Senate Sketches # 1046

NOTE: Sen. Hank Sanders has written a weekly column for papers in his legislative district for the past twenty years. These rural, weekly papers lack a web presence, and therefore a link to the publication is not available. The column below is provided by Sen. Sanders’ office for inclusion in the Daily News Digest.

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Senate Sketches # 1046

By

Senator Hank Sanders

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An Open Letter to

Senator Charles Bishop

Dear Senator Bishop:

Please resign from the Alabama State Senate. It’s for your own good. It’s also for the good of the Alabama Senate, the Alabama Legislature, the State of Alabama, and people of Alabama. I did not arrive at this position easily, but I am convinced it is the right thing to do. I want to share my reasons with you and people everywhere.

Senator Bishop, I call on you to resign because you are a terrible example for our children. You hit Senator Lowell Barron on the Senate Floor. You walked over to Senator Barron while he was sitting in his chair and cursed him. When he stood, you hit him up side the head with your fist. This is a criminal assault. If you did this in a school, you would be suspended. If you did this in college, you would be expelled. If you did this at a ball park, you would be banned. If you did this in a bar, you would be jailed. If you did this in jail, you would be placed in solitary confinement. This behavior is unacceptable anywhere in our society.

I call on you to resign because you refuse to apologize to Senator Barron and the people of Alabama. You are wrong, but you cannot see you’re wrong. In fact, you said you would do the same thing again under similar circumstances. I had hoped that after a few days you would see the error of your ways and apologize. You have not. You must resign.

Senator Bishop, I call on you to resign because you tried to make the victim into the perpetrator and the perpetrator into the victim. Instead of admitting your wrong, you concocted a fiction claiming Senator Barron “talked about my mama” and “called me a son of a bitch.” You know Senator Barron never mentioned your mama. You know Senator Barron never called you a “son of a bitch.” You know you cursed him before you hit him. Even if he had done both things you claim, that would not be any excuse for you to criminally assault him.

You have a long history of violent threats and physical abuse. Some years ago, you threatened to whip me because I objected to your calling me “Big Boy.” You threatened to whip Senator Larry Dixon of Montgomery. You invited a woman, Senator Ann Bedsole of Mobile, out to fight. You raised your voice on the Senate Floor in a threatening manner toward Senator Vivian Davis Figures. You invited Senator Zeb Little, who is half your size, to go out of the Senate Chamber to fight. You pushed and tried to hit former Representative Cecil Wyatt while you were running for statewide office some years ago.

Senator Bishop, I call on you to resign because you are a danger to other senators, Senate staff, and all who will come in contact with you around the Senate. There is no way for us to know when you may go off again and hit another senator or others who disagree with you. Your very presence makes working in the Alabama Senate a dangerous occupation.

I call on you to resign from the Senate because you have brought great shame on yourself, the Senate, the Legislature, the State of Alabama, the people of Alabama. You have revived the violent ghosts of our past, specifically Jim Clark of Selma and Bull Connor of Birmingham. Both meted out vicious violence on children, women, and men in full view of TV cameras.

Alabama has worked too hard and made too much progress to have it cast away by your violent acts, bullish manner and unrepentant attitude. Over the last decade and a half, Alabama has ceased to be known as the state of violence. Until your act, it was recognized as the automotive state because of Mercedes, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota.

With one violent act, you tore down what it took decades to build up. In a brief violent moment caught on television, you recast Alabama’s image. Now it will take decades to remove the stain of your actions and rebuild a positive image.

The vivid image of your hitting Senator Barron on the Senate Floor went around the world within hours. Within a day, people in Spain and Turkey were calling about your act. Everywhere I went, your violent acts on the Senate Floor were the subject of discussion. Worse, it was a source of ridicule of me and every other senator, even on the Tonight Show.

Senator Bishop, I don’t know how we can repair the damage you have done. I do know we can start by your resigning. At least the people of the world will know the cause of this embarrassment will no longer be in a position for a repeat performance.

I hope you will heed these words and resign immediately. Every day you wait enlarges the shame and intensifies the embarrassment. Please resign now.

Now on to the Daily Diary.

Saturday – I handled various matters before sharing lunch with Dr. James Mitchell. I struggled with issues springing from the Gee’s Bend Quilters Collective. I traveled to Chilton and Shelby Counties handling matters and returned to Selma. I talked to various persons including consultant Rick Heartsill, Sharon Wheeler, and Senator Lowell Barron. I worked into the night.

Sunday – I did Radio Sunday School, Radio Education, and Sunday Review, and participated in Sunday School. I presented Reverend Franklin Fortier to preach his initial sermon at the New Beginnings Church. I talked to several leaders including Melvin Miller of Selma and Reverend Joseph Rembert of Montgomery. I participated in a conference call with several senators. I talked education with Dr. Fannie McKenzie over Sunday Dinner and I worked into the night.

Monday – I was in trial every day this week. I had to steal moments before trial during short breaks in the trial, during lunch time, and after work to handle Senate matters. I still accomplished a lot. I finished Sketches and talked with lots of people about Senator Bishop’s hitting Senator Lowell Barron. I talked to Dallas County Circuit Clerk Cheryl Strong. I traveled to Lowndes County where I talked with several leaders and returned to Selma to work into the night.

Tuesday – I continued in trial. I talked to the following: Senator Lowell Barron; Senator Roger Bedford; my assistant, Sharon Calhoun, about 21C (Twenty First Century Youth Leadership Movement) matters; Dr. Carol P. Zippert of the Greene County Democrat; and Sharon Wheeler of the Senate President Pro Tem’s Office. I began writing an Open Letter to Senator Charles Bishop. I wrote several letters of thank you to others I work with. I shared dinner with Jere Beasley and Greg Allen of Montgomery, Bill Gamble of Selma and others. I worked into the night.

Wednesday - I continued in trial. I talked to consultant Rick Heartsill and attorney Robert Turner of Marion and attorney Greg Hawley of Birmingham. I continued working on letters to some I work with including the Open Letter to Senator Charles Bishop. I worked into the night.

Thursday – I continued in trial. I wrote additional letters and talked to various including: Senator Bobby Denton; Wayne Vardaman of Centre for Commerce; and Ken Bonner of Scottsboro. I traveled to Lowndes County where I shared dinner with Lowndes County School Board members, the School Superintendent, and other supervisory personnel. I returned to Selma and worked to almost midnight.

Friday – I continued in trial. I worked on Sketches and letters to various co-workers. I talked to the following: Cheryl Strong; Rick Heartsill; and Judge Tommy Jones. I traveled to Sandestin, Florida for the Alabama Association for Justice Annual Convention. I participated in a reception and dinner. I talked to many including the following: Carolyn Wheeler; Sharon Wheeler; Senator Bobby Denton; Senator Pat Lindsey; Senator Ted Little; Senator E B. McClain; Senator Zeb Little; Senator Kim Benefield; Senator Lowell Barron; Senator Linda Coleman; Senator Vivian Davis Figures; Senator Rodger Bedford; and Senator Bobby Singleton.

EPILOGUE – Sometimes we will not leave bad enough alone. We have to keep digging at it. We keep digging a deeper hole for ourselves. That is what Senator Charles Bishop has done and continues to do.