[Stiggers] Somebody's Watching Me
Crunchie Burga World CEO: "Welcome fellow Crunchie Burga World employees to a farewell banquet honoring the hard work and dedication of Miss Wanda, our beloved part-time senior greeter and fry cook, who will retire this week.
[Dickerson] How Much Justice Can You Afford?
Have you ever purchased an insurance policy, confident that your check (and the insurance agent's pledge that "you're now covered") would be enough to protect you?
Good Times with Recio & the Gang
Michael Recio was big and hulking and provided decent cover for a reporter who wasn't used to walking up to people's homes unannounced in the middle of the night. I may have looked SWAT-chic, in the bulletproof vest the mayor loaned me, my black pants and those chocolate-brown Skechers I bought at Stein-Mart for just this occasionbut I still needed a bodyguard. And this one carried that long MP5 slung over his vest.
Recio Promotion Insult to JPD
Last week Mayor Melton appointed his bodyguard, a 15-year police officer with little supervisory experience, to the position of assistant chief, granting him a $31,000 raise and, presumably, a considerable jump in responsibilities. Sgt. Michael Recio appears to be leapfrogging a few bullet points on the typical chief's resume thanks to his association with Frank Melton.
[Stiggers] Somebody's Watching Me
Grandpa Pookie: "Welcome to the first annual Ghetto Neighborhood Safety Fair, Picnic and Disco—organized by the Ghetto Science Team Neighborhood Protection Agency, Aunt Tee Tee Hustle, Nurse Tootie McBride, Senior Ladies in Church Hats and Senior Men in Church Suits.
[Kamikaze] Lapel Pins of Our Countrymen
America needs an enema. Symbolic "patriotism" is blocking the very strides that we are supposed to be making as a "progressive" country. It is giving us mental constipation. Real action, real fighting and real revolution have been replaced by slogans, country songs and, of all things, lapel pins.
[Mott] Fake It 'til You Make It
"A governor, a senator and then me. I think I may be the comic relief," I quipped before my brief statement at the Fourth Annual Interfaith Dinner on Oct. 4. On the roster were Gov. William Winter, state Sen. Hillman Frazier, two bishops, two preachers, a rabbi, a retired FBI agent—and me. My Jackson Free Press story about a trip to Turkey with the Institute for Interfaith Dialog hardly seemed worthy of the honor.
Crossing Gallatin
So the JFP celebrated its fifth birthday a couple of weeks ago. I have long exercised the privilege of celebrating my birthweek and birthmonth, rather than just a flimsy day, so I'm not technically late with my thoughts on this milestone.
It's Time to Save Lives
Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which started Monday, has taken on a new urgency this year. Given the recent spate of domestic murders in Jackson that might have been prevented, it's clear that the people who most need their awareness raised about the issue are the city's administrators and the officers of the Jackson Police Department.
[Stiggers] Common Trauma Ward
Judy McBride: "Allow me to provide you with a glimpse of mental-health conditions seldom recognized by the general public. Let's take a brief journey through Ward 6 and 3/5, also known as 'Almost 7.'
[Hightower] Inescapable TV Ads
I yearn for the good ol' days when a TV was a device under my control. It sat quietly in my home, doing nothing until I beckoned it to perform. And if it blared an annoying ad at me—why, I had the power of the remote to switch channels or hit the mute button.
[Dickerson] Can You Handle the Truth?
For a long time, I wanted to ask President Bush why, if the Dixie Chicks knew there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, he couldn't figure it out for himself.
A Good Woman Lives Here
John followed me out of the bar, yelling as I crossed the street, yelling when I got into my car, yelling as I started the engine. I don't remember what he was yelling about anymore, but I'm sure it was about me being stupid, or incompetent, or a coward for walking away; maybe it was all three.
Livingston Lives
The $75 million Livingston Village project, which developers plan to build near the Jackson Medical Mall, is moving ahead since the Jackson City Council maneuvered a few bumps in the road last week. After a contentious battle with unwilling Ward 3 residents, the zoning committee voted 7-to-0 to approve a zone change transforming the site of the old Hood Furniture Factory from its industrial category to mixed use. The decision will allow developer Mike Smith, CEO of MPI Center, LLC, to move ahead with property demolition this year and begin construction on Ward 3's newest neighborhood.
Jackson Needs a Money Manager
Here's something we all know: Mayor Melton likes to throw money around. Prior to his election, he was well known for sending kids to college, "adopting" young men into his home, and handing out high paying jobs to friends, former enemies and family.
[Stiggers] Strange Jena Fruit
Boneqweesha Jones: "W.E.B. DuBois, a great educator and one of the founders of the NAACP, said that the problem of the 20th century is the color line. Well, Mr. DuBois, it seems as if the issues and problems of racial intolerance have rolled over into the 21st century like unused cell-phone minutes, especially in towns like Germantown, Tenn., and Jena, La.
[Kamikaze] We Are Awake Now
Do you really want to know why we're mad? I'll tell you why, although it should be painfully obvious:
[Hutchinson] Leaders Failed Jena Six Defendant
One very conspicuous person missing from the cast of thousands in Jena was Mychal Bell. The 17-year-old, more than any other of the Jena Six teens, fueled the furor over the case. Bell has languished in jail since last December. He's stayed there in part because of the heavy-duty charges against him. The DA claims that several other scrapes with the law helped keep him there. But he's there in bigger part because his family couldn't raise the portion of the $90,000 bond the courts slapped on Bell. For a working-class, black family, in a low-wage small Southern town, this seems like a king's ransom. But as bail goes in felony conviction cases, this is not exorbitant. So why didn't civil-rights leaders, the black celebrities and the marchers that made Bell a cause célèbre and eagerly mugged for the TV cameras pony up the cash to get him out?
Half a Decade Down
When I logged into our production server this week, something had changed—there was just a single "Issue 1" sub-folder in the working directory. It was an unceremonious symbol of a momentous occasion—Volume 6 had begun, the previous year's files moved to the archives. The Jackson Free Press has completed five years of publishing.
JPD and DA: Do the Right Thing
It's been a tough week. In addition to budget woes and ludicrous statements by the mayor about confiscating the nicest cars to sell, we have lost two beautiful women at the hands of their boyfriends. And mere competence by the Jackson Police Department might have saved both their lives.
[Stiggers] Slow-Moving Targets
Qweem-O-Wheat: "For quite some time, with my faithful truck, a big old hot pot and plenty of Qweem-O-Wheat, I've fed thousands of senior citizens hot qweemy bowls of dee-wishious Qweem-O-Wheat through my 'meals-on-wheels' service. While delivering a hot, qweemy treat to Grandma Pookie, she whispered: 'Boy, nothing in life is free—even when you get old like me.' Her statement made me realize that our senior citizens have become vulnerable, slow-moving targets for folk who want to beat down elderly people and take their hard-earned money.
Happy Birthday, Tim and Jill
Good morning, 9/11 generation. It's been six years since our world changed, and what do we have to show for it? The military is no longer a career; it is a vocation. War is no longer an abstract concept; we know what war is and we see what it does—not only to the country waging it, but also the country upon whose soil the war is being fought. We are (hopefully) no longer indifferent to political elections; no matter your leaning, you now realize that the vote you cast matters and can impact your life.
[Shakespeare] Hot Air And Cold Cash
They can be found at the grocery store, in bars and at your local eatery. If you miss them in those places, you're sure to find one in your Sunday school class or at work. What are they?
Mississippians Be Damned
For more on Haley Barbour, see Donna Ladd's blog and Jackpedia: Haley Barbour
Time for a Full Accounting
As the full truth of the city's considerable budget crisis has emerged, one additional thing about Mayor Frank Melton has come into full reliefhe's doesn't know how to run the city. Couple this with the crime statistics that show Melton doesn't know how to run a police department, and we're forced to recognize thataside from speaking to TV cameras and trashing other public officialsthere's very little that Mr. Melton actually can do.
[Stiggers] The Art of Restroom Justice
Cootie McBride: "Recently several public officials, like Senator Craig, have had some misunderstandings with police officers in public restrooms. It seems as if Big Brother has lengthened his arm of law enforcement from the streets to the toilet seats. Now that the crap has hit the fan regarding this issue, I want to provide some practical tips to fellow public servants and everyday working people.
[Kamikaze] A Call To Arms
For nearly a month I traveled over 4,000 miles, spanning two continents. I made new acquaintances, gained new fans and learned things about myself and the world that I will take with me forever. I toured an entire country away from friends and family only to return to what I like to call that "good ole hometown love!"
[Hutchinson] Naked And Shameful
President Bush and the three top Democrats that want to replace him couldn't get to New Orleans fast enough last week for the second anniversary of the Katrina debacle. As he's done in his 12 previous treks to the Gulf since Katrina, Bush publicly boasted that he's done everything humanly possible to get the region back on its feet. He also insisted that much more still must be done, and his administration will do it.
Crashing the D.A.'s Party
It didn't take long for Frank Melton to come out of the closet on Election night as a primary force in Robert Smith's district attorney campaign. Raw footage of Smith's victory party shows that Melton's people—especially contract employee Bob Hickingbottom—directed what happened at the party. Like when Melton stepped up to the mic to introduce Smith.
Metro Chamber: Disavow Attorney Attacks
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