Author: Les Smith

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News News Feature

One Man, One Vote

I must admit that there are times when President Barack Obama’s willingness to spontaneously comment on everything from his NCAA basketball tournament picks to his opinion about the antics of rapper Kanye West seems to dilute the stature of the highest elected office in the land.

But, last week in another “Obama Unplugged” session, the chief executive did provide valuable food for thought in advancing the idea of instituting mandatory voting as “a solution to the influence of big money on politics.” His remarks were inspired by his emotional trip to Selma, Alabama, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the fateful march that became the catalyst for the eventual enactment of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The president noted: “It would be transformative if everybody voted.”

As you would expect in today’s sordid political climate, reactions to his idea dutifully formed along political lines. Among the most vacuous of responses was the one from Republican presidential hopeful, Marco Rubio, who alleged that a voter’s decision to skip an election is “a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment.”

Too bad Thomas Jefferson and the rest of the country’s founding fathers aren’t around to hear Rubio’s unique interpretation of their intentions. Then again, considering the pathetic 20 percent or less voter turnouts Memphis and Shelby County have been experiencing in recent elections, maybe the Floridian has a point. There’s certainly a lot of “free speech” being exercised in these parts.

Despite Rubio’s wind-in-the-willows opinion, mandatory voting is already a reality in many countries, including Australia, Brazil, and Mexico. Why couldn’t such a system work in the land of the free and the home of the brave?

In recent years, partisan voter-suppression laws have been instituted in various states under the guise of alleged voter fraud, few of which have ever been substantiated. While the majority of the general public agrees with requiring state photo voter IDs, younger and minority voters argue it’s a selective tool for discrimination. For older, mostly African-American voters, photo IDs are seen as an effort to turn back the clock to Jim Crow restrictions, such as those in Alabama, where potential black voters were once rejected at the polls because they failed to guess the number of jelly beans in a jar or the number of bubbles on a wet bar of soap.

Why not rid ourselves of all these often racist practices to deter minority voters by using taxpayer rolls. Older citizens who don’t have photo IDs would be able to vote based on the taxes they’ve paid. Those who’ve served in the military should be automatic qualifiers. Restrictions on ex-felons who served their time for crimes not related to voter infractions should also be loosened. If you have the desire to cast a ballot, it should be made as easy as possible to do so.

The alternative path is what we’re on right now: High-powered financial interests and lobbyists are dictating how our elections are decided. Those same factions are influencing the make up of state legislative bodies. Without having to identify themselves, they spend millions of dollars in campaign ads for their chosen candidates.

We’ll continue to watch voter interest fade. Local election commissions will continue to be forced to spend taxpayer money to stage elections with miniscule turnouts. Racial polarization will only grow as the vital tenets of the once celebrated Voting Rights Act are eroded by the United States Supreme Court, which recently overturned a 2013 decision favorable to previously unconstitutional voter ID practices in Texas.

We are on the precipice of losing our democracy and what was gained through blood and tears in places like Selma. Too many of us remain passive as our country slowly drifts away from the inspired concept of one man, one vote. Voting, historically the most transformative tool for change in America, must be protected.

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News News Feature

The Natural

In all the years I’ve reported on Memphis politics, I’m convinced only Jack Sammons could rightfully hold the title of “The Natural.” His energetic personality, his still-boyish charm, even at age 59, and his infectious belief that Memphis can still be that “shining city on a hill” are all undeniable.

So, why am I not enthusiastic over the possibility the ubiquitous businessman, former councilman, and current Memphis and Shelby County Airport Authority Board chairman could become this city’s next chief administrative officer (CAO)? I’ll tell you why, and it has nothing to do with the amiable Sammons on a personal or professional basis.

Just as teams recycle grizzled baseball managers and football coaches, we in Memphis continue to recycle the same people through the meat grinder of government. In a city of more than 640,000 people, in a county of just under 1 million people, how is it that our pool of the brightest and most innovative minds is somehow limited to the same patronage stream that has been fished in for decades?

I’ve often been asked, “Why don’t more good people step up to the plate when it comes to engaging in public service?” My usual reply is a sad rhetorical question: Why should they?

From what I’ve observed, most people who run for office or seek appointment come in with idealism. They start out truly believing that their determination and desire to serve their constituents will bring about meaningful change and right long-standing injustices. Some, like former councilman and now 29th District Tennessee state Senator Lee Harris, defiantly weathered the hypocrisy. He fought for the people of his district even when he didn’t win, against forces that were entrenched in self-serving agendas and political grandstanding. I also see that quiet determination to earnestly serve the public in interim Councilman Berlin Boyd. Both these men are fighting the idea that Memphis government doesn’t have to be trapped in the same stale ideologies of the past. But, these young, bright minds are sadly the exception, and not the rule, when it comes to those participating in Memphis government.

So it was with some consternation that I reported on the details of Jack Sammons probable return to city government. Regardless of what Mayor A C Wharton has said, this is a political appointment. Long ago, Wharton separated himself from the have-nots of this community. It’s not about initiating programs to help. It’s about what’s left of his desire, spirit, and will to carry out these programs to bring about positive change. I truly believe his tank is nearly running on empty in all those categories.

No further evidence has to be shown on that account other than his leaving out-going CAO George Little to twist slowly in the wind during the debates over pension and health-care reform for city employees. Wharton appeared content to let Little take the heat from the council and the public. If you’re Jack Sammons, it should be a signal as to what you’re getting yourself into.

If I were Sammons, I’d also ask myself why it’s taken five years for Wharton to decide to appoint me as CAO, when I effectively served in the position for five months under interim Mayor Myron Lowery and was fired by Wharton in 2009.

Sammons has always had the ability to be a “fixer” in government, similar to the role Rick Masson played during the early years of the Willie Herenton administration. And, of course, it’s going to take some legislative hoodoo to allow Sammons to retain his job as Airport Authority chairman while he serves as CAO. Tell me this doesn’t smack of an old cigar-smoke-filled backroom deal.

Why do we continue to tolerate this blatant kind of political musical chairs? If Wharton truly believes the time has come to take this city in a different direction, why not find new faces with new ideas to get us there? Career bureaucrats, those who’ve been recycled because of their failure to meet the demands of their old jobs and political cronies need not apply. We need those people who are willing to put in the elbow grease to work for the good of the city they live in. We need to find the people who are “naturals” at what they do, and City Hall needs to give them their unmitigated support.

Les Smith is a reporter for WHBQ Fox-13.

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News News Feature

Next Stop: Belize

This is not a threat. It is more a cry, a lament for a city I have come to embrace for more than 30 years. Consider this a pre-farewell to Memphis, but with a few caveats thrown in.

My wife and I made a decision a few months back to earnestly begin preparations to leave Memphis and retire to the country of Belize. It’s not like it’s going to happen for a couple of years, because of our job commitments, but this May we’re doing a scouting trip to see firsthand if this is truly where we want to spend what’s left of our “golden years.” The prospect of leaving my sons, her daughter, and our grandchildren comes with natural trepidations. But, then when you weigh the alternatives based on what we’ve seen and what we project will be the future for us in a city with a myriad of problems and few solutions, it only seems to make our choice clearer.

Sometimes making hard decisions can be as simple as getting out a pen and paper and listing the pros and cons, in this case, for either staying or leaving.

What if we stay? There’s the great probability we will be paying increased city property taxes, based on a proposed refinancing plan advanced by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton’s administration. The “scoop and toss” refinance strategy of dealing with the city’s mounting debt, if passed by the city council, most assuredly will hang like an albatross around the necks of taxpayers for the rest of this decade. To refinance $134 million in debt and borrow another $75 million to keep us solvent can only lead to higher taxes and cuts in services.

The apparent tacit approval of this plan by the same state comptroller who rattled our cages about “kicking the can down the road” when it came to addressing outstanding pension debt just last year, should be viewed as both curious and alarming. This is completely aside from Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell’s straightforward assessment that unless Insure Tennessee is resurrected in some fashion, county property taxes might have to cover the possible $70 million shortfall Regional One might face as it’s forced to deal with unreimbursed indigent-care costs. Do we want to stay around for all that to happen?

The upcoming 2015 city election and the slate of announced candidates running for mayor and city council positions offer little hope of changing the status quo. The leadership vacuum we’ve suffered from continues to create a huge “sucking” sound of desperation. Crime continues to be a problem; poverty remains a stifling detriment to our city’s growth potential; and the gap between the haves and the have-nots cripples any vision of attaining the “One Memphis” philosophy our feel-good mayor once espoused. As for challengers, I’ve heard nothing but criticism for the incumbent, but little in the way of concrete solutions advanced by any of them. Granted the economic picture is somewhat brighter, except it will take years to develop an educated workforce that’ll benefit from any influx of higher playing businesses.

Before I completely assume the role of Oscar the Grouch, let me tell you why it’s going to be hard to leave Memphis. Where else in this country are you going to find a city with such rich history and an open appreciation of it? We are a city that embraces both champs and chumps. We are a city with an unmatched musical heritage that could be enhanced if we encouraged and fostered new artists to make their careers blossom here, as others have before. We are a city that plays as hard as we work and does both without apologies to anyone. We are a city that mercilessly lampoons stupidity and loudly cries foul against perceived bigotry and racism, while still able to reach out with genuine compassion to our own or to strangers in need.

As I said, we still have a couple of years left in the “City of Good Abode.” In that time, as a reporter, I’ll continue to try to do stories that inspire us, enrage us, and expose the human condition, and in the process hopefully make a difference. I am very blessed to have the twin swords of television and print media to accomplish those goals. Our ties to Memphis will always be eternal. Then again, who knows? I hear the mosquitos grow pretty big in Belize. If so, that could be a big one on the con side.

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News News Feature

Haslam’s Next Move

Although I’ve never been there, I can imagine that somewhere inside Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam’s office is a picture. I envision it as a photo of a bright, ambitious, and idealistic Emory University college student proudly standing next to former iconic Tennessee U.S. Senator Howard Baker. It would have been taken when Haslam volunteered to work on Baker’s reelection campaign in the 1970s. I can further imagine Haslam worshipped the man whose colleagues dubbed him “The Great Conciliator” for his uncanny ability to politically maneuver diverse factions into seeking workable compromises for the benefit of the common man, because it was the right thing to do.

In a previous column, I, like many others, scoffed at Haslam’s 21-month attempt to work with the federal government to craft an expanded health insurance plan tailored for Tennessee. I criticized him for what I perceived as his foot-dragging to aid the 280,000 Tennesseans who fall through the cracks of Medicaid and are left unable to pay for simple medical care or are victimized by the ravages of a catastrophic illness. I will admit I should not have been so quick to judge his intentions or his determined strategy at devising a workable proposal.

But as we found out last week, even the best of intentions seems to carry no weight with the current Tennessee General Assembly. To have Haslam’s well-thought-out Insure Tennessee plan fail to even get out of a Senate committee is an abomination, especially for anyone still deluded enough to think our elected officials are chosen to do the will of the people.

The majority of Tennesseans favored taking the available $2.8 billion in federal dollars over two years to finance the program. Using the inclusive vision practiced by his political mentor, Baker, Haslam methodically garnered the support of the state’s medical associations, bankers, businessmen, and law firms. He had fact-based rebuttals for any questions about the validity of the plan, including the trump card of it being a “pilot” program that could be dropped after two years of enactment. But, once again, sinister forces within and outside Tennessee’s borders used their financial and political influence among state legislators to defeat the proposal, mainly by invoking the conservative rallying cry of Obamacare.

Haslam appears to have thrown in the towel on pushing any further efforts toward passing Insure Tennessee. He was quoted in The Commercial Appeal as saying, “At the end of the day, I’m really disappointed that 280,000 people who could have had health-care coverage, at least right now, it doesn’t look like we have a path to get them there. That’s the end result to me.” To which I say:

Governor, look at that picture of you and Baker and ask yourself: “Why does this have to be the end of your plan? If one path is closed off then try another.”

You admitted you hammered out the final approval to go forward from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services in December, and then announced it in the first week of January. You then went on a whirlwind tour of the state, with a stopover in Memphis. It seemed more like a victory lap, as if the heavy legislative lifting had already been done. Yet, you didn’t have vocal support from key legislators — House Speaker Beth Harwell, Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris — and only lip service from Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey.

A parade in Nashville of highly paid hospital administrators endorsing the plan doesn’t carry anywhere near the emotional impact of real people bringing their personal stories directly to the faces of legislators.

It’s time to cash in on your solid state-wide popularity. You didn’t give yourself enough lead time to drum up support. People like you. Use the bully pulpit of your office to energize your message; force legislators to listen. Then go summon that Baker voodoo for bringing opposing sides together and work out a compromise.

Governor, to breathe life back into this proposal, you’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and do something you’ve previously chosen to avoid: getting down in the trenches and fighting for the good of all Tennesseans. You can begin by convincing yourself that it’s the right thing to do. Look again at that picture of Baker, and maybe you’ll find the inspiration and courage to do it.

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News News Feature

Memphis’ Political Morass

In an interview after he had been selected as the new interim

District 7 Memphis city councilman, a relieved Berlin Boyd admitted he had been temporarily been taken aback by a question from Councilwoman Janis Fullilove.

At first, warmly referring to Boyd’s previous interim tenure on the council after the resignation of former Councilwoman Barbara Swearengen Ware, who also happened to be a candidate for this year’s opening, Fullilove abruptly spit out a hypothetical inquiry into whether, if chosen, Boyd’s loyalties would lie with the seventh floor (code for Mayor A C Wharton) or with the constituents he’d represent in the 7th District.

To his credit, Boyd was unwavering in his answer. “I am my own man,” he said. “No one has given me anything in life. I have and will make my own decisions.” With those resolute remarks there was no need for any additional follow up.

That exchange struck me as the epitome of the political morass in Memphis we have endured for decades. Never has a city administration and the council been at loggerheads as strongly as they are now. The past week’s announced mediation settlement of the long-delayed funding for Shelby County Schools only reflected the great chasm of distrust, contempt, and miscommunication that exists between the seventh and bottom floors of City Hall. With a city-wide election coming in October, the level of rancor would only seem to be headed toward even greater depths of political grandstanding, divisiveness, and the embarrassing exploitation of racial bigotry from blacks and whites alike.

But, 2015 offers us a chance to get on track toward positive change, and I’ll tell you why it should happen.

Since Councilman Jim Strickland officially entered the mayoral race, I have read the fervid Facebook comments of those who believe that a white candidate cannot possibly understand or embrace the hopes and dreams of a predominately black populace. But, isn’t a mayor someone who is supposed to be a visionary leader for all citizens regardless of his own ethnic background? Isn’t a mayor the chief executive who vows, “The buck stops here,” and then comes before the city’s governing body to make his case in person, rather than send others to do it for him?

Let’s be brutally realistic. It’s been almost 24 years since Willie Herenton became the first African-American mayor of Memphis. During his tenure, there were stellar successes, not the least of which was the extinction of many blighted areas in black communities that had come to symbolize degradation and hopelessness.

But tearing down those concrete facades did not really elevate the majority of the city’s black — or white — population. Memphis is still one of America’s poorest cities, and we still have one of the highest crime rates in the nation. Has black leadership on the seventh floor or black majority representation on the council changed the fact that 47 percent of Memphis’ black children are still caught in the cycle of generational poverty? We should have learned by now that the color of our leaders’ skin is irrelevant.

There are those who want to perpetuate the stale argument that a white man could only be elected to lead this city if the black vote gets split up among a handful of candidates, including the incumbent. I’ve lived in this city way too long to swallow the notion that because someone has my skin color, my life is automatically going to get better if he or she is elected to public office. When it comes to those we’ve voted for to lead this city over the past two decades, too many of us, black and white, have ignored the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Our choices shouldn’t be based on a candidate’s skin color, but rather the content of their character.

That’s probably why Boyd’s heartfelt response to Fullilove’s politically motivated question made such an impression on me. In this year of decision, we must closely look at those who promise results but whose track records would indicate otherwise. Go to political forums where you can see and talk to candidates, not just for the mayor’s office, but the council, as well. Then decide who you think offers the best direction for this city. If it will help, close your eyes and just listen to what they have to say.

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News News Feature

Flawed Justice in Memphis

My parents wanted me to become a lawyer.

While lawyering is a noble profession, covering court cases and observing the inequities of the criminal justice system as a reporter is as close as I want to be to fulfilling my parents’ wishes. It doesn’t take a genius to realize our justice system is inherently flawed. It caters to the rich and powerful. It demeans and stereotypes those of color who also happen to compose the lowest rungs on our socio-economic ladder. It also provides loopholes for a growing youthful criminal element to take full advantage of.

Let’s start with those who have the money to delay and prolong their eventual day in court. The latest example is Memphis businessman Mark Giannini. He was originally charged with raping a woman hired to clean his mansion. But, after securing the legal services of “dream team” attorneys Steve Farese and Leslie Ballin and posting more than a $100,000 bond, no one told him he couldn’t leave town. Finally, a Shelby County Grand Jury indicted him on not just on the two counts of rape, but four additional counts of aggravated rape involving other women. Giannini was arrested in Florida.

We can assume he thought it necessary to take a vacation respite from his alleged hedonistic lifestyle. If it had been any of us of lesser means, we would have been buried so deep in jail after the initial charges, we’d have to have a new zip code. Some day, after years of jurisdictional motions, Giannini will presumably have to face the women he allegedly violated.

One of the most disturbing “justice” trends in Shelby County continues to be how the system fails to effectively deal with youthful offenders. My Fox-13 colleague Matt Gerien recently exposed the existence of a document called the Detention Assessment Tool (DAT). It is a points-based system available to Memphis Police officers to be used in regards to the arrests of juvenile offenders. Every officer has access to a juvenile offender’s score, which can determine whether, after an arrest, they will face juvenile detention or simply be allowed to walk away. Points are accrued based on the severity of their offenses and their past record. Nineteen or more and you’re headed for the slammer.

Here’s the scary part. The juvenile offenders and their gang leaders know all about this as well. By keeping up with their own score, they can be sent out like little criminal guided missiles to commit crimes with the knowledge their DAT score can put them back on the streets the next day, if they’re picked up. Needless to say, it’s provided plenty of frustration for the Memphis Police Department and prosecutors.

One of my personal peeves is the ease by which repeat offenders can hire high-priced attorneys to represent them. Don’t get me wrong; I understand everybody who faces pending criminal charges is allowed to seek the best legal representation possible. Just ask Mr. Giannini. However, the case of Robert Sanders and how he managed to also secure the retainer to hire noted defense attorney Ballin is baffling.

Sanders is facing 25 counts of attempted first-degree murder in the wake of a New Year’s Eve shooting that began when he allegedly got in an argument inside a nightclub. Police say Sanders got in his car and then followed a bus-load of people to I-240 where he opened fire, wounding five people. Two of the victims remain in critical condition. The 32-year-old Sanders had previously been arrested twice on charges of cocaine and gun possession. So, why wasn’t he behind bars already? Where did he get the money to hire one of the best attorneys in town to represent him in court? Now with a $5 million bond, will he pull another monetary rabbit out of the hat to get himself back on the streets?

Shelby County Criminal Court judges have the ability to ask where the source of bond money comes from, but apparently that doesn’t extend to what and how the accused paid their attorneys.

It’s these legal shenanigans that erode the credibility of — and faith in — our justice system. We handcuff police in their ability to make valid arrests. We allow habitual offenders to use their ill-gotten gains to grease their paths to freedom when they come before the bar of justice. We allow those with means to delay and divert cases, giving the public the impression they are above the law.

Sorry, Mom and Pop. Being a lawyer just wasn’t for me.

Les Smith is a reporter for WHBQ Fox-13.

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News The Fly-By

The Council and the Mayor

When I heard it, I thought, “This is the quote of the year.”

Thomas Malone, the ever outspoken president of the Memphis Firefighters Association, railed in frustration, “The city administration is like an addict on crack. They will buy, steal, and do anything they can from anybody, to get what they want!” So, Tommy, tell us how you really feel, huh?

Based on the events of 2014, there are a lot of Memphians bewitched, bothered, and bewildered by the actions of the administration of Mayor A C Wharton and the Memphis City Council. Malone’s bitter assessment came just days after the council rammed through a surprising vote on the long-debated city employees’ pension plan.

After nearly a year of discussion, with the Wharton administration at first presenting a proposal with Draconian cuts to appease a warning from the state comptroller on addressing a more than $500 million pension deficit, the council decided on a 9-to-4 vote to go with Councilwoman Wanda Halbert’s plan to only apply the benefit cuts to city employees with seven-and-a-half or fewer years of service. It also happens to neatly include council members, as elected officials. Halbert’s plan was a complete reversal of her previously staunch support of city employees seeking no cuts to benefits. Her apparent flip-flop will be the fodder for much discussion as she reportedly will seek to unseat incumbent Thomas Long for the city clerk’s office in 2015.

But, after nearly a year of debate, why was Halbert’s proposal fast-tracked for a vote? As Malone told me, he asked for time for actuaries to run the numbers again on all the plans presented. His request was rejected. It certainly makes you wonder.

Certainly the communication gap between the mayor’s office and the council has never been more obvious than with the proposed settlement agreement Wharton and Shelby County School (SCS) Superintendent Dorsey Hopson privately reached. The facts are that two courts have ruled against the city’s counterclaim that they are owed the interest on $100 million given to legacy Memphis City Schools for buildings. They alleged their claim trumps the $57 million both courts ruled the city owes the school system, dating back to 2008. Councilman Myron Lowery told me last week the majority of his colleagues feel their counterclaim will win out as both sides continue mediation efforts. Two glaring discrepancies come to mind as the battle lines are drawn for the upcoming showdown over whether the council will approve funding for the school settlement in early January.

It doesn’t surprise me that Wharton, Hopson, and the SCS board members are happy with this deal that essentially amounts to $43 million in cash and other amenities, such as $2.6 million in police protection for schools and a balloon payment of $6 million in February. What bothers me is how Wharton decided to communicate this agreement to the council in a terse, written memorandum delivered just as the pension vote was about to be made. He apparently hadn’t even told those council members on the mediation team he’d reached a deal. It’s an example of Wharton’s confounding “lawyers know best” mentality. He comes from the world of plea bargains and deals in criminal justice. But, as the city’s chief executive, he has to be more open and candid about his dealings, especially when the final approval for funding lies with the council.

And speaking of the council: Back in 2008, tired of the “maintenance of effort” in voluntarily funding city schools for years, they went rogue. That proved to be a costly mistake for all concerned. It can be reasonably argued that their failure to pay the $57 million led to the collapse of the legacy Memphis City Schools two years later. Their decision to divest themselves of that obligation led to millions of taxpayer dollars being wasted on the protracted litigation between the city and the county that followed.

Now the ball is in their court again. A second chance to begin to right the foolish mistake the city council committed six years ago. If council-members decide to reject this settlement because of bruised egos or personal agendas, then they should be made to pay the price at the ballot box in 2015. It will be a fitting answer for those we elect who once in office suffer from the “addiction” of power. If we as voters don’t respond? Maybe we’re on crack.

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News News Feature

Avoiding the Crutch

Anyone who knows anything about my life and beliefs knows the term “racist” has no application at all to me. But, in the wake of negative reactions to a story I reported on Fox 13 News last week in which I was trying to put historical perspective on the West Memphis police shooting of 12-year-old DeAunta Farrow seven years ago, I was reminded of how much a common and destructive crutch the words racism, racist, or race-baiter have become. There are so many of us who use those words as a replacement for constructive thought — for everything from societal problems to governmental blunders. So, I’ve devised a set of multiple choice questions about current issues to see if you believe “racism” is the correct answer to any of them.

The Memphis City Council has voted to use $125 million in tax breaks to fund a proposed 450-room upscale hotel, theater, restaurant, and exhibit hall in cooperation with Elvis Presley Enterprises. It’s a deal all agree wouldn’t happen if the city wasn’t fronting the major bulk of the cost. It is one of the cushiest economic development agreements in the country, considering it will also allow the controlling Presley Enterprises company, Authentic Brands Group, to seek to incorporate a tax surcharge that will be the highest in the state in return for a promise to create 280 jobs. What do you think?

a) Somewhere Elvis’ former manager, Colonel Tom Parker, is laughing his ass off.

b) This is a great deal for the city to keep EP Enterprises from announcing one day they’re moving their entire operation to Tupelo.

c) This is a racist decision, made just to help struggling black businesses in the name of a man who exploited black music.

d) None of the above.

More often than not, we wake up on Mondays to the news of a handful of people being shot or murdered over the weekend on the mean streets of Memphis. What do you think could be done to stop it?

a) Do more city sponsored gun-collection drives.

b) Educate our youth about the danger of guns and ways to solve problems without resorting to violent actions.

c) Hire more police officers and put them in high-crime areas.

d) Provide more guns to more black people so they can use them to kill each other off, because that’s what they’re going to do anyway.

How can we begin to handle the current distrust, sparked by recent cases in Ferguson and elsewhere, between police and the people they have sworn to serve and protect?

a) Instead of constantly reporting on police officers gone bad, there should be more media stories on the proactive accomplishments of the 99 percent who are dedicated to what they do.

b) Assume all white MPD officers will shoot black people in a second and ask questions later.

c) Insist on more neighborhood policing and change residency requirements so those wearing the badge will be seen as a vital force in the communities in which they themselves live.

d) Equip MPD with dashboard cameras and body cams and have them rolling at all times, so the data collected can be used if questions about their actions arise.

If you think I’ve purposely set up this questionnaire to be slanted toward sensible answers instead of those with a racial slant, then you are right. Those people, black and white, who seek conspiracy theories behind the plethora of problems Memphis and the nation faces, are not helping. That strategy only distracts us and keeps us from working together to find answers to difficult questions.

We can blame the media for ratings-inspired exploitation of racial issues. We can blame our ignorance of history for not seeing the direction we should take in order to heal the old wounds of race, class, and sexual gender. To discover the cure for the disease of racism, we must be willing to open our hearts and minds to all people, including those who may not adhere to our value system, those who may not agree with us, and even those who don’t understand there are peaceful methods to avoid violent confrontations. When we cut off dialogue and retreat into the cocoon of our own prejudices, then we only have the crutch of labeling each other to fall back on.

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Opinion Viewpoint

On the Beat

It’s a question I’m more than occasionally asked: “How come you don’t do much news anchoring, Mr. Smith?” My reply is simple: If I’m going to report on the action, I want to be where it is. Last week the diversity of news I covered as a general assignment reporter only reinforced why I think what I do is the best job in journalism. So, consider this a reporter’s notebook, with my impressions at the time I was on assignment.

Monday: Even for reporters, it’s sometimes hard to jump into Mondays with a lot of enthusiasm. But hearing about six shootings that resulted in two murders in four days in Brownsville, Tennessee, piqued my interest. Were they drug- or gang-related?

When you’re doing a story in a small community, you usually aim high when it comes to gathering information in the short period of time you’ve got to make it happen. Mayor Bill Rawls, who we reported on after he was elected as the first African-American mayor of Brownsville in June, was candid about the shock people were feeling over the shootings. Nearly all of them involved young black teens, including the random shooting of a 17 year old by another 17 year old following an argument over a cell phone.

In a town the size of Brownsville, where the black population is primarily self-segregated into a certain area of town, asking who knows what — and who did what — can quickly produce solid leads for the police. Mayor Rawls was taking a personal interest in all the cases, so much so that he was patrolling the streets in his own car trying to find names. “Wow,” I thought. How refreshing to have a mayor giving more than lip-service to crime-fighting in his community.

Tuesday: I hate dealing with law enforcement when it comes to news conferences on drug busts, identity theft, or check-cashing scams. Late in the afternoon, former Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons and current D.A. Amy Weirich were among those on hand to tout warrants that had been issued for the arrest of 99 people involved in a phony check-cashing scheme targeting Walmart stores. Most of the suspects made a couple hundred dollars each after splitting the profits from cashing checks totaling around $41,000. As usual, the questions from the media were plentiful, while the available details were sketchy. However, I did have a good hamburger for lunch that day.

Wednesday: Venerable WDIA radio did a live remote from inside the Shelby County Corrections Center, where there were more county officials than inmates, who made up a literally “captive” audience. Radio personality Bev Johnson asked insightful questions of a hand-picked group of inmates, who told the tragic stories of their bad choices that landed them behind bars. Memphis Councilwoman Janis Fullilove managed to provide some comic relief with her own reflections from when she’d been incarcerated at Jail East. In a way, I guess her honesty about her own human frailties makes her strangely endearing to her constituents.

Thursday: In anticipation of President Obama’s immigration speech, I talked with local immigration attorney Barry McWhirter about what I think is the Pandora’s Box Obama has dared to open with his executive order. McWhirter made a strong case that Obama’s ultimate intent was to keep families together, rather than having them victimized by deportations. To me, Obama’s approach was another example of his tunnel vision, one that feeds into the criticism that he’s failed to develop much political finesse in his six years in office. Why now? Why this method?

Friday: Week’s end brought a frenzy of new leads for possible big stories. On my way to cover a ground-breaking for a new park in Frayser, I was waylaid by a call from the assignment desk. Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong had called an impromptu news conference. I had to make my apologies before the Frayser event, which would have been a great feel-good story. Then on the way to see Armstrong, an informant gave me two bombshells: The first was that Shelby County Juvenile Court Clerk Joy Touliatos had filed a lawsuit against Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael. The second was that District Attorney Weirich had been accused of withholding evidence from the defense in a case that was on appeal and would have to testify in Criminal Court.

This is why there’s the term Freaky Fridays. And it’s why during this Turkey Day week, I’m thankful I am a reporter, not an anchor — so I can gobble, gobble.

Categories
Opinion Viewpoint

High Cotton

It was a rainy night. When I got there, I thought this was the last place on earth I wanted to be. Within minutes of hearing exit polls predicting the eminent defeat of two-term Democratic incumbent Senator Mark Pryor, it was clear where one of the biggest stories of the night was unfolding, and it wasn’t at Pryor’s victory party. Avoiding the shell-shocked looks of Pryor supporters, we packed up and headed down the road. In politics, victory doesn’t require apologies.

We had not been credentialed to attend Arkansas Republican U.S. Senatorial candidate Tom Cotton’s election-night rally. Thankfully, it didn’t take too much for us to talk our way into a spot inside the Cotton celebration. With Kid Rock’s pseudo-country anthem “Born Free” blaring out of the speakers in the ballroom, even grinning Cotton supporters were expressing surprise at the speed of the results and the solid margin of victory their candidate had posted. The crowd was a mixture of older people, white middle-class, with a sprinkling of young and minority backers. All seemed genuinely behind their native son, a Harvard graduate, military veteran, and first-term Congressman, who’d been primarily funded by millions of dollars in out-of-state contributions from conservative super PACS. But, nobody in the room wanted to go into any discussions about that.

Finally, a beaming Cotton and his stunningly attractive wife joined his family on the podium to deliver what we were told would be no more than a 10-minute speech. I’d heard snippets of Cotton’s less-than-electrifying oratory before, but this time I really wanted to listen. Besides, I had no place else to go.

First, Cotton is no Bill Clinton. There were no opening jokes; no sentimentally touching stories about people he’d met along the campaign trail; no swipe at his vanquished opponent, who he admitted was a good man. Cotton graciously thanked Pryor for his service to the state. However, without mentioning names, Cotton got in his digs against the Washington elite and their misguided dominance at the expense of the people. He somberly analyzed what his victory meant by declaring, “We have chosen a government that aids our fellow citizens who are struggling, without overwhelming them or taking away their freedom, or everyone else’s freedom, in the process.”

This outpouring of concern for “struggling” fellow citizens, coming from a Congressman who voted against a needed farm bill and a measure giving protection to women who are victims of domestic violence, rang hollow to me. But, if any in the audience thought the same, they wouldn’t have been heard over the eruption of raucous cheers. This was a Red State, red-meat crowd.

In our own state, after the passage of Constitutional Amendment 1, Tennessee General Assembly super-majorities in the House and Senate stand ready to legislatively implement new, stricter abortion laws when the session convenes in January. Amendment 1’s proponents asserted they were defending the rights of the unborn. Yet, this is the same governmental body that’s time and again expressed its disdain for welfare, food stamps, and all other alternatives currently available to help those who in Cotton’s words are “struggling.” It’s like saying, “You’ve got to have that baby, but don’t expect us to do anything to help you try to raise it.”

Cotton’s victory also started me thinking about the ruination of the Democratic Party. Just four years ago in Arkansas, Pryor’s former colleague, Senator Blanche Lincoln, tried to run away from votes she cast in favor of Barack Obama’s policies and initiatives. It failed miserably, but Pryor tried to do the same thing. Instead of running on his own record, which was formidable, he back-peddled. And it looked weak when compared to Cotton’s single-minded attack on the president’s decisions — and tying Pryor to them.

The ability of Republican conservatives to get their message of minimal government across to voters is both impressive and demoralizing to Democrats. When one-note candidates such as Cotton can mold an entire campaign around simple buzz words like “elitism” and “freedom,” without ever advancing alternative and meaningful proposals of his own, it should be frightening to those of us in the electorate who still believe in ideas instead of ideology. But, you can’t blame Cotton and his backers for taking advantage of what’s handed to them on a silver platter.

In victory there are no apologies.