Ellington

An initiative is underway that I believe is of great importance to all Mississippians. The first black U. S. Senator, Blanche K. Bruce, R-Miss., who served during reconstruction has never been issued a postage stamp. This may not seem of any importance, but the first woman, first Asian and the first Hispanic have all been issued stamps. In addition to an auspicious career as a senator, Bruce was also appointed as second-in-command as the Treasury Department under three different presidents.

In 159 years, the U. S. Postal Service has never issued stamp for one single black elected official.

This was brought to my attention at a recent book signing at Lemuria Books where Lawrence Otis Graham spoke on and signed his detailed history of Blanche and his family, "The Senator and the Socialite: The True Story of America's First Black Dynasty."

Sen. Trent Lott has authored a bill, S. 3974, which would direct the postmaster to issue the stamp. Graham is collecting 5,000 signatures per the request of the Postmaster General for the same effort. Batman, Wonderwoman and Bugs Bunny were not asked to have signatures, but we are Mississippians, and we will do what needs to be done.

You may support the effort at http://www.lawrenceotisgraham.com/content/stamp.asp
— K. D. Griffin, Jackson

Corrupting the youth?

Recently, I had a group of young people visit the Jackson Zoo. Upon their return, one young person gave to me a copy of the Jackson Free Press, which I understand was readily available to anyone who wanted a copy. It was basically a complete print on a number of individuals who "came out of the closet!" and how happy they were, etc. Of course, this was referring to homosexuals and lesbians who no longer were hiding the fact that they were perverts, but seemingly, proud of it!

I will try to stay away from the biblical concept that is against man-man/woman-woman affairs, but I will say this: When God created male and female, and joined them together to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. No one is yet smart enough to ever understand or explain how two men or two women together can copulate and replenish. It's an impossibility!

But here is why I write. Freedom is wonderful, but freedom has limits. One is free to swing his arms all he wants, but that swinging arm creates problems when it connects with someone's body. The Jackson Free Press can write and publish whatever it wants, but it should not display/distribute these articles publicizing homosexuality in areas where the majority of individuals present are family groups.

And by the way, homosexuals and lesbians had a male daddy and female mama.
— Albert Reid Jr., Philadelphia

Previous Comments

ID

73938

Comment

Other former black members of Congress who come to mind for possible consideration (re letter #1): - Hiram Revels - Josiah T. Walls - Joseph H. Rainey - J.R. Lynch - Robert Smalls - William L. Dawson - Charles C. Diggs - Adam Clayton Powell - Augustus F. Hawkins - Edward Brooke - Shirley Chisholm - Barbara Jordan And that's just the tip of the iceberg--a few folks from Congress, not even to speak of state or municipal government. I think it's scandalous that no black elected official has appeared on a postage stamp before, so of course I support the Blanche K. Bruce initiative, but there really ought to be many more names than that. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-11-02T21:33:26-06:00

ID

73939

Comment

Here's the one that gets me: "The Jackson Free Press can write and publish whatever it wants, but it should not display/distribute these articles publicizing homosexuality in areas where the majority of individuals present are family groups." So, where does he propose such articles be distributed? Nowhere? For him, I guess that's appropriate.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2006-11-07T13:26:42-06:00