Happy first birthday to The Riggins Report!

   It was one year ago today that The Riggins Report was born.  Like all parents, it has been interesting to see how my baby has grown in the first year of life.  I’ll delve into specifics as we go along.

   Today is also a melancholy anniversary of sorts for me personally.  It was 25 years ago today that I lost my father, the late Henry Louis Riggins.  In addition to being the spitting image of him, I was very close to my father and it was quite an emotional blow to me to lose him.  Daddy, I miss you as much today as I ever have.  Continue to rest in peace. 

   It would be appropriate to review where The Riggins Report has been in the first year in order to establish where it will go in the future.  Right out of the starting gate, it touched on race and diversity (For a return to civility, how about a “Crash”course?).  Race relations was an often visited discussion in the first year (Why are nearly 16% of African-Americans unemployed?; Racism: America’s BIGGEST denial; The state of Mississippi proposes license plate that honors KKK leader).  We will continue to visit the state of race relations in America in the future.  Racism IS America’s BIGGEST denial and if the subject continues to be avoided, it will ultimately DESTROY America.  History has shown us that ALL empires come to an end and the element of racism will be the root cause of this empire coming to an end.

   We looked into the Arab Spring (A simple slap in the face sparked a New World Order in the Middle East; Is the “No Fly Zone in Libya the right thing for the U.S.?) … the changing of the political landscape in the Middle East and in Northern Africa (Tunisia, Egypt and Libya) in particular. 

   Domestically, there were many areas of interest.  On this weekend preceding the observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday, we asked a year ago why it took so long for MLK Day to become a national holiday (Why did it take 32 years before MLK Day become a TRULY national holiday?). 

   We also shared thoughts on social consciousness in America.  One piece addressed the side effects of the economy in America.  I was watching 60 Minutes and saw a segment on the number of homeless children in America and was moved to ask one pointed question.  (Has America lost its SOUL?).  I also looked at the charitable efforts of Americans versus the attitude of some Americans toward the government helping those who are less fortunate and have fallen on hard times (America’s charitable efforts are ENIGMATIC). 

   Corporate greed was something we took a look at as well.  I was repulsed after watching yet again another segment on 60 Minutes (Why ARE some companies anti-American?).  This segment was about the number of American countries that denounced their U.S. citizenship in order to avoid paying taxes.  One CEO of a Fortune 500 company shamelessly asked the government for a hand to the tune of a $12 billion tax break. 

   The bulk of the focus of The Riggins Report was, of course, on politics in America.  The Republican Party, obsessed with defeating President Obama in 2012 by any means necessary, took some extreme measures on the federal level and in state houses around the country.  For the first time in the history of the union, a state took steps to keep a sitting president’s name off of the state ballot (The state of Arizona moves to keep President Obama off the 2012 ballot).  In the state of Michigan, the governor moved to subjugate the will of the voters by enacting a measure that would allow governor appointed officials to remove elected official for little or NO cause (Is it the Union of Soviet Socialist Michigan?).  In Ohio, the governor and the Republican controlled assembly used some political sleight of hand to strip state workers of their collective bargaining rights (Chicanery in the Ohio state house used to pass Senate Bill 5).  The state of Wisconsin, though, was the mother lode of extremism.  The governor in that state and a small GOP majority over stepped far outside the boundaries by eliminating collective bargaining for that state’s employees.  (Wisconsin GOP uses SKULLDUGGERY to pass union busting legislation).  That move not only galvanized labor unions in the state of Wisconsin, but throughout the country (Labor unions are thankful for Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin).  Shortly thereafter, Governor Walker was the victim of a prank that was made popular on a famous cable television show (Is Governor Scott walker a NINCOMPOOP?). 

   After the GOP rout in November 2010 that led to the Republicans taking control of the House of Representatives and John Boehner becoming Speaker of the House, The Riggins Report wondered twice about the Republican job agenda (So be it?  Speaker Boehner … where ARE thejobs?; What IS the GOP’s REAL strategy for creating jobs?).

   There were many poignant and emotional national moments in 2011.  In light of the horrific mass murder in Tucson, Arizona on January 8, 2011, where six people were murdered and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was seriously injured, The Riggins Report touched on the “third rail” of American politics, gun control (Why are we obsessed with guns in America?) and the media coverage of the horrific event (How would you rate the media coverage of the tragedy in Tucson?). 

   Another poignant moment was the observance of the 10 year anniversary of the terrorist’s attacks on September 11, 2011.  While watching Paul Simon perform at the commemorative ceremony, I was moved to right about my own mortality (Mortality and “The Sound of Silence”). 

   As we move into 2012, I want to thank you all for taking time to read The Riggins Report and you have my commitment to continue to write about issues that are thought provoking, controversial and timely. 

Peace & blessings to you all.

Peace, peace in the Middle East!

Craig Riggins

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