Richard Nixon | Straightspeak

Fool us once, shame on you; fool us twice, shame on us

By DHughes|2016-12-14T19:47:04-05:00December 14th, 2016|Categories: business, politics, trumpwatch, trumpwatchhome|Tags: conflict of interests, emolument clause, Norman Eisen, Richard Nixon, Richard Painter, Trump, US Constitution|

America you've be duped, again Three things you might not know Richard M. Nixon said, "When the President does it that means it is not illegal." Donald Trump will be in violation of the Constitution on the day he is sworn in. Regardless of Trump's efforts to dodge the conflict of interest issue, he can't dodge the US Constitution. Read more...

My personal history is the stuff they write books about. And that's what I am doing. The working title "Five Generations to Freedom."

It's historical fiction because, unfortunately, I can not find enough records to substantiate all facets of the story. I've combed the genealogy, traveled to my father and grandmothers' birthplace, walked the graveyards, searched the churches and ... well, the facts just aren't there. I have written three books based on other families and their genealogy but my ancestors emerged from a journey that left few records – slavery.

My great grandmother, on my father's side, was a "freed slave." My grandmother, Amelia, was born to a white, French plantation owner in Grenada and a black slave named Mary, who worked on the Count de Poulain's plantation. Amelia was raised in her father's home and in adulthood, in an attempt to escape her black heritage, she "disowned" her mother Mary. Once, when Mary visited her daughter, Amelia told her, "Get out and never come back." And Amelia, as a mother herself (twelve children), told all of them, "Marry white." And many did, including my father. My mother was white Anglo-Saxon protestant born in England. They met in Canada where dad became a doctor.

It has taken five generations for the descendants of Mary (we do not know her last name) to free themselves from the bondage and stigma of their black heritage. But today, my children embrace it and are damn proud of it. Unfortunately, the 150 years in between has been a wasteland of bigotry, racism and bullying, Filled with anger, rejection, shame, fear, violence, murder and ... love, romance, kindness, perseverance and pride.