http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/jackblog/ en ladd@jacksonfreepress.com Copyright 2011 2011-08-25T20:00:02+00:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/johnny_duprees_win_and_redneck-blackneck_politics_of_the_deep_south_08/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/johnny_duprees_win_and_redneck-blackneck_politics_of_the_deep_south_08/#When:20:00:02Z In a new piece on Salon.com, writer Steve Kornacki argues that Democrats are pretty washed up in the Deep South, Johnny Dupree's historic victory notwithstanding. He writes: While DuPree certainly deserves credit, it's hard not to look at his victory as the product of a rather depressing evolution of voting patterns in the Deep South, where race has increasingly become synonymous with party identification. It is this same evolution that will almost certainly doom him to a lopsided defeat in Mississippi this fall -- just as it dooms most Democrats, black or white, who run for statewide office in Dixie these days. [...] It has taken decades, but white loyalty to the Democratic Party has all but vanished in the South, and today -- particularly in the Deep South -- race has emerged as one of the easiest predictors of a voter's partisan leanings. Mississippi may be the most dramatic illustration of this. For instance, in the 2008 election, John McCain carried the state by a 55 to 44 percent margin. But the racial divide that produced that result is staggering: an 88-11 percent spread for McCain among whites, and a 98-2 percent margin for Obama among blacks. Nor was the gap appreciably narrower in 2004, when John Kerry ran against George W. Bush. Increasingly, this same divide is coming to define statewide contests in Mississippi. When he unseated Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (who had been celebrated for his supposed ability to keep rural white voters in his party's fold), Haley Barbour earned nearly 80 percent of the white vote, and he did even better in his 2007 reelection victory. It wasn't until 1991 that the state elected its first post-Reconstruction Republican governor (Kirk Fordice), but the only victory for Democrats since then was Mugrove's in 1999 (when he earned less than 50 percent of the popular vote and was elected by the state legislature). And there's no reason to think that DuPree will put an end to the GOP's dominance this fall. There are many reasons why he's the heavy underdog against Bryant, but the simplest may be this: Five decades after desegregation, it is more possible than ever for a black candidate to win a Democratic nomination for a major office in the Deep South -- but just as impossible as ever for that candidate to actually win the election. Politics, ladd 2011-08-25T20:00:02+00:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/end_of_times_movement_influencing_politics/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/end_of_times_movement_influencing_politics/#When:17:37:45Z I only heard bits and pieces of NPR's "Fresh Air" episode this week but it brought up some interesting thoughts, especially after I noticed a flurry of Facebook post on Tuesday claiming that Virginia's earthquake signaled the end of times. lacey 2011-08-25T17:37:45+00:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/rankin_county_paper_snubbing_dems/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/rankin_county_paper_snubbing_dems/#When:18:20:06Z If you are a Rankin County resident and read the Rankin County News or the Rankin Leader, you might not be aware that Johnny DuPree and Bill Luckett face each other in tomorrow's run off election. lacey 2011-08-22T18:20:06+00:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/support_your_community_by_supporting_high_school_football/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/support_your_community_by_supporting_high_school_football/#When:17:33:31Z Over 15 years ago on a day like today, my excitement would be at an all-time high. Why, because 15 years ago, I would be getting ready to start my final season of high school football. The day would start with me getting dressed, which included wearing my number 80 jersey. I would eat breakfast and my father would tell me good luck since he would not see me again until after the game. Sports 2011-08-19T17:33:31+00:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/for_one_moment_a_black-white_role_reversal_081711/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/for_one_moment_a_black-white_role_reversal_081711/#When:19:21:50Z This morning, I woke up to more of the usual-suspect comments under this story: Crime Perception Hurts Jackson Economy. Apparently, I had wigged out the white-guy chorus that always wants to point fingers the other direction when it comes to crime. How? By talking about how our racist, terroristic history against African Americans has led to today's crime situation. They no like that: Alex0393 wrote, in part: I'll regret this but I think you're being unfair with Bill on this thing. There may have been alot of murders in the white supremacy days in Jackson but not even close to what there are now. And I think what he was saying about the Dedmon crime was that sensationlizing that by local and national media does much more harm to both the city and the state than reporting day to day crimes. It makes it appear as though it's something other than an isolated incident. Murder is hate and all murder is a "hate crime" in my opinion that is the most ridiculous thing ever dreamed up by politicians. When there is black on white crime it doesn't appear anyone questions the hate part of that nor does it make national news. Jim Crow laws aren't killing people in Jackson today and if you want what I'm sure will be an opinion that will be belittled by you, we need to focus on today, not 1958 to solve our problems. Placing blame on old dead white men seems to justify what we have today in alot of peoples minds. And bill_jackson blamed the (presumably black) family: Why yes, I mentor my two sons, as it should be. It doesn't take a village, it takes a mommy & a daddy. I hadn't even finished a cup of coffee when I sat down and opened a vein. Here was my rather-long response, verbatim: ladd 2011-08-17T19:21:50+00:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/making_your_move_how_to_find_off-campus_housing/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/making_your_move_how_to_find_off-campus_housing/#When:14:35:17Z by Elizabeth Waibel Living on campus can be fun, but if you’re tired of putting up with late-night study sessions in the hall and always being at school, off-campus housing can be a convenient and cost effective alternative. Apartments and rooms for rent may be listed online or in the classified sections of newspapers, but talking to friends, recent graduates and coworkers who have lived in the area for a while can be helpful. They may know which apartment complexes and landlords have a good reputation for fair prices and speedy repairs, as well as those that have unexpected fees and rundown facilities. If you’re a college student looking for a place off campus, the first thing you should do is check your school’s policy on student housing. Some colleges require freshmen and sophomores or students under the age of 21 to live on campus, while some leave housing decisions entirely up to students. Rules may change from year to year, however, so make sure you have up-to-date information before researching off-campus housing in depth. Some schools may also have resources to help students find apartments. The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Associated Student Body has a website where people can post available apartments and houses to lease or buy. Find it at asb.umc.edu/housing.html. Here are a few things to keep in mind when looking for an apartment: - Lease – How long is the lease? Some places offer better deals if you sign a lease for a full year. - Location – How much will you spend on gas to commute? Will you be able to live upstairs, which may be quieter, or downstairs, which may be more convenient? How difficult or expensive is it to find parking? - Utilities – Are gas, water, electricity, cable and laundry included? If not, try to find out how much they cost from someone else living in the apartments and factor that in when you decide whether or not the apartments are affordable. - Roommates – Living with others can greatly reduce the cost of an apartment, but if your name is on the lease and theirs isn’t, you could be shouldered with unexpected costs if they damage the property or don’t pay their rent on time. - Cosigner – Many apartments require a cosigner for students or other people with limited credit history. Talk to your landlord and find out what their policy is before you decide to rent. 2011-08-16T14:35:17+00:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/internology_101/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/internology_101/#When:03:46:18Z As I turned the silver knob on the wooden door with the words “JACKSON FREE PRESS” placed neatly on it, I started to wonder what I was getting myself into. I immediately noticed a bright, lime green room and thought to myself, “I want to work in there.” I sat patiently in the hard, black chair as the message was relayed to JFP managing editor Ronni Mott that I had arrived for my interview. My heart was pounding as loud as a bass drum in a JSU homecoming parade when she told me I could come back to her office. I guess she had noticed the nervous look on my face because she turned and said, “I must have something in my teeth!” We laughed, and I immediately calmed down and answered all of her questions. intern 2011-08-16T03:46:18+00:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/attend_a_vigil_this_sunday_to_denounce_murder_of_james_craig_anderson/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/attend_a_vigil_this_sunday_to_denounce_murder_of_james_craig_anderson/#When:21:06:29Z We're thrilled to hear that a diverse group has come together in the metro—include Pine Lake Church, the NAACP, Beth Israel and New Horizon Ministries—to honor James Craig Anderson, who was allegedly murder because he was black by a group of white Rankin County teens. They will hold a vigil this Sunday night at New Horizon International Ministries, one block from where the murder took place, to "call for forgiveness and peace for our city" and to "denounce hates brought to this neighborhood." Let's all show up. Here is the verbatim press release: On Sunday, August, 14th 2011, at 7pm various civic groups, religious congregations, concerned citizens and leaders will be gathering on behalf of the hate crime against Mr. Anderson that occurred in late June in our community. The purpose of this vigil will demonstrate a call to forgiveness and peace for our city and to denounce the hate crimes brought to this neighborhood. The planning of this vigil was created by the neighborhood associations in West Jackson who were shocked and deeply distressed over this act. We are pleased with the support of dozens of organizations including some of the following: New Horizon International Ministries Beth Israel Pine Lake Church NAACP Capitol Neighbors Association This vigil will begin at New Horizon International Ministries (1block)away from the site of the crime. We will park, walk to the site, and pray. We are asking the members of the media to assist in bringing awareness to the greater community. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kass Welchlin (601)832-9925 Cassandra Welchlin (601)750-8388 ladd 2011-08-12T21:06:29+00:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/bringing_civility_back_to_online_conversations_081111/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/bringing_civility_back_to_online_conversations_081111/#When:20:36:13Z It was predictable. Allowing anonymous free-for-alls in online newspaper comments—in a way papers never would do in print—is about to go the way of the Hummer. The Des Moines Register, a Gannett-owned paper whose site looks just like the Clarion-Ledger's announced today that it has started allowing only comments from people logged in through Facebook. This somewhat-extreme measure comes after Gannett papers, and many other websites, operated at the other extreme for way too long: allowing just about anything anybody with a fake name wanted to post on their sites. They clearly thought, for a minute, that this was good for page views. And maybe for a minute it was. But, nowadays, all you hear is how nasty the comments are, and readers are flocking away from sites that allow this level of anonymous vitriol and nasty personal comments. People increasingly are only going to such sites for negative entertainment value—the same reason people watch Jerry Springer or pick up Star Magazine. Real news outlets have to have better sense. Here is what the Des Moines Register told readers today: Civility counts here in Iowa. That has been a quick lesson learned in my first seven months as editor of The Des Moines Register and our portfolio of online products, anchored by DesMoinesRegister.com. It’s also a driving force behind our decision to ditch anonymous user names on our digital sites and require commenters to use their Facebook accounts to post comments on stories. The new policy rolled out last night and should be visible on our website this morning. We are one of two Gannett newspapers launching this experiment. What does it mean? First and foremost, it should be a significant step in eliminating the unnecessarily rude, mean-spirited and venomous comments that some of our online readers post in response to stories. ... ladd 2011-08-12T20:36:13+00:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/get_yours/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/get_yours/#When:21:59:08Z “I get it once a week.” That is the JFP marketing slogan. It’s true; some people do pick up a copy of the paper every Wednesday. However, I’m disappointed by how few of those people are my peers. The majority of high schoolers don’t seem to know it exists. My friends ask me what I’ve been doing this summer and I reply that I’ve been interning at the Jackson Free Press. There are three standard reactions to this answer: 1) “OMG cool!” 2) “What is that?” 3) “Bo-ring.” Only around 2% (yes, I calculated that, using experimental data) fall into the first category. Even then, they use the texting abbreviation “OMG.” It’s as if local news is for old people. It’s not cool to like Jackson, or even to wonder what’s going on in your hometown. At school, we have people running off to volunteer in Africa, but nobody cares about the issues we face right here in our city. Starving babies aren’t exclusive to Ghana, ya know? At the moment, I’m a bit disillusioned with my age group, but I understand. Before this summer, I’d only occasionally picked up a copy of the JFP and read maybe a few articles. Community interest stories just aren’t extremely interesting, next to Student Council, detentions and Homecoming. I feel that as we mature, though, we start to look outside ourselves and the walls of our school. We start to care about things that may not directly affect us. I know that my eyes are opening. I hope that a number of my peers will join me in learning about the way things are. This week, I’ve started really respecting how much work goes into an issue. I’ve been having nightmares about Jackpedia listings. I have also come to realize that the people who get things done at this paper are motivated by their ability to enlighten and inform. Curiosity is a basic human emotion. We just have to let ourselves be curious. The answers, the information is in the paper. The paper is free. Why not read it? intern 2011-08-11T21:59:08+00:00