Domestic violence knows no boundaries. It touches all regardless of your status in life. Pauletta Burleson, the wife of a minister is one of many victims. Unfortunately, Pauletta’s murder is scandalized by what is being described as a love triangle involving her minister husband, his son and the mistress the two men shared. The trio are now facing murder charges for Pauletta’s untimely demise.
Tracy-Bernard Burleson
Tracy Bernard Burleson, a 44-year-old Houston pastor, is facing capital murder charges for the 2010 slaying of his wife, Pauletta Burleson. According to ABC13 Houston’s local ABC affiliate, the pastor’s wife was shot execution style in the back of the head while sitting in the family’s garage, allegedly by her stepson, William Fuller.
The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Fuller, who is also charged with murder, alleges his father hired him to commit the killing. This information is said to come from a confidential informant whom Fuller confided in.
Further information seem to suggest that both the pastor and his son were in love with the same woman, 32-year-old Tyonne Palmer.
Fuller had previously lived with Palmer, who became his care taker after he was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia. According to court records, investigators have uncovered evidence indicating she was actually dating both Fuller and Burleson at the same time.
Attorneys for Burleson are alleging that the son framed his father so he could date his father’s mistress, Tyonne Palmer who is also charged with capital murder. She’s accused of helping Fuller destroy the murder weapon following the shooting.
The pastor’s alibi for the shooting isn’t air tight. While Burleson admits that he and his wife argued in their driveway, he claims he went to a convenience store for chips and candy before she was killed. However, investigators didn’t find any snacks in his car afterwards.
Neighbors say they heard the gunshot at 10:15 p.m. — but the store where Burleson claims to have made his purchases closed at 10 p.m.
The Houston Chronicle is als reporting that prosecutors have found a $60,000 life insurance policy taken out in Burleson’s wife’s name. Such evidence provides motive that which suggests the pastor’s involvement. It also elevates the crime of domestic violence to a capital crime, placing the death penalty on the table.
On or about one week before the murder, Burleson’s house of worship, the First New Mount Calvary Baptist Church, burned down. Burleson has denied involvement in that incident. The fire is still being investigated and no charges have been filed against him in relation to it. What’s Your Take On The Matter? Register and/or sign in and sound off!
Morgan Freeman and Herman Cain, two sons of the south who happen to be black, have opposing views of the Tea Party.
In a new interview with Piers Morgan, legendary Oscar winning actor Morgan Freeman laid down his views on the Tea Party. Amongst other things, Mr. Freeman discussed his belief that the right wing Tea Party’s anti-Obama stance is rooted in racism.
The often described as arrogant Piers Morgan asked whether Obama’s presidency has made racism in the United States better or worse. In reply Freeman, who once played apartheid-defying South African president Nelson Mandela, stated that Obama’s time in office has made it worse, because the first black American President has become a target of the right’s aggression.
“Their stated policy, publicly stated, is to do whatever it takes to see to it that Obama only serves one term,” the actor said. “What’s, what does that, what underlines that? ‘Screw the country. We’re going to whatever we do to get this black man, we can, we’re going to do whatever we can to get this black man outta here.’”
Declaring once again that “it’s a racist thing,” Freeman said the group’s rise has shown the hate still lingering in America.
“Well, it just shows the weak, dark, underside of America,” he said. “We’re supposed to be better than that. We really are. That’s, that’s why all those people were in tears when Obama was elected president. “Ah, look at what we are. Look at how, this is America.” You know? And then it just sort of started turning because these people surfaced like stirring up muddy water.”
The actor continued, saying that he understood President Obama not fighting back, seeking to stick to his principles, but wishes that he’d be more aggressive now.
Freeman endorsed Obama during his run for the presidency, but declined to campaign with him, saying that he was an actor, not a politician. He attended a White House Civil Rights concert in 2010.
Freeman’s remarks comes on the heel of Herman Cain’s win of the Florida Straw Poll. Cain won 37 percent of the 2,657 votes cast. Perry, who made a late but spirited effort in the state, got 15 percent. Romney, who had announced earlier he is not competing in straw polls, came in third with 14 percent of the vote.
Only Cain, Santorum, Gingrich and Paul stayed to make closing arguments to the attendees on Saturday afternoon. Bachmann and Romney left Friday evening after speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, and Perry left early Saturday morning after hosting a breakfast for the delegates.
Before the voting commenced, both Romney and Perry headed to the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference in Mackinac Island, Mich., where that state’s Republican party is also holding a convention and straw poll this weekend.
This is the first time in more than a decade that Florida Republicans have held a straw poll, but in the past, the contest has accurately predicted the winners of the GOP presidential nomination: Delegates voted for Ronald Reagan in 1979, George H.W. Bush in 1987 and Bob Dole in 1995.
In a recent interview with Fox News, Florida Gov. Rick Scott predicted Republicans in his state would repeat that performance. “I believe whoever wins this straw poll on Saturday will be the Republican nominee and I believe the Republican nominee will be the next president,” he said.
The former Godfather’s Pizza CEO in his bid for the GOP nomination has come out with a music video/biographical introduction that puts a heavy focus on his race, thus suggesting that his presidential run is evidence that Tea Party supporters are not racist. “To all of those people who say that the Tea Party is a racist organization, eat your words,” Cain, says in the video below.
Is the attack on President Obama, and Republican’s disrepect and failure to compromise politics or racism. Yet another question to consider: is it based on class where the President is siding with the everyday people (see job’s speech video below) and the GOP is siding with big business, Wall street and Rich people such as Herman Cain? What’s Your Take On The Matter? Register and/or sign in and sound off!
Floyd Mayweather cleaned Victor Ortiz, clock last night. In a split second knockout ocurring after the two boxing adversaries touched gloves, in the fourth round Mayweather was ruled the winner. Earlier in the round, Ortiz Ortiz threw what many describes as an intentional headbutt on Mayweather after he opened up combinations against the ropes. He got a warning from the ref who deducted a point from him. Controversey has arisen because it is thought that while Ortiz was apologizing, Mayweather hit him with a punch and knocked Ortiz to the floor. After the ten count, the Mayweather/Ortiz bout became controversial history as Mayweather was declared the winner.
Soon after, Mayweather entered into another bout with Larry Merchant. Merchant stepped into the ring questioning Mayweather in his question dragging style. Mayweather was accommodating, but became irritated with a dragging question about Mayweather’s aggressiveness in earlier rounds. Merchant insist that Mayweather had anticipated his path of questions and didn’t want to face questions about why he has refused to fight Manny Pacquiao. Merchant’s reasoning doesn’t seem to be supported by the video above. What is undisputed is that Mayweather had some choice words for Merchant who replied that if he had been 50 years younger he would kick the boxer’s ass. Dream on Larry Merchant, dream on.
After setting an irrational Merchant straight, Mayweather walked away. Perhaps, Mayweather could give President Obama some pointers in his fight for re-election. Anyway, Mayweather scored two knockouts last night, one against Ortiz, and one against the aging Mr. Merchant. Maybe it is time for HBO to give Merchant his walking papers. Ouch!
Take a look at the video and let us know your thoughts.
What’s Your Take On The Matter? Register and/or sign in and sound off!
The first time I heard the “Sound of Silence” was at the movie “The Graduate” starring Dustin Hoffman. The first version of the song which was written by Paul Simon was an acoustic version.
The vocalists were Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel known as Simon and Garfunkel. The song was a track on their first album which tanked. Simon and Garfunkel decided to split up. What the duo didn’t know was that their record company had a plan. Trying to take advantage of the folk-rock movement, Columbia Records had producer Tom Wilson add electric instruments to the acoustic track. Simon and Garfunkel had no idea their acoustic song had been overdubbed with electric instruments, but it became a huge hit and got them back together. If Wilson had not reworked the song without their knowledge, Simon and Garfunkel probably would have gone their separate ways. When the song hit #1 in the States, Simon was in England and Garfunkel was at college.
Mike Nichols the director of “The Graduate” put the song on as a work track and was going to replace it, but as the film came together it became clear that the song was perfect for the film. Nichols didn’t just use this song, but felt Simon & Garfunkel had a sound that fit the tone of the movie very well. They commissioned them to write “Mrs. Robinson” specifically for the movie, and also added “Scarborough Fair” and “April Come She Will” to the film.
This has a lot of meaning in the movie “The Graduate”. The lyrics refer to silence as a cancer, and if people in the movie had just been honest and not afraid to talk, all the messy things would not have happened. Problems can be solved only by speaking up honestly.
Simon & Garfunkel did not write this about the Vietnam War, but by the time it became popular, the war was on and many people felt it made a powerful statement as an anti-war song.
On the tenth anniversary of 9/11 the acoustic version sang by Paul Simon proved to be as timely as it was in the the sixties. As I listened to Paul Simon singing it during the memorial service this morning, I was mindful of the status of America today. We are in a war in the middle east, and our economy is down the toilet. Congress is acting like spoiled brats with their Tea Party members have no shame in showing contempt and disrespect for the first Black President.
Although I love the song, I think it is unfortunate for America that it’s lyrics are still relevant today.
Take a listen to Paul Simon at Ground Zero and compare it to the duo’s earlier version below and see if you agree to it as being just as relevant today.
What’s Your Take On The Matter? Register and/or sign in and sound off!
I keep reading requests for where you were on September 11, 2001. For me it’s not about where I was, but rather where I wasn’t.
I wasn’t inside the twin towers but could have been had I not accepted a job with a Fortune 500 corporation instead of following through and taking a job with the New York New Jersey Port Authority.
I could have also been inside the Pentagon had I not moved to the west coast.
Instead, I’m here writing this post as I listen for the names of Stephanie Veronica Irby, Bernard Brown II and his teacher and classmates.
Stephanie Veronica Irby
Stephanie was the niece of Leo and Hazel Fournier. Mrs. Fournier is a former long serving member of Mobile Alabama’s school board, and the step daughter of Clarence Mathews Sr. Mr. Mathews mortgaged his house to take a group pf Black boys to Washington, D.C. to secure the first Black Boy Scout charter in Mobile.
Although she did not share Mathew’s DNA, Stephanie certainly shared his spirited dedication and work. Stephanie Irby had just returned from Mobile for the labor day holiday were she visited with friends and family. On Sept. 11, Stephanie Irby had planned to take the day off, but “she was too conscientious to miss work,” says her older brother Kenneth Irby said. “In the last minute, she decided to go in.”
A true Trekkie, Stephanie would have fit right in on the Starship Enterprise. “Her collection of `Star Trek’ videotapes just blew my mind,” said Addison Irby, an older brother. As soon as a tape was released, she bought it. “When I tried to debate with her about what Captain Kirk did, she would take out a tape, find the exact spot and show me that I was wrong,” he said. Ms. Irby, 38, an accountant for Marsh & McLennan, who always wore “a big, bright smile,” microwaved the food for her dog, Charlie, a golden retriever, said Kenneth Irby, another older brother. And she doted on her 2-year-old niece, Cecelia Melton. Ms. Irby, who was single, shared a house in Queens with Cecelia and her mother, Stephanie’s older sister, Pam Irby. “Stephanie was like a second mother to Cecelia,” Kenneth said. “Before she died, she was about to use her own savings to open up a college fund account for the baby.”
Bernard Curtis Brown II
Bernard and his teacher Hilda Taylor had joined other D.C. students and teachers and their National Geographic chaperons for a science field trip to the west coast. Teacher James Debeuneure and student Rodney Dickens were representing Ketcham Elementary School; teacher Sarah Clark and student Asia Cottom were from Backus Middle School. All the students were 11-year-old sixth graders.
They had been selected to participate in a program at the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary near Santa Barbara, California, as part of a Society-funded marine research project known as Sustainable Seas Expeditions. They were aboard American Airlines Flight 77 — the jet that terrorists flew into the Pentagon.
On 9/11/2001, and days thereafter, no one in the media spoke of these kids and their teachers. Because I had lived in D.C., I knew that they were kids of color. The rest of the world would not find out about them until two weeks later. This was after the media had exhausted all the sad stories in regard to white America.
As for the children of Martha Ratchford, no one came to pick them up from school. Martha who worked at the Pentagon also perished on that unforgettable day here in America when the terrorist did not distinguish between black and white America. Maybe the day will come when we will not distinguish between black, red, brown, yellow and white America. Instead we will be one America of many cultures.
You can view the list of the 9/11 victims here and review the memorial held at Leckie Elementary School in D.C. by clicking on the video above.
What’s Your Take On The Matter? Register and/or sign in and sound off!
