A Devoted Teacher's Refections on Kierra Mae Jones, Murdered Victim in Triple Shooting

Police Identify Victim In Triple Shooting 

By my daughter who was one of Kierra's teachers email the following to me:

Kierra “Twin” Jones was one of a kind. At just about five feet, ninety pounds, she had a huge spirit that was belying of her stature. With braids, tattoos, and oversized clothing it would be easy to look at her and assume the worst. But once she smiled, all of that melted away. And you saw her for what she was. A young woman who dared to be herself, a young woman who loved openly, a young woman who was just as quick to give an encouraging word as she was to crack a joke. And as she spoke--slow and measured, you could feel the reservoir of wisdom that was deep inside of her.

She wasn’t perfect, as none of us are. However, she was strengthened through every mistake, fortified through every failure. And throughout the revolving door that is night school, she remained constant. When her peers’ resolve weakened she said, “I have faith.”

 Twin exemplified everything that All City is supposed to represent. She dreamed through adversity. She strived every day; even in the midst of the complacency that surrounds us all. She was a leader, she was a peacemaker, so much so that it cost her life.

 And through her death, life continues. Old students are coming back through that revolving door. They’re saying they’re going to graduate for Twin. And though they may stumble, though they may never pass a Regents, or walk the stage, they have all LEARNED.

 Hopefully we too can learn from this. Our success as educators is not limited to test scores. Our success comes when we dig deep within ourselves and continue to hope. Our success comes when we look past the statistics and see our students as people who deserve dignity and respect. Our success comes when we forgive the students who disrespect and underappreciate us. Our success comes when we treat our students like we would want someone to treat our own kids. Our success comes when we don’t coddle students, but when we push them to excel. Our success comes when we lead by example.

Kierra’s family is requesting donations to buy her headstone. Please give as much as you can.

I am feeling better, death is a part of life and I am going to use her death as motivation. I love y'all :-)

Vera Richardson

Preview and buy my book Screwed by Former Governor and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer

Pray for President Obama, America, John Boehner, and the Republican Party

--> A video to encourage Obama supporters of all races and national origins to pray for him and our nation during this time of GOP opposition and unfair political tactics. Praise God in song and dance and he will deliver us from the "EVIL" that has caused many fearing "CHANGE" to forget God and country to destroy President Obama. We should also pray for the GOP because the bible tells us to pray for our enemies and our leaders.
Vera Richardson
Click on link to preview  my book Screwed by Former Governor and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer

Kierra Mae Jones 5/14/13 Murder: Racism to Maintain the Prevailing Order by Supplying AND Selling Illegal Guns to Blacks to Murder Each Other

--> On May 14, 2013, Kierra Mae Jones, who was 20 years old and a student of my 29 year old daughter was gunned down in Rochester, NY. According to the Democrat and Chronicle website Jones was celebrating the graduation of two of her cousins at her aunt’s home on York Street on May 14, 2013, when two vehicles approached.
Their occupants fired multiple gunshots and drove away. Jones, herself set to graduate from All City High in a month, was struck multiple times and died at Strong Memorial Hospital a short time later, her family said. The day before Kierra Jones was murdered my youngest daughter called me in Houston to tell me that Kierra Mae Jones watched one of my Youtube videos on racism as part of one of her assignments. On May 15, 2013, I read a haunting and provocative Huffington Post article titled “The Reactionary Nature of Black Politics.

In the article Pascal Robert stated “Jim Crow was rooted in economic control, not simply racism and brutality. Those were the tools used to keep the system intact.” Robert’s story has led me to believe that gun violence and the unwillingness of the GOP, Tea Party members, NRA, and others to support background checks for gun control is a form of racism to maintain the prevailing order: The time is now for African-Americans to stop being reactionary and become proactive in saving our children and OURSELVES.

We should demand action from Senator Harry Reid, the Democrats, and more importantly President Obama. President Obama can have a successful second term if Reid do filibuster reform NOW. With reform the Senate can pass a background check gun control bill. Reform will also allow the Senate to skip the delaying tactics of Rubio and GOP who don’t have any intentions of passing Immigration Reform before or especially not after the 2014 elections.

Filibuster reform will also allow the Senate to confirm President Obama nominated federal judges that have lifetime appointments over the GOP unprecedented opposition. At the end of his article Roberts asks who is up to the task to provide a new politics that is not rooted in reactionary response to racism but seeks to foster cross-racial coalitions with those similarly situated to crush the barriers to economic equality. My answer is PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!

July 26, 2013, UPDATE

I am so glad that President Obama's comment on the Trayvon Martin's murder and jury verdict.  Our president message encouraged us and will motivate us to greatness.


Vera Richardson
Click link to preview, borrow for free and/or buy my book and join movement to respectfully request that President Obama amends CivRightsAct of 1964 again.  Screwed by Former Governor and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer

President Obama Should Use Long Airport Traveling Delays Caused by Sequester as a Political Weapon

The typo in the Sequester Bill to end long airlines delays caused by the furlough of air traffic controllers gives President Obama a chance to fight for program cuts that hurt the non-flying public. African-Americans stood in long lines for three to seven hours to vote in 2008 and 2012. Therefore, those who mocked President Obama’s efforts to prevent the sequester by flying around the country warning of long lines at our airports shouldn’t be allowed to pick and fix parts of the sequester to please their base.

 PLEASE PRESIDENT OBAMA DON’T SIGN the “Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013.” According to a Washington Post article “Obama has pretty much tried it all. He has met privately with Republican leaders in the House, collaborated with bipartisan groups of senators and taken his case to the people, hoping that the power of public opinion could win over his opponents in Congress. This year none of those efforts have worked.”

One thing “Obama” hasn’t tried is fighting fire with fire when dealing with the Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and the GOP. The GOP routinely use self-made crises to further their agenda and to control the nation narrative i.e. debt ceiling, reducing the debt). President Obama SHOULDN’T sign a bill to “prevent reduced operations and staffing” at the FAA UNTIL Boehner and the GOP accept a deal that repeal the entire Sequester.

Vera Richardson
Preview/buy my book Screwed by Former Governor and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Signing “Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013” Bill" & Rubio Leading on Immigration WRONG

PRESIDENT OBAMA was called a liar and accused of using scare tactics when he warned nations of that the sequester would cause long delays in air traffic. On April 25, 2013, his accusers in the Senate passed a resolution to prevent reduced operation and staffing at the FAA.

Should President Obama sign the bill “prevent reduced operations and staffing” at the FAA? HELL NO! Should President Obama play let’s make a deal with Boehner and the GOP and accept a deal that doesn't repeal the entire Sequester? HELL NO! Should President Obama, Senator Reid, and Nancy Pelosi accept any deal with Speaker Boehner, Tea Party members, and GOP that doesn’t offer the same amount of monetary funding (253 million) provided to easy air travel delays for Wall Street to restore programs cuts for the young, sick, disabled, and/or poor? HELL NO!

It time that Reid stand up to the GOP and remember the Hispanic voters that saved his A-- in 2012. Reid get a backbone and pass a filibuster reform bill. President Obama please demand that Reid enact filibuster reform NOW!

We can't and/or won't continue to WAIT for another election (2014), for Democrats to lead and not blindly follow Senator Rubio on Immigration Reform, and for Reid to introduce and pass FILIBUSTER REFORM. We voted for CHANGE in 2008 and 2012 and we want it NOW! Boehner and GOP have passed over 30 bills to repeal OBAMACARE. Therefore, it's time for Boehner to get off his A-- and bring a bill to the House of Representative that will repeal the entire (Sequester) Budget Control Act of 2011.
 Vera Richardson
Preview  my book Screwed by Former Governor and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer

Is Walmart Staff Shortages Retaliatory Behavior against Voters, Obama, and Obamacare?

Click picture to start video I taped at Wal-Mart approx 1 year ago of long lines.... or view it here
http://twitpic.com/cgg2ud

A Bloomberg.com article dated April 2, 2013, stated in part: ” Wal-Mart customers from Hawaii to Florida and from Texas to Vermont wrote to express their frustration after Bloomberg News reported March 26 that there aren’t enough workers in the stores to keep shelves stocked, cash registers manned and shoppers’ questions answered.I believe that the Bloomberg article supports my belief that staff shortages at Walmart could be retaliatory behavior by Walmart executives.

According to the article Wal-Mart U.S. had sales of about $274.5 billion in the year ended Jan. 31, more than the total sales of Target Corp. (TGT) and Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) combined in their comparable periods.

On Saturday December 1, 2012, at approximately 8:30pm I videotaped long lines and wait time to check out in a local Walmart store in Houston, Texas. As evident from my conversation with a shopper in the store I couldn’t understand why the store wasn’t fully staffed and more if not every cash register opened.

On December 2, 2012, I read an article titled “Walmart's New Health Care Policy Shifts Burden to Medicaid, Obamacare.” Base on the content of the article I believe that Walmart’s decided to reduce the hours of its employees in order to deny them employer based health care coverage. I also believe that staff reduction contributed to the long lines and frustration of many of the shoppers in the store on December 1, 2012.

 On December 3, 2012, I posted video featured in this post in a CNN I-Report titled: “REASONS to Boycott Walmart: Obamacare, Low Wages, Long Lines, and Employee Retaliation.” I stated in the report the Walton family and its corporate executives appear to be trying to punish low income wages earners employed by them by cutting their hours and health insurances coverage for voting for Obama. I believe that Obama supporters of all ages, racial, ethnic, backgrounds and economic classes should boycott Walmart and Sam Clubs.

Walmart shoppers should support the underpaid and overworked employees at Walmart and Obamacare. Boycott Walmart until they change their new health care policy and/or stop retaliation actions against employees for speaking out for better pay, fair schedules and affordable health care. Bud and Sam Walton, are the founders of the world’s biggest retailer, Wal-Mart. The Waltons have a combined wealth of US$93 billion.

According to an ABC News post Walmart cut ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) a conservative group and donated money to conservative candidates including Mitt Romney. On November 6, 2012, the voters rejected Mitt Romney and the Republican’s promise to repeal Obama’s health care reform bill. It is now time for consumers/customers to reject Walmart.

Walmart workers shouldn’t bear the unnecessary burden of fighting for work hours and entitled health care benefits. Its insane for shoppers to have to wait in long lines to give the Walton family and their stockholders their money. It is even more insane to shop at Walmart when that company supported ALEC, Mitt Romney, opposed President Obama, and appears to be engaged in retaliation of its employees and possible customers.

The time for action is now. BOYCOTT WALMART by shopping at other retailers and grocery stores.
 Vera Richardson
Click to read extensive preview/buy/and engage nation in undeniable racism case
Screwed by Former Governor and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer

Boehner’s Proposal to Fix Sequester Must Contain balanced Military and Non-Military Spending Allowances

I believe that this blog is a powerful example to challenge and deny Speaker John Boehner and the GOP's decision to offer legislation to soften the pain of mandated cuts to the military budget caused by the Sequester. Any deal or fix to the Budget Control Act of 2011, must include reducing the amount of non-military spending cuts too. Providing a reliable safety net for the physically and mentally ill, poor, children and the elderly is a role the federal government must play in some of our lives. Who among us will chose to be sick, disabled, and/or poor in one of the greatest countries on earth? Should the forty-seven percent of Americans referenced by Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential election plight be ignored? Should Boehner and Tea Party congressional members be allowed to provide political cover for themselves and Republicans governors by providing exceptions and exemptions for the military and defense contractors to the drastic cuts of the Sequester? Should President Obama agree to a deal with the GOP that doesn't repeal the entire Sequester and/or offer the same amount of monetary savings to domestic non-military spending that covers programs cuts for the sick, disabled, and/or poor? My answer to both questions is HELL NO! It's time for Speaker Boehner to put America first by risking his Speaker title. It's also time for Boehner to get off his ASS and bring a bill to the House of Representative that will repeal the entire Budget Control Act of 2011.

 Vera Richardson Author of Screwed by Former Governor and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer