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Saturday, July 20, 2002
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A Word from Joe:
A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO FRED GRAY, SR.
Few Alabama citizens have impacted the long term welfare of their fellow citizens more than has the newly elected president of the Alabama Bar Association - Attorney Fred Gray, Sr. We salute Fred Gray, Sr. as Alabama's first ever African-American president of the Alabama Bar. No other attorney in our state's history is more worthy of this honor than Fred Gray. Fred Gray's story beginning as a young civil rights attorney to the likes of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King are part of the great history of Alabama and the American civil rights story.
His humble demeanor and countless efforts to serve his community and state are well noted. My own father, Ret. Rep. Pete Turnham, had the great pleasure to serve with Fred Gray (as I served as a boy page) in the Alabama Legislature during the time Fred Gray served as one of Alabama's first African-American legislators since reconstruction.
Even late in his legal career, Fred Gray ploughed new ground in his efforts to seek belated justice for all as the attorney for the victims of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. His efforts were instrumental in securing a formal presidential apology by our country from President Clinton in the White House in 1996. Fred Gray continues to serve his local democratic party and community in numerous capacities. His recent efforts in establishing a multicultural center in Macon County, Alabama promises to highlight the accomplishments of all races...white, black, red, yellow...in the building of a greater Alabama.
"Blessed are those who hunger and search for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Congratulations Fred Gray. You are a light on the hill. Respectfully, Your friend. Joe Turnham
GREED, GRAFT, AND WHAT TO DO
The financial markets and retirement pensions of Americans have been rocked as daily revelations of corporate misdeeds have deeply affected investor confidence. These revelations of mass deception on the part of corporate executives, accounting firms and even Washington special interests(elected officials) have led to a multi-trillion dollar decline in U.S. market values.
These happenings on Wall Street have left many Alabama citizens with fewer dollars for retirement and even scorched the Retirement Systems of Alabama, which is the bedrock for so many retired state employees and school teachers. Voters are angry and demanding that Congress and candidates for Congress take real action. The House of Representatives and White House must quit playing rhetorical games and pass strict rules (enforce the ones they have) and reassure small investors that America's financial markets are safe.
When elected to Congress, I pledge to wade into the battle to assure America's pensioners, investors, and corporations that if you play by the rules with integrity, your investment will be at risk only to market forces, not by corporate malfeasance and greed.
As an American citizen and father of two children, I am recommitting myself to teaching values of integrity and that greed and idolotry of money leads to evil. Getting rich quick or at any cost is not a fundamental of free enterprise. Hard work, fairness, honesty, ingenuity, good fortune, thriftiness and shrewdness are better values. Let's put America First, by putting integrity first in our corporate practices, halls of Congress, and in dealings with each other. Joe
