Jim Nelson on Brunswick protest:

From the Desk of Jim Nelson

I was asked to comment about the protest in Brunswick, and the comments by the head of the Republican Party who asked them not to do it. His statement is un-American. The 1st Amendment give us the right to speak out, but we also have a obligation to speak. We should never remain silent. Silence puts not only our soldiers in the field, but our entire system of Democracy in danger. We need to have open, public debate about our occupation of Iraq. The greatest threat to our freedom as a nation is to remain silent.

I applaud those who stood outside my opponent's office on both sides. That is what makes this nation great. If more people had stood up and demanded they be heard before going to war, we may not have gone, or we may at least have gone with a plan of what to do once the war ended. This is a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people. The people NEED to be heard.

This is from a post on Rev. Nelson's blog: see blogroll at right.

Open dissent in Glynn County?

That's right, folks. Despite the efforts of the Republican Party chair, Kevin Gough, there was an anti-war demonstration on Gloucester St. yesterday. Of course, there was also a pro-war demonstration, but at least the issue is being covered by the local media. I was disappointed that the pro-war side seemed to be favored in the coverage, but I wasn't surprised.

Glynn County GOP declares protest un-American

Kevin Gough, Glynn County Republican chair has asked Glynn Peace to call off a small protest outside Jack Kinston's Brunswick Office, according to this article in The Brunswick News. Said protest is to be held from noon to 1:30 PM tomorrow outside the federal building on Gloucester Street. The local GOP is threatening a counter-demonstration, calling the plans of GlynnPeace "un-American." Thanks for the free publicity, guys!

Update: Andre over at Georgia Politics Unfiltered picked this up, too: Protesting is un American Now?

Open thread 'cause I'm pooped

I'm tired and overwhelmed right now, so I'm trying the whole open thread thing.

Here are my thougths for today:
Brunswick Mayor Bryan Thompson rocks! I've always known he would be effective, and now the rest of the city knows!

I'm probably voting for Greg Hecht in the runoff. AJC's Political Insider posted a letter in which he explains the mailers. It's still basically "He did it first," but I get it now.

Sorry I don't have links to the appropriate articles, but I've got too much else to do.

My stupid computer doesn't seem to want to update any of my TV shows to my ipod. Its updating video podcasts, but no other videos. I want my Lazy Sunday! Any suggestions?

Why won't my students listen the first time?


Okay, y'all, what's on yer minds?

Jungle Book is terrific fun!

Several of my students and I went to see the Island Players' Young People's Summer Workshop production of Disney's The Jungle Book Kids last night at Island Players' downtown Brunswick theatre (not the Ritz!). It was a terrific show. The set was really quite stunning, and the kids did a wonderful job. Stone Estok was especially menacing as the tiger, Shere Khan. The show runs for another week, so I encourage everyone to go and spend an hour in the jungle with Mowgli and the animals.

What's left of the Nelson tour

Reverend Jim Nelson is calling on you!
Day 3: July 21, 2006
9:30 a.m. Nelson Team Arrive Lakeland Lanier County Courthouse
10:45 a.m. Nelson Team Arrive Adel Union Park Road Veterans Memorial
11:45 a.m. Nelson Team Arrive Nashville Berrien County Courthouse
1:15 p.m. Nelson Team Arrive Pearson Atkinson County Courthouse
2:45 p.m. Nelson Team Arrive Alma Bacon County Courthouse
4:00 p.m. Nelson Team Arrive Douglas Coffee County Courthouse
Day 4: July 22, 2006
11:00 a.m. Nelson Team Arrive Helena Helena Community Center
11:45 a.m. Nelson Team Arrive Alamo Wheeler County Courthouse
1:00 p.m. Nelson Team Arrive Hazlehurst Jeff Davis County Courthouse
2:00 p.m. Nelson Team Arrive Baxley Appling County Courthouse
3:15 p.m. Nelson Team Arrive Jesup Wayne County Courthouse
5:15 p.m. Nelson Team Arrive Pembroke Bryan County Courthouse
It doesn't look like I'm going to make any of these, but I hope some of you can!

The Reverend made the front page!

Check out the front page of the online version of The Brunswick News. Jann looks happy, and Tom's "term limit Kingston" sign is prominent. The article claims the total attendance was 10, but Jann estimated a little higher. The point is: they covered it! Rev. Nelson also got a better quote in. Kingston's pledged to keep doing what he's been doing. I doubt the "more of the same" appeal with work with most voters.

In Case You Missed It (like I did)

I was not able to get away from the office yesterday to show my support in person for Jim Nelson, but Patrick Armstrong was, and he took pictures! Check out his post covering Nelson's Glynn County campaign stop.
Reverend Nelson really is great. There is a link to his website on the right. I encourage you to check that out, too. It's time for a change in Washington!

Vote! Vote! Vote!

Tomorrow is the primary, and we must all vote! I am frustrated that I will have so little say in my local elections, since most are decided in Republican primaries and I vote Democrat. Still, my voice will be heard in state- and district- wide races. I've been a Greg Hecht supporter since he came here months ago, but his latest shenanigans are making me wonder. I don't know if a win-at-all-costs attitude is ever really appropriate, but it seems even more foolish during a primary campaign. There's nothing wrong with pointing out your opponent's shortcomings, but the mailers sent out by the Hecht campaign really are misleading. Should Jim Martin have done a better job at DFACS? Sure, but the incendiary language of the Hecht mailer goes too far. Democrats need to offer an alternative to the Rove-like politicking of the right, not more of the same. Honestly, I'd like to find some middle ground. It seems that we're either just as bad as the GOP, or too principled to win, like Rev. Nelson. It shouldn't be about how much money you raise, but it often is.
Here's what my ballot will probably look like:
Gov: Taylor (although I wish he'd shaved before the debate)
Lt. Gov: Hecht or Martin (can't believe Greg might lose my vote)
SOS: Holcomb or Ray (I only know I can't stand Darryl Hicks)
Sup of Schools: Majette (it'd be nice if she'd try)
1st district Congress: Nelson (I wish I had $$$ to give him)

What about y'all? Has anything changed your mind recently? Did you vote early? Are you regretting it? Are you wondering if we'll even make it to November, with all the insanity in the middle east?

Jim Nelson needs our help!

Not only does he have a pathetic excuse for a blog, his fundraising is sad. While Kingston has almost a million cash on hand, Nelson has a few thousand. The two may very well be related, but I wonder, since my blog was free and it looks much better than Rev. Nelson's. Even though he's unopposed in the primary, Rev. Nelson desperately needs your vote on Tuesday. If he can get more votes in the democratic primary than Kingston gets in the republican one, more statewide and nationwide party dollars should end up in his coffers. There are other great reasons to vote on Tuesday, mainly the straw poll. Sure, it has no official impact, but we should all make our opinions known on the issues raised. Please don't let the negative campaigning in the Governor and Lt. Governor races turn you off. Vote in the democratic primary. Let's prove that Glynn County is bluer than they think!

Funny and Sad at the same time . . .

Did you hear the one about the guy who took an Onion article seriously? I kid you not. Actually, you probably did hear about it, because it is burning up the 'net. My jaw is still on the floor.

Update: Could this potentially be a ploy to divert us from some real threat? I've spent quite a bit of time today marvelling at this "Pete" from March Together for Life. Judging by the hundreds of comments on his blog and the many links to it from other blogs, it would seem that many bloggers are finding themselves mesmerized by this story. What could they be up to? I urge all Americans to be extra vigilant. There's a good chance that the Religious Wrong are, at this very moment, launching a major offensive. Stay strong!

Update #2: The idiot is now proclaiming that his post was a joke. Unfortunately for him, we all know who can't take a joke. He's moved on to other things, like attacking stem cell research. I suppose we must all move on, too. After all, there's a primary on the 18th!

Firehouse Grill has good catfish

The Coastal Empire DFA meeting last night was kind of a wash out. A third of our membership was absent, apparently discouraged by the storm. I didn't mind though, because the catfish was delicious! We must all patronize The Firehouse Grill often, not just to thank the proprietor for his hospitality toward the Democratic Party, but also because the food is awesome! For just over six bucks, I got two scrumptious catfish filets, grits, greens, and a coke. Can't beat that with a stick. If you work in Downtown Brunswick, stop in for lunch.

Memphis Church reworks Lady Liberty

Check out this article in the New York Times
It must be seen to be believed.

Dissent is patriotic

I had a phone call yesterday from a fellow liberal living in East Tennessee. I wished her a happy Independence Day, but her response surprised me. She wondered how I could muster any patriotic feeling given the current state of things. I replied that I feel more patriotic because of the current administration. I can be proud to be an American and ashamed of the president. It is not unamerican to criticize the government. The very basis of our beautiful democracy is that we have both the right and the responsibility to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions. We must not be discouraged. We must continue to fight for the real America. Ours is a country of limitless possibilities. We need to continually remind our fellow citizens of the ideals that make us great. We are a nation of immigrants. We are a nation of idealists. We are a diverse nation. The men who signed the Declaration of Independence later gave us a Constitution, a great foundation on which to build. We must always remember the basic tenets on which our democracy is founded, while continually moving forward. Liberal and Progressive are both beautiful words.

Liquid Ginger at Summer Waves

I spent the afternoon Sunday at Summer Waves water park on Jekyll Island. At 7:30, Liquid Ginger, a popular Savannah band, played a set in the once and future wave pool. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that most of the people in the park were far more interested in the water slides than the music. The concert was good, by the way. It would have been even better if I could have been enjoying a cold beer along with the music, but no alcohol is allowed in the park. Maybe the Christian Music Day planned for later in the summer will have a better response.