Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Emile Vidrine who wrote (7959)	10/19/2001 12:25:22 PM
From: Michael Watkins	Respond to of 27666

Here's a quote from Bishop John Spong that was provided to me, I rather like it: every religion, seems to me, to produce a fundamentalist element. And they root that fundamentalism in the claim that they possess the only truth. And they're gonna impose that truth on anybody that doesn't have it. Now, we've done that as Christians in the past. We didn't like Galileo because we didn't think he quite understood where the sun was in relation to the Earth. We persecuted Jews. We did inquisitions. We had religious wars. We told women they were second-class citizens. We today persecute gay and lesbian people constantly in the name of the God of love. I find that attitude appalling. But it's in every religious tradition. To me, it's a manifestation of tribal religion instead of moving beyond Emile I'm sure you'd have fit right in during the Spanish Inquisition.

To: Emile Vidrine who wrote (7959)	10/19/2001 1:20:13 PM
From: epsteinbd	Respond to of 27666

Emile Vidrine, Jesus would have never approved any of your posts.

To: Emile Vidrine who wrote (7959)	10/19/2001 4:32:42 PM
From: Don Pueblo	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 27666

Emile, this is not you, is it?? The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.) September 26, 1995 Tuesday METRO EDITION NAACP officials accuse candidate of race-baiting BYLINE: ANGELA SIMONEAUX, ACADIANA BUREAU LAFAYETTE - A candidate for Lafayette city-parish president is engaging in race-baiting, and his opponents should call him on it, representatives of the local NAACP said Monday. At a Friday forum, Republican candidate Emile Vidrine told a civic group that there are too many African-American people working at City Hall. He said the percentage of black city workers is higher than the percentage of black city residents, and that is "unchristian. " On Monday, several officers of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People accused Vidrine of playing "the race card. " "It is not typical for the NAACP to get involved in an election campaign, but when a candidate engages in racist conduct we must address this divisive tactic," said President Aaron Walker. Vidrine said he worked for rights for black people during the 1960s, and believes in Christian justice for everyone. Walker said he thinks Vidrine is trying to "solidify his base of closet racists and right-wing moralists," but the NAACP doesn't want him using African-American city employees as his scapegoats. "The NAACP is calling on each mayor-president candidate to rebuke Mr. Vidrine's attack on the African-Americans who are employed by the city and parish of Lafayette," Walker said. "The failure of other candidates to rebuke Mr. Vidrine's racist ideology will show the African-American community that they embrace those views also. " Walker said Vidrine's information is wrong anyway. The city doesn't have an affirmative action policy and has no quotas, he said. Additionally, Vidrine is wrong about the percentage of Lafayette's population that is African-American, he said. Vidrine, who held his own press conference Monday, said the NAACP is wrong about the numbers. But the discrepancy may have arisen because Vidrine is using registered voters, and the NAACP is using the census. Vidrine said he is looking at registered voters because they are the "working people. " He said the NAACP's figures are "totally wrong. " City Personnel Director Ken Mouton confirmed there is no affirmative action policy or quota system. The City Council has adopted an ordinance that prohibits discrimination against any person, he said. Mouton also said he has no control over who applies for city jobs. The best-qualified person is hired, regardless of what color or sex the person is, he said. As of Monday, there were 18,520 African-Americans registered to vote in Lafayette Parish, Walker said. That number of voters could decide who will be city-parish president, because the white community is divided, he said. But race was not an issue until Vidrine made it one, Walker said. "He is bringing race into this, not us," Walker said. "He says we're top-heavy on blacks. Does that mean, if he's elected, he'll start firing people based on their race instead of their qualifications? " Vidrine said he wouldn't do that, because "you have to keep a Christian perspective. " He said he's working on a policy to correct the problem, but basically he would try to balance the numbers by hiring more white people. "If three equally qualified people applied for a job and one was white and three were black, I'd hire the white person until the numbers were right," Vidrine said. Vidrine said the NAACP is a racist, anti-Christian organization that discriminates against white people. He also said he is doing further research on the city's hiring practices, but is having problems getting information out of the City Council office. Vidrine said he is just trying to get government to do things right. "First, I want to keep Jesus Christ in the foreground," he said . "I believe in justice for everyone. "

To: Emile Vidrine who wrote (7959)	10/19/2001 4:35:27 PM
From: Don Pueblo	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 27666

Too Many Blacks at City Hall! LOL! Emile, you RASCAL! Who could have guessed you worked for David Duke and ran for office on the famous and popular "Too Many Blacks" agenda? LOL! The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.) September 23, 1995 Saturday METRO EDITION Vidrine: Too many blacks at city hall BYLINE: BRUCE SCHULTZ, ACADIANA BUREAU LAFAYETTE - Emile Vidrine, candidate for city-parish president, told realtors Friday that too many black people are working in city hall, depriving Caucasians off those jobs. He said 31 percent of the employees in city hall are black, compared to the minority population in the city which is less than 20 percent. "Folks, that's un-Christian and unjust," he told the Lafayette Board of Realtors. Vidrine, a Republican, ran for mayor in 1992 and he came in last with 603 votes, less than 2 percent of the total. He said an affirmative action program at city hall gives an advantage to black people, and that keeps white people out of those jobs. "We are discriminating against white people, and it has to stop," he said. But officials in city hall deny any affirmative action quotas are used in hiring. Vidrine also spoke out against the "moral crisis" facing the U.S. He said the nation must return to Christianity. "The impasse between the mayor and City Council is an impasse of spirituality and morality," Vidrine said. "They could not forgive one and another for the good of Lafayette. Parish President Walter Comeaux said unrest in city government has stalled progress in the city. "Nothing's moving because of dissension, because of bickering," he said. Comeaux said he favors the Camellia Boulevard bridge, Louisiana Avenue extension and a South College Road bridge over Bayou Vermilion. Comeaux said parish government has reduced its workforce by 41 percent through layoffs, reflecting the economy of the mid-1980s. "We all took a beating and we all suffered," he said. But parish government has increased its productivity. "We took the high road and we didn't fight," he said. Parish Councilman Ed Roy said Lafayette government will change in June with the new city-parish government. "If we don't change the politics, we haven't changed anything," he said. Roy said a high-capacity water system is needed for all of Lafayette Parish to attract new businesses. And he said the parish needs a comprehensive development plan to decide issues related to future growth. Government should help businesses, he said. City Councilman Elmo Laborde said he's the youngest of the candidates, at age 35, but his background as an accountant and lawyer enables him to understand fiscal and legal issues. He said as a city councilman he has become familiar with problems facing the city that are out of the realm of parish government. Laborde said his even temper allows him to deal with controversy. "Throughout it all, I've kept my focus on why I was elected," he said. Laborde said he's disagreed and agreed with others based on principles, not personalities. City Councilman F.V. "Pappy" Landry said he's not accepting any campaign contributions, freeing him for political obligations. "My goal is to bring about efficiency and effectiveness of government," he said. He said he would only eliminate civil service jobs through attrition, and he would require city police to cooperate with the sheriff's office. Chris Kole Obafunwa was not at the meeting. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal ruled Thursday that he cannot run for the office because he lacks U.S. citizenship.

To: Emile Vidrine who wrote (7959)	10/19/2001 4:41:26 PM
From: hal jordan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27666

So the truth comes out racist vermin. Thanks to TLC for finding this nugget of hate from your past: >>The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.) September 23, 1995 Saturday METRO EDITION Vidrine: Too many blacks at city hall BYLINE: BRUCE SCHULTZ, ACADIANA BUREAU LAFAYETTE - Emile Vidrine, candidate for city-parish president, told realtors Friday that too many black people are working in city hall, depriving Caucasians off those jobs. He said 31 percent of the employees in city hall are black, compared to the minority population in the city which is less than 20 percent. "Folks, that's un-Christian and unjust," he told the Lafayette Board of Realtors. Vidrine, a Republican, ran for mayor in 1992 and he came in last with 603 votes, less than 2 percent of the total. He said an affirmative action program at city hall gives an advantage to black people, and that keeps white people out of those jobs. "We are discriminating against white people, and it has to stop," he said.<<

To: Emile Vidrine who wrote (7959)	10/19/2001 5:17:28 PM
From: hal jordan	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 27666

What a surprise emile. You worked for David Duke, someone with ties to the KKK and Nazi extremists. Were you going to get segregation reinstated too if elected... How do you feel about the Southern Poverty Law Center emile? Do they know who you are?