Triad Today

For anyone who thinks the Republican Party has the market cornered on exclusion, think again. True, it was the GOP who initiated Voter ID legislation and opposed gay marriage, but when it comes to excluding people from the political process, the Democratic Party wins the prize with their own brand of disenfranchisement.

Let’s begin with Iowa. Several months prior to that state’s caucus, Bernie Sanders was trailing Hillary Clinton by as much as 50 points. Then as Bernie’s message began to spread, he closed the gap in Iowa and pulled dead even with Hillary. After a neck and neck battle all evening, Democratic Party leaders in at least seven precincts had to flip a coin to determine selection of their county delegates, and party officials claim that Bernie won most of those flips. However, they also admitted that many precincts were not able to use the new Microsoft app, and might have conducted coin flips that went unreported. Meanwhile, according to The Guardian, State Democratic Party Chairman Andy McGuire arbitrarily removed one of Bernie’s delegates at the Grinnell College precinct, and awarded it to Clinton. McGuire, by the way, is a long time Clinton supporter who once sported a license plate that read, “HRC 2016”. His unilateral delegate switch didn’t alter the final state tally, but he didn’t know that at the time. It makes you wonder what other help he gave his pal Hillary that wasn’t reported. In the end, Clinton edged out Sanders by less than two-tenths of one percent. Of course we’ll never know exactly how many people voted for either candidate because state Democratic caucus rules prohibit making that information public. And they say Putin runs crooked elections.

The following week in New Hampshire, Bernie won 60 percent of the popular vote to Hillary’s 39 percent, yet Clinton ended up with the same number of delegates from the Granite State. How did that happen? Two words: super delegates. Super delegates are comprised of Democratic congressmen, senators and governors, as well as DNC committee members and other party officials. This elite corps of Dems are automatic delegates to the national convention, and are allowed to go rogue and endorse whichever candidate they choose, regardless of how the popular vote turns out in their state’s primary. There are nearly 800 Democratic super delegates across the nation, 394 of who have already endorsed Hillary. And so, even though Bernie should be leading in number of delegates based on the popular vote, instead, thanks to a rigged system, he now trails Clinton by 352 delegates! And, if Hillary continues to rack up Super Delegates who owe allegiance to her and her husband, she could arrive at the convention with as much as 20 percent of the number of delegates needed for nomination before her legitimate delegates are even counted.

If all of this sounds sleazy and exclusionary to you, rest assured it gets worse.

Last week in what can only be called a shocking move, the Democratic National Committee, led by Hillary’s friend, Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, lifted its ban on contributions by PACS and federal lobbyists. Guess who stands to gain from that sea change? Hillary Clinton, that’s who. Coincidentally, just days before the DNC’s ruling, Hillary spoke about how her new best friend Barack Obama had once accepted money from PACs and lobbyists, and it hadn’t compromised or influenced his Presidency. Translation? Hillary most certainly knew the DNC announcement was coming, so she was positioning herself to benefit from the rule change. I believe the DNC shocker was orchestrated by Clinton and Wasserman- Shultz because Bernie was becoming too serious a threat to Hillary’s dream. In fact, one recent poll shows Sanders pulling dead even with Clinton nationally.

It would be sad indeed if the DNC, a few hundred party bosses, and a handful of PACs and lobbyists get to supersede the will of the people, but I’m afraid that’s where we’re headed unless Bernie brings in a massive amount of new voters, and wins some major primaries next month. If so, his grass roots delegates could prove to be just the kryptonite needed to neutralize the Super Delegates, and drain the power from their fearless leader.
 
 

Johnny Bench’s hands have served him well. At age 6, he used them to pick cotton so that he could earn enough money to buy a pair of jeans.

As a catcher for the Cincinnati Reds, he used his hands to snag every baseball thrown to him, and throw out just about every runner who ever tried to steal on him. It’s no surprise that Johnny acquired the nickname “Hands”, a well-deserved moniker that was memorialized in a now famous photo in which he is holding seven baseballs in one hand at the same time. But since retiring from baseball in 1983, Bench’s hard-working, competitive hands have morphed into helping hands, especially when lending support to those in need.

On February 18, Bench will speak at a members-only dinner for the Guilford Merchants Association. Last week, in advance of his upcoming trip to Greensboro, I spoke with Johnny by phone about a wide variety of topics. We talked for over a half hour, and not once did he mention his 389 lifetime home runs, or being named to 14 All-Star teams, or his induction into the Hall of Fame, or his being named Best Catcher of all time. Instead the boy from Binger Oklahoma talked mainly about his passion for education, and how he and his Foundation help kids who want to go to college. He also spoke of how he and his son Bobby formed a company to help schools and businesses develop multi use apps. Along the way we also talked about diversity, politics, and his “Vowels of Success”.

JL: Tell me about the Johnny Bench Scholarship Fund, how it got started, and who it helps.

JB: I graduated high school at 17 and signed with the Reds. I had wanted to go to college because I thought a college education was important, but I didn’t know I would be drafted and my career turn out the way it did. So when I retired I wanted to give kids an opportunity to go to college, and that’s when we started the Scholarship Fund. We started out with $25,000 that went to help Cincinnati kids who wanted to go to Cincinnati colleges. From there I started hosting golf tournaments to raise money for the Scholarship Fund. I also won $250,000 on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and that went directly into the Scholarship Fund too. Several years ago we expanded the program to include kids from my hometown of Binger who wanted to go to college. All of the kids must maintain a certain grade point average in order for their scholarship to be renewed. Today we average about 84 to 94 scholarship kids each year.

JL: Back when you played ball, it was more common for kids to be drafted straight out of high school. But despite your young age, guys like you, Al Kaline and others had a natural work ethic. Is that something that can be taught?

JB: It’s all about who raised you. Back in 1966 someone asked me what motivates me, and I said, “the fear of failure.” Not failing here, but it’s fear of failing all those people back home who read the paper every day. I also had great mentors to assist me and guide me in a lot of ways.

JL: Well not only did you not fail, you and your teammates on the Reds were highly successful, winning back to back World Championships in ‘75 and ‘76. You also had the most culturally diverse starting line-up in baseball. Did that give you an edge?

JB: I was sitting on a plane with Ted Marchibroda, who was coach of the Baltimore Colts at the time, and he said, “Why are you guys so successful?” And I said, “Because we have black leadership, white leadership, and latin leadership, and we don’t know what color we are.” For example, if the Latin players had a problem, they could go to Tony (Perez). Today you hear about clubs having a team leader. To me, leaders are people who are on time. Leaders are on the field when it’s time to be on the field. They apply themselves. They run their laps the same as anybody else. They don’t ask for special treatment. Those are leaders.

JL: Speaking of leadership, you and your son Bobby run one of the leading app companies. Tell me about it.

JB: Our company is N.E.A.D., which stands for “No Ego App Development.” We develop apps for cities, schools, and businesses that are accessible to anyone from their smart phone. Let’s take a school, for example. We can help them set up an app where they can use push notifications to report cyber bullying, or update parents if there’s a lock-down. They can also put in all the schedules of their events and update everybody on cancellations.

JL: Let’s talk about your book, Catch Every Ball: How to Handle Life’s Pitches. In it, you reveal your “Vowels of Success”, which are Adhere, Employability, Inner Conceit, Opportunity, and Use. What do you want people to take away from your book?

JB: I want them to have their own vowels. I want them to assess what their life is and develop their own vowels. So when I’m speaking to groups I ask them, “What is your A? What is your E? For example, Arnold Palmer’s “A” is Attitude. Bobby Knight’s is Assholes, as in “Keep the Assholes away. (laughs)”

JL: It’s an election year, so I have to ask why you never ran for office. I mean, you’re Johnny Bench, one of the most popular athletes of all time.

JB: When I retired, I worked for a bank, and the President of the Bank called me in and said, “John, I’d like to see you run for Congress.” And I said, “Can you hear those skeletons in my closet right now? (laughs) 

I mean, they’re knocking down the door! Besides that, I don’t know all the different facets of politics that you need to know.”

Bench might have rejected the idea of serving in Washington, but that hasn’t stopped him from serving people all over the nation. In addition to starting the Scholarship Fund, Johnny has also raised over $2 million dollars to help abused women and kids, he entertained the troops in Desert Storm, has been an advocate for Wounded Warriors, and he headlines the Children’s Charity Classic in Lexington to benefit USA Cares. Not surprisingly when he lands in Greensboro next week, he’ll take time out to help his good friend and GMA Chairman Tom Berry to promote a local charity.

Great catchers are always busy, they stay involved in every play, and never rest until the job is done. That’s why my “A” is dedicated to Johnny Bench and his helping hands. My “A” is Admiration.

For more information about Johnny Bench, visit www.johnnybench.com. To learn about NEAD, visit www.mycivicapps.com or call (513) 620-1880.
 
 

Last month, Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio was delivering a speech in Iowa when a young atheist asked him why he spent so much time talking about religion. The atheist then suggested that Rubio seemed to be running for “Pastor in Chief”. Rather than respond by saying he would be the president of ALL people, Rubio instead launched into an aggressive defense of his Christian faith, and turned the atheist’s question into a rally cry for his campaign, and a central theme for his latest fundraising email scheme. In the email I received last week, Rubio said he needed to spread the word about “the role of faith in the public square.” He concludes by asking me to write a check to his campaign in the amount of $5,400—the maximum allowable individual contribution if combining a donation for both the primary and general elections.

I suppose this type of electronic tithing has replaced the more traditional passing of the plate. In any event, Rubio’s message is clear: Christians need to give him money now so he can spread the word of God, and drown out the heathen atheist voices which might derail his aspirations to be king, uh, I mean, president.

Clearly, Rubio knows how to pander to the electorate, but he’s not the only one. Every Republican candidate invokes God’s name at least once in every televised debate, and often thereafter whenever and wherever it suits their political purpose. Even Donald Trump, a mogul with a God complex, knows how important it is to woo Christian voters and others who worship a deity. That’s why he traveled to Liberty University recently in order to garner an endorsement from Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr. The hypocritical Trump spoke to a large gathering of students where he demonstrated his total lack of familiarity with the Bible when he referred to Second Corinthians as “Two Corinthians”. Nevertheless, he still won Falwell’s blessing and endorsement. Go figure.

Let’s face it, politicians love to talk about God because that’s what voters expect. It’s no accident that Ted Cruz proclaimed, “I’m a Christian first, an American second, a conservative third, and a Republican fourth.” God help any candidate who forgets to invoke God’s name, or fails to chastise non-believers. That’s why Christian candidates like Rubio and Cruz have such little tolerance for atheists, and find it easy to incite a crowd by uttering the “A” word. Still, something about presidential candidates using atheists as a punching bag and God as a fundraiser, rings a bit hollow and hypocritical.

According to the 2010 Census, nearly half of all Americans say they are church members. However, a 2013 Gallup poll reports that only 37% of us attend church regularly. Author Mark Chaves says that figure is actually much lower- around 20%, and he attributes the discrepancy to what he calls the “Halo Effect”. The “Halo Effect” occurs when people give false data to a pollster so that they appear to be more religious than they really are.

So there you have it. We Christians expect our politicians to be Christian, say Christian things, and invoke God’s name at least once in every televised debate. Yet only about 20% of us even bother to show up for church services on a regular basis, and those of us who do, don’t seem to mind voting for candidates who vote against Christian-like legislation that would help the less fortunate among us. Translation? We want our politicians to talk the talk, but aren’t really concerned with whether they walk the walk. It’s a disconnect that is perhaps a product of our own hypocrisy when it comes to religion, and it’s a frightening disconnect at that. It also allows us to turn a blind eye to candidates who trample over the Constitution whenever invoking God’s name will get them elected. Senator Rubio says, “We are called in the Bible to adhere to our civil authorities, but that conflicts with our requirements to adhere to God’s rules, so when those two come into conflict, God’s rules always win.” I agree, and that’s why I’m not sending a donation to Rubio. God wouldn’t want me to do business with a moneychanger.
 
 

Several things anger me about American politics, especially during a presidential election cycle. They include: exclusionary rules and institutions; mudslinging; and uninformed voters. In order to become president, Senator Bernie Sanders may have to overcome all of the above.

There are many ways in which the two-party system can derail a legitimate candidate by disregarding (or, in a sense, excluding) the votes he’s collected. One of those ways is to hold state primaries in which people think their vote actually counts. In the Democratic party, primary votes are apportioned according to results, but that’s no guarantee that a candidate will benefit from his own vote totals. That’s because delegates to a party convention are morally, but not legally bound to vote for the winner of their state’s primary. Hillary Clinton has a lot of pull with state party leaders, so Bernie could actually win a majority of primaries and still lose the nomination.

Presidential politics has always been a rough-and-tumble sport, and certainly mudslinging and misleading ads are nothing new. In 1828, for example, John Quincy Adams attacked Andrew Jackson for marrying a divorced woman who, it turns out, was not legally divorced. Today, nearly 200 years later, Republicans have dogged Hillary Clinton about keeping top secret emails on her personal server. But Bernie Sanders came to her rescue, telling a debate crowd, “Enough about the damn e-mails!” Unfortunately, Hillary hasn’t returned the favor. Ever since Bernie started gaining in the polls, Ms. Clinton and her minions have started running attack ads, excoriating Bernie on everything from his healthcare plan, to his vote against making gun manufacturers liable for gun crimes. Disseminating misinformation about an opponent has become an accepted practice among political party hacks, and I truly hate it. Untruthful ads that are intended to incite and misinform viewers should be illegal, instead they are encouraged.

Exclusionary rules and institutions are dangerous, and mudslinging can cause untold damage to candidates, their families, and their campaigns. But perhaps the thing I despise most about presidential politics are uninformed and lazy voters. These are the folks who have never heard of fact-checking. For example, they believe Carly Fiorina when she claims to be a job creator, even though her favorite pastime at Hewlett Packard was laying off employees. Uninformed voters also believe that Hillary will crack down on Wall Street investment firms, even though she accepted $600,000 in speaking fees from Goldman Sachs. These are the same lazy voters who say, “I would vote for Bernie Sanders, but he can’t win.” Pardon me while I scream.

First of all, who says he can’t win? A month ago, Hillary had a 50 point lead on Bernie in the national polls, and today, that lead has been in cut in half. Moreover, his numbers keep rising every time he visits a new state. As of this week, Sanders is crushing Hillary in New Hampshire by 60% to 33%, and leading her in Iowa by 51% to 43%. If Bernie wins those two contests next month, his national poll numbers will skyrocket. Translation? Time is on Bernie’s side.

Speaking of growing support for Sanders, Hillary’s African American spokespersons have told the media that Bernie has no support in the minority community. But just last week, Dr. Cornell West told Bill Maher that black voters support “Brother Bernie” once they get to know him. Hillary has underestimated Bernie Sanders the same way she underestimated Barack Obama in 2008, and now she’s starting to panic.

But even if Bernie’s poll numbers weren’t rising, why would anyone not vote for him just because they think he won’t win? You should always vote your conscious, and, the more people who do that, the better chance Bernie has of actually winning the nomination.

Lazy, uniformed voters also make me mad because they don’t take time to learn about Bernie’s platform. How can anyone not be in favor of a plan that eliminates monthly healthcare premiums? Sanders rolled out his comprehensive healthcare reform proposal last week which pointed out that if an average family saved $10,000 per year in insurance premiums, they would pay about $500 in additional taxes. I’m no math whiz, but paying $500 sounds a lot better than paying $10,000. Hillary’s only response to that plan? Maintain the status quo.

I sincerely hope that uninformed voters will wise up, and if they don’t I hope they stay home on election day.

Clearly Bernie Sanders may have to overcome a number of obstacles in order to win the White House, but his supporters can take comfort from news out of Western Illinois University. The research department at that school has accurately predicted the winner of every presidential election since 1976, and they predict that Sanders will be our next Commander in Chief. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. As Bernie might say, “Enough with the damn polls! Let’s talk about the issues!”
 
 

Last week President Obama issued an Executive Order which he hopes will curb gun violence in America. His Order consists of three elements: First it seeks to clarify who is required to have a federal license to sell firearms at gun shows; Second, it calls for the addition of 230 FBI agents to process background checks on gun purchasers; and Third, it allocates half a billion dollars for treatment of mental illness.

Obama announced his Executive Order at a press conference in which he invoked the memory of the twenty children who were murdered at Sandy Hook elementary school in 2012. While speaking of those deaths, the President shed tears of sorrow. The press seemed to buy into the waterworks. Even Donald Trump said Obama’s tears were real. Perhaps, but they were also staged, and it wasn’t the first time the President has done so. Following the Sandy Hook massacre I wrote a column entitled, “Obama’s Tears Too Little Too Late.” Just as he did last week, Obama shed tears at his December 2012 press conference, and did so on the same talking points. It is just one of five reasons why I believe his Executive Order is a hollow gesture.

REASON 1:

POLITICS AND HYPOCRISY

Last week’s press conference once again demonstrates that Obama’s tears are too little too late. Even if they were genuine and heartfelt tears, the question remains, Why the concern now? and Why not seven years ago? Obama apologists point out that the President would have never gotten tough gun laws through a Republican Congress. But for the first two years of his Presidency, Obama had a Democrat majority in both Chambers. In January of 2009, there were 256 Democrats and 178 Republicans in the House, while Democrats held a 55 to 41 edge in the Senate. Moreover, the President has had more than enough reasons to push for gun reforms. According to snopes.com, there have been 162 mass shootings on his watch (compared with just 20 during two terms under George Bush). We’ve experienced massacres at a Fort, a movie theatre, a college campus, a church, a clinic, and an elementary school. We even had a member of Congress shot in broad daylight. But each time an incident occurred, all we got from our Commander in Chief was condolences, rhetoric, and tears. In his January 28, 2015 State of the Union address, Obama said, “I’ve mourned with grieving families in Tucson and Newtown, Boston, Texas, and West Virginia.” But not once following a mass shooting did the President ever issue an Executive Order to deal with the problem. Why? Because he couldn’t afford to alienate voters, either during his own re-election cycle, or in off year elections. Now he is a lame duck, and it is finally politically safe for him to appear to do something about gun violence. The operative word here is “appear”.

REASON 2:

NO REDUCTION OF GUNS

Nothing in the President’s Executive Order does anything to reduce the number of firearms in this country, it only attempts to delay or deny gun purchases by a few bad apples. As of 2010, the population of the United States was about 309 million. Meanwhile, according to the Congressional Research Service, there are 310 million firearms in America. Translation? A shit load of guns are already in circulation. So even if no more guns were purchased, there’s still enough firepower available to fuel any number of murders.

REASON 3:

NO REDUCTION IN CRIME

Based on reason #2, one can make the assumption that the President’s Executive Order will do little or nothing to reduce gun violence. That’s not just my opinion, but it is the belief of law enforcement officials I have spoken with who know about and come up against what seems to be an endless supply of weapons in circulation. The President could argue that stepping up background checks at gun shows might deter anyone with criminal intent. But as I pointed out in previous columns, federal background checks are limited in scope, and don’t always take into consideration someone’s mental illness or proclivity for violence.

REASON 4:

NO AFFECT ON GUN SHOWS

Don Efred, owner of Archdale Arms and Archery told the Greensboro News & Record recently that a “high percentage of vendors at gun shows already are federally licensed dealers.” Other dealers say over 90% of exhibitors at gun shows are licensed. I have attended a number of such shows, and I’ve never walked by a display of guns that wasn’t manned by a federally licensed dealer. Obviously the President has never attended a gun show, or else he would realize that his Executive Order is aimed at solving a crisis that doesn’t exist.

REASON 5:

EXECUTIVE ORDER WILL BE OVERTURNED

In addition to reasons already stated, Obama’s Executive Order rings hollow because he knows Congress can and will dismantle some or all of the elements of that Order, either sooner or later. Specifically, Congress has the power to overturn an Executive Order in two ways. First they can simply pass legislation which is in conflict with the Order. Second, they can refuse to provide the funding necessary to carry out policy measures contained in the Order. Either way, the President’s Executive Order as written will be short lived.

If Mr. Obama is determined to circumvent Congress, he should have included elements in his Executive Order that were substantive, rather than superficial. He should have reinstated the 1994 ban on assault weapons, and required a 90-day waiting period for the purchase of any firearm (including shotguns). He should also have mandated that any potential firearm purchaser obtain a note from a licensed physician saying that the buyer is mentally fit. Rather than only funding mental health treatment, he should have also focused on prevention. For example, he could have required that all 8th and 11th grade students be screened for signs of behavioral health problems. The 8th grade screening would provide a baseline report for health professionals to review prior to the 11th grade screening, and then treatment would be available as indicated. In addition, all middle school parents should be required to attend a seminar on how to recognize seriously dysfunctional and potentially violent behavior in a child. Finally, The President should have allocated funding that would place one School Resource Officer in every school. In the end, even these proposals would probably meet with Congressional opposition, but at least they are not hollow gestures.

We’ve shed enough gun-related tears over the past two decades. Now it’s time to shed ineffective policies that accomplish nothing but photo opportunities for politicians. No doubt the GOP and the NRA deserve some of the blame for the unchecked massacres that have occurred, but Mr. Obama has failed to use his bully pulpit for anything but spewing bull.
 
 

Each week I use the last few moments of my Triad Today television show to comment on weird and wacky stories in the news. Here are some of the weirdest and wackiest from the last half of 2015.

TASTING POSITIVE

A father and son crime team from Oregon was recently arrested for stealing $70,000 worth of pregnancy strips which they apparently thought were teeth whitening strips. Asked what his first brush with the law was like, the son said the whole thing had left a bad taste in his mouth.

DUMB GUN

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he’s ready to test out a new weapon that can diminish your mental capacity. “Too late,” said the ten Republican Presidential candidates.

APE IS ENOUGH

Primate scholars are all aglow because last week a baboon in the London Zoo learned how to floss his own teeth. Encouraged by his progress, zoo officials now say the baboon is ready to take part in the next Republican debate.

LENGTH MATTERS

The Journal of Consumer Psychology reports that a man whose index finger is shorter than his ring finger, is more likely to spend money on his girlfriend. Conversely, men who spend NO money, GET the finger from their girlfriend.

POPPINS PERP

An English nanny was arrested last week for stealing $280,000 from the family she was employed by. The nanny was picked up after spending part of the loot at a Disney resort. Authorities say they were tipped off about the fugitive nanny by a letter they received from Jane and Michael Banks.

BIGFOOT SIGHTING

A man from Boone claims that he and his dog saw Bigfoot while vacationing in Henderson County. Police didn’t doubt the Bigfoot story so much as wondering why anyone would vacation in Henderson County.

A PENNEY’S SAVED

A female employee at a J.C. Penney store was recently sent home by her boss because he said the shorts she was wearing were far too revealing, and not appropriate for work. The woman was naturally confused because she purchased the shorts at J.C. Penney, in the “career” section! Let that be a lesson to you. Never buy work clothes where you work.

CHECK POINT CHICKIE

A Texas State Trooper has been arrested for prostitution because he offered to pay a woman for sex after having stopped her for speeding. This gives a whole new meaning to the term, “Police Cruiser.”

SMART FOOD

The University of Vienna in Austria has released a new study that says IQs are on the rise in the United States. Asked if he was pleased with the Vienna report on intelligence, former President George Bush said, “Yeah boy, and I love their tiny sausages too.”

THUNDERBALLS

White pop singing legend Tom Jones says he is undergoing a DNA test because he wants to see if he is really Black. Asked if this is a rare procedure, one doctor said, “It’s not unusual.”

SIGNAL BOOSTING

A woman in Costa Rica recently stole a plasma TV from a store by putting the TV between her legs and hiding it under her dress. The woman was arrested outside the store, but authorities wondered two things: How was she able to put a TV between her legs? and, How does she change the channels?

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

According to the Centers for Disease Control, when you get red eyes after swimming in a public pool, it’s not from the chlorine. It’s from urine discharged by other people. Which begs the question: If pee causes red eyes, what causes brown eyes?

GETTING CARDED

For his 106th birthday, a Grand Rapids man received 106 birthday cards. Said the man, “It beats the birthday when I turned 101. Those Dalmatians are eating me out of house and home.”
 
 

Over the past forty years I’ve been fortunate to interview a number of Hollywood icons, 99% of who were gracious, down to earth folks (I won’t name the other 1%). This past year, six of those wonderful performers passed away, so I wanted to recognize and celebrate them as we say goodbye to 2015.

DONNA DOUGLAS who played Elly May Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies, passed away on New Year’s Day at her home in Louisiana. She was 82 years young. I interviewed Donna at the 2010 Western Film Fair in Winston-Salem, just days after the BP Deep Water Horizon spill had finally been capped, but not before discharging nearly 5 million barrels of oil into Donna’s beloved gulf coast. I asked her what she thought of the government’s proposed moratorium on drilling, and Donna said that would be bad because people in her area need those jobs. And in typical Ellie May fashion, Donna also worried about the “critters” who had been affected by the spill. Naturally we spoke of her time on the Hillbillies, and she recalled how wonderful it was to work with Buddy Ebsen. Then she ended our interview with a famous line from the show, saying “Y’all come back now. You hear?” That was followed by Donna letting out one of her famous whistles, which I had always assumed had been dubbed for her all those years. It wasn’t. Her whistle was authentic and deafening. My ears are still ringing. In her Hollywood years I was smitten by Donna’s outward beauty, and in her retirement years I was smitten by her inner beauty. Donna Douglas was simply a beautiful person.

JAMES BEST was an accomplished dramatic actor who appeared in over 80 films and 600 TV shows. He was also an acting coach, a director, a producer, and a painter. But he was best known as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard. Jim passed away on April 6 at the age of 88. Over the past few years Best and his wife Dorothy lived just up the road in Hickory, North Carolina. They stopped by the Triad Today studio in 2012 to tape a couple of segments about Jim’s multifaceted career, and to promote his artwork and his autobiography, Best in Hollywood. My friend Norman Lloyd, who produced the original Alfred Hitchcock Presents, including a spooky segment in which Best appeared, referred to Jim as “a scoundrel.” The title was fitting. I asked the scoundrel to talk about the incident that occurred when he was a young contract player at Universal, and was warned not to date any of the studio starlets. Best failed to heed that warning and got involved with one of the actresses. “I made a mistake, but she was so beautiful, I mean, she had been on the cover of Look magazine. But she was a blabber mouth, and she came back to the studio and told everyone that she had been out with me. All of a sudden the studio bosses called me in to their office. (Needless to say) they didn’t give me a raise (laughs).”

I also asked Jim to tell me about his not so authentic guitar playing on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. “I’m not in the habit of lying unless it’s really important (laughs), but when the producer asked if I played the guitar, I said, ‘Are you kidding? I have two guitars!” Well I got on set and we started to film, and the Director told me to play a piece of music and I told him I couldn’t play it. “You lied. You said you could play the guitar,” he shouted. “No, I said I HAD two guitars” (laughs).

James Best was a relevant part of our pop culture for seven decades, and a scoundrel to the end. He will be missed.

JAYNE MEADOWS was often confused with her younger sister Audrey who played Alice in The Honeymooners. But Jayne was an accomplished actress in her own right, and one of TV’s best game show panelists. She was also married to my hero/mentor, the great Steve Allen who invented the late night talk show. The couple teamed up often, appearing in such shows as Diagnosis Murder and St. Elsewhere. Jayne died on April 26 at the age of 95.

I first met Jayne and Steve in the late 1990’s when it fell upon me to arrange for the couple to attend a party for retiring CBS studio boss Bernie Oseransky. Jayne was always dressed to the nines and gave off an aristocratic air, but inside she was a very warm person who could do subtle comedy better than just about anyone. She not only loved Steve, but she understood his legacy. I once confessed to her that I was nervous the first time I met her husband. “Jayne I’ve interviewed hundreds of celebrities, but—” She interrupted me and said, “I know. He’s Steve Allen.”

Jayne Meadows was a consummate professional and an underrated actress. It was an honor to know her.

DICK VAN PATTEN was one of the last Hollywood stars who excelled in every facet of show business, from radio and theatre, to film and television. He was also an author and an entrepreneur. But Dick was perhaps most famous for his role as the patriarch in Eight is Enough. Dick passed away on June 23. He was 86 years old.

I first got to know Dick when he appeared at a “TV Dads” event which I moderated for the Television Academy back in 2009. Because he was soft spoken, most people assumed that Dick was an introverted man. But don’t tell that to anyone who ever competed against him in a game of tennis or poker. He also had a great sense of humor, and was a master storyteller. I laughed as he told about the baby alligator he kept in his tub when he was a little boy, and he cracked up our audience when recalling his reaction to his Father telling him the “facts of life”. Said Dick, “I thought to myself, boy I hope he’s right (laughs).”

But nothing will ever top the time I asked Dick if it was true that at age 16 he dated a stripper who made him get a tattoo. “Yeah that’s true. It was on my arm, it was a horseshoe. She made me get it. It was stupid (laughs). She said, ‘I bet you’re not brave enough to get a tattoo.’ And I said, ‘No I’m brave enough.’ I was trying to impress her, and in those days they didn’t have electric needles, they used a real needle, and I can’t stand blood. And the blood is streaming down my arm, and she says, ‘Does it hurt you?’ , and I said ‘No, no.’ What a dopey thing to do. And then I thought after all that, I’d get to make out with her or something. NOTHING!”

Dick’s little co-star Adam Rich once told me, “Dick is one of the nicest people you’d ever wish to meet.” He’s right.

MARTY INGELS was a comedy genius who regrettably only starred in one sitcom, “I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster”. The show about two handymen only had a short run in the early 1960’s, after which Marty was in demand as a guest star in shows like The Addams Family, all the way up to CSI, covering a period of six decades. Along the way he also became a Hollywood agent, and later, had steady work as a voice over talent. He died on October 21 at the age of 79.

I first met Marty through his Oscar winning wife Shirley Jones, who is best known to younger audiences as the singing Mom in The Partridge Family. Over the years, Pam and I kept in touch regularly with Marty and Shirley, including a visit to their home in Encino. Marty and I became frequent email pals in which I would write something funny, then he would respond with an even funnier quip. I will also miss the annual holiday cards which featured Shirley and Marty in hilarious poses. The last one pictured Marty with tape over his mouth and Shirley saying, “It was a quiet Christmas.” Rest in peace, Pal.

MARJORIE LORD was one of the most naturally beautiful actresses in the history of Hollywood, first appearing in B Westerns and mysteries, and later achieving stardom as the wife of Danny Thomas on the hit TV series Make Room for Daddy. As a young boy I had a major crush on Marjorie, but I didn’t realize that a nine year old boy was not allowed to marry a woman 35 years his senior. Bummer. I eventually got to meet my “crush” in 2008 when Maggie participated in my “TV Moms” event for the Television Academy. She was 90 at the time and still beautiful. Marjorie Lord passed away on November 28. She was 97.

During the “TV Moms” event I asked Marjorie to comment on the age-old double standard of aging that plagues actresses. “When I was in my 40s, I was playing 27 year old people on stage, but if they printed in the paper that I was in my 40s, it would be harder for the audience to buy me as a young woman. And you would never tell a producer your real age, because he gets that age fixed in his mind. So we were very quiet about our age back then.”

Maggie’s daughter, actress Anne Archer told me that her mother had “an inner beauty that radiated in everything she did.” Angela Cartwright, who played Lord’s daughter in Daddy, and appeared in The Sound of Music and Lost in Space, said of her co-star, “Marjorie always made me feel so loved and comfortable…I thought she was a princess.” I couldn’t agree more.

(Books by Marjorie, Dick, Marty, and James are available on Amazon.com., while interviews with Donna, James, and Dick can be viewed on JimLongworth.com)
 
 

As we celebrate and enjoy this holiday season, let’s not forget that there are people beyond our immediate circle of family and friends who could benefit from our love and generosity. Over the past decade, I’ve been able to showcase scores of community organizations on my “Triad Today” television show, and in the process, I’ve learned that there are several ways we can help these agencies help others. The first is to donate goods. Second is to donate money. And, third is to donate our time. Of course, some nonprofit groups can benefit from all three types of giving. Here, in no particular order, are just a few organizations to which you might lend your support.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC: Unfortunately, the Piedmont Triad has one of the worst hunger problems in the nation, and that includes the problem of childhood hunger. One reason is that we are still not fully recovered from the Recession of 2008, and in an economic downturn, many people are either unemployed or underemployed. That translates into an increasing number of families without money for food. The Second Harvest Food Bank distributes food to churches and nonprofit agencies that feed hungry people in an 18 county area. You can write a check directly to the food bank, and you can drop-off non-perishable food items at a number of locations in our area. For more information call 784- 5770, or visit HungerNWNC.org.

Goodwill Industries of Northwest NC: Each year, over 45,000 people in Northwest NC are served by workforce development programs that are administered by Goodwill. Those programs are supported in part by the items we donate, which are then sold at Goodwill retail stores. That means, the more items you donate, the more people will get back to work. Goodwill also welcomes monetary donations. For more information call 724-3621, or visit GoodwillNWNC.org.

Senior Services, Inc. operates an Adult Day Care facility, and offers a number of services to elderly citizens and their families. Their signature program is Meals on Wheels, and since 1962, volunteers of all ages have delivered over four million hot lunches to shut-ins, regardless of their ability to pay. Monetary donations are always welcome, and volunteers are always needed. For more information, call 725-0907, or visit SeniorServices.org.

Cancer Services, Inc.: Their stated mission is “to enhance quality of life for those living with cancer, and to provide the gift of life through education”. Their services include patient advocacy, medication and financial assistance, providing equipment and supplies, offering peer support groups, and much more. 90% of funds donated to Cancer Services, Inc. goes directly to providing client services. In addition to money, you can also donate used equipment and supplies. Call 760-9983, or visit CancerServicesOnline.org.

Greensboro Urban Ministry is on the front lines when it comes to providing emergency assistance. Greensboro Urban Ministry provides homeless families in Guilford County a safe, temporary environment. They also operate a food bank, and offer a chaplaincy service. Volunteers are needed to prepare and serve meals, manage shelters, tutor children, and perform a variety of other duties. Monetary donations are also much appreciated. Call 271-5959, or visit GreensboroUrbanMinistry.org.

Hospice: There are a number of hospice programs throughout our region, and all of them are in need of volunteers to aid in the care of patients, and to comfort families. Mountain Valley Hospice, for example, serves a 16 county area in NC and Virginia, offering personalized care to patients at the end of life. Due to the vast geographical area they serve, MVHPC maintains six regional offices, and operates the Woltz Hospice Home. They also specialize in care for terminally ill children and veterans. This month, MVHPC is breaking ground for a new hospice home in Yadkin County, which will be funded by grants and local donations. To give money or inquire about volunteering, call 1-888 789-2922, or visit MtnValleyHospice.org.

The Winston-Salem Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro: Thanks to the generosity of donors, these two historic Foundations are able to issue scores of community grants every year that go to support a variety of organizations and activities engaged in everything from offering scholarships, to promoting economic development. Both Foundations assist families and individuals who wish to establish charitable trusts and special funds. For general information, visit CFGG.org and WSFoundation.org.

The Petty Family Foundation: NASCAR legend Richard Petty and his family support a number of charitable organizations and specialized programs, including Paralyzed Veterans of America and Victory Junction Camp, the latter of which provides an uplifting experience for children with severe disabilities and terminal illnesses. To make a donation or learn more, visit PettyFamilyFoundation.org.

Carolina Donor Services and Red Cross … There can be no greater gift at this holiday season than the gift of life, and that’s why you might consider donating blood, and signing a donor card. Either gesture requires only a few minutes of your time, and will almost certainly result in saving someone’s life in the future. You can reach Carolina Donor Services at 1-800 200-2672, or at CarolinaDonorServices.org. You can call the Red Cross at 333-2111, or via the internet at GSORedCross.org.

Please remember that your donations of time, money, or goods to area community organizations is vitally important, not just now, but throughout the coming year. It’s also a way for us to expand the circle of people we care about, and that’s something worth celebrating in this season of giving.
 
 

Congratulations! By now you have been forced to decide what kind of health insurance to purchase for 2016, and if you choose not to choose, you will be fined up to 2.5 percent of your income. But never fear because President Obama said that we can keep the plan we had. Oh wait, that’s no longer true. He also said that our premiums wouldn’t increase by more than 10 percent. Again, not true. Depending upon where you live, premiums are going to rise by 25 to 50 percent. Then there’s the part where he said we would never be turned down for coverage.

That’s sort of true, and sort of not true. Yes, you can get coverage, but if you can’t afford the premiums, your insurance will be canceled. And even if you can make the monthly payments, if you or a loved one has a prolonged or catastrophic illness, you still have to pay the deductible, and (under most plans) up to 20 percent of the hospital bill. That means if your hospital bill is $50,000, you’d have to come up with about $12,000. Perhaps I’m missing something here, but most families don’t have $12,000 lying around.

So how can the deck continue to be stacked against individuals and families under the so-called Affordable Care Act? Because the healthcare system itself has not been reformed. For the sake of brevity, let’s just focus on the actual cost of insurance. If Blue Cross wants to raise our premiums by more than 10 percent, all they have to do is write a justification report to the State, then they pretty much get whatever they want. That’s because most State Insurance Commissioners either can’t or won’t do anything to prevent the increase. Says one healthcare expert, Professor Timothy Jost of Washington & Lee University, “Nothing in the Affordable Care Act prohibits them (insurers) from proceeding.”

Perhaps President Obama should have fought to include rate hike protections in his reform package, but I doubt Congress would have approved them anyway. It’s a moot point, anyway. According to Washington State Insurance Commissioner Stephanie Marquis, “The large cost driver in what people are paying does not have to do with healthcare reform … it would continue to happen regardless of whether we had healthcare reform.”

Earlier this year, correspondent Robert Pear wrote in the New York Times that Blue Cross Blue Shield has sought (and will probably get) rate increases that average 23 percent in Illinois, 31 percent in Oklahoma, 36 percent in Tennessee, 37 percent in Kansas, and 54 percent in Minnesota. Pear also reported that here in North Carolina, Big Blue has asked for an average 25 percent rate hike, but many people with individual plans are experiencing as much as a 50 percent jump in monthly premiums.

There’s no way to justify or sugarcoat what Blue Cross is doing. They can try and explain their exorbitant rate increases by blaming doctors and hospitals, but the truth is Blue Cross Blue Shield is guilty of price gouging, pure and simple. And price gouging is illegal. Generally speaking, we only hear about price gouging during or immediately after a natural disaster, such as when a gas station operator jacked up his prices after two gulf oil refineries were knocked off-line following Hurricane Katrina. But even during disasters we’re not always protected against price gouging. CBS Money Watch reported that after superstorm Sandy hit the east coast, only 7 of the 13 states struck by the storm had laws against price gouging. Today, 34 states have laws in place, including here in North Carolina. The question is, will they enforce them?

North Carolina General Statute 75-38 prohibits, “excessive pricing during states of disaster, states of emergency, or abnormal market disruptions.” So far, Attorney General Roy Cooper has a pretty good track record when it comes to punishing companies for price gouging during a natural disaster, but he’s never lifted a finger to stop Blue Cross from gouging its customers, even during and following the great recession of 2008. And if that recession doesn’t constitute a market disruption, then I don’t know what does. Millions of people lost their jobs, and families are still struggling to recover.

The obvious long-term fix to our healthcare crisis is to adopt Sen. Bernie Sanders’ solution, a system of so-called “Medicare for all.” The fact is nearly every other industrialized nation in the world offers its citizens free healthcare, so why not us? Yes, those systems are funded by taxes, and yes there can be a waiting list for certain types of non-emergency surgery, but at least people in those countries don’t lose their homes and their savings trying to pay for healthcare. Here in the land of the free, the number one reason for personal bankruptcy is medical bills, and that is a disgrace. At most, it will take a miracle for Congress to pass Sanders’ plan. At the very least it will take a long time. And so, in the meantime, there are a couple of quick fixes that can prevent financial ruin for the average family.

One solution is to legislate a cap on insurance premiums. This approach is not without precedent. Back in 2013 when states were trying to get a handle on how to implement ACA, Maryland’s Attorney General Douglas Gansler and the Maryland Insurance Administration sought a cap of 5 percent on health insurance premiums until such time as it became clear what the actual price tag of ACA would be. Gansler’s actions were precipitated by Care First Blue Cross Blue Shield’s attempt to raise premiums by up to 150 percent.

Another short-term solution is for states to enforce their own laws against price gouging. If he broadly interpreted and applied statute 75-38, Attorney General Cooper could unilaterally drop a fly into Big Blue’s greedy ointment. Of course, such an action would be challenged by BCBS, and perhaps eventually struck down by the courts, but you don’t know if a solution will work unless you try. Right now, families in North Carolina need an advocate who will stand up to insurance monopolies. Roy Cooper could be that advocate, especially since he needs our help to get a job promotion next fall. Maybe we just need to gouge him a little.
 
 

Throughout the last few Presidential election cycles, immigration was a hot button issue, primarily because a majority of Americans believed that Mexicans were taking our jobs, and draining our capacity for social services. This year, Presidential candidates are still talking about immigration, but for a very different reason. For one thing, recent data suggests that more Mexicans are leaving the United States than are coming here. For another, our political discussions about immigration now focus on security rather than on economics. This recent shift in discourse dates back several years to the escalation of Syria’s civil war, where conditions are so bad that nine million Syrians have fled their homeland for the promise of a better life in Europe and beyond.

On September 20 of this year, Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the U.S. would accept up to 100,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2016. Conservative members of Congress balked, saying it would be easy for terrorists to slip into our country by claiming to be Syrian refugees. Then, last month, the debate boiled over when terrorists staged multiple bombing attacks on Paris. Suddenly the anti-immigration rhetoric here escalated, both inside the beltway and throughout the heartland. Congress acted quickly to introduce HR 4038, the so-named “American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act.” The bill would prevent Syrian or Iraqi refugees from entering the United States unless they are first cleared by a conglomerate of government agencies, including the FBI, Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence. If that group gives unanimous approval, then a refugee would still be subjected to the normal battery of hurdles that are already in place.

But HR 4038 was also precipitated by a debate about full disclosure. Even before the Paris attacks occurred, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory and thirty other State Governors were demanding that President Obama stop allowing any more Syrian or Iraqi refugees into this country until the Feds started sharing complete background information with state agencies. 6th District Rep. Mark Walker of Guilford defended the bill, saying, “While I understand the need to be compassionate towards individuals seeking asylum in the United States, we simply cannot place our national security on the back burner by accepting unidentified Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the United States, especially given our past and present immigration issues.” Meanwhile, opponents of HR 4038, like 12th District Rep. Alma Adams, scolded those who supported the bill, saying, “HR 4038 is extreme and goes against the values so many have fought for in this great nation… it would force us to turn our backs on the most vulnerable Syrian refugees.”

Adams was referring to the fact that most Syrian refugees are women and children. But we should keep in mind that some women from that region have been known to hide bombs under their Burqas, and children are taught how to handle heavy weapons from an early age. On the other hand, there is also something to be said for not singling out a particular nationality or religious group when determining eligibility for re-settlement. After all, terrorists from Syria can enter America through other countries, and not all terrorists are from Syria and Iraq. Tashfin Malik, for example, was brought here last year from Pakistan by her husband Syed Farook, then last week she and Farook murdered 14 people at a San Bernardino party. HR4038 would also do nothing to protect us from homegrown terrorists like Dylann Roof who killed nine people at a church in South Carolina, or Adam Lanza, who murdered 20 children at an elementary school in Connecticut. Clearly, HR4038 is ill advised, nevertheless, we must somehow come to grips with the refugee problem before it grows any more dangerous. Policies and procedures of the past simply are no longer adequate.

In 2009, for example, the United States put in place a program to help Iraqi citizens who had been displaced by our invasions and attacks during George Bush’s ill-advised crusade. But that initiative opened the door for terrorists to enter our country almost unabated. In 2011,Kentucky authorities arrested two of those Iraqi “refugees” because they were plotting to send missiles and cash to their terrorist comrades back home for the express purpose of killing Americans.

Make no mistake, if we continue to allow Middle East refugees into our country, some of them will end up trying to kill us. To think otherwise is naive and dangerous. That’s why I propose a two year moratorium on ALL immigration, so that we can get a handle on potential terrorists who have already entered our borders, while exploring ways to control entry for legitimate refugees going forward. If we continue to let hundreds of thousands of immigrants into America while trying to fix the problem, it would be like trying to work on a transmission while the motor is still running. We need to shut off the immigration engine temporarily while we develop an enforceable, compassionate, and responsible policy for admitting foreigners to America in the future.
 
 

Last month the voters of Houston rejected a measure that would have banned discrimination based on gender identity. The so-named H.E.R.O. act (Houston Equal Rights Ordinance) was a pet project of outgoing Mayor Annise Parker who sought to guarantee the LGBT community certain protections not currently afforded to them under Texas law.

Parker and her supporters blamed defeat of the measure on misleading and inflammatory TV ads produced by the opposition. Those ads essentially warned voters that if passed, the H.E.R.O. act would allow males who identify as females to use public restrooms and school facilities that are designated for women. Backers of the ordinance, along with many in the press, claimed that H.E.R.O. had nothing to do with bathrooms. In fact, they were wrong. It had everything to do with bathrooms, and for once, a right-wing, inflammatory TV ad was actually accurate. To be fair, the ordinance covered much more than just the use of public facilities. For example, it would have banned city government from discriminating against transgender people seeking employment and housing, and that’s OK. But if passed it would have also allowed an 18-year-old boy who thinks he’s a girl to use the girl’s restrooms and locker rooms at his local high school, and that’s not OK.

Said Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, “No woman should have to share a public locker room or restroom with a man.” Parker on the other hand, complained that, “This was a campaign of fearmongering.” Hey Mayor Parker, it’s not mongering if the fear is real. Just ask residents of Massachusetts, Colorado, and Illinois who had absolutely no say in how their gender specific public facilities have been opened to transgender people, thanks to recent rulings by the courts and federal government.

The Massachusetts Department of Education, for example, issued an order two years ago requiring all public schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms, and play on sports teams, in the gender to which they identify.

That same year in Colorado, 8-year-old Coy Mathis decided he wanted to be a girl, so his parents allowed him to grow his hair long and wear dresses to school. But their enabling didn’t stop there. Mr. and Mrs. Mathis demanded that Coy be allowed to use the girls’ restrooms or else they would take legal action. School officials pointed out that since Coy had a penis, he is still biologically a boy, and it wouldn’t be fair to other students to let him use the girls’ bathroom. In the spirit of compromise, however, the principal offered Coy the use of the school nurse’s private bathroom. That wasn’t good enough for Coy’s grandstanding parents, who hired an attorney and filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division. They eventually won their case. That same year in Chicago’s district 211, an eighth-grade boy who identifies as a girl demanded to play on the girls’ soccer team, and to use the girls’ locker room.

Again, school officials tried to be accommodating. They allowed the boy to play on the girls’ team, but they installed a curtain in the locker room so that he could change in private. Not surprisingly the boy’s parents refused the gesture. A few weeks ago the case was decided by the US Department of Education who found that the school district had violated the boy’s rights under Title IX. If the district fails to comply with DOE’s ruling, it will lose all federal funding. That means thousands of students will either abdicate their own right to privacy, or else be denied a quality education. Of course that doesn’t matter to pushy, headline-grabbing parents who couldn’t give a shit about everyone else’s rights. Their arrogance and blatant disregard for others is what sets them apart from gays, lesbians, blacks, women, and other disenfranchised groups in their respective struggles for equality. Those movements never asked for special privileges or to infringe on the rights of others. They simply wanted the same rights as everyone else. Yes, they succeeded in changing social norms, but it’s one thing to disrupt the status quo, and quite another to disrupt the rights of those around you.

District 211 officials told the Chicago Tribune, “The students in our schools are teenagers, not adults, and one’s gender is not the same as one’s anatomy. Our responsibility as school administrators is to protect the privacy rights of all of our students.” And, following the Massachusetts ruling, Andrew Beckwith of the Massachusetts Family Institute told the Associated Press, “Boys need to use boys restrooms, and we base that on anatomical sex, not some sort of internalized gender identity.” Beckwith also wisely warned that policies being put in place by the Feds actually put transgender kids at higher risk for “peer ostracism, victimization, and bullying.” In other words, those recent rulings aren’t good for anyone, yet similar cases are still clogging up the courts, including two now being decided in Virginia and South Carolina.

If the transgender movement wants to advance, it needs to teach certain parents about compromise and common courtesy. It also needs to focus future referendums on achieving rights, and not demanding special privileges. If they fail in that regard, they risk diluting their message and their mission. As such, the Houston vote should be a wake-up call for transgender activists, and a rallying cry for those of us who resent government threats and intrusions.

We can all either peacefully co-exist, or we can continue to fight in the bathroom. Let’s hope for the former.
 
 

Presidents are only human. They make mistakes. No, I’m not talking about Barack Obama’s broken promise to let everyone keep their existing health plan, or his broken promise to stay out of Iraq. I’m talking about John Kennedy, and how he misread history, unintentionally insulted the State of Virginia, and was compelled to make amends.

The story begins on Wednesday December 4, 1619. That’s the day 38 English settlers from the London Company, navigated their ship down the James River and onto Berkeley Hundred (Harrison’s Landing), in what is now Charles City, Virginia, just 20 miles upstream from Jamestown, which had been settled twelve years prior. The landing party was led by Captain John Woodlief, who, as prescribed in the company charter, ordered a day of Thanksgiving to be observed upon their arrival, and every December 4 thereafter.

Over time, Berkeley became known for its historic firsts. The first bourbon whiskey was made there in 1621 (by a preacher no less). “Taps” was played for the first time while the Union army was encamped at Berkeley in 1862. And, of course, it was the site of America’s first Thanksgiving. More on that in a moment.

In 1907 Berkeley was purchased by John Jamieson who had served as a Union drummer boy during the army’s encampment at the plantation. Ownership later fell to his son (and my friend) Malcolm, who passed away in 1997. Mac loved Berkeley and was aggressive in marketing the historic site, including through the use of promotional videos and commercials that I helped to produce. He invited the public to tour the house and grounds, sold Berkeley boxwoods and bourbon, and held an annual Thanksgiving pageant that attracted tourists from across the country. But the celebration wasn’t always widely recognized.

One hundred years after his father beat the Yankee drums at Berkeley, Mac was upset by something another Yankee did. In the fall of 1962, President Kennedy issued his yearly Thanksgiving Proclamation in which he recognized his home state of Massachusetts as the site of America’s first Thanksgiving. And so, on November 9th of that year, Virginia State Senator John Wicker was prompted by Mac to write to the President and point out Kennedy’s faux pas. In his telegram, Wicker referenced historical records about Berkeley’s celebration, which took place one full year before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620.

Later that year, Kennedy confidant and noted historian Arthur Schlesinger sent a reply to Wicker with a tongue in cheek apology from the President. According to Berkeley records, Schlesinger “attributed the error to unconquerable New England bias on the part of the White House staff.”

The following year, on November 5, 1963, President Kennedy had to eat crow during his annual Thanksgiving proclamation, saying, “Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and Massachusetts, far from home, in a lonely wilderness, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” Kennedy’s New England bias wouldn’t allow him to disavow Plymouth entirely, but Mac was happy that Berkeley finally gained official recognition for holding the first Thanksgiving, even if it was a shared honor.

Sadly it was to be Kennedy’s last proclamation. He was assassinated 17 days later in Dallas.

The holiday season is now upon us, and it’s a time for being thankful, celebrating with friends and family, and remembering fondly those who are no longer with us. And so I recall my visits with Mac Jamieson and his funny fervor over bragging rights to the first Thanksgiving. I remember him almost making me ill on two occasions, once when he drove his car erratically over the trails of historic Berkeley, and the other when, knowing I didn’t drink spirits, he shamed me into sampling some Berkeley bourbon.

Perhaps, though, it is appropriate that I am reminded of toasting America’s first Thanksgiving. Perhaps we all need to raise our glasses now and give thanks for the family and friends we love, and for the bounty we share. Perhaps we also need to pledge to help those who are less fortunate, and who continue to struggle in a still-weakened economy. Perhaps we would all do well to emulate those weary English settlers, and be thankful for just surviving another day of our long journey. So here’s a toast to Captain Woodlief, Berkeley, old Mac, and to that Yankee president who set the record straight. Happy Thanksgiving.