Raoul

A slight diversion from the fair, balanced, middle of the road politics we usually preach on here. Recall friends that this was at one time a nostalgia blog where all from JC could come together to relive otherwise supressed memories. With that in mind, I have, at great personal hardship and expense, located the artist formerly known as Raoul. He lives and breaths, despite what the "Government" would have us believe. Further I have sent to him the location of this blog, and did so with the hope that he might join us here. As you will no doubt recall he was a fine writer at one time, back when he knew the meaning of a hard days work and would do most anything to avoid it. He was a journalist that believed the pen was mightier than the sword, until one fateful day that this axiom was tested with the result of ink flying everywhere and no noticeable damage to the sword.

Frodo Failed

Great bumper sticker out there --

Frodo Failed
Bush has the ring

stampandshout.com

Western NC Heritage and Tri-Racial Mountain Research

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOM, Suriya, me and all mothers! There's got to be more to western North Carolina (AND EAST TN) history, culture and community than East Waynesville Baptist and that guy Eric Rudolph, who went back and hid out in the mountains (with plenty of help) after allegedly bombing the '96 summer Olympics - and killing one lady - in Atlanta. So I figured I'd share the link for this Western North Carolina Heritage website. Myself, in addition to working on the family genealogy, so far I've published one article on my tri-racial Black American, mountain RICE-GUDGER family history. It's in Volume Two of the Madison County (NC) Heritage Book. They've got a beautiful new library in Madison County. It opened two years ago. Time sure flies. I remember back when they were emailing photos of the groundbreaking and regular library construction progress reports. I'm real proud of those folks. And I'm also looking for more community and family regional history research partners - in case anyone reading this is interested! MD.

Vicki Rozema's book on the Cherokee Nation Homelands (that includes Johnson City)

Researched and written by an East TN native, Vicki Rozema. Rozema's presentation at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville is being replayed on C-SPAN3.

Footsteps of the Cherokees: A Guide to the Eastern Homelands of the Cherokee Nation. Available at www.blairpub.com.

"Footsteps of the Cherokees divides the Cherokee's eastern homeland into nineteen geographical sections and explores many of the historic Cherokee sites in these areas. Sites range from Moccasin Bend in Chattanooga, inhabited by Cherokees and earlier Indian cultures and considered one of the most important archaeological complexes located within a United States city, to the Qualla Boundary, the home of the Eastern Cherokee reservation where visitors can still experience the historic Cherokee culture. For each site, Vicki Rozema gives the historical background, directions to the site, and the hours of operation and telephone numbers if the site is located within a park or museum area. The book also includes an overview of Cherokee history--setting the stage for the tours of the historic sites. ..."

The Pro-Bush Purge Begins?! @ East Waynesville Baptist Church, down Home in western NC

I don't think anyone else is as shocked as I am that blatant intolerance seems to be creeping thru the Land of the Free and Home of the brave. It was National Day of Prayer yeterday when the dastardly deed was done at EAST WAYNESVILLE Baptist Church, in Haywood County. This is in our neck of the woods - literally. Western North Carolina, not far from Asheville or Knoxville. Now Haywood's the area where I'm researching some of my family's YOUNG & LOVE NC/TN ancestors. Via CNN and the Daily Kos we hear church members who are Democrats were asked or told to leave East Waynesville Baptist. That doesn't sound all that Christian to me. Word is these folks were 'ex-communicated' for not "supporting" George Bush and the current administration. Some other folks walked out in solidarity with the ex-communicatees. And BRAVO for them!! Since my html skills are seriously rusty (see my previous entry at JCF) I'll just post that Daily Kos link as is. As if acid rain and poverty weren't already enough for us to deal with. Shame on us. And God help America, including our mountains. Marian, Marian's Blog.

Church Purge thread: www.dailykos.com/user/georgia10

Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" Speech, 1964

As Official Washington's 'leaders' - read: CEOs - hype their plans to send US troops into war on yet a third front I must ask the question, What became of our commitment to "The Great Society"? Some of us are too young to remember, but in 1964 President Lyndon Johnson made his visionary Great Society speech. When was the last time we've heard a truly visionary speech from anyone in Official Washington?

"Your imagination, your initiative, and your indignation will determine whether we build a society where progress is the servant of our needs, or a society where old values and new visions are buried under unbridled growth. For in your time we have the opportunity to move not only toward the rich society and the powerful society, but upward to the Great Society.

"The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice, to which we are totally committed in out time. But that is just the beginning. ..."

Great Society Speech, Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964