Americus Times Recorder caught lying on Marshall and Bryant

In a desperate attempt to help Randy Howard win the July 18 primary election, the publisher and chief editor of the local newspaper ran an article accusing Dr John Marshall and James L. Bryant, Jr. of tampering with voting machines.  Dr Marshall is a 13-year president of the Sumter County NAACP and James L Bryant, Jr., is an NAACP board member and a 2005 candidate for mayor. 

Both the Board of Elections of Sumter County and the Americus Times Recorder have been embroiled in heated debates with Marshall and Bryant.  "The elections superintendent, Sherry Ratliff, and the Times Recorder stopped debating with the truth and are now resorting to outright lies," says Marshall.  "We had to retain a lawyer to help fight the blatant lies that are beginning to emerge as Ratliff and the Times Recorder's publisher and editor are using in their vicious attacks."

The Times Recorder ran the article just before the July 28, primary which made Bryant and Marshall ask Sherry Ratliff for the official complaint as they could not rely on what was written in the newspaper.  Ratliff refused, claiming that it was confidential and under investigation by the secretary of state's office.  So, Marshall's attorney asked Sumter County attorney Paul Farr for the complaint.  Instead of giving the documents up, he went to Judge George Peagler and obtained a restraining order to keep Marshall and Bryant from doing anything to get the documents.  Attorney Maurice L King of Albany who represented Marshall and Bryant was baffled that Paul Farr would make such a move over something as simple as a complaint against his clients. 

Judge Peagler scheduled a hearing for September 8 to deal with the dispute.  Attorney King subpoenaed William Bronson, publisher of the Americus Times Recorder and Beth Alston, the editor.  They balked at the notion of having to go to court to explain how they could print a confidential item on Marshall and Bryant.  Bronson retained a lawyer from Augusta to quash the subpoena. On the day of the hearing the case was resolved and the documents were given up. 

Our citizens do not come to the Board of Elections to see how Sherry Ratliff runs the elections in Sumter County.  She acts without consulting the board until she is in a legal tangle and needs to use them to get out of it.  The board had to give Marshall and Bryant the complaints because the law clearly states that it is criminal to withhold open records documents as Ratliff did.  She even dragged the board members to a called meeting to vote to not give up the complaint.  Elections board member David Hunter was the only one to vote the right way.

Hopefully, the elections board has learned a costly lesson.  Sherry Ratliff is the elections board and the members are just there to rubber stamp her partisan and racists political acts.  We hope the citizens of Sumter County understand that our rights as voters and candidates are virtually taken away by one woman on a mission. She terrorizes Black candidates who run for a citywide or countywide office. She involved Nelson Brown for Sheriff in a situation where he and some of his supporters were accused of elections violations.  Then she accused James Bryant of wrongdoing while completely ignoring the same alleged wrongdoing of Magnolia Manor Nursing Home employees.  Then she came with an attempt to ensnare Dr Marshall and James Bryant in the last primary.  Sherry Ratliff will not stop her shameless racist control of Sumter elections until our citizens demand that the board terminate her.  We notice the Times Recorder has never said one thing about Ratliff's behavior; but they can ride Marshall, Bryant, Matt Wright and many other Black citizens who dare to run for office or speak up for Black people.

There is a silence from the White community when it comes to questionable behavior of Whites in positions of control and power such as the school system, Sumter Regional Hospital, county commissioners, and the Board of Elections.  Our newspaper is the lone voice crying out to the citizenry to not ignore obvious racist and unfair attacks on so many Blacks in our community.  Maybe the embarrassing move by Sherry Ratliff, Paul Farr, William Bronson, Beth Alston, and Randy Howard to criminalize Marshall and Bryant will awaken our decent and fair-minded citizens to say enough is enough.  In the meantime, this newspaper will continue to make the clarion call for a righteous government and fairness for all of Sumter Countians. 

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Blacks are melting in the melting pot

By James Clingman

-Guest Columnist-

What will it take for Black people to stand up against centuries of unfairness and mistreatment? I know we’re tough and can take a lot of abuse, but we don’t have to continue proving our toughness by submitting to, and even participating in, the destruction of our own people. Where is Chancellor Williams when we need him most? Have we not been hurt severely enough? Are we still waiting for the crucial blow that will finally make us fight back? The longer we wait, the less effective we become, and the smaller and more insignificant we become, as well.

This melting pot thing has definitely played us for chumps. Every other group is doing its thing by building wealth for themselves. Black people are busy melting away, soon to become invisible and a “non-people” as Albert Cleage told us we would become if we continued down the yellow brick road of social integration without an economic foundation.

We are engaged in silly discussions about Democrats and Republicans, as if we have any say in what happens politically in this country, and as if the rulers of these parties care about what we think. They put us in political trick bags by inviting us to their parties and allowing us to run for office only after we have pledged allegiance to one party or the other. Some of our Black politicians are so scared of offending their White handlers that they never put forth any agenda that is pro-Black. In some cases, they are even ashamed to be Black. They seek our votes and move into their plush secure political offices, while we melt away in a society that has two things on its mind: money and power.

The silly Black electorate goes along with these do-nothing politicians, both Black and White, by falling into the trap of endless and mindless dialogues about issues that mean absolutely nothing when it comes to the economic wellbeing of Black people. We engage in highbrow political conversations, as if our rhetoric will change things. We wrap ourselves in the agendas of others and subvert our own interests for the silliest and flimsiest of reasons.

For instance, in Ohio the discussion is now centered on the governor’s race. Like our neighbors in Pennsylvania, we are faced with a political choice between a Black Republican and a White Democrat, the Blacks being Ken Blackwell and Lynn Swann, respectively. I can’t imagine what the rationale is in Pennsylvania for electing Lynn Swann, who said George Bush is the “most qualified and most credible candidate to fulfill the role as president of the United States.” But in my hometown of Cincinnati, the rationale being promulgated in support of Mr. Blackwell is, “Let’s make history.” That’s what they said about Doug Wilder. How are you Black folks in Virginia doing these days? Black people should have had enough of just “making history” by now; Condoleezza made history, but what have we gotten from that?

Another silly political platform is gay marriage. What in the world does this issue have to do with the economic uplift of Black people? Nothing. But we will vote for someone simply because they espouse a Constitutional amendment that defines marriage.

Newsflash! To all of you Black Right-wing, religious zealots; all of you empty-headed political pundits; and especially you wannabe political office-holders, the marriage amendment has already been written, passed and instituted by God a long time ago. He sanctioned the first marriage and His word does not change; He does not need help from George Bush, Bill Frist or anyone else with defining what constitutes a marriage. The arrogance of those who promote this amendment nonsense amazes me. Although most of us know it’s only a diversion and an attempt to regain the Republican base, we fall for it anyway.

The immigration issue has been reduced to discussions about Black people disliking Latinos. How silly is that? This issue is about Black people loving ourselves enough to stand up for our own rights, which have been trampled, not only by the Establishment, but by other groups that have come to this country. They walk on the legacy left by our relatives who suffered and died to get their “rights,” as we silently do our best Stepin Fetchit impression and move to the end of the line, once again.

Black folks cannot allow these shallow-minded, unconscious, conniving, political hacks and “misleaders” to cause the destruction of the Black race. We have made mistakes by trying to assimilate, by trying to make others love us and by buying into the minority game. We are suffering the consequences of silly political slogans and disingenuous politicians who want to be Black only when it comes to getting the Black vote. When are Black folks going to control our game? Right now, we are out of control and melting away fast in this melting pot called the United States. The sad part is that there are other Blacks aiding in that process and we cannot allow them to get away with it.

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CAST THE FIRST STONE

Gladys Kitchen

By: James L. Bryant, Jr.

For those of you who do not know, the owners of Gladys Kitchen recently made a decision to remove the Americus Sumter Observer newspaper rack from their restaurant. According to unnamed sources, this removal was done because a "prominent" white man told them Dr. Marshall's newspaper was causing a major disturbance. And the idea that Gladys and crew would follow this demand is totally ridiculous and almost unbelievable!

As an independent business owner, I can certainly understand Gladys Kitchen's right to do whatever they think would be in the best interest of their restaurant, but this decision is very troublesome and could lead to a loss in business! The truth of the matter is all she had to do was tell the "prominent white man" that nobody requires that he buy, read, or even look at the newspaper. All he needed to do is come in the restaurant, decide whether he wants baked or fried chicken, tea or lemonade, eat his food, and go home.

Doesn't Gladys understand that today they will tell her "remove Dr. Marshall's newspaper rack, but tomorrow they might tell her to do something else such as tell them black people about to be served to move to the back of the line until we get our food or worse."

My question is what kind of evil person would pressure such nice people like Gladys and family to remove a newspaper that seeks to tell the truth and expose the wrongdoings in this community? It must be someone who this newspaper has exposed. Could it be Attorney Bill Murray, a wolf in sheep's clothing? Maybe it was Sumter Regional Hospital's half a million dollar duo of David Seagraves and Steve Machen? I surely hope it wasn't one of the bankers like Rick Whaley or Mayor Barry Blount because it is extortion to pressure clients who have loans with your bank to do political favors. But whoever it is that did it need to be exposed and if it wasn't one of these men, then I encourage everyone to ask Gladys and find out.

I am sure that Gladys Kitchen realizes that many of her customers are white and if she had to depend solely on black customers she would be out of business. I don't know whether or not the Americus Times Recorder or Thomas Holloway's Sumter News is in front of Gladys Kitchen or not, but I am definitely offended by the majority of the  news in those papers. Now will Gladys be fair and not patronize businesses that have those newspapers in front of their stores? Probably not.

Much as I love that butter roll, I'm sorry Gladys, but until the Americus Sumter Observer newspaper rack is back in front of your building or you tell us who pressured you to remove the rack, I won't be eating at Gladys Kitchen anymore. Remember Gladys Kitchen the next time you decide to let someone pressure you to stop spreading the truth through our newspaper, he that is without sin, let him cast the first stone!