23 MAY 06: STARS (OF DAVID) FELL ON ALABAMA

Oh dear - two weeks before the Alabama primary, I've made a candidate for statewide office upset. But at least it's not Roy Moore, so I'm not being threatened with the Biblical lake of fire....

Monday brought an interesting, unexpected exchange with Alabama Attorney General candidate Larry Darby. He was controversial years ago, for opposing the Ten Commandments monument in Montgomery. If he gets elected, he might bring down more religious items than the Taliban.

The exchange actually started with an Associated Press story from last Friday. Alabama's Democratic Party declared Larry Darby "offensive" and "bizarre" for raising questions about the Nazi holocaust of World War II. Why this is an issue in the Alabama primary, I'm not sure. Are any Nazis hiding in Smiths Station?

I posted an article for a local news web site about the "Democrats vs. Darby" issue -- and a short time later, Larry Darby personally e-mailed me demanding a retraction. If he's doing this 15 days before the Alabama Primary, maybe he's the candidate of small campaigns and less government.

(How did Larry Darby find out about the article so fast? I'm led to believe he has a "Google News alert" pegged to stories with his name. And you thought politicians were self-centered and egotistical....)

My bad #1: The article I posted said Larry Darby's Atheist Law Center had challenged the Ten Commandments monument inside the Alabama Judicial Building. Wrong, Darby replied. That'll teach me to trust my memory -- and I won't bother entering the next "Jeopardy" senior tournament.

To quote Larry Darby's reply: "The Atheist Law Center, Inc. was not a part of any legal action against Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore or his monument to Judaism...." To Judaism?! Perhaps if Moore had moved in a monument with the New Testament "beatitudes" on it, it could have been OK.

Larry Darby wrote he has "no issue with Mr. Moore's message that the U.S. government had no authority to intervene." Atheists have no problem with the states' rights section of the Bill of Rights. That first amendment and freedom of religion might be a little different....

Larry Darby wrote the states' rights debate in the Ten Commandments monument controversy was drowned out by "the Jews from New York and New Jersey who commandeered the pro-Moore rallies and the Jewish-owned media for the masses...." What did Darby think when agnostic Ted Turner owned CNN?

Larry Darby went on to say in his Alabama Attorney General "stump speeches I plainly attack the Jewish supremacists who own and operate the Southern Poverty Law Center." Admittedly, I have NOT checked the center's list of board members - but I thought most of their issues involved African-American Christians.

Larry Darby ended the e-mail with this challenge: "Don't lie, and brush your teeth after meals." I certainly try to uphold the first half of that - but for a supporter of states rights, that second part certainly meddles in my individual liberties.

I replied to Larry Darby's complaint, promising to adjust the story I posted to include his comments. After I did so, Darby e-mailed again beginning with these words: "You can't help but distort the truth, can you?" Not even a salutation - just that first line. He and Donald Rumsfeld would make great drinking buddies....

My bad #2: In adjusting the original story, I wrote Larry Darby challenged the Ten Commandments monument on grounds of "church-state separation." Darby answered he never uses such a "politically correct" term. I'd never heard it called politically correct before - and all the networks run by synagogue-attending Jews seem to use it.

Larry Darby says he makes it "a purposeful habit to use the constitutionally correct phrase 'separation between religion and government.'" His point is well taken here, and I'd admittedly never thought of it before. This atheist was caring more about Jews in temples and Muslims in mosques than I was.

Larry Darby went on to write: "I know of no one who denies mass deaths of innocents during the WW2...." Perhaps someday he'll be introduced to the President of Iran.

As Larry Darby explains it: "we so-called deniers simply dispute the LIES of the Jews or the Holocaust Industry." Thank you for clarifying that - but I never considered the Holocaust an "industry" before. It must be working, because fewer states than ever execute inmates in gas chambers.

In his frustration with what I wrote, Larry Darby ended his last e-mail: "JFC!" Hmmmm - what could those initials mean from an ATHEIST candidate for Alabama Attorney General? Maybe "jurisprudence for the citizens...."

Larry Darby did NOT dispute one part of the original Associated Press story. He says Alabama's Democratic Party did not talk with him before calling his comments bizarre, and thus it is "morally challenged." I'm not sure how an atheist would define such morals - except that he probably wouldn't limit them to ten.

Just as I felt down in the dumps over disappointing Larry Darby, another e-mail came my way -- from one of those "Jewish supremacists" he can't stand, and one who's actually from New York. Yes, a message came from Al Sharpton....

An e-mail statement to journalists from Al Sharpton called for Larry Darby's name to be removed from the Alabama Primary ballot. But state Democratic Party officials say it's too late to do that. And let's face it - they didn't red-flag the Preakness Stakes for Barbaro.

Al Sharpton's statement claims Larry Darby is "running a close second" in the Alabama Democratic race for Attorney General, behind the Mobile County District Attorney. It seems the candidates don't want to debate each other, so one of them took on me instead....

Al Sharpton's statement spelled out why some Alabama Democrats are upset with Larry Darby -- he "claims that no more than 140,000 Jews were murdered during the Holocaust." Many historians put the number at six million. Maybe these two Democrats can agree on a team of Florida vote counters, to get this resolved.

Despite all this heat in the Attorney General's race, the Lee County Election Board predicted Monday the turnout in the Alabama Primary may not top 25 percent. In a Bible Belt state, it's easy to understand why - since this vote occurs on 6/6/06.

(But there are other reasons for low voter interest in Lee County. Maybe local candidates are running unopposed, including Sheriff Jay Jones. If only someone would take on those annoying guys with the bullhorn from Mix 96.7 FM.)

I'm a bit thankful today that this blog is not on the Google News list of media sources. I'm not even sure how to get on it. But if Larry Darby happens upon this entry - thank you for the correction. Thank you for stimulating my thinking. And thank you, Mr. Atheist, for challenging me to be a better Christian.

Hopefully I'll watch my words a bit better, as we check other items of interest from Monday:

+ State Senator Ed Harbison called a Government Center news conference to confirm he'll seek re-election and take on Reginald Pugh. So it appears Calvin Smyre and Sanford Bishop couldn't talk Harbison out of the race, either....

(There was a good reason why Ed Harbison called a news conference to announce his re-election plans. His show "Public Agenda" doesn't seem to be on TV-16 anymore, so he needs the practice.)

+ National cable television ads began, in a drive to have Congress censure former President Carter. Maybe Republicans will attach that to the amendment defining marriage - or some other tax cut extension.

+ Older people in Russell County received a special tour of the Phenix City Riverwalk by golf cart. Hopefully none of them stepped off on the river side of the walkway - because if that area is still off-limits to Fort Benning soldiers, imagine how dangerous it could be for them.

+ The evening news showed contestants preparing for the first "Miss Black Columbus" pageant at the Liberty Theater. The ladies say it's not a racial issue, but a way to expand their opportunities. So who wants to bring back the Kansas City Monarchs, and start a new "Negro League?"

+ The college football publication "Lindy's" ranked Auburn eighth in its preseason ratings. Now hold on here - they're releasing college football rankings before Memorial Day? Next thing you know, they'll play games before the College World Series is over. Of course, they'll be like pro football then....

+ Instant Message to Mayor Bob Poydasheff: Have you called New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin yet? Not only to congratulate him, but to get ideas on how to turn a campaign around.

Your PayPal donations can help build a better blog, and keep it independent-minded. To make a donation, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 11,480 (+ 448, 4.1%)

If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-06 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.