The Sons of Confederate Veterans are celebrating the 150th anniversary of South Carolina’s secession from the Union and the start of the Civil War by holding a $100-a-ticket “Secession Ball” on Dec. 20 in Charleston.

The NAACP and allies will protest the event by holding a candlelight vigil followed by a meeting and viewing of part of film Birth of a Nation. Park at the Emanuel AME Church at 110 Calhoun St.; please arrive by 4:15pm. The vigil will take place at 4:30pm at the Gaillard Auditorium. For details, call 843-813-3363.

A preview of the ball? SC Sen. Glenn McConnell with re-enactors at the National Federation of Republican Women’s Conference in September.

By Becci Robbins
SC Alliance for Retired Americans

For advocates working to protect the health and well-being of America’s seniors, the recent failure of the Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to muster the votes to send its proposal to Congress was a relief, although that’s likely to be short-lived. The proposal included cuts to Medicare and Social Security, as well as raising the retirement age to 69, a move that would hit hardest those with physically demanding jobs.

Such disregard for older Americans is unbecoming of such a wealthy nation. But it’s no surprise, as the report echoes the larger problem of Congress choosing at every turn to promote the interests of Wall Street over Main Street. Sadly, US Rep. John Spratt, who served on the Commission and supported the proposal, betrayed the retirees in the 5th District who helped keep him in office 28 years.

It was a missed opportunity. As Chairman of the Budget Committee, Congressman Spratt knows better than most that Social Security has not added a dime to the deficit and shouldn’t be used to fix a problem it didn’t create. He could have opposed the proposal as a parting gift to his constituents — and to inspire his Democrat colleagues to stand for the Party’s core values of protecting the least of us. Instead, he squandered his key vote to appease the Washington establishment.

While the report was DOA, lawmakers and pundits say it provides a road map out of the deficit ditch. Seniors would do well to buckle up for what promises to be a bumpy ride. Just Friday, amid talk of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, Congress rejected a one-time $250 payment to retirees who, for the second year in a row, have been denied a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA).

That’s not being fiscally responsible. It’s being morally bankrupt.

Commission Proposal Unfair to Retirees

In response to the defeat of recommendations by the leaders of the National Commission on Fiscal Reform and Responsibility today, SC Alliance for Retired Americans President Julie Harbin issued the following statement.

“South Carolina retirees temporarily dodged a bullet when Commission members today rejected their co-chairs’ proposal to drastically cut Social Security benefits and increase the retirement age. We should never try to balance the budget on the backs of current and future retirees, particularly when Social Security has not added one cent to the deficit.

“Now that the Commission has closed its doors, we hope that we can have a more honest debate on federal spending. While it was encouraging to hear panel members acknowledge there is no link between Social Security and the deficit, it was also galling that many of the Commission members pushing draconian cuts in Social Security are also the ones leading the fight to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

“Social Security is one of America’s greatest success stories, one that has kept generations of seniors out of poverty. We hope that today is the beginning of a new chapter in the debate on the future of retirement in America, one that seeks to strengthen – not weaken – the economic well-being of millions of seniors who are struggling to make ends meet.

“Social Security did not create our nation’s fiscal problems, nor should it be used to fix them.  On behalf of the members of the SC Alliance for Retired Americans, I want to thank the Commission members who had the courage to stand up for our nation’s retirees and workers.”

Honorees Acknowledged at Local Award Presentations Across the Country With $5,000 Grant; Featured on USA Network On-Air and Online

Continuing its highly successful multiplatform campaign to address social injustices and bridge cultural divides, USA Network, along with its MVPD partners, today announced the 2010 recipients of the Characters Unite Awards. Eight winners were selected from hundreds of nominees for their successful efforts in combating prejudice and discrimination while increasing tolerance and acceptance.

“Congratulations to the extraordinary characters who, in the face of adversity, have worked tirelessly to instill tolerance and acceptance in our communities,” said Bridget Baker, President, NBC Universal TV Networks Distribution. “With our affiliates, we’re proud to celebrate the Characters Unite winners and the efforts they lead.”

Timed to USA Network’s  “Characters Unite Month,” each honoree will be acknowledged during a hometown award ceremony and will receive a $5,000 grant from USA Network and participating local MVPDs (multichannel video programming distributor) to donate to his/her project or related nonprofit organization. Additionally, honorees will be featured on-air and online in a PSA featuring Reshma Shetty, star of the USA Network hit seriesROYAL PAINS.

Nominations for the Characters Unite Awards were submitted by the public on charactersunite.com. In addition to the awards, Characters Unite Month includes: an original Characters Unite-themed documentary; on-air promotion and Public Service Announcements (PSAs); extensive digital content, such as a new Facebook game application; star-studded community storytelling events and education workshops in partnership with The Moth; and a new national poll.

2010 Characters Unite Award Recipients:

Michael Arterberry, New Fairfield, CT (Charter Communications) Founder and Executive Director, Youth Voices Center, Inc.

Michael Arterberry founded the organization Youth Voices Center and its Power of Peace program to improve the quality of life of young people by encouraging conflict resolution, teamwork and respect of others who are different, resulting in schools and communities that are safer and more productive places for youth.

Jessica Estevez, Riverview, FL (Bright House Networks) Director of Programs, Community Tampa Bay

As Director of Programs for Community Tampa Bay, which works with individuals, groups and organizations to create an inclusive society strengthened and empowered by its diversity, Jessica Estevez develops and manages leadership and diversity education programs for high school students, designed to empower them with knowledge and tools to help them combat social injustice.

Milia Islam-Majeed, Chino, CA (Time Warner Cable) Executive Director, South Coast Interfaith Council

As Executive Director, Milia Islam-Majeed oversees the South Coast Interfaith Council, which is comprised of approximately 150 churches, synagogues, mosques and more that promote mutual understanding, respect, appreciation and cooperation among people of all faiths and cultures. Previously the Program Manager of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) Leadership Development Center in Plainfield, Indiana, she was also recently part of an interfaith program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State where an American delegation of six scholars and community leaders were invited to Indonesia to participate in interfaith dialogues focusing on religion and society.

Elke Kennedy, Greenville, SC Founder, Sean’s Last Wish

Elke Kennedy founded Sean’s Last Wish, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of hate crimes and to combating hatred, bullying, violence and bigotry, following the tragic death of her son due to a violent hate crime.  She travels the country to share her story and to educate the public about prejudice and how discrimination leads to hate and senseless crimes.  She also teaches people the importance of hate crime protections and tirelessly advocates for greater resources to investigate these crimes.

Amy Lazarus, Washington, DC (Comcast) Executive Director, Sustained Dialogue Campus Network

As Executive Director, Amy Lazarus works to develop everyday leaders who engage differences as strengths to improve their campuses, workplaces and communities as part of Sustained Dialogue Campus Network (SDCN), which is comprised of students from colleges and universities around the country who are using dialogue to alleviate their campus’ social tensions and make their communities more cohesive.

Jan Lilly-Stewart, Charleston, WV (Suddenlink) Director and Co-Founder of Fair Shake Network

As Director and one of the founders of the Fair Shake Network, a grassroots advocacy association dedicated to a “fair shake” for people with disabilities, Jan Lilly-Stewart works to provide information to policymakers and the public on issues pertaining to people with disabilities, and to support those who are disabled by engaging in legislative advocacy.  Jan has spent more than 25 years working with those who are disabled in counseling and advocacy positions.

Ryan Roemerman, Des Moines, IA (Mediacom) Executive Director, Iowa Pride Network

Ryan Roemerman co-founded Iowa Pride Network (IPN) as a student at the University of Iowa, leading the effort to establish an LGBT center on campus. He has since developed IPN into a nationally recognized state organization that works directly with students, helping empower them to start and enhance gay-straight alliances in their high schools and colleges, while building a statewide network that offers support, mentoring, educational, advocacy and networking opportunities.

Kyshun Webster, New Orleans, LA (Cox Communications) Founder, Operation Reach

Kyshun Webster founded Operation Reach, an organization in the Lower Ninth Ward that engages, empowers and inspires children, youth and families through innovative, community-based learning opportunities.  He has built Operation Reach into a national organization, which has programs that reach 12,000 children and youth each year across the south.  The organizations’ many programs include Gulfsouth Youth Action Corps to play a leadership role in the restoration of youth programs and services after the hurricane, as well as a “cradle-to-career” pipeline of programs designed to promote educational success among youth regardless of socioeconomic background.

Learn more about the 2010 Characters Unite Award Recipients at charactersunite.com.

By Tom Turnipseed
Columbia, SC

Tea Party oriented Republicans who will control the US House of Representatives want to repeal “Obama Care”. Southern Republicans like Gov. Rick Perry of Texas and US Rep. Zack Wamp of Tennessee have threatened Secession from the Union because of federal mandates in “Obama Care”.

In South Carolina, Republican Sen. Glenn McConnell is President Pro-Tem of the South Carolina Senate and one of our most powerful politicians. He also opposes Medicaid mandates. Recently, officials of South Carolina Health and Human Services asked McConnell to help continue funding health care for poor people. He replied, “ When the money provided by the state for Medicaid is gone, the insurance program for the poor must simply stop providing services.” “Your obligation under the constitution … is to the taxpayer of this state and not to bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.” South Carolinians pay both state and federal taxes that fund Medicaid, but by refusing to allocate $1 billion of our state tax revenue for this program over the next decade, South Carolina will lose $ 4 billion from the federal government for health care for 656,000 poor people, who are disproportionately black and children.

Tea Party states’ rights activists say their struggle against health care continues the struggle of Jefferson Davis and the secessionists in 1860. Rev. Cecil Fayard, chaplain in chief for the national Sons of Confederate Veterans, said “The War Between the States was fought for the same reasons that the tea party movement today is voicing their opinion.”

Sen. McConnell opposed removing the Confederate flag from atop the South Carolina State House in 2000 and finally brokered a compromise that placed the rebel flag in front of the state capitol at the Confederate soldier’s memorial monument. McConnell is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Secession Camp #4, and a Civil War re-enactor who owned a Confederate memorabilia store in Charleston. He founded and Chairs the Hunley Commission that raised a Confederate submarine from Charleston harbor. The Commission is restoring the sub for the Hunley Museum in Charleston with $22 million that is coming from state and federal funds according to their fund-raising organization. McConnell was recently photographed in Civil War military regalia with two African- Americans dressed as slaves at a meeting of the National Federation of Republican Women in Charleston. The Sons of Confederate Veterans work closely with the Confederate Heritage Trust.

The Confederate Heritage Trust is putting on a play and grand ball in Charleston on December 20th, celebrating the Secession of South Carolina from the United States in 1860. Neo-Confederates claim that secession was an issue of states’ rights rather than slavery but William Preston, a secessionist leader in South Carolina, said, “Slavery is our King; slavery is our Truth; slavery is our Divine Right.” South Carolina’s Declaration of Secession refers to Northern States; “Those States…have denounced as sinful the institution of slavery…They have encouraged and assisted thousands of our slaves to leave their homes.” Several thousands of those slaves from South Carolina served in the Union army in the Civil War that was started in Charleston by South Carolinians when they bombarded Fort Sumter in April, 1861. At least 618,000 Americans died in the Civil War.

I was also a champion of the lost cause of Dixie. In 1964-65, I became the first Executive Director of the South Carolina Independent Schools Association. Now emphasizing academic and athletic excellence, originally the private schools were created to allow white children to avoid racial desegregation in public schools in counties with large populations of blacks. Several were named for Confederate figures like Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Wade Hampton.

I was an aide to George Wallace and then his National Campaign Director (1967-1971). Confederate flags were waved and racial slurs shouted at Wallace rallies throughout the country. My great-grandfather was a Confederate soldier and my grandfather was a Klan member. I named my only son Jefferson Davis Turnipseed. I was a racist who used my Confederate heritage to deny my racism.

I returned to South Carolina in 1972 and helped organize a coalition to reform electrical utility regulation that included African Americans. Electric rates for low volume residential users were 5 ½ times higher than for industrial users and a disproportionate number of the mostly poor low volume users were black. The rate hike hearings offered an opportunity to bridge the divide between poor blacks and whites. Our successful coalition helped me realize how prejudiced I had been against black people. I became an anti-racist activist and was elected to the SC Senate by an interracial coalition of everyday people. I am a life member of the NAACP, and was a leader in the effort to remove the rebel flag from our State House. Our law firm was co-counsel in a successful suit against the Klan for burning a black Baptist Church in South Carolina in 1998. These terrorist Klansmen waved the Confederate flag as they destroyed the church.

If a prejudiced devotee of Dixie like me could change, maybe there is hope for Secessionist Tea Partiers to change and allow poor black and white folks to have adequate health care.

Tom Turnipseed is an attorney, writer and peace activist in Columbia, SC. Read his blog here.