t like that decision, because the building was torched not long after the black congregation took possession.

The new owners were not deterred, though. They collected materials to build a new sanctuary, including field stones from local sources. In 1915 the new building was dedicated as Hopewell Presbyterian Church. The church is affiliated with the PCUSA.

The hodgepodge of building materials and colors on the small Gothic structure is striking. Field stones make up most of the walls, but the arches over the entrance and windows are outlined in red brick. Gray concrete block fills in the gables.

Alan and I lamented the fact that they had chosen to paint over the Gothic arched windows.

The CCC Railroad ran behind the church, and a bridge crossed the railroad on the side street. The geology was fairly dramatic. Once again with toyed with, then dismissed the idea of walking along the track to the trestle. From this point the hike would be a couple of miles.

We continued on our trek, crossing the border from Cherokee County into York County. The next stop was Canaan Methodist Church near Smyrna.

Canaan Methodist Church

The location Alan had marked on the map for Canaan was off a bit, but was consistent with the location given by GNIS. When we arrived we found a relatively modern brick sanctuary with an old cemetery next to the church and a newer one across the street. The one across the street was obviously still active; a funeral tent was set up and a truck arrived with a vault for installation while we were there.

There were a couple of elaborate Woodmen of the World markers.

There were also some very old-styled stones that weren’t as old as the style might indicate. These were late 1800s, about the time obelisks and draped urns were growing in fashion.

We found a couple that had been re-plastered and recarved. The newer plaster had begun to erode, and we found bits of it scattered around the stone.

The diamond shape seemed to be popular, especially for children’s graves. We also found one angel.

We didn’t walk across to the newer cemetery because of the activity over there, but continued on our way. Further along Canaan Church Road, about where GNIS had the coordinates for the church, there was a small building with a sign indicating it was an independent church of some sort. Beyond that was a rather dubious public road that ran through a couple of back yards then came to a dead end at Mount Sinai Baptist Church, a black congregation. Even though these were close to the GNIS location, I don’t think either of these was the original location of Canaan Church. The age of the cemetery next to the current location makes me think that’s where the church has always been (at least for a very long time.)

Smyrna ARP Church

On the outskirts of the metropolis of Smyrna we turned right on West Main Street, away from town. Our next stop was Smyrna ARP Church. This was a small brick Gothic church which could have been a twin to McCarter Presbyterian in Greenville, where I worked for so long. I’ve actually seen probably five churches in the Upstate that use this same design. I’d love to learn more about it from an architectural standpoint.

We found this particular marker in front of the church:

This immediately brought to mind the bit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. “The first one sank into the swamp. The second one sank into the swamp. The third one fell over, burned down, then sank into the swamp…”

The cemetery behind the church was similar in style and age to the one we visited at Canaan.

I found two unusual signature stones There was one signed J. McGill.

What made this weird was that it was in the midst of several McGill graves. This particular stone was for Andrew Jackson McGill. From what I could find on Find-a-Grave, it could be either James Henry McGill or Games Calvin McGill. Another interesting story there, I’m sure.

The other signature stone was on the grave of Mary Brown Whitesides. The signature was almost illegible in my photos and when we observed the stone. I could make out the initials YV, which I assumed to be Yorkville. The Find-a-grave photo for the stone was higher contrast, and I could read the name R. Hare.

We wandered a bit more before returning to the car.

Smyrna

On the way to the ARP church we passed a park with an unusual structure. It’s obviously much, much older than the park. There were no clues as to its purpose, but it was intriguing. The 1932 Sanborn Map of Smyrna showed that a General Merchandise store and chicken house had been on this spot, but it still gave us no clues. That’s some serious concrete for a chicken house. Similar concrete construction ran through the bank bordering the parking lot for the park.

Smyrna sits in a corner of York County, right on the edge of the border with Cherokee County. The town, proper, is now just one store, a fire station, post office, and a few houses and outbuildings. A small building bears the sign “Smyrna Barber Shop.” It doesn’t look like it’s been used in ages. Behind the currently operating store is an old cotton gin and a building that had once been a grist mill. Across the street there was a former general store and the fire department.

In front of the post office is a historical marker, which states that the town was named for the ARP church down the street.

According to SCIWAY’s SC Picture Project, Smyrna is the smallest incorporated town in the state. Wikipedia lists is total area as less than one square mile. The 1932 Sanborn Map shows that the town was tiny. It looks like there had been a depot or loading platform for the Triple C, but the map has a piece of tape over it, as if it were no longer extant by 1932.

What is shown is the is the White Star Mining operation. The map inset is out of context and not even oriented with the rest of the map. Gold was found in the area in the late 1800s. Martin Gold Mine Road is just beyond Smyrna ARP to the west and GNIS lists a Dixon Gold Mine a couple of miles to the north across the border into Cherokee County.

As small as Smyrna is, I have to wonder about its distinction as SC’s smallest town. I think about places like Owings and Chappels, which are about as small. I think it has more to do with the fact that it’s the smallest incorporated town in the state. Those other two communities are not incorporated, and I don’t think they even have a post office. I know Owings does not.

Apart from our stop at the churchyards, our time in Smyrna was proportional to its size. We continued on our trek, roughly following the Triple C Railroad. More to come in the next post.

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[renamerolandopo]

Regarding the naming – we have been in close contact with the USPS about the process for removing Andrew Jackson’s name from the building, and have done additional outreach to the White House and the Postmaster General himself. We, as employees of the legislative branch, aren’t permitted to be involved in the removal itself, but we have contacted the Postal Service a number of times and continue to do so regarding next steps.

-Amy Kuhn, Chief of Staff, Rep. Sara Jacobs, July 12, 2023

[renamerolandopo]

No paywall.

Andrew Jackson's name is still on the building and five times the size of Susan Davis' plaque. The website is still not updated either. This is good progress, though.

[renamerolandopo]

The unveiled plaque read “This Building Is Named In Honor of Susan A. Davis by an Act of Congress, Public Law 117-314, December 27, 2022.”  However, a legend will remain for the foreseeable future in large letters atop the Post Office Building stating: “United States Post Office, Andrew Jackson Station, San Diego, California 92115.” No congressional appropriation has been made to replace the lettering, and according to Davis, such an appropriation is problematic because such legislation would have to incorporate not only this post office branch but other renamed post office branches throughout the nation.

[renamerolandopo]

5th & E is a Designated Historic Landmark without a Monument

[renamerolandopo]

Does anyone really think a “developer” is going to put up a monument to honor the Wobblies who were killed and sexually molested by the right wing mobs during the Free Speech Fight of 1912? I’ll believe it when I see it, but this is exciting.

[renamerolandopo]

Good things are happening in the Bay Area. I hope we can learn a few things from this down here in San Diego.

https://www.change.org/renamerolandopo

[renamerolandopo]

Really interesting stuff happening in Alameda. 

https://renamejacksonpark.wordpress.com/

[renamerolandopo]

Follow and spread the word about the campaign to Rename the Andrew Jackson Post Office in San Diego.