A CELEBRATION OF AGE– Members of the Riverside High School Class of 1966 were the school’s first three-year graduating class. Last Saturday at the Chattanooga Convention Center, the former students collectively celebrated their 75th birthdays as well as the 57th Anniversary of their high school graduation: sophomore – junior – senior years: 1963 – 1966.
During the presentation of the history of Riverside’s Class of 1966, John Edwards, III, class historian, reflected “the first 3-year graduating class is generally the class that establishes the character of that school. We are that class!”
Few realize that Riverside’s first basketball team placed 2nd in the (TN) State Championship, setting the stage for future teams to come. And the Riverside Trojans were widely recognized for their 1968, 69 and 71 Basketball State Championships.
The Riverside Class of 1966, with a graduating class of 300+, are among leading and productive individuals, and not just in our city and country but also world-wide! Class members’ achievements include breaking color lines as elected officials and a Commissioner; we are Judges, Community leaders, Academicians, Ministers, Lawyers, Support Staffers, Hospital Administrators, Publishers, Medical Professionals, and an Academy Award winning actor, to name a few.
We are that first 3-year graduating class that established the character of Riverside High School! We are the Mighty TROJANS of the Class of 1966!
Additional reflections included Class Motto: I Am the Master of My Fate; I am the Captain of my Soul; Class Flower was carnation and class colors are gold and white and Riverside School Colors: BLUE and GOLD! 2023 Class Officers for Riverside Class of 1966 are President: Wilma McClure Brown; Vice President: Patricia Woods Suttle; Secretary: Breanda Seay Shelton; Treasurer: Dr. Sarah Edwards Broadnax; Assistant Treasurer/Historian: John L. Edwawrds, III; Business Manager: Louise Sadie Pruitt; Assistant Business Manager: Maude Green Hambright; Chaplain: Andrew Ragland.
Every year since 2013, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation has awarded $10,000 scholarships to outstanding students pursuing careers in health care.
“The BlueCross Power of We Scholarship is one way we’ve been working toward health equity,” says Ron Harris, vice president of corporate workforce diversity at BlueCross. “We are proud to support some of our state’s brightest students, and we hope they will use their unique insights and experiences to help deliver high-quality care for all Tennesseans.”
Emmanuella Ingabire acquired in-depth hospital experience at a very young age. She was born with a congenital heart disease called VSD (ventricular septal defect), commonly referred to as a “hole in the heart.”
Emmanuella Ingabire
Her family lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the life-saving surgery she needed wasn’t available. So, when she was eight months old, she and her mother immigrated to the U.S. for surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her father and two older sisters were able to join them two years later.
“I have no major health complications now and just have to see a cardiologist for regular check-ups,” Emmanuella says. “I was so young that I don’t have clear memories of having any problems. It was a lot harder on my family than it was on me. Like many immigrants, we had to start over completely when we arrived. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, my father had a bachelor’s degree in accounting, but it was not recognized here, so he went back to school. He now works as a senior accountant for a health care company. My mother got her degree here in health care administration and planning. She is now studying to be a surgical technician.”
Emmanuella’s family lived in Huntsville, Ala. for 8 years before moving to Nashville. At UTC, she is a member of the Go Global Club, which welcomes and shares housing with international students. When she’s not in school, she works as a nurse extern at a local Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) hospital.
“I like to be an open ear for patients and make that human connection,” Emmanuella says.
“I like to be an open ear for patients and make that human connection,” Emmanuella says.
“If I can make that emotional connection with them, it lifts their spirits and allows them to not remain focused on their physical state. They are always so appreciative of the smallest acts of kindness. I find that inspiring.”
After nursing school, Emmanuella plans to work for a year or two before entering graduate school.
“I don’t know exactly what my path will be in terms of graduate degree or specialty,” she says. “I do know that I want to be the resource for those with limited resources, the voice for the voiceless and represent communities that are marginalized and often overlooked. Being awarded the Power of We Scholarship allows me to have a laser focus on academics for the remaining semesters of nursing school and become the best nurse that I can be.”
Destini plans to earn her bachelor’s in psychology, then pursue a master’s in mental health , with the ultimate goal of becoming a clinical mental health counselor.
Destini Givens, Senior, Psychology, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Destini Givens
“I want to pursue a career in mental health because of my personal experience with it,” Destini says. “I was in a house fire as a child, which led to me developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I saw several counselors, but never felt understood or completely seen. In mental health, having someone who can relate to you can literally save lives. That’s why it is important to have minorities in the field.”
A native of Danville, Ill., Destini moved to Chattanooga when she was 13 years old. She attended Ooltewah High School and received her associate’s degree from Chattanooga State through the Tennessee Promise Program. Now at UTC, Destini is on the dean’s list and has been accepted into the psychology honor society.
“So many people are suffering from mental health issues but don’t have access to care,” Destini says. “People we see every day, in the grocery store or wherever we go, are struggling. Society doesn’t see mental health as important as physical health. If someone has a broken leg, they are taken to the hospital, but if someone’s walking around with a severe mental health disorder, we don’t do the same. I want to push for accessibility, for representation and overall care for everyone.”
Destini plans to earn her bachelor’s in psychology, then pursue a master’s in mental health , with the ultimate goal of becoming a clinical mental health counselor.
“Because I work full time, I feel like I am moving slower than some of my peers,” Destini says. “The Power of We Scholarship will help pay for my schooling so I can move closer to achieving my goals.”
And she’s already thinking of ways she’ll use her education to make a difference.
“I want to be a resource for communities that don’t have access to mental health resources,” she continues. “As a counselor, I want to sit across from a young girl just like I was and see and hear her for who she is. Many people run into roadblocks in getting care, whether it’s being a minority, being underprivileged, not having access. I want to clear the path and remove those roadblocks for people.”
Kendrick Cox, Senior, Nursing, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Kendrick Cox
Kendrick Cox has spent a lot of time in hospitals, but it hasn’t been for work or education.
“My grandmother died of heart failure, and my dad has several conditions, including stage 2 kidney disease and heart failure,” Kendrick says. “When Covid-19 hit, all of us got it, but my dad had a severe case. He was in the hospital for months. He was unable to work for almost a year. Through those experiences, I found my calling to be a nurse. I was inspired by the compassion and care the nursing staff brought to their patients and their families. Hospitals aren’t fun places to be, but nurses can make someone’s day.”
Kendrick is working part time at CHI Memorial in Chattanooga as a nurse tech on the urology floor. He also works at an area restaurant. “I’ve been at the restaurant for 5 years, so the people there have become family to me,” Kendrick says. “But I love working in the hospital.
It’s about helping people in need. It can get rough when there are limits to how much you can help. At those times, I just tell myself, ‘This is someone’s grandpa, brother or mom.’ That helps me deliver the best possible care.”
While attending UTC, Kendrick lives at home in nearby Cleveland to save money. He is a first-generation college student.
“My father got his GED but never attended college,” he says. “He is a selfless man who took it upon himself to raise my sister and me alone. He has worked so hard to create a better life for us. When I found out about the Power of We Scholarship, I woke him up, we hugged and just had a moment.”
For Kendrick, the scholarship will help relieve some of the financial burden of school.
“Nursing school is expensive, with many books, fees, and lab differentials. The nursing program is also very rigorous, so I haven’t been able to work as much as I have in the past. The Power of We Scholarship will reduce the financial stress and allow me to focus on pursuing my nursing degree.”
Washington — President Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to Paris Davis, a retired U.S. Army colonel and one of the first Black officers in the Green Berets, for heroism during the Vietnam War nearly 60 years ago, honoring his service at a White House ceremony in March earlier this year.
“This may be the most consequential day since I’ve been president,” the president said. “This is an incredible man.”
Davis saved the lives of his troops on the battlefield in Vietnam and ignored an order to evacuate until all of his teammates were extracted from intense fighting in 1965. His nomination for the nation’s highest combat decoration mysteriously vanished twice at the height of the civil rights movement. Mr. Biden recounted his heroics before bestowing the Medal of Honor.
Davis, then a captain, led an inexperienced South Vietnamese force and several other Americans on a nighttime raid against a larger Viet Cong force near Bong Son in June 1965. While returning, the enemy troops staged a counterattack before dawn.
“Within minutes, the jungle lit up with enemy fire. Hundreds of Viet Cong began to swarm Capt. Davis and his team, pinning them down in a rice paddy with no cover,” Mr. Biden said. “Capt. Davis rallied his team to fight back, getting so close to the enemy he was battling them hand to hand.”
After hours of fighting, Davis realized two of his fellow Americans were injured. One sergeant was in the rice paddy, and a weapons specialist was knocked out in a cesspit. A medic had also been shot in the head.
“Capt. Davis realized he was the last American standing. Without hesitation, he yelled, ‘I’m coming for you. I’m coming for you,'” Mr. Biden said.
Davis returned down a hill to rescue the men multiple times, even after being shot in the leg. He refused medical evacuation when reinforcements arrived, and returned to save a teammate who was wounded in the initial counterattack. He only left the scene once all members of his company had reached safety.
His commanding officer, Billy Cole, later nominated him for the Medal of Honor. But then the paperwork mysteriously vanished. A 1969 military review “did not reveal any file” on Davis.
The president acknowledged the delay in his receiving the Medal of Honor: “I wish I could say this story of Paris’ sacrifice on that day in 1965 was fully recognized and rewarded immediately. But sadly we know they weren’t.”
Davis and those who advocated for him suspect race was a factor.
“And I think that’s a shame,” Regan Davis Hopper, his daughter, told CBS News’ Catherine Herridge ahead of Friday’s ceremony. “Discrimination hurts us all, not just the individual, but our entire country. So, I’m so proud of us to finally set this right.”
“My family hopes that in some small way it could just help us all heal some of the divisions in this country,” she said.
It took the work of a diverse group of volunteers, many who didn’t know Davis but worked to revive his case.
The nomination was recommended by senior defense officials and ultimately approved by Mr. Biden, who called Davis last month to tell him he would receive the Medal of Honor “for his remarkable heroism during the Vietnam War,” according to a White House statement.
“The call today from President Biden prompted a wave of memories of the men and women I served with in Vietnam — from the members of 5th Special Forces Group and other U.S. military units to the doctors and nurses who cared for our wounded,” Davis said in a statement released by him and his family last month.
“I am so very grateful for my family and friends within the military and elsewhere who kept alive the story of A-team, A-321 at Camp Bong Son,” he said. “I think often of those fateful 19 hours on June 18, 1965 and what our team did to make sure we left no man behind on that battlefield.”
With the award, Davis receives a new pension backdated to 1965. He will now be one of just 65 living Medal of Honor recipients, and said he shares it with his special forces soldiers.
“All the other soldiers that you’ve been working with and fighting with, somehow they need to touch that medal. You know, it ain’t all yours,” he said. “It’s for America, too.”
BACK STORY – CBS News Feb 2023: Black Vietnam veteran’s nearly 60-year wait for Medal of Honor is over
Davis’ story, about how his Medal of Honor paperwork mysteriously vanished in 1965, at the height of the civil rights movement, first aired on “CBS Mornings” two years ago.
Military historian Doug Sterner, who served two tours in Vietnam and has written 108 books on service medals, said the Davis case is unique.
“This is a veteran, a war hero, who was submitted for our nation’s highest honor, and the paperwork for that award was actually lost. The military is redundant in paperwork, if nothing else. And so it’s very rare for that to occur,” Sterner explained.
Davis gave his only television interview to “CBS Mornings” about the renewed effort for recognition for him that had been undertaken by a group of volunteers, including a number of veterans. Team members and Davis told CBS News they believed race was a factor in the disappearance of Davis’ Medal of Honor paperwork.
One of the first Black officers to be part of the Army’s Special Forces, Davis’ courage and valor earned him the respect of his soldiers in Vietnam, and a nomination for the award.
In June 1965, Davis, then an Army captain, led a nearly 19-hour raid northeast of Saigon.
“We were stacking bodies the way you do canned goods in a grocery store,” Davis recalled in his interview with CBS News.
Though he’d been hit by a grenade and gunfire, Davis would not leave behind Americans Billy Waugh and Robert Brown. Both were gravely injured — and Brown had been shot in the head, Davis said.
Davis said he was twice ordered to leave, but according to an interview he gave in 1969 to then-local TV host Phil Donahue, he responded to his commanding officer, “Sir, I’m just not going to leave. I still have an American out there.”
In April 2021, in a rare interview, the sole surviving witness to Davis’ actions, 91-year-old Billy Waugh, described to CBS News how he had been shot multiple times in the legs and was unable to walk.
“We ended up in an open area together,” Waugh said. “He (Davis) grabbed me, and he (dragged) me.”
Waugh, who went on to have a storied career in both the Special Forces and the CIA, said he submitted Medal of Honor paperwork for Davis and heard that it was making its way through the system. Davis’ commander, Billy Cole, also recommended Davis for the medal.
But Davis never received the award — his file disappeared in Vietnam that same year. A 1969 military review “did not reveal any file on Davis,” according to the Defense Department.
Neil Thorne was part of the volunteer team that pieced together the Medal of Honor paperwork through archival searches and the Freedom of Information Act.
“Everybody I’ve talked to that served under him (Davis) says that he’s the best officer they’ve ever served under,” he said.
Thorne agreed with Sterner that the loss or destruction of Medal of Honor paperwork is “very uncommon,” adding that “there would’ve been multiple copies.”
In 1969, after a military hearing into the status of the Davis Medal of Honor nomination, the Army was ordered to submit a new packet “ASAP” for Davis, but for a second time, there was no evidence that a Medal of Honor file was created.
In 1981, with no award for Davis, Waugh said he wrote a personal statement. “I wanted to redo it, to see why it hadn’t gone,” he said.
Waugh, whom Davis carried to safety, wrote in a 1981 statement, “I only have to close my eyes to vividly recall the gallantry of this individual.”
Over the years Davis’ fellow soldiers also lobbied Congress. But each time, the process stalled.
“I know race was a factor,” Davis told CBS — a factor he says he experienced during his 23 years in the Army. Davis said he recalled telling troops, “you can call me Capt. Davis … but you can’t call me a n*****.” But “it did happen,” Davis said.
Only 8% of Medal of Honor recipients for Vietnam are Black.
An expedited review of Davis’ nomination was due in 2021 for Davis who is now nearing his 86th birthday and was hospitalized multiple times in 2022 for injuries related to his Vietnam service. CBS News’ reporting revealed bureaucratic delays and unnecessary stumbling blocks that further delayed the award for Davis.
The packet was previously signed by then-Secretary of the Army Mark Esper, and more recently by the current secretary of the Army, Christine Wormuth. In late December, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed off, with the paperwork sent to the White House for final approval by Mr. Biden.
Davis and his family also acknowledged senior military leadership and the team of volunteers, many of them veterans. “Our family appreciates the volunteer team that advocated for us through the years,” their statement said, and went on to thank the president and current and former Defense Department officials.(BY CATHERINE HERRIDGE – UPDATED FEBRUARY 14, 2023-CBS NEWS)
The Greater Tucker Missionary Baptist Church will celebrate the Ninth Pastoral Anniversary of Pastor Gary L. and Sister Cathy Hathaway on Sunday, September 24, at 10:45am.
Pastor Ternae Jordan, Jr, Mt Canaan Baptist Church, will be our guest speaker at the 10:45 morning worship service.
Pastor Todd Lansden and Antioch Missionary Baptist Church will be our guest speaker for the 3:00pm service.
Everyone is welcome to attend as we give praises to GOD and celebrate Pastor Gary and Sister Cathy Hathaway.
The church is located at 1115 North Moore Road, Chattanooga, 37411.
On November 4th, on top of hosting the Salute to Heroes Tailgate before the Furman vs. Chattanooga (Nov 4, 2023) game, we will be joining the infield activities with a memorable full-field American Flag experience!
We are needing 40+ students, staff, & faculty to help us with the Full Field American Flag experience.
If you are interested in being part of fun, please RSVP on Moc Sync by October 12th! If you are not a student/staff member or would rather RSVP via email, please feel free to RSVP as a reply to this email or to VMA@UTC.EDU. We will send reminders and follow-ups as the time grows closer and more information about the logistics of the America Flag experience.
Feel Free To Forward This Email to All Who May Be Interested Military-Connected Members! Additional communications about the UTC VMA Tailgating Experience will be sent at a later time.
At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (Tax ID/EIN: 620476521), the college experience for veteran and active-duty students is far from traditional, as we offer the tools to ease the transition processes each member experiences as related to social and educational programs, unique study spaces, guidance, and counseling. Each area of transitional support at UTC assists the student and community member’s idea of success whether towards a chosen degree program or as a volunteer in the community. Within UTC’s Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA), we regularly offer programs and events to the UTC community that offer increased awareness of the unique student veterans needs and vow to provide the best possible support services to all military connected members.
This year’s Annual UTC Holiday 4 Heroes Series features:
The UTC Military Appreciation Game Tailgate (Salute to Heroes 2023 Series in partnership with UTC Athletics 11/4/23)
Veterans Day Food Trucks on Campus (11/9/23)
Thanksgiving Drive-Thru Meals and Food Drop (11/16/23)
Christmas on Campus (12/1/23)
The events and programming provided have increased awareness, engagement, and assist in closing barriers faced by the military-connected student population. New for 2023, we are trying to not only provide warm meals and prizes to many of the armed forces (veterans, military, families) that may be away from home but also bring in an essence of home into what they now recognize as their new norm as a military-connected student. Many of our student veteran population are commuters and are experiencing military to civilian transition-related issues and concerns. Recent inflation issues have added to these stressors. It is our hope to pull enough support starting with our Military Appreciation Game on November 4th and provide these hard-working families a chance to feel more at home by providing donated holiday favors (in-kind donations), in-kind prizes, gift cards, and/or vouchers for use in the Holiday 4 Heroes Series. During our Military Appreciation Tailgate we will be giving away 200+ Limited Edition Hoodies and Thanksgiving, we plan to be able to provide a Turkey drive-thru which we are seeking support to provide up to 50+ Turkey vouchers/gift cards!
A new initiative for 2023, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA), understands that the holiday time is a sensitive time frame for many of the armed forces and military organizations we work with. Hopefully, through the generous donations from our partners and sponsors, UTC Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA) will host Veteran and Military Holiday Celebration for National Veterans and Military Families Month to include Military Appreciation Tailgates, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. As part of National Veterans and Military Families Month, with your support, Military Service Members, Veterans, and their families will receive support for Thanksgiving staples (Turkey, stuffing, etc.) and/or gift card/food voucher donations that can be either issued during our Holiday 4 Heroes Series starting as early as November 16th, 2023. Our estimated attendance is over 200 military-connected members, and the demographic make-ups of the participants will be extremely diverse to include female, male, dependents, spouses, active duty, veterans, and ROTC Cadets.
Please feel free to contact me at (423) 425-2388 or Sylvana-Matthews@UTC.EDU if you have questions, requesting partnership, making prize donations, or need additional information. If I can be of any further assistance, or provide you with any further information, please do not hesitate to reach out. If choosing to donate with a monetary value, we ask that you Give to The Veteran And Military Affairs Fund Online using the link as follows. Veteran Student Services Fund
Coral Bailee Pettus (at podium), an eleventh-grade student from Ypsilanti, Michigan, bravely shared her story of living with sickle cell disease. Table panelists include, from right: WRCB 3 News Anchor, LaTrice Currie; Coach Rosie, NCBW; Dr. Megan Coylewright; and Gloria McKeldin, NCBW. (Photo: Camm Ashford)
The National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW) Chattanooga Chapter, Incorporated, hosted its “Mind, Body, and Soul” health symposium last weekend.
The event focused on sickle cell anemia awareness, women and heart disease, and mental health. A panel of experts discussed the latest information on these important health topics, and Blood Assurance offered sickle cell trait testing to individuals on-site.
Chicago was one of the most important sites of Black relocation.
According to its byline, the Chicago Defender, founded in May 1905 by Robert S. Abbott out of his landlord’s kitchen with an initial run of 300 copies and an investment of twenty-five cents, was one of the most influential Black newspapers in the world!
In its pages, Abbott actively promoted Black migration to Chicago, publishing accounts of the all too familiar racial atrocities Blacks faced in the South.
In 1910 the paper acquired its first full-time paid employee, J. Hockley Smiley, who was instrumental in helping
The Chicago Defender to attract a national audience and address issues of national scope (PBS). Perhaps the claim to world supremacy was exaggerated; nonetheless, the Chicago Defender was so influential White Southerners barred its official distribution, leaving Pullman Porters to facilitate its surreptitious distribution throughout the South. The Defender, like the Afro-American, was the voice of the migration and the source of hope for many who sought assistance in finding work, accommodation, and relatives should they move to the city. In this period, there were approximately fifty Black-owned newspapers in the country including the Los Angeles Sentinel, the Atlanta Daily World, the New York Amsterdam News, the Pittsburgh Courier, and the Norfolk Journal and Guide, with origin stories similar to that of The Chicago Defender. These weekly publications also served to acculturate new residents from the South. They supported the cultivation of Black communal identity across time and space.
I failed to heed this advice from a friend: “Don’t mess with political discussions in the family,” and learned the hard way what can happen when wise counsel collides with actual experience. Without doubt, you’ve probably read your share of articles telling you to stay away from talking politics in the workplace and around the dinner table.
You see, what should have been an uneventful ride to the airport turned out to be anything but. The culprit? Politics or, more to the point, disagreement between the two of us on our firm political positions.
Now having gotten clues in his earlier comments about politics, I knew full well that the two us were definitely on opposite ends of the political spectrum but figured that our ride to the airport provided an opportunity to understand our rationales. Okay, I’ll admit that there’s a side of me – maybe just curiosity, maybe just the human – that wants to mess with societal taboos. But thanks to my bone-headed beginning, this time it didn’t get off to a healthy start.
“So, tell me why anyone intelligent would vote for that corrupt candidate,” I asked after turning down the radio.
Oh, oh, mistake, too late; I let the proverbial “cat out of the bag.”
I immediately realized that my choice of the word “intelligent” was not so “intelligent” and he let me know that in no uncertain terms. From there things went south replete with back-and-forth interruptions as our positions hardened. When we finally pulled into the garage to return our rental, silence enveloped us and that was that; no resolution, no closure, no eye contact, no nothing.
On the flight home, I thought about that exchange and what it suggested about him, about me, about our “United” States of America and about the complexities inherent in attempts to talk to each other across political differences.
Look, there’s no doubt that we live in a highly charged political climate these days, where many see those on the opposite side as the “enemy.” And given that we’re in the middle of a testy race for President next year, is the solution not to talk about politics? How can you have a discussion about politics without it deteriorating into finger-pointing, arguments and alienation? Is the solution to edit what to say and not say?
And what do we lose when we don’t discuss thorny topics like politics for fear of being bludgeoned into submission and ostracized as hopelessly clueless? The answers are elusive, aren’t they?
So, who’s to blame for this present-day conundrum?
Well, I suppose one can point a finger to exploitive politicians and to a ratings hungry media for widening the divide. For example, research shows just how much the nation’s bitter political divide is causing splintering and taking a toll of relationships.
REPORT TH
A poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute, showed that 8 in 10 Republicans believe the Democratic Party has been taken over by socialists, while 8 in 10 Democrats believe the Republican Party has been taken over by racists. The report is aptly named titled “Dueling Realities.”
Tania Israel, a professor in the counseling, clinical and school psychology department at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said she’s seeing more of those kinds of distorted views in the workshops she runs on cross-the-aisle conversations. “The rancor is rising,” she said, “as both sides tend to view the other as being more extreme than they actually are.”
So, common sense and conventional wisdom has it that the best thing to do is not engage in highly charged political conversations, especially with friends and family. Perhaps.
But not so fast. Some say that it’s more conversations — not less — that’s needed if the nation is to heal its divide because, employing the recent words of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Jackson Brown at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, “…uncomfortable lessons are often the ones that teach us the most about ourselves.”
Advises “Lucille,” a local expert in leadership development, “if I enter these conversations, my rule of thumb is for all of us to demonstrate that we know a candidate’s platform. If they don’t and I do, it’s a wrap – we’re not on the same wavelength so it’s a moot point to go any further.”
“My advice is to test the waters before stepping into political conversations,” said “Barry” who recommends that you have a strategy to back out of the conversation if you must.
In the end, perhaps we’re better off questioning our true motivations before venturing into discussions with friends and family members who have political positions different from ours with this simple question – “is my motivation to understand or to change?”
If it’s to understand, try words to the effect, “I value our relationship and am genuinely interested in knowing about…..” (and avoid my knuckle headed beginning on that ride to that airport.)
But if your motivation is to change his/her political position, advises “Priscilla,” hell no, don’t go there!Terry Howard is an award-winning trainer, writer, and storyteller. He is a contributing writer with the Chattanooga News Chronicle, The American Diversity Report, The Douglas County Sentinel, Blackmarket.com, co-founder of the “26 Tiny Paint Brushes” writers guild, recipient of the 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award, and third place winner of the 2022 Georgia Press Award.
NASHVILLE–Tennessee House Minority Leader Karen Camper is slamming a letter sent by Rep. John Ragan to Tennessee’s U.S. Senators late last week. The letter encouraged the senators to support a ban on abortion care for military members and encourage Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blocking of approving the appointment of senior military members.
“I am shocked by the level of vitriol and carelessness for the men and women in uniform expressed in this letter,” said Camper. “As a woman, as a veteran, and as a member of this General Assembly for many years, I have seen harmful and dangerous political posturing, but this is beyond the pale.For Rep. Ragan to write a letter encouraging the federal government to not allow placement of career military officials, who have no role in politics, is reprehensible. Even Tuberville’s own leader, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, has said it is wrong and a mistake!”
Tuberville has held up the appointment process for nearly nine months because he disagrees with the current abortion policy at the Pentagon. Defense officials and officeholders on both sides of the aisle have repeatedly told Tuberville this is a harmful move and have asked him to lift the stay on appointments.
The draft of Ragan’s letter, dated September 11of this year (see attached), encourages Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty to support Tuberville in his obstinance and also asks the senators to remove “wokeness” from the military.
“I served my country in uniform for over two decades, just like Rep. Ragan. I know that we had widely different experiences in our careers, just as we have had different experiences in life,” said Camper. “But for a state lawmaker to try to insert his personal beliefs into the policies implemented by the Pentagon is outrageous. His opinion on women’s healthcare and the health and rights of Americans in uniform does not set policy. As a former officer, Rep. Ragan needs to respect the chain of command and honor the decisions made by our military leadership. He doesn’t want women to travel to other states for abortion care? Well, if conservative state legislatures around the country had not declared war on women’s rights and tried to make women out to be second class citizens, we would not be in this predicament. It is insulting to say that soldiers can give their lives for their country but cannot make their own healthcare decisions. Again, this is totally outrageous.”
It has been reported that Tuberville, a first-term senator from Alabama with no military experience, received a letter from seven former Secretaries of Defense saying that he was putting the nation’s security and military readiness at risk. The Marine Corps Commandant position—a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—is vacant for the first time since the Civil War. Nearly 300 other positions have not be filled or promoted since Tuberville began his protest. “Our military is at an all-time low level for recruitment. Our young people are not choosing the military as a career. It has nothing to do with ‘wokeness.’ This is a blanket term that my colleagues on the right use way too frequently to trivialize issues with which they disagree. We just finished a twenty-year war and this letter was written on the anniversary of the most horrific attack on America ever. Officeholders who hold the beliefs set forth in this letter are the reasons Americans feel that they are not supported or respected when they enlist. The people who take the oath to serve deserve respect, not derision.”
Roger Heard Jr., who lost his life in a fatal encounter with Chattanooga Police Department, is shown with family members.
The parents and legal representatives of 34-year-old Roger Heard Jr., who lost his life in a fatal encounter with Chattanooga Police Department (CPD) officers on Aug. 11, have come forward to demand justice and transparency in a case that has shaken the community.
Local attorney McCracken Poston, along with Atlanta-based civil rights lawyers Jonathan Grunberg and Mark Begnaud, said in a statement, “Mr. Heard was pulling away from a gas pump at a crowded Speedway gas station on East 3rd Street in Chattanooga when an unmarked police car blocked his vehicle. A plainclothes police officer wearing a tactical belt got out and rushed him with a gun, and the officer’s claim that he was wearing a badge and identified himself has not been independently confirmed.
“The citizens of Chattanooga deserve to know if plainclothes officers in an unmarked police car charging into a crowded gas station with guns blazing is what the Chattanooga Police Department trains its officers to do. And they deserve to know if the job of a Chattanooga Police Department officer is to continue shooting a man who is already lying on the ground shot, wounded and with no weapon in hand.”
During a news conference held on the steps of City Hall in downtown Chattanooga late Wednesday morning, attorneys for Heard’s family vehemently argued that CPD officers acted recklessly and violated Mr. Heard’s constitutional rights.
The three attorneys assert that after Heard was shot, he was lying on the ground with his weapon far from his reach. Despite this, they claim that a Chattanooga officer fired multiple rounds into Heard, a move they describe as “overkill.” Moreover, they allege that the actions of the Chattanooga Police put at least 15 innocent bystanders at grave risk.
Attorney Grunberg emphasized the questionable circumstances of the incident, stating, “No lights flashing, no markings of a police car. And out of that car hops an officer, but that officer doesn’t have a uniform, he doesn’t have a tactical vest. He has a belt, and most importantly he has a gun.”
Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp characterized Heard as “a violent felon, a known drug dealer, and a gang member, serving time in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and has felony convictions out of Hamilton and Bradley Counties.”
Attorney Poston pushed back, underscoring the importance of recognizing Heard’s humanity. “We have a new prosecutor in town,” he said. “And she’s done a lot of good things in that office, but her remarks regarding this case were so quick, so blindly supportive of the law enforcement officers that she has worked with in the past. So I’m sure she has a lot of close personal relationships with them. This is something that I think should have waited. Those comments should have waited until the end of an independent investigation.”
He added, “There’s already been a lot said about the man killed, Mr. Heard. Much of it has been said by elected officials. With the exception of some thoughtful statements by Mayor (Tim) Kelly, most statements have been charged with code words that dehumanize Mr. Heard, who was a son and a father of five. But one thing that I haven’t Heard is this–Mr. Heard is no different than any of us here right now. All of us, that includes Mr. Heard, have constitutional rights. These rights include not to be shot and killed when you’re lying on the ground, wounded, and disarmed. When Mr. Heard was killed, that is not the justice that many in this community expect or demand.”
At times sobbing, Heard’s mother, Gloria Lewis, shared, “My son was a changed man and trying to provide for his kids and family. They took the joy out of my life. A lot of what he was doing was traveling, riding bikes, fixing cars, and reselling them. He wanted to enjoy life and ensure his kids were provided for.” The family and their legal representatives are now demanding the immediate release of unedited video footage, phone calls and messages from CPD leading up to the shooting. They also call for accountability within the department and transparency in the ongoing investigation.
