I remember the day that the jury came back with the "Not Guilty" verdict for O.J. Simpson.

Please forgive me for even writing this as I know how much he craves attention, obviously. I guess it's just on my mind and I've been wondering about the rest of you.

Let me give a little background so maybe my story might make more sense.

I fell in love with football when I was in High School quite by accident. You see there was this certain, hunky football player that always sat in front of me in Math class that I had this really big crush on. Unfortunately, he had a girlfriend from another school.

Anyhow, due to my crush on this rather hunky and very friendly to me jock, I started attending the football games whenever they were played at home. Mind you, I didn't have a clue what football was all about. In the beginning the only part that I really enjoyed besides being with my friends and ogling Anthony was watching the band because I could understand music.

Yet I went to so many games, that I couldn't help but start to learn about first downs, offsides, field goals and touchdowns. I got so good at it and enjoyed it so much that I started watching professional football on TV. I slowly but surely developed a real love for the game. It was so exciting especially when it was a team that I cared about that was playing.

Well back in those days, Tennessee didn't have a professional football team and I had still not learned to like UT so I simply developed favorite teams by how exciting the games were.

There were two players that I enjoyed most of all. Naturally they played offense since they are the ones that score and get all the glory. One of them was Fran Tarkenton from the Minnesota Vikings. He was so much fun to watch because he was wonderful at pulling out a win in the last 2 minutes of a game what with his fantastic arm. I still have a special place in my heart for him.

The other player that I particularly liked was O.J. Simpson. I loved how he could run and run and get those first downs simply by pushing his way through the line. He was amazing and tenacious. He was one of the best running backs I ever saw. Plus he had a personality off the field that was easy to like. I absolutely adored O.J. Simpson.

Then there was the issue of domestic violence. Prior to Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman's murder, I was a flaming lib. In addition, I had been in a previous marriage where my husband hit me once and I later learned and believed that he beat his first wife several times. At the time of the murders I was still married to my second husband who threw either myself or a dresser drawer (I can't remember at the moment) across the room. I just knew that I was scared of making him too mad.

So naturally, I was really into paying attention to all the news there was in regards to Domestic Violence in the mainstream media which was the only news source at the time. The common viewpoint was that it was much more dangerous and deadly for a woman facing domestic violence to leave her husband than to stay.

So then here comes the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman and of course, I assumed that O.J. did it what with his history of domestic violence against Nicole and my knowledge of how likely it was for a husband or ex to kill their wives in this situation.

Then there came the infamous White Bronco chase (if you can call it that at such a slow speed). It was like everyone knew at that moment by his decision to run from the police, O.J. was pretty much admitting his guilt in the murder of his wife and Ron. Shoot, at the time I still had a special place in my heart for O.J. and I was desperately afraid that he would kill himself. I believe that was the reason that the police didn't simply pull him over or block his way because they were afraid of the same reaction. I'm ashamed to admit it now but I was praying that he wouldn't kill himself because I could understand (or so I thought) a temporary moment of insanity and rage against a spouse and their lover.

So he didn't kill himself and eventually turned himself in to the police.

Then came the "Trial of the Century". I didn't really watch much of it but I'm not sure why. I probably didn't have much access to cable at that time because believe it or not, that was about the same time that people were just starting to get cable and I was still married to the 2nd husband who was so tight that he squeaked when he walked and I simply didn't have the time and inclination to watch the trial.

I do recall losing my admiration for O.J. because I had foolishly expected him to admit his guilt and throw himself on the mercy of the court. I know, I know, Naive Nellie.

At that time I was working at a company where the majority of employees were black. I didn't really think much of it at the time seeing as I had grown up at the time when it was becoming pretty common for people to no longer consider the color of a person's skin to make a difference. Plus the fact that I was half-Mexican probably contributed to the fact that I didn't think any of that stuff mattered. But I was wrong.

When the verdict was announced that O.J. was found "Not Guilty" of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, I was devastated. I just knew that he did it since he was a former abuser and since he had taken that ride in the White Bronco.

Yet at my place of employment, a great cheer went out when the verdict was announced.

I couldn't believe it. I was shocked that so many of my fellow coworkers and many of which I considered my friends were happy that O.J. had just gotten away with murder.

It was pretty obvious how disappointed and shocked I was by their reaction. A coworker who I was training at the moment, tried to explain to me the reason for the cheer. She asked me if I had ever been on a Jury. I admitted that I had not. She went on to explain how hard it is to convict someone beyond a reasonable doubt since she had served on a Jury.

I was too shy, embarrassed and private at the time to ask her if she had ever been a victim of Domestic Violence. I was too shy to ask her if she knew how likely it was for a former abuser to murder their wives after they left.

It was also pretty amazing how the girl that was trying to explain to me why people were happy about O.J. being found "not guilty" that she never implied that she thought he was innocent.

Needless to say the cheers from my fellow coworkers broke my heart. Here I was thinking that color or race had nothing to do with anything as far as I was concerned but to my fellow coworkers it made all the difference in the world in how they reacted to the verdict.

I hope that I haven't offended anyone with my words. That was most definitely not my intent particularly since I have been the recipient of prejudice. I just wanted to tell my story.

How about you? Where were you when the verdict of "Not Guilty" was announced and how did you react to it?

Elusively Yours,
ilja

With all the recent talk about the woman who was kicked off a plane for refusing to cover herself with a blanket while breastfeeding her baby, once again the subject of 'what is a lady' came up. I thought I would try and tackle that question here.

When I was growing up, many, many, many moons ago, I was raised to believe that one of the most important goals in life for any young girl worth her weight in gold was to be a lady . . . particularly in public. What one did behind closed doors with their spouse was no one's business. There's a joke that goes along with that but I'll leave it out at this point since it's not very ladylike to say it in mixed company.

I believe that a lady is a female who is thoughtful and considerate of others. I believe that a lady doesn't show herself in public by speaking in a crass and disrespectful way to others. I believe that a lady rarely uses foul language.

I believe that a lady doesn't act or dress in ways that would lead someone to believe that she is easy. I believe that a lady doesn't intentionally try to tempt or seduce married men by wearing extremely revealing clothing in their presence. I believe that a lady would never wear something revealing in front of her parents and most of her family members excluding her husband, of course. As a matter of fact, I was raised to believe that daughters should always wear housecoats in front of their fathers regardless if their nightwear is revealing or not. It use to drive me crazy that my little sisters would wear my dad's t-shirts as nightgowns without a house coat and didn't think anything about sitting around in a not very ladylike position where it often was snowing down south.

I know, I know, I'm old-fashioned.

I believe that a lady is concerned about her reputation, therefore she doesn't sleep around. Besides, she considers herself and her body to be too special to give herself to just anyone. I believe the ultimate sign of a lady is one who saves herself for marriage and she highly values her virginity as will her future husband if he is indeed a gentleman worthy of her special gift that she has saved just for him.

I believe that a lady shows respect to others, particularly those in authority and the elderly. I believe that a lady has good manners or at least tries to use the ones that she does know and/or has been taught. I believe that a lady is classy and demands respect when she enters a room, not by saying "respect me or else" but simply by the way she presents herself. Most times, anyone (especially males) that has an inkling of good manners, recognizes a lady when she walks in a room and automatically apologizes to her if they slip up and say something out of line or utters a curse word.

Mind you, most of the things I have mentioned, or at least a lot of them are not practiced by most women or young girls these days. I can't even say that I do or have done all of them, unfortunately but I wish I had. Yet I still remember what it meant to be a lady, how special and important that word is and do attempt to be one . . . most alot more often than not.

What about you? What do you believe is the definition of a "Lady"? Is it important to you? Do you want to raise your daughter to be a "Lady"?

Elusively yours,
Lady ilja

When I finally started admitting to myself that Fox was right that the Republicans really were losing the majority in the House, I must admit that I was greatly disappointed. Shoot, Nancy Pelosi! So many Americans don't have a clue what she represents. What about the War on Terror? I'm sure Osama is having a good ole-time partying in his cave tonight with the thought that his cheerleaders won. Okay, so I exaggerate . . . just a little.

Still, as I told a couple of friends tonight, it's still okay. We'll still be okay. How can I say this you ask since we are both well aware of how inaffective the Dem's are against fighting much less recognizing our need to fight the Terrorists?

I say this because our hope is not in our government, or in any political party as they are nothing but sinking sand. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ. He IS our solid Rock and nothing shall prevail against Him. As long as we remember who it is that is truly sitting on the throne of God, we have no real reason to worry.

I had this same thought on September 11th. While I was devastated with what happened, I knew that I knew that I knew that God was still in Control and that He can be trusted.

I remember the words of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Dan. 3:17-18)

What about you? How are you doing about this recent loss to the Dem's? Do you think anyone is going to be going to their shrink to deal with the loss or that a new syndrome will be created for helping people to deal with it?

As for the Senate, well . . . I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Elusively yours,
ilja

It seems everytime I turn around lately, I hear another claim that if Harold Ford loses his bid for the Senate here in Tennessee that would be further proof that Tennesseans are still a bunch of racists.

Even the "Fair and Balanced" network has had more than one guests claim that we will be able to see if Tennessee has gotten over her racist past, depending on if Ford wins or not. So you think I'm exaggerating? Take a look at this article from the Washington Post.

Ford announced his Senate campaign 18 months ago with three strikes against him: He was a Democrat, he was black, and he carried family baggage. The five-term congressman was wildly popular in his Memphis House district and was viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party. But statewide office seemed beyond reach in Tennessee, a state with a history of racially divided voting where Republicans had won recent Senate races.

So because people vote for Republicans that means we have a history of racially divided voting.

From the ever reliable New York Times:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 — When an advertisement mocking Representative Harold E. Ford Jr. set off controversy in the Tennessee Senate race last week, a question quickly arose: Who was behind the provocative and, critics said, racially loaded television spot? <snip>

The advertisement in question suggested a flirtation between a young bare-shouldered white woman, played by a blond actress, and Mr. Ford, the Democratic candidate in Tennessee for the Senate. It was supposed to stop running on Thursday amid complaints that it seemed intended to stir racial hatred, though there were reports that it was being broadcast on some stations.

I saw this ad several times and I had no ideal it had anything to do with race until I started hearing this claim from the left. Apparently they claim it's race-baiting because it has a white woman in the ad telling Ford to call her.

The Swamp, from The Chicago Tribune's Washington Bureau in the article appropriately titled "Is Senate campaign ad racist?" noted a conversation on CNN's Situation Room addressing this very issue.

COHEN: I think the Republicans have to be careful, also, in terms of not engaging in conduct. And I was watching the -- the Tennessee race, specifically. It reminded me of what happened in North Carolina with Harvey Gantt, a purely overt racist approach.

BLITZER: You are talking about the new RNC ad which has this white woman talking about Playboy and the -- the African-American candidate, Harold Ford Jr., the Democratic candidate.

COHEN: It's -- to me, at least as I watch that, is a very serious appeal to a racist sentiment. And when the question is always asked, why -- he would be the first African-American since Reconstruction elected to the Senate, you say, well, why is that the case? So, why is the South different? Why would they not elect someone...

BLITZER: So, you're a former Republican senator. Is the RNC playing the racial card against Harold Ford in Tennessee right now?

COHEN: I think they are coming very close to it, if not doing it exactly. And I think they ought to stop it. I think that they have a candidate, and discuss the -- the issues on the merits, and not get into that kind of personal type of an attack.

What I find most ironic about the above is that while Blitzer and Cohen are complaining that "they" need to discuss the issues, they are avoiding doing the same themselves by this constant charge of racism.

Of course Former President Clinton had to weigh in on this issue as reported by the AP at KansasCity.com:

"You know what it will mean if Harold gets elected on Tuesday," Clinton told the crowd. "It won't mean what all those columnists and commentators say. It won't mean that it's a victory of race; it will be a victory of going beyond race."

And last but most definitely not least, Paul Waldman over at TomPaine.common sense had a few points to make in his column titled "Courting the Bigot Vote".

We’ve all heard about the ad directed against Senate candidate Harold Ford in Tennessee, in which a ditzy young woman squeals, “I met Harold Ford at the Playboy party!” and closes the ad with, “Harold, call me!”—and you know what they’ll be doing if he does. But that isn’t even the most racist ad that has been aired in that state, nor is the one that features thumping jungle drums every time Ford’s name is mentioned. The most racist ad would have to be this radio spot, aired by a group called “Tennesseans for Truth” :

“His daddy handed him his seat in Congress and his seat in the Congressional Black Caucus, an all-black group of congressmen who represent the interests of black people above all others ... Ford's Congressional Black Caucus secretly prepares and presents their own alternative budget to Congress each year to fund aid to black Americans. Discrimination at its worst ... Tennesseans want a color-blind senator, a real Tennessean representing all of us without discrimination.” <snip>

Faced with a dynamic, skilled candidate in Ford and a mediocre one of their own in Corker, combined with a national mood decidedly unfavorable to Republicans, the GOP decided to hitch its wagon one more time to the bigot vote. <snip>

But the Republican Party doesn’t “try to benefit politically from racial polarization,” they stoke and exploit racism and hatred. The “southern strategy ,” Willie Horton and the biennial efforts to prevent black people from voting are something more than “looking the other way.” When election time approaches, they just can’t help themselves. The GOP is addicted to the bigot vote, addicted to suppressing the votes of people whose skin is not white. Like every addict, they tell themselves they can stop whenever they want—I’ll kick next year, I just need it one more time to get me through this election.

The bad part about all of this is that I wonder how many Tennesseans are going to let their "white guilt" influence their vote instead of judging an official by his stance on the issues.

Yes I know I'm overly-sensitive when it comes to another charge of racism against the South. The thing is, I'm sick and tired of these claims being made as an excuse for the leftist ideology not selling in the South. In the words of one who said it much better than I ever could:

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
-- Martin Luther King Jr, "I Have a Dream" speech, August 28, 1963

Elusively yours,
ilja