| FRITZ UNPLUGGED! |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Administrator | |
| Wednesday, 09 February 2005 00:00 | |
|
Retired Senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings was honoured with the Golden Spine Award in Charleston Friday, January 28th, 2005. Held at the International Longshoreman's Association Hall in Charleston, approximately 100 people were in attendance. The award was given to Hollings in recognition for his long service and standing up for the people of South Carolina. "FRITZ UNPLUGGED!" By Melanie Knight
Retired Senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings was honoured with the Golden Spine Award in Charleston Friday, January 28th, 2005. Held at the International Longshoreman's Association Hall in Charleston, approximately 100 people were in attendance. The award was given to Hollings in recognition for his long service and standing up for the people of South Carolina.
Ken Riley, President of ILA Local 1422 welcomed the crowd.
Brett Bursey, director of the SC Progressive Network, the organization presenting the award, reminisced about the first time he'd met Hollings: "I was trying to get in his face about Vietnamin 1969... but he's a lot taller than I am." Bursey also spoke about the importance of Clean Elections, which would allow any citizen to qualify for public funding to run for office and reduce the nearly absolute power of money and incumbency. What happened in the 1990's wasn't a Republican "revolution," he stated, "it was a surrender" of the Left.
Network co-chairs Donna DeWitt (pres., SC AFL-CIO) and Rep. David Mack introduced Fritz Hollings and his wife Peatsy.
Bursey presented Hollings with the award, which resembled a human spine leafed in gold. When asked if the award would become annual, Bursey replied no, sadly there aren't enough people who deserve it.
Following are remarks made by Hollings:
The current situation in politics: Republicans are "trying to get rid of Democrats" and have it all for themselves.
On education: He had been in on the Briggs vs. Elliott case. At the time of the May 17, 1954 Brown vs. the Board of Education decision, there were 16 private schools in SC3 in Charleston (including Ashley Hall, which Barbara Bush the elder attended). Now there are 362 private schools and it's all about "white flight."
On voting: He recounted how he had originally gotten interested in politics. There were boxes of votes from Black districts in Charleston, which election officials dumped off the Cooper River Bridgeat the high spot, where the water is swifter. Hollings wanted clean elections then, as the Network does now. When he got out of high school, he decided the city needed to get voting machines. He collected money from King Street merchants to buy them. This led to the first clean elections in SC, right here in Charleston.
On John Kerry's run for president: Hollings told him "to hell with the middle-class," stop referencing themtalk about WORKING PEOPLE. Kerry was never a flip-flopper, but he got so over-advised, he sounded like he didn't know if he was coming or going. It was "one of the worst campaigns" Hollings has ever seen, and he says this "advisedly," having run more than twenty of them. You have to determine the real needs of America. When Kerry came out with his slogan, "For A Stronger America," Hollings thought "what the hell?" EVERYBODY is for a "stronger America!" It was a bunch of "poster consultant pap." The real flip-flopper is George W. Bush, who kept saying one thing, and did another in office. Kerry had "peripheral vision" and too many consultants. It led to him actually making W look strong! People looked at Kerry real hard, straight on, and couldn't see him. W is "still campaigning." You can't talk with him about issues.
On his public service: it was a "wonderful privilege" to have served the people of SC in the House of Representatives, as governor, etc., and "working in the vineyards."
On money in politics: "You gotta have real money to be in and stay in the presidential race." "Money is a cancer." He spent $8 ½ million the last time he ran for re-election (1998). Elected for 6 years... do the math. "If you didn't have money you had the freedom to shut up."
On the war in Iraq: "We got em dying in a war that by now everybody knows is a mistake." "Whoever's running their war (on the Iraq side), I want them to run mine, because we're losing, and they're winning." Zinni called the war "unwinnable." Hollings had a draft bill in at one point, but decided he wasn't going to draft people to fight an unwinnable war. We need to "declare victory and get out." "We are the occupiers... the intruders." There's a civil war there, and "we're the main cause." If Armand Derfner was defending Saddam Hussein, he could win the case (Hussein said Iraq had no weapons, and they didn't). Other wars were paid for with taxes. The first property tax went to pay for the Revolutionary War. In the Civil War, Lincoln instituted the Death Tax. If we're asking the working classes to fight a war, the government should pay for it.
On the homefront: The Marshall Plan rebuilt Japan and Europe; capitalism defeated Communism in the Cold War. Now, the US needs to be rebuilt: education, health care, military, businesses, etc.
On continuing the progressive struggle: "Keep on." "WE believe in values. We've got REAL values." Now "They" are trying to give it to us. We need a candidate. Suggestions were called out from the audience.
Hollings commended the Network, and said it was "needed here in SC."
Retired Senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings was honoured with the Golden Spine Award in Charleston Friday, January 28th, 2005. Held at the International Longshoreman's Association Hall in Charleston, approximately 100 people were in attendance. The award was given to Hollings in recognition for his long service and standing up for the people of South Carolina.
Ken Riley, President of ILA Local 1422 welcomed the crowd.
Brett Bursey, director of the SC Progressive Network, the organization presenting the award, reminisced about the first time he'd met Hollings: "I was trying to get in his face about Vietnamin 1969... but he's a lot taller than I am." Bursey also spoke about the importance of Clean Elections, which would allow any citizen to qualify for public funding to run for office and reduce the nearly absolute power of money and incumbency. What happened in the 1990's wasn't a Republican "revolution," he stated, "it was a surrender" of the Left.
Network co-chairs Donna DeWitt (pres., SC AFL-CIO) and Rep. David Mack introduced Fritz Hollings and his wife Peatsy.
Bursey presented Hollings with the award, which resembled a human spine leafed in gold. When asked if the award would become annual, Bursey replied no, sadly there aren't enough people who deserve it.
Following are remarks made by Hollings:
The current situation in politics: Republicans are "trying to get rid of Democrats" and have it all for themselves.
On education: He had been in on the Briggs vs. Elliott case. At the time of the May 17, 1954 Brown vs. the Board of Education decision, there were 16 private schools in SC3 in Charleston (including Ashley Hall, which Barbara Bush the elder attended). Now there are 362 private schools and it's all about "white flight."
On voting: He recounted how he had originally gotten interested in politics. There were boxes of votes from Black districts in Charleston, which election officials dumped off the Cooper River Bridgeat the high spot, where the water is swifter. Hollings wanted clean elections then, as the Network does now. When he got out of high school, he decided the city needed to get voting machines. He collected money from King Street merchants to buy them. This led to the first clean elections in SC, right here in Charleston.
On John Kerry's run for president: Hollings told him "to hell with the middle-class," stop referencing themtalk about WORKING PEOPLE. Kerry was never a flip-flopper, but he got so over-advised, he sounded like he didn't know if he was coming or going. It was "one of the worst campaigns" Hollings has ever seen, and he says this "advisedly," having run more than twenty of them. You have to determine the real needs of America. When Kerry came out with his slogan, "For A Stronger America," Hollings thought "what the hell?" EVERYBODY is for a "stronger America!" It was a bunch of "poster consultant pap." The real flip-flopper is George W. Bush, who kept saying one thing, and did another in office. Kerry had "peripheral vision" and too many consultants. It led to him actually making W look strong! People looked at Kerry real hard, straight on, and couldn't see him. W is "still campaigning." You can't talk with him about issues.
On his public service: it was a "wonderful privilege" to have served the people of SC in the House of Representatives, as governor, etc., and "working in the vineyards."
On money in politics: "You gotta have real money to be in and stay in the presidential race." "Money is a cancer." He spent $8 ½ million the last time he ran for re-election (1998). Elected for 6 years... do the math. "If you didn't have money you had the freedom to shut up."
On the war in Iraq: "We got em dying in a war that by now everybody knows is a mistake." "Whoever's running their war (on the Iraq side), I want them to run mine, because we're losing, and they're winning." Zinni called the war "unwinnable." Hollings had a draft bill in at one point, but decided he wasn't going to draft people to fight an unwinnable war. We need to "declare victory and get out." "We are the occupiers... the intruders." There's a civil war there, and "we're the main cause." If Armand Derfner was defending Saddam Hussein, he could win the case (Hussein said Iraq had no weapons, and they didn't). Other wars were paid for with taxes. The first property tax went to pay for the Revolutionary War. In the Civil War, Lincoln instituted the Death Tax. If we're asking the working classes to fight a war, the government should pay for it.
On the homefront: The Marshall Plan rebuilt Japan and Europe; capitalism defeated Communism in the Cold War. Now, the US needs to be rebuilt: education, health care, military, businesses, etc.
On continuing the progressive struggle: "Keep on." "WE believe in values. We've got REAL values." Now "They" are trying to give it to us. We need a candidate. Suggestions were called out from the audience.
Hollings commended the Network, and said it was "needed here in SC." Add your comment
|
Post Office Box 7933