To read about F's and my London trip, start here and click "newer post" to continue the story.

Friday, June 09, 2006

Well. Roscoe Dixon was convicted of bribery. Now we'll see how the rest of Tennessee Waltz plays out.

If you're a senator or representative, a city councilperson or a county commissioner, you don't accept money from people doing or trying to do business with the government. Period. Not for your private charity, not because it's your birthday, not because they know it's hard making ends meet when you're a public servant (quit running for office and get a day job if that's the case). We had people here who said that they were just glad none of the people running the sting approached them. Being approached wasn't the problem. Taking the money was the problem. How hard is that?

2 comments:

Jerry Horne said...

Well yeah , but what if you are black

Laura(southernxyl) said...

The elephant in the living room.

Judge says Dixon defense arguments are without merit.

...His attorney, Coleman Garrett, argued that conversations from scores of FBI tapes show "only black legislators were being targeted" by the sting.

...

In his motion, Dixon pointed to tape recordings of Jan. 20, 2004, in which codefendant Barry Myers tells government informant Tim Willis, "I would definitely say don't give no Republicans no money" and "don't spend no money on no white boys hands like that" and "I mean, them white boys ain't going with it."

Federal prosecutors responded that "all racial discussion is initiated not by the government informant, but by the codefendant and agent for the defendant Dixon."


..............................

"I mean, them white boys ain't going with it." He said the white folks won't be bribed but the black folks will. And Dixon seemed to think it was a defense. Can you believe this?

Folks have got to get some standards for themselves and they are going to have to hold each other to them. I don't know how to make it happen. I don't know what to do about it. Dang, I wish I did. It's demoralizing and dehumanizing and we're going to end up a third-world country here in Memphis, TN if we keep putting these people in office. And make no mistake, Dixon's constituency will re-elect him in a heartbeat the minute he's eligible to run again if he wants.