A Few Words About Tanzania
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Kigoma, Tanzania.
Actually, we never even made it to Kigoma. Precision Air, one of only two airlines that flies to the remote region, had just suspended all flights for the next several weeks and the other airline was all booked.
No worries, we headed to Zanzibar instead….
Everywhere you look in Zanzibar there’s a bounty of fresh vegetables, fruit, and spices. One of the “Spice Islands”-a group of islands that supplied cloves, coriander, nutmeg, pepper, vanilla, and others to Europe in the 17th Century, Zanzibar still grows those spices in much the same way they were then-organically, without the use of chemical pesticides and artificial fertilizers, in response to consumer demand.
Later in our trip, back in Dar es Salaam, we met with Pancras Ngalason, Executive Director of Jane Goodall Center (JGI) in Tanzania, who explained how the Institute has evolved since it began in the 1970s as a center to research and protect wild chimpanzee populations in what is now, thanks to their efforts, Gombe National Park. In the early 1990s JGI realized that if it didn’t start addressing the needs of the communities surrounding the park, their efforts to conserve wildlife wouldn’t work. It was at that time, says Ngalason, that we “thought beyond planting trees” and more about community-based conservation.
JGI started working with communities to develop government mandated land use plans, helping them develop soil erosion prevention practices, agroforestry, and production of value-added products, such as coffee and palm oil. They like to say that their products are “Good for All”-good for farmers by providing income, good for the environment by protecting natural resources, and good for the consumer by providing a healthy product.
In Arusha, Tanzania, we met with the World Vegetable Center where researchers and farmers are working together to improve crop diversity, nutrition, and livelihoods through vegetables.”None of the staple crops,” says Dr. Abdou Tenkouano, the World Vegetable Center’s Regional Director for Africa, speaking of historically popular crops used to combat hunger like rice, wheat, maize, and cassava, “would be palatable without vegetables.” And vegetables, he says, “are less risk prone” than staple crops that stay in the field for longer periods of time. Additionally, according to the Center’s website, vegetable production generates more income on and off the farm than most other agricultural enterprises.
Though their air travel leaves something to be desired, like many places in Africa, Tanzania is a country rich in fresh vegetables, fruit, and innovations that help nourish people and the planet.
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McDonnell Stirs Up Confederate Hornet’s Nest
Let me start with my Confederate heritage. Five of my great-great-grandfathers fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Two of them never returned to their wives and young children and lie in unmarked graves on battlefields. Another was a prisoner of war for a time.
Having said all that, I think the way Bob McDonnell chose to sneakily – and without mentioning slavery – proclaim April as “Confederate History Month” was both ridiculous and cowardly. Evidently, he was fulfilling a old campaign promise he made to the Virginia chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. In the process, he blew a hole in his “Mr. Moderate” image so big that Gen. Lee could have marched Pickett’s division through it.
We’ve known for quite some time we had a good opportunity {for the proclamation} should he ascend the governorship,” Brandon Dorsey of the Sons of Confederate Veterans said. He noted that McDonnell had indicated that back when he was interviewed by them during his 2005 attorney general’s race.
In that same article, Sen. Emmett Hanger (R-Augusta), responded to the growing Confederate proclamation controversy. “It would be totally inappropriate to do [a proclamation] that would just poke a stick to stir up old wounds…I think it’s appropriate as long as it’s not fiery.”
I don’t know what Hanger thinks of as “fiery.” Perhaps it has to be as bad as the diatribe former Gov. George Allen unleashed in his Confederate proclamation, which called the Civil War “a four-year struggle for [Southern] independence and sovereign rights” and made no mention of slavery. McDonnell followed Allen in one sense. He also had no mention of slavery and simply called the Civil War “a four year war between the states for independence.” (The entire text of McDonnell’s proclamation in on his website.)
No, the Civil War was a war to preserve the institution of slavery in the South and to spread slavery to as many of the western territories as possible. The goals were to be achieved by seceding from the United States. The rationale used to justify the declaration of war by the Confederacy was states’ rights and secession.
The Post also interviewed former Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder:
Former governor L. Douglas Wilder called it “mind-boggling to say the least” that McDonnell did not reference slavery or Virginia’s struggle with civil rights in his proclamation. Though a Democrat, Wilder has been supportive of McDonnell and boosted his election efforts when he declined to endorse the Republican’s opponent, R. Creigh Deeds.
“Confederate history is full of many things that unfortunately are not put forth in a proclamation of this kind nor are they things that anyone wants to celebrate,” he said. “It’s one thing to sound a cause of rallying a base. But it’s quite another to distort history.”
Mark Rozell, political science professor at George Mason University, told the Post that McDonnell’s action was meant to appeal to his base, especislly those who support state’s rights. That I certainly agree with. That base has been fed of late by Ken Cuccinelli. Of course, it was Bob McDonnell who insisted last fall that he could work with both sides of the political spectrum.
As is typical for Gov. Wimpy, Bob McDonnell very quietly released the proclamation last week by simply placing it on the state web site, so many people didn’t notice it right away. Hmmm. I guess he is the “good cop,” while Cuccinelli is the “bad cop.”
Several of us on this blog have wondered why Virginia couldn’t commemorate a “Civil War Month.” That wouldn’t be offensive to anyone, while recognizing the central role the state played in that conflict. It wouldn’t demean the Confederates who fought against the Union. It would be fair to the black Virginians who finally received their freedom because of that war. Never again could they be treated as chattel to be bought and sold, their families subject to being torn apart, their bodies the property of their white masters.
Instead, we have this proclamation that not only fails to mention slavery, but it praises the “the surviving, imprisoned and injured Confederate soldiers” who “returned to their homes and families to rebuild their communities in peace.” Yes, they did. Many of them were relatives of mine. However, their hardships and hard work are only part of the postwar story of that time. McDonnell leaves out the fate of other Virginians.
Unfortunately, the new citizens in the South who happened to be black found out after Reconstruction ended in 1877 that the “communities” that were rebuilt “in peace” had no place for them except under the demeaning strictures of Black Codes and a system of segregation imposed by intimidation and violence.
I revere the courage of my many Confederate ancestors. I admire the strength and character it took for my two great-great-grandmothers to raise families alone in a war-ravaged land. However, I never want to honor them at the expense of not showing respect for the ancestors of other Southerners, those whose hardships lasted another century and disappeared only in my lifetime because of a non-violent civil rights movement.
It wouldn’t have hurt McDonnell to acknowledge the complexity of Virginia’s history, both the good and the bad it contains – not unless the supporters he is appealing to are really is so racist that they somehow get insulted by historical truth. I don’t actually think that a lot of them are. I believe that many sincerely believe in a different political philosophy than the one I have. Unfortunately, they all will be misunderstood by this action taken by the man they support. The more they try to find some justification for McDonnell, the more they paint themselves into an extremist corner.
Great Job by Mary Margaret Whipple on MSNBC!
After watching this, I’m very proud to say, “she’s my state Senator!” 🙂
UPDATE #1: People for the American Way President Michael B. Keegan weighs in.
Governor McDonnell’s choice to celebrate Confederate History while omitting any mention of slavery is an egregious rewriting of history. Declaring that slavery wasn’t “significant” enough to merit inclusion in his statement is an insult to the Virginians whose past was shaped by the most abhorrent policies of the Confederacy. Issuing a declaration honoring the confederacy is disturbing enough; failing to acknowledge slavery while doing it is inexcusable.
Governor McDonnell has repeatedly shown himself to be far more radical than his Republican predecessors, and much more extreme than the moderate image he projected of himself during his campaign. This new attempt to ignore the worst parts of Virginia’s complicated past is irresponsible and dangerous. By appeasing his supporters in the radical Right, he has turned his back on his duty to serve all Virginians. We cannot allow our elected officials to practice this kind of dangerous revisionism.
UPDATE #2: Jonathan Capehart reminds us that Sheila Johnson is partly responsible for giving us Bob McDonnell as governor.
Somehow, I don’t think Gov. Robert F. McDonnell’s (R-Va.) proclamation honoring “Confederate History Month” as a way to promote tourism in the Commonwealth was what Johnson, the billionaire co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, had in mind when she endorsed him. Can’t wait to see how her posh Salamander Resort and Spa in Middleburg does its part to help the flow of tourists “to understand the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens during the period of the Civil War, and to recognize how our history has led to our present.” I don’t even want to think about what kind of jobs that would entail.
Also, while we’re on this topic, thanks a LOT to Doug Wilder for his self-absorbed Hamlet routine, and ultimately his failure to endorsed Creigh Deeds over Bob McDonnell in the fall of 2009. How’s that non-endorsement feeling now?
UDPATE #3: The Democratic Party of Virginia (finally, 5 days after the fact!) weighs in. See their statement after the “flip,” and let us know what you think. Personally, I find this statement to be late in the game – McDonnell’s proclamation was issued last Friday – and also not particularly passionate, but I’d be very interested to hear your opinion. Thanks.
Virginia is stronger because of our diversity. Our policies of tolerance and diversity have fostered a strong business environment and made Virginia a great place to raise a family or operate a business.
Unfortunately, the McDonnell Administration is consistently sending a message to the rest of the nation that Virginia is not a place of opportunity for all. From his refusal to issue an executive order protecting all Virginians from discrimination to his failure to even acknowledge our painful history of slavery, Governor McDonnell has failed to make good on his inaugural promise of ‘A Commonwealth of Opportunity.’
Instead, Governor McDonnell appears determined to take Virginia backwards. The McDonnell Administration’s intolerant policies and pronouncements threaten to cost Virginia jobs, as businesses, tourists and families choose to invest and spend their money somewhere else. Over the past eight years, pro-business policies of inclusion and tolerance helped Virginia become the nation’s best state to do business and the best state to raise a child. Governor McDonnell’s recent actions imperil that progress.
As Governor of all Virginians, Governor McDonnell needs to acknowledge and protect the legacies and histories of all of the diverse communities that make up our Commonwealth. He can start immediately by amending his recent statement to acknowledge Virginia’s complex history and address the role that slavery played in the Civil War.
By embracing pro-business policies of diversity and tolerance, we can truly build a Commonwealth of Opportunity, rather than taking Virginia backward.
Sabato on McDonnell’s Confederate History Proclamation: “this is a disaster for him & VA.”
University of Virginia Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato has some strong words for Bob McDonnell this morning. Sabato tweets:
Already tweeted about Gov. McDonnell’s Confederate proclamation, but it’s becoming increasingly clear this is a disaster for him & VA…McDonnell is even being denounced in a Richmond Times-Dispatch edit. The RTD normally leads the cheers for the GOV…VA’s national image is suffering. It looks like the Old Dominion again, not the New Dominion so many in BOTH parties have worked hard for…Unlike some, I have no problems with a proclamation saluting Civil War sacrifices & urging study and reflection as we approach war’s Sesqui…But it MUST include unqualified condemnations of slavery and secession. To do less is to elevate 19th century VA over 21st century VA…In his own interests, and the state’s, Gov. McDonnell must amend this proclamation promptly or face long-lasting recriminations & turmoil…I know Bob McDonnell a bit. He was born in Philly, grew up in NoVa, has never shown slightest evidence of prejudice that I’ve seen…He hoped to slip this in quietly to please a small vocal part of VA constituency. Didn’t work. Now he’s being redefined by it. Action needed.
So, my fellow Virginians, what we have here is a complete and utter debacle – but not a surprise in the least bit! – by Pat Robertson’s Manchurian Candiate after just 3 months in office. As if this isn’t bad enough, Bob McDonnell’s “Confederate History Month” proclamation comes on top of several other debacles – protection (or lack thereof) for GLBT citizens, ridiculous lawsuits against the federal government on health care and climate change, etc. – by McDonnell and Kookinelli since they took office in January 2010 (seems like an eternity ago).
Now, I realize that Creigh Deeds wasn’t exactly the ideal Democratic gubernatorial candidate (to put it mildly!). But, to everyone who stayed home on Election Day 2009…well, something tells me you’re not too happy right now! Anyway, don’t say you weren’t warned about how extreme and destructive Cooch and McDonnell would be if they were elected. I’ve been blogging about them since 2005, and it’s been clear to me since pretty much Day #1 that they’re completely off the deep end. Now, they’re proving it.
UPDATE: Colbert King weighs in, says “Bob McDonnell can’t change Virginia’s history of slavery.” As much as he would like to, that is.
Why Do Virginia’s Top Republicans Keep Finding Racial Controversy?
As Jonathan Capehart writes at WashingtonPost.com, Bob McDonnell has eviscerated his own image more effectively than his political enemies ever could:
McDonnell came to office as the smiling conservative. A candidate who eschewed hot-button social issues in favor of jobs and the economy. He and his successful campaign were touted as a model for Republican candidates around the country. But McDonnell’s slavery-denial document reveals a snarl behind the smile that should serve as a warning. Antebellum attitudes are thriving in the Age of Obama.
Let’s be clear — this was not a case of Bob McDonnell accidentally stumbling into a controversy or the result of an outside event — say, a racially-motivated crime that made confront a crisis not of his own making. No one & no thing forced him into this. Just as George Allen did before him, Bob McDonnell voluntarily, on his own, without provocation, made a public issue of his own racial feelings & positions.
It is simply amazing that Bob McDonnell, 2010’s Face of the Future of the National Republican Party, has chosen of his own free will to step onto the same path of racial controversy as George Allen, 2006’s Face of the Future of the National Republican Party. Getting to be a pattern, isn’t it?
Del. Patrick Hope: Outcome of Lawsuit Is Predetermined
(Nice job by my delegate, Patrick Hope! – promoted by lowkell)
The following is a letter to the editor written by Del. Patrick Hope that appeared in Monday’s RTD:
Outcome of Lawsuit Is Predetermined
Editor, Times-Dispatch: As someone who has worked in health care policy for more than 15 years and is now an elected official, I am dumbfounded by some of the statements being made by opponents of health care reform — and most recently by the editorial, “Unconstitutional.”Gov. Bob McDonnell — who campaigned with a promise to reach across the aisle in a bipartisan fashion to help solve our most pressing problems — weighed in with misstatements of his own that only feed into the anger and frustrations that have played out recently.
More after the “flip”
Contrary to the opposition rhetoric surrounding this historic law, Virginians from every corner of the commonwealth will greatly benefit from the improved quality care, better patient outcomes, and reduction in health care costs. Under the new law, coverage will be extended to the vast majority of more than 1 million Virginians who are uninsured. It will greatly improve competition and choice in the insurance marketplace, and place more emphasis on prevention and wellness.
An example of the most reckless part of McDonnell’s statement stems from Virginia’s new law that challenges the federal government’s authority to mandate the purchasing of health insurance and his association with the legal challenge filed by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. But the evidence is clear that there is a direct link between uncompensated care that is provided to the uninsured and the rising cost of health insurance premiums to businesses and individuals. It’s estimated this adds approximately $1,000 annually per insured.
This “hidden tax” is having a detrimental impact on our economy, stifling the purchasing power of individuals, and preventing business from making capital investment or expanding its work force. If that doesn’t scream interstate commerce, I’m not sure what does.
But notwithstanding the merits of a legal challenge at a time when thousands of public schoolteachers across the commonwealth will be fired due to lack of state funds, we simply do not have the luxury of bankrolling ideological fishing expeditions whose outcome has already been predetermined. Virginia’s working families deserve better. Del. Patrick Hope, Virginia House of Delegates.
Arlington.
McDonnell Getting Crushed In His Own Poll!
This poll has been up since at least yesterday on Bob McDonnell’s website. They don’t list how many votes have been cast, which is interesting in and of itself. However many votes they’ve got, the bottom line is that they’re getting crushed in their own poll. I realize it’s not scientific, but still…enjoy! 🙂
Whipple Clip Dozen: Wednesday Morning
Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Wednesday “Clips.”
1. MCDONNELL’S CONFEDERATE HISTORY MONTH PROCLAMATION IRKS CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS
3. VA. BRINGS BACK CONFEDERATE MONTH AFTER 8 YEARS
6. THE VIRGINIA BLACK CAUCUS IS NOT AMUSED….
8. MCDONNELL WITHDRAWS FROM WIND ENERGY COALITION
11. VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS PRESS CUCCINELLI ON MONEY, STAFF SPENT ON HEALTH CARE LAWSUIT…
13. ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP DELIVERS BIG ‘BILL’ TO CUCCINELLI
16. VIRGINIA REVISES TROUBLESOME NORTHROP CONTRACT
19. ALLEN RALLIES GOP FAITHFUL
20. SUSPECT IN CANTOR THREAT NOT COMPETENT
32. GOV. MCDONNELL’S AIRBRUSHING OF VIRGINIA HISTORY
40. MCDONNELL BLASTS STUDENT LOAN REFORM
48. LOUDOUN COUNTY RAISES PROPERTY TAXES, LOWERS SCHOOL FUNDING
Washington Post: “Gov. McDonnell’s airbrushing of Virginia history”
This morning’s Washington Post editorial page writes about Bob McDonnell’s “Confederate History Month” proclamation:
It’s fine that Mr. McDonnell decided to proclaim April as Confederate History Month; the Confederacy is an important chapter of history that merits study and draws tourists to Virginia. But any serious statement on the Confederacy and the Civil War would at least recognize the obvious fact — that slavery was the major cause of the war, and that the Confederacy fought largely in defense of what it called “property,” which meant the right to own slaves. Instead, Mr. McDonnell’s proclamation chose to omit this, declaring instead that Virginians fought “for their homes and communities and Commonwealth.” The words “slavery” and “slaves” do not appear.
Even more incendiary is the proclamation’s directive that “all Virginians” must appreciate the state’s “shared” history and the Confederacy’s sacrifices. Surely he isn’t including the 500,000 Virginia slaves who constituted more than a quarter of the state’s Civil War-era population, who cheered the Union and ran away to it when they could.
The question is, why would Bob McDonnell, or any governor, do this in the Virginia of 2010? In McDonnell’s case, as the Washington Post points out, he has spoken “movingly of slavery’s evils” and “paid eloquent homage to former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, the grandson of slaves” in his inaugural address. So, again, why would he do something so “incendiary” and divisive, as opposed to issuing a proclamation aimed more at uniting all Virginians? The Post offers two possible explanations:
1) “Charitably, we might suspect sloppy staff work”
2) “[L]ess charitably, we’d guess he is pandering to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group that lionizes the Confederacy and pressed for the proclamation.”
My guess is the latter, but I can’t get in McDonnell’s head, and I don’t want to try (****shudddddder****). Whatever the reason for McDonnell’s “Confederate History Month” proclamation, and specifically the wording he’s used, it’s troubling and – once again, for the nth time in 3 months – embarrassing to Virginia. What’s even more troubling is that this latest McDonnell administration action comes in the aftermath of the brouhaha they caused over combating – or not combating – discrimination against gays and lesbians. If you recall, we had no “Executive Order” from McDonnell, as we got from Governors Warner and Kaine, on this issue. Instead, we got an essentially toothless “Executive Directive” on the matter. That “Executive Directive” came in response to Attorney General Cuccinelli’s letter to Virginia’s public colleges and universities urging them NOT to protect GLBT students and faculty from discrimination.
Is this becoming the “minority insensitivity administration” or what? At this point, in the aftermath of McDonnell’s omission of any mention – let alone serious discussion – of slavery in his “Confederate History Month” proclamation, it sure is starting to look that way.
UPDATE: This is even worse.
McDonnell said he did not include a reference to slavery because “there were any number of aspects to that conflict between the states. Obviously, it involved slavery. It involved other issues. But I focused on the ones I thought were most significant for Virginia.”
WTF?!? Slavery wasn’t one of the “most significant” parts of Virginia history? My god, what did they teach this guy at Pat Robertson’s law school?
In response – and rightly so! – “The proclamation was condemned by the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and the NAACP. Former governor L. Douglas Wilder called it “mind-boggling to say the least” that McDonnell did not reference slavery or Virginia’s struggle with civil rights in his proclamation.” I agree strongly with the Legislative Black Caucus and Doug Wilder; McDonnell’s airbrushing of slavery and the civil rights struggle is completely outrageous, shameful, and unacceptable.
UPDATE #2: A couple of quotes on history that I think are relevant.
*”Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana
*”A people without history is like wind on the buffalo grass.” – Sioux proverb
UPDATE #3: NLS reminds us that, back in 2002, then-Delegate Bob McDonnell pushed for the House of Delegates to recite a pledge which came from the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Amazing.
UPDATE #4: Sen. Donald McEachin speaks out.
UPDATE #5: I was just talking about this with a friend; we agreed that if Bob McDonnell’s goal here was to attract tourists to Virginia, he should have been as inclusive as possible – Civil War and African American Heritage Month, perhaps? Instead, he decided to be as divisive and narrow as he possibly could. That’s our governor for you, no surprise to those of us who have been following him for years now, but still pathetic.
