The Voice of The People Has a Deaf Ear

There is only one radio station that is responsible for making me question everything I was spoon fed since birth. I owe my coming out to WLS 89 AM, Rush, Hannity, Mark Levin and all the local Chicago hosts who have bravely stood up against liberal policies.

When I won the contest and my first show was approaching I was desperate for a different angle. I was eager to be a conservative voice covering hot topics and little local stories that may have been missed during the week.

I dabbled with Stephanie Miller but the language is not fit for my young son. Hal Sparks is the only host that makes me want to punch a wall. If I ever meet him I will have to resist picking him up and…I digress. The urban talk radio station in Chicago is the home of nationally popular hosts and out spoken local personalities. I have heard one of their host tell listeners during the last mayor election, to vote for Carol Moseley Braun because is was black.

I still listen occasionally, with all the violence in Chicago I want to hear what the residents are saying about the attacks. Next month the station is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a huge gala event. The promos have been running for weeks, listing all the celebrities scheduled to be part of this historical event. I enjoy listening to the timeline of how the station was started and maintained its status for 50 years.

I thought the tickets were all $50. While listening to the morning show this week I heard a caller talk about buying two $250 tickets instead of the $500 tickets she really wanted. I almost drove off the road. This station spent hours telling voters that Mitt was too rich to truly understand struggling black people. They talk endlessly about the lack of jobs and resources in the neighborhoods of their audience.

Later the mid-morning host was promoting the gala and said the $100 tickets would get you a really nice reception. After the commercial break, she apologized and said $100 does not get you a reception. I went online to see what the ticket options were. The only remaining tickets are $118.96 and $274.90 with fees and taxes. The cheap tickets were actually $67.65 at checkout. VIP tickets are available at the station.

Help me out. This gala is to celebrate “THE” urban talk station that has a show called “Keeping It Real” and real people suffering under policies of Obama, the former King Daley and current Mini Mafia Mayor are being kept away by high priced tickets.

The hosts and callers constantly say that black money should be spent in our community, “We need to support our black owned businesses”. The historical venue is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. I searched the theater’s site for parking suggestions. If you pre-pay it is $21. When I drove downtown for 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon, the fees were $27-$34. I started taking the train for $7 round trip. The event is scheduled on a Saturday evening. Most people won’t use public transportation given that the event may not end until after 10pm.

The Chatham 14 Theater would have been the idea venue. Free parking and it is a short distance from the radio station. The list of famous people scheduled to appear could have donated their time to keep the prices down. Imagine a red carpet event where the common listeners get to shake hands with people they love. Everyone could be VIP’s! I paid $50 for CPAC in 2012 and I got to sit wherever I could squeeze in. During the day at times I was arms length from a few of my idols. If I pay $500 for a ticket, I want one of the speakers to appear at my next book club meeting.

This station has a rich history of being the voice of black Chicago but apparently they are blind to the financial pains of the listeners. Maybe I am a tight-wad but $67 for cheap seats is a lot of money. The VIP tickets are used to separate the classes, so bourgeois (we call in it "boo-jee" in the hood). These are the very policies they bash daily. Bottom up economics my Aunt Fannie.

Maybe I am missing something? Please correct me.

Jesse Louis Jackson

On Saturday, February 2, 2013 I finally made it to the Rainbow Push forum. I decided I had to attend and participate in the walk for Hadiya Pendleton, the 42nd person killed by gun viloence in January.

I grew up in the 70’s and my grade school did expose us to black history which included the civil rights movement. Even then I rejected Jesse Jackson as the self designated leader of black Americans. I did not like how he seemed to ride on the coattails of the honorable Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. I know he was there on the front line walking and working with Dr. King but even then I failed to see what he had done for us lately. The fake boycotts of companies that seem to only net something for his personal causes and not so much black people as a group was not enough.

When I got to the church, a woman herded attendees to fill the middle front rows. When the broadcast started at 10:00am only 9 rows were occupied, more people arrived later. A wonderful choir and other speakers filled the agenda prior to Jesse Jackson’s appearance. One group from the westside wore “My Life is Valuable 2” t-shirts. One member held a large picture of a young man shot to death recently while eating at a fast-food restaurant. Later, I looked into the incident, the police have him documented as a gang member. On Saturday he was presented as an innocent victim simply eating dinner.

Dr. Brenda Butler of Columbia College spoke about her Columbia Links project. It is a journalism and leadership program for Chicago Public School teens and teachers. The group is responsible for the posters “Don’t Shoot I Want to Grow Up” campaign.

Having only seen Jesse Jackson as this “iconic” figure on television I expected him to appear more human and less like a rehearsed self-serving activist, I was wrong. The speakers are all careful to always refer to him honorably by using his full title and name. He is the same activist I have listened to since childhood, delivering catchy one liners that he would occasionally have the audience repeat.

I agreed with him calling for the people to stop harboring the criminals. He compared the citizens’ refusal to snitch to the Chicago Police Departments “Blue Code” of silence. Most of the crimes go unsolved because no one will come forth and say what they saw. He called for President Obama to come to Chicago. I called for Obama to hold town hall style meetings in June. He was here raising campaign funds and never took any time to address the violence. As a former “community organizer” why wouldn’t he offer solutions to the very people he once worked with in high crime areas? Don’t be fooled, Jackson and his demand to have Obama come here is all choreographed. He would be hard pressed to speak publicly in a negative manner about this historical president.

Jackson did mention Jesse Jr.’s book and his reference to Thanksgiving and slavery. Jackson Rule #1: Always be promoting your brand, family. I was shocked that Jonathan was not speaking. In the weeks since Junior’s resignation Jonathon has suddenly appeared on some Saturdays sounding very statesmen-like. I would be shocked if he is not appointed or elected to a stepping stone position soon.

Jackson’s speech included many reasons for the crime in the city. He said banks got bail outs and we got locked out. Lack of after school programs but access to guns that are not made in the city but yet are brought into Chicago. No black owned gun manufacturers or shops. He shared some financial statistic on poverty, historical statements on slavery and comment on Romney’s off-shore accounts. He never called for us to take responsibility for our own children. He did say if the parents can’t raise the kids properly society must step in.

The meeting ended with collecting donations. Those giving $100 were called to stand and an usher walked to the person and took the money. I saw a woman that Jackson had introduced earlier stand up in the front row and pass him a crisp $100 bill. Then those giving $50, $35 and so on were called.

We drove to Hadiya’s school, coincidentally located on the same street just 4 blocks north. The march was 6 blocks long from beginning at Martin Luther King College Prep High School, ending at the park located 4400 south on Oakenwald Avenue. When Jackson arrived we were told to line up in pairs behind him. I was paired with a man from the westside who survived on disability checks and money he made from panhandling. He showed me his medication; he was happy to have raised enough from begging to buy them. The next young man I walked with had played basketball for a well known Chicago high school and used that opportunity to attend college. He was well dressed and a minister in a jail and was asked by Jackson to attend. He drove in from the western suburbs.

Members of the television, print and online media followed us as we navigated the streets. People in cars blew their horns and waved in support of the march. Jackson held a short press conference once we arrived. The shelter is located in a public park, the gunman jumped the fence to shoot at the group seeking cover from the rain. Hadiya and her friends were out of school early after a day of exams. She was not affiliated with any gang.

It was very cold and I was not looking forward to the walk back. Jesse Jackson gathered us to begin the return trip and said he wanted to make sure we stayed together for safety. At some point we were told to board the chartered school bus intended for the group from the westside. Jackson chose to ride on the bus and not in his black limo. I sat next to a nice woman who had just completed a job readiness program at a local junior college. She was eager to tell me that she had formerly worked for Alderman Sandi Jackson, “She’s very sweet”, I bit my tongue. I engaged her in conversation about the viloence and feeling safe as a Chicago resident. She said that living in fear is not the answer, she had faith in God.

As we got off the bus he shook our hand. He was looking away and talking to one of his handlers when it was my turn. My sister reminded me that I did shake the hand that once shook Dr. King’s hand.

Cancun 2013 - Let Go, Let God

Since winning the WLS Next Talk Star contest in August my busy life has been even busier. After my 2 hour show that was included among my winnings I have been asked to fill from time to time. I get excited and terrified because WLS is the best. The last thing I want is to hurt their reputation therefore I prepare tirelessly days before, making sure I am versed on the latest political news, pop culture and current events. I absolutely love it!

In the midst of parenting, volunteering, the election and the holiday season I all but forgot that I also won a vacation for 2 from Funjet trip to Riviera Maya. There were many emails sent between the WLS promotions manager and myself trying to confirm a date. Once the date was set I got busy preparing for our absence. These details were a welcomed distraction form my fear of flying. I have flown but I hate it, period. I was asking everyone I knew to pray for me to relax and not fret getting there and returning home.

One day before my trip we were expecting early morning snow. I was pleased to see they were wrong as I peeked at my van to make sure the remote start was warming my van. I exited my house with about 9 minutes to get to church on time. My reasoning for leaving so late occasionally is, praise and worship was created for people like me; 10-15 minutes of singing gives everyone a chance to get in place for the message.

Well, there was no snow but my van was covered a stubborn layer of ice. I spent at least 10 minutes trying to clear my windows enough just to get on the road. No matter how I banged and chipped that ice would not break up. Why didn’t I go to church last night? Why didn’t I leave 30 minutes before, (like I tell my son who leaves for his job 10 minutes before his shift starts)? Why didn’t I pull into the garage? I was about to give up but I needed to go get to church.

I got there and parked on the gravel section. I grabbed all my belongings to rush in to claim the seat my daughter-in-law was saving. I hurried out and the moment I slammed the door it was clear, I was not in control, I landed on all 4 points (both elbows and knees). I was flat on the invisible ice literally unable to move for about 30 seconds. I was afraid to even attempt to get up. I sat through the service with my knees throbbing. My pastor shared a great message that morning but one thing stood out, “Fear is not of God”. I left church feeling better about my impending plane ride.

I called the airline when I got home just to ask a few questions. The customer service person said my flight was a charter and I needed to call Funjet. Oh, no, charter sounds like a little crop-duster plane, yikes. I decided to check my Facebook notifications before making the call. There was a post by WLS offering condolences to the family of Jake Hartford. I did not understand what I was reading, he was just on the air 2 days before. How could that be?

I have been a fan of his quirky dry humor since 1993. Listening to warm stories of  Miss Dill Pickle and the boys made them seem more like neighbors to me. His bumper music, regular contributors and deadpan delivery made “Awake with Jake” a good reason to get up at 5AM on Saturday. There was a gray cloud hanging over me the entire day, I loved Jake Hartford.

That night it hit me that I spent too much time in fear and I needed to realize that God was in control, my faith assures me of that. Life is too short to be lead by fear. I decided to enjoy this amazing opportunity God has granted my husband and me.

The Cancun weather forecast was rain and temperatures ranging from 79-82 degrees. I was “afraid” that our week would ruined. When we safely landed the pilot informed us that it was 84 and sunny, God is good.

For the next 3 nights and 4 days we were treated to the honeymoon we never had. My 3 words to describe the RIU Palace are, clean, friendly and luxurious. Funjet exceeded my expectations, they will have my travel business from now on.

There are more trip details to come……

Illinois Rep. La Shawn Ford

I heard Rep. Ford on the Bruce and Dan Show, 89 WLS AM Thursday morning on December 13, 2012. He was promoting an emergency town hall meeting to protest the school closings proposed by the board of Chicago Public Schools. It was his argument that westside schools were disproportionately targeted.

It was arrogance on his part to believe he could agree to an interview on a conservative talk radio station and not be asked about his appearance in a federal court just two days prior. He pleaded not guilty to 17 counts of bank fraud. Ford has denied lying to the now failed Shorebank to obtain a line of credit. He seemed completely caught of guard when Dan Proft asked about the charges. He replied, “Are you guys serious about asking me that question?”. They were very kind to him considering the circumstances.

I was intrigued by this “wrongly” accused elected official and decided to attend his emergency town hall meeting that night. My motive was to see for myself if he was sincere or trying to improved his tarnished image.

For well over two hours attendees listened several speakers expressing their opinions about CPS closing under utilized schools. I saw only one wireless microphone resting on the stage representing one of the major news stations. If there was one designated theme it was their dislike for how CPS has treated schools in poor black and Hispanic neighborhoods. The blame list was long, Mayor Emanuel, his cronies that financially back charter schools, Bill Gates, Race to the Top, the Commission on School Utilization, no one was safe from criticism. Even the pastor that opened the meeting with a prayer was thrown under the bus. He was long gone by the time someone called him a trader for signing a petition to support the opening a charter school in the neighborhood.

When I saw the reporter remove the microphone it never occurred to me that the temperament would quickly go from refined community organizers to angry protestors demanding war and calling for sit-ins and shutting down schools. Suddenly from the rear of the room a woman had everyone’s attention, she was tired of meetings and called for action. Almost on cue it was the fault of the white man. Rich white folks don’t want poor people or blacks in the city. She stated that she had 3 degrees and was a teacher for 15 years. She shouted phrases like, ethnic cleansing, high powered white folks, killing our children. The room got very loud and less civil. She agreed to lead a follow up meeting, even though she started her rant by informing us she hated meetings, she wanted action. The meeting would be held at 11:00am the following Monday at Rep. Ford‘s Chicago office. It struck me as odd since she was a teacher and Monday was a school day. They closed the meeting in prayer that called for Ford to get God’s help through the trails he was experiencing.

On Monday I arrived at the next meeting on time. The receptionist told me that I was the first to arrive. I decided to patronize a local shop to pass some time. When I returned 15 minutes later there were 2 women waiting. I engaged them in conversation about the CPS and school closings. Eventually I could no longer hide my conservative views. At some point a young man from Thursday’s meeting arrived and joined in our discussion. They were all eager to give me a list of books I should read. We shared ideas respectfully without shouting. After remaining silent during the first meeting it felt great to come out of the closet as a conservative. The women were educators of many years and had a great deal to say about what was wrong with Chicago Public Schools but had little to offer when I asked why we keep electing the same type of leaders while expecting different results.

About 11:45am Rep. Ford walked in, he said since he didn’t call the meeting he didn‘t feel that he had to attend. I left around noon and never saw that woman who had called for action and scheduled the meeting. Four people including myself bothered to show up. I honestly feel the woman that was yelling for action was a plant. They needed to take the focus off Ford’s charges.

In conclusion there are too many organizations working on a problem that can be solved by getting parents involved with the PTA. I lost count of the organizations, committees, unions and coalitions represented at the “emergency” town hall meeting even organizers from Chicago Teachers Union were in attendance. They meet to schedule more meetings without results. I would love to know how those all those groups are funded.

I really wanted to be wrong about Rep. La Shawn Ford but it was obvious that the only emergency reviving his damaged image.

Top 5 Finalist, Pinch Me!

I just finished listening to the audio clips of the 4 people trying to keep me from being crowned The Next 89 WLS Talk Star and I am so happy I waited until now to do so. Had I listened to them prior I might have to dropped out, those contestants sound great. Originally I thought about submitting a mock show clip but I thought the people judging the applicants needed to hear who I am and how I came to be.

Tomorrow is the live broadcast where we will fight to the death for the title. I am nervous, excited and still in awe of how I made it to the top 5. I should not be shocked because I have support from almost everyone in my life. My husband kept telling me I would make it to this point. Of course my mom, sister and children have encouraged me. My friends from grade school that have opposing political views even voted for me. The girls from high school (in my mind we are frozen in time which is why I call them girls) were so kind. Facebook friends made me feel like a rock star, it was sweet. There is a group of people I need to give a loud shout-out to, Lisle residents, they are the best townies on the planet. Everywhere I went they engaged me and asked me to them posted, throughout my journey.

Whatever happens tomorrow I have exceeded my dreams already, my name was mentioned on the same station were my favorite conservative personalities are heard. How did that happen? I just hope I don't embarrass my family and friends and simply have a good time. If the ride ends tomorrow, I won't complain. I do feel horrible about missing the high school open house, it's nerdy but I love going.

Thank you all!

I Still Don't Believe It

I made my peace about not getting a call Monday and came clean that I had entered a contest and lost.
Yesterday I was working the Jr. High registration helping at the Booster table when I saw a 312 number on my phone. A woman said she was from WLS 890 AM and asked if I had ever been paid to be on the radio and if I had ever paid to be on the radio (I didn't know you could pay to be on the radio). I replied no to both questions. The woman then told me I was one of the 10 finalist.

I could not wrap my mind around what she said. I called my husband, he told me that I just won him $10, good news, wait who bet against me? I was beaming like an idiot the entire time I was working. I had no words to tell the friends that I encountered. How did I get picked? The top ten will have their bios and pictures posted and the 5 with the highest votes make it to a live broadcast. I am thrilled but terriffied.

Mother's Day 2012 and the Stupid Black Cat

I never verbally expressed what I wanted for Mother's Day after I mentioned that the iPad was the number one gift this season, hint, hint. My husband and adult children are great at giving me things that I want and sometimes things that I didn't even know I wanted. This year I was shocked when opened my gifts, God delivered big time.

I work part-time at a scrapbook store and like most crafters I am behind in preserving my family memories. I am always green with envy when I wait on customers stocking up for scrapbook weekend. I could only imagine what it would be like to have 48 hours to scrap as much as I wanted.

I am also training for my second Chicago Marathon which means I am always suffering from minor aches and pains. Years ago I went in the Coldwater Creek Spa to buy a gift card, you can smell the aroma therapy as soon as the elevators open. I have dreamed of getting a pedicure or a massage there.

I was surprised when my son Julian and his wife gave me a scrapbook weekend, wow. I had just taped a B & B brochure for scrapbookers inside the cabinet in my craftroom with the thought of one day in the distant future. Then my daughter presented me with a gift certificate from Coldwater Creek Spa for a deep tissue 50 minute massage. I hit the jackpot, I had never told anyone.

My mom was visiting and needed a ride home with her gift. I have avoided driving her since she stopped riding on the expressway but I was felt so good about my haul that I eagerly took on the journey. It is normally a 35 minute trip on a Sunday night but on the side streets the travel time is doubled. She did the usual passenger seat driving despite the fact that I have a clean driving record, I didn't care. When we got there I carried her TV up 3 flights of stairs and plugged it into the cable box; I wanted her to be as happy as I was so I did my best to set her up until the cable guy could hook up the HD cables. I even tried to program the Comcast remote for the TV but that was beyond my pay grade. I was floating, this was one of the best Mother's Day ever.

I left her apartment and eagerly headed to the expressway. Just as I made it to the entrance ramp a black cat crossed in front of my van. I am not superstitious, all I could think about was how that stupid cat was going to get hurt or killed on the Dan Ryan. It was about 5 minutes later that a light on my dashboard lit up. I called my husband and described the symbol as a sailboat. Simultaneously we figured out my engine was over heating, yikes. I kept telling myself to stay calm. When I finally decided to get off the Stevenson I was at Pulaski Road. I was home, the first 15 years of my life were spent riding the Pulaski bus and the south end was the neighborhood I traveled through for 4 years to high school.

Well, high school was 29 years ago and everything was different. My husband stayed on the line as I drove forever (5 minutes) looking for a gas station. He told me to buy coolant, when I saw the price I knew it was cheaper at Walmart but I had no choice. The station was attended by a lone woman behind bullet proof glass, she couldn't open my hood. Bill tried to talk me through it but I could not get it, I felt like such a girl, I had never opened my hood. I approached a young man for assistance, he kindly and easily opened my hood. I was not sure where the radiator was, he showed me and pointed out the warning to use special coolant, my van is 12 years old, the manufacturers warranty expired before this kid could drive. I poured the entire bottle in and filled the empty container with water as a backup in the event it over heated before I got home.

I was back on the Stevenson within 20 minutes or so, still flying high but wondering out what the lesson was. I did learn how to pop open the hood and pour a little crushed red pepper in the radiator to impede the small leak which has since been repaired. I wonder what happened to that stupid black cat, hope he made it home safely.