Tammy's Quote: The Comma Makes a Difference

Journalists are notorious for not using the Oxford comma. Many shoot back that such commas, indeed most commas, are not needed. Yet today we have the perfect example of how much difference a comma can make.

Local state senator Tammy Irons was quoted Saturday in an article written by Mary Sell. The most astonishing pronouncement from Sen. Irons concerned a supposedly offered bribe by the Republican Party and was picked up only by the TimesDaily and the Decatur Daily; however, there was another extremely interesting quote from Irons that was punctuated quite differently in the two papers.

"The very place I live my life has been stripped from me." The Decatur Daily

“The very place I live, my life has been stripped from me.” The TimesDaily

Which did Irons actually say?  We hope her statement didn't include the comma. Life should be more than political aspirations...

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The following responses, updated periodically, are in answer to state senator Tammy Irons' remark published 5/12/12: Several weeks ago, I was told by a member of the reapportionment committee* that they would draw me a great district to be elected as a Republican. 

Gerald Dial: If someone told her that, they drank too much or smoked too much

Cam Ward: I just have not heard of any such bribe or conversation. The first I read about it was in the newspaper. Maybe she did have the conversation but it is not something I heard.

* Nine Republican senators - We've contacted each of them concerning this accusation.



Shoalanda

Mother's Day 2012

Eyes of Periwinkle Blue,

A Smile That Could Light Manhattan,

Love without Bounds...

That Indeed is Mother.

Wikipedia defines Mother's Day as both commercial and religious. It's certainly commercial enough; we've heard that the Saturday before the big day is the biggest 24 hour period Walmart has during the entire year. Religious? Surely for most of us, the love both for and of our mothers borders on a religious experience.

To all mothers out there, we say may God bless you and give you the needed wisdom and strength to bring up successful and productive Children. Not everyone is lucky enough to have such a mother--here's an account of a very special mother:

A Face Only a Mother Could Love


Shoalanda

Who Told Tammy What & Why?

Several weeks ago, I was told by a member of the reapportionment committee that they would draw me a great district to be elected as a Republican. -- Sen. Tammy Irons in today's TimesDaily.

If this is true, it would not only be unethical, but illegal. Did the TimesDaily try to follow up on this startling accusation? If anyone from the TD did, it was not memorialized in our daily rag. Let's see what we actually have here.

First, Sen. Irons states it was a member of the actual Senate panel/committee who propositioned her. Let's examine the committee very closely. It's composed of 11 members, so that narrows down the range of guilt. It's safe to assume it was a Republican who allegedly offered our state senator a bribe, so that limits it to nine state senators. Let's put it in black and white.

Did Gerald Dial offer Tammy Irons a bribe? Denied on 5/11/12

Did Cam Ward offer Tammy Irons a bribe?

Did Trip Pittman offer Tammy Irons a bribe?

Did Jimmy Holley offer Tammy Irons a bribe?

Did Clay Scofield offer Tammy Irons a bribe?

Did Bill Holtzclaw offer Tammy Irons a bribe?

Did Arthur Orr offer Tammy Irons a bribe?

Did Gerald Allen offer Tammy Irons a bribe?

Did Bryan Taylor offer Tammy Irons a bribe?

The TimesDaily article quoted Gerald Dial as stating, "If someone told her that, they drank too much or smoked too much." That leaves eight state senators who have been placed in an extremely shady light by Sen. Irons. These senators should be easily accessible using their senate e-mail addresses. We would hope each would offer a statement.

Perhaps one offered Sen. Irons this political plum in jest? While it's possible, we're told that would be tantamount to an airline passenger greeting an old friend named Jack with a casual, "Hi." In other words, it's just not done unless one wants to have a whole lot of 'splainin to do.

The reapportionment of both Senate and House districts is overseen by and must be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice. We have to wonder how they will respond to such an accusation.

To be continued...



Shoalanda

Tim Kent's Civil War Tales/Pants on the Ground?

Author Tim Kent

Last December, apparently in a Christmas rush, we mentioned Tim Kent's Civil War Blog but failed to provide a permanent link. We're correcting that oversight today, as well as suggesting you invest in his novels--a must for any Civil War aficionado.

This link will get you started; it has a short excerpt from Die Like Men. Enjoy!

Tim Kent's Civil War Tales

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Want to purchase Die Like Men, or Never Smile Again by Tim Kent? Here's the link to a fantastic local publishing house. Bluewater Publications is only a little over ten years old, but it's already made a national impact. We're sure you'll find something for every taste.

Bluewater Book Store

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The cities of Sheffield and Tuscumbia care how you dress, specifically how you guys wear your pants. In fairness, the law applies to ladies as well, but they seem to exercise somewhat better judgment in sartorial matters. So...was the law really necessary or could these cities better serve the public by addressing more serious economic and health issues? We have a two-week poll posted in the sidebar. Vote, but also feel free to comment here or via e-mail.

Shoalanda

The Real Gerald Winston Surratt Jr./UNA Robber

Gerald W. Surratt Jr.

Yea that for sure is his father... The pictures posted by WAAY 31 and Times Daily are correct...Dont know how Colbert County screwed that up... but I lived with "Jerry" for the past 10 months.. I have been having a bad gut feeling about him for the past few months, but was a little shocked to find out what he had actually been doing...  Posted by Katie

The above quote was taken from our comments. Actually, the photo of Mr. Surratt Sr. who died in 2004 was issued in error by Sheffield City Police, not Colbert County. We don't know how the mistake was made, but we are happy to publish a photo of the real Gerrald Winston Surratt Jr.

Also, we have checked with other Sheffield sources, and Surratt is still incarcerated in their city jail and is under investigation for other crimes. He is being held for an alleged intruder type sexual attack that occurred in the city. We have not published comments from Surratt's family due to the language involved. We are happy to look into this further, but suggest the family contacts the City of Sheffield as to the error.

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We've been asked to publish the artist's sketch of the suspect in an abduction/robbery that occurred recently on the UNA campus. Readers who have contacted us have feared the suspect's crime was cut short in some manner and his victim was lucky to escape.

We have no new information on the investigation into the robbery, but do know that all local law enforcement agencies are working together in piecing together the robber's crimes and bringing him to justice.

Again, we ask all UNA students/employees to be alert and carry any legal means of self-defense. If you're in doubt as to what is legal, contact UNA security or Florence City Police. If the robber/abductor is still free, his crimes may escalate.



Shoalanda

All First Degree Rapists Must Register/Ronnie May

There seems to be confusion in some Shoals cyber circles about who has to register as a sexual offender in some states. Rest assured, anyone convicted of First Degree Rape has to register in any of the 50 states. A convicted First Degree Rapist recently made this statement: If I went to Florida or Tennessee, I wouldn't even have to register, but I returned to Alabama because of my family.

Is there any truth in the above statement? No. Let's look at Florida. A supporter of the convicted rapist has used the following to back up his claims: Florida State Statute Section 943.04354 describes how people who committed their offenses before July 1, 2007 can also avoid having to register as a sexual offender or predator. (prior to Megan's Law)

The law states that all must register, but some convicted of sex crimes may be removed from the state registry if the offender petitions. The above law refers to statutory crimes and crimes that did not involve penetration. In other words, First Degree Rapists are never absolved of the need to register...at least for 20 years. After this length of time--calculated from the time sentence is served--the offender may petition the court. That in no way affects someone who has just been released from prison, and we have no idea how many are successful in being removed after the required 20 years, especially if a weapon was used.

Looking at Tennessee, we have asked permission from The Connection and Jeff Jones to use his article word for word:

A convicted rapist living in Florence has been interviewed in a local blog. He is quoted as saying: Because other states have a three-tiered assessment that classifies offenders in categories, such as child molesters, predators, serial rapists, sex offenders. In Alabama, all categories are lumped together and minor sex offenders have the same responsibilities as more heinous crimes, such as child molesters. If I went to Florida or Tennessee, I wouldn't even have to register, but I returned to Alabama. Is his statement true? We'll look at Tennessee first.  Tennessee does a two tier system: Sex Offenders and Violent Sex Offenders. In some instances, a conviction for sexual crimes other than rape may be "forgiven" after ten years. They are never immediately forgiven. They are never forgiven for First Degree Rape. They are certainly never forgiven for Violent Rape, which would include any crime in which a knife was used to coerce the victim. For more information about who may be exempted from the Tennessee registry, you may wish to visit: Am I Eligible for Removal from the Sex Offender Registry?

Have we looked extensively at all 50 states? No. We have checked on just the two specifically mentioned by the convicted rapist; however, a quick Google search turns up no states which do not require First Degree Rapists to register.

A word of advice to those who date registered sex offenders: If he came home with lipstick on his collar, wouldn't you "check it out?" If he comes up with tales as to why he has been railroaded and treated differently, we advise you to do the same. Divorces are expensive.

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Like the mug shots in The Quad-Cities Daily? Apparently you won't be seeing many from the Colbert County Sheriff's office. From TQCD:

Sorry, but Ronnie May, Colbert County Sheriff, is the only law enforcement agency in Northwest Alabama to charge prohibitively high rates for public records. Therefore The Quad-Cities Daily does not have them available.

 Shoalanda

Sex Offender Registry & Notification Act (SORNA)

SORNA stands for the Sex Offender Registry Notification Act (SORNA). SORNA uses a three tiered-system; Alabama currently has only one level, not distinguishing between the youth who committed Second Degree (Statutory) Rape and the mature male who raped and sodomized children.

SORNA was created in 2006 as part of the Adam Walsh Act and was designed to be used in all 50 states and territories. So far, Alabama has not implemented the Act, but can expect to lose Federal dollars if it does not by a stated deadline. This deadline has already been extended twice for all states and may be extended again. Eventually, SORNA will replace most of the current registry laws in Alabama...and indeed every state.

Where does a convicted First Degree Rapist fit in SORNA? One convicted of First Degree Rape is automatically entered into the highest tier--Tier III. Specifically for:"engaging in a sexual act with another by force or threat."

So what of the convicted rapist who said " it('s) different in other states (than Alabama) because other states have a three-tiered assessment that classifies offenders?" We're not sure whom this individual was trying to convince, but when SORNA is finally implemented in Alabama, he will be placed in Tier III.

Tomorrow: A look at Tennessee and Florida

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If you missed it, it seems Autumn Marie Wood will not be getting youthful offender status:

Youthful Offender Status for Autumn Marie Wood?

 Shoalanda