THE ISSUE (11/05) : In a September 29 broadcast, Former Education Secretary William Bennett made the following statement in response to a telephone caller on his syndicated radio program: “If you wanted to reduce crime, you could—if that were your sole purpose— you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down.”
IN RESPONSE TO FORMER EDUCATION
SECRETARY William Bennett's
statement dated September 29, 2005, and
I quote "If you want to reduce crime, you
could - if that were your sole purpose-
you could abort every black baby in this
country and your crime rate would go
down."
This man is obviously ignorant as
well as a "core racist." I however, whenever
confronted With this type of "sick"
mentality, I can't help but think: "What is
this person really upset about?" Is Bennett
"mad" (the word angry is for civilized
people), because he really believes
that somehow Blacks "are actually"
responsible for all crimes across the
board; that somehow we have inherited
defective genes that make Black people
prone to committing more crimes than
any other race! Ha-ha, whew! O.K. I have
some land in Texas for sale too..
The truth of the matter is that I don't
believe for one minute that he himself,
actually believe his own lies. What I
believe is the racism has dwelled within
this man for a long, long time, and I
believe "he knows" that in spite of his
"best dreams" for the eradication of
Blacks, he will never see it, not in his lifetime
or ever... it will never be achieved.
"They" have indeed, given it their
best shot-and it has had its effects, to be
sure! So hate us, condemn us, slave us,
deny us, and curse us. but you gotta
admit, you can't blame us. For it's people
like you that we have fought and will continue
to fight.
So, Mr. So-called Bennett, enjoy your
sleep, because when and if you wake, we
Blacks will still be HERE! GAME OVER,
You LOSE.
Sincerely,
Righteously Black!
Fuel Fraud
J.A. Williams, Atlanta
I remember when gas was 25¢ a gallon. My father would pull
into the ESSO gas station on University Avenue and say, "fill 'er
up." After an attendant inserted the gas nozzle into the tank, he
would automatically start wiping the windshield.
Without delay, he would then inquire: "Should I check that
oil?" Having completed his routine, the uniformed attendant
would then ask what premium gift my father wanted for purchasing
a tank of gas-another tiger (the ESSO tiger logo) drinking
glass or a 2-pound bag of sugar. (Growing up, the family always
drank from tiger glasses. From gas purchases, my father had
amassed a cabinet full of them.)
If we stopped at the Jackson's Pure Oil Station across from
the Westview Cemetery, before the car came to a complete stop,
one attendant was wiping the windshield, while another was
pumping gas. On most occasions, a third attendant was checking
under the hood and refilling tires if air was needed.
All that attention when gas was 25¢ a gallon. Now I stand outside
in the elements to pump my own gas and proceed to stand in
line waiting to pay between $2.50-$3.50 for a gallon of gas
depending on the "crisis" of the day.
After dishing out $40-$65, in most cases the cashier never
even says thank-you. Nobody checks, oil and God forbid if I need
air because most stations don't even have a self-serve air filling
station.
The real issue of fraud enters the picture at "pay-first
pumps." At pay-first, no matter what you pay for, you don't get it
in your tank. The meter on the pump continues to register gallons,
while the flow in the gas line has stopped.
It has been my experience to notice that the gas generally
stops flowing anywhere from 35¢-50¢ from the total dollar
amount purchased.
You might ask, "How do I know?"
It's simple. I not only hold the gas nozzle, but with my other
hand, I hold the gas hose. I can feel the gas flowing in the hose
and when the flow stops.
Many stations now have notices posted to pumps regarding
drive-offs and the Georgia Law regarding not paying for gas purchases.
Where are the notices regarding "fuel fraud"?
When you pay in advance for $40 worth of gas, but the flow
through the hose stops at $39.65 while the meter continues to
ring-up the charges, somebody just stole my 35¢! If the station
advertises gas at $2.50 a gallon, but then delivers 3 quarts for
$2.50, I have been the victim of fraudulent business practices.
Outside of total avoidance of pre-pay pumps, the only
recourse for consumers is to report the station to the Georgia
Department of Agriculture. The Commissioner's Office is charged
with fair weights and measurements.
Reporting the culprits won't do anything to get back your
money, but at least if you go somewhere else you will have an
extra 35¢ to put towards the $1.29 soft drink (while waiting in
line to pay for your gas) that you could have bought at a grocery
store for 75¢.
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