**The Final Countdown**

The story on CNN focused on the rally held in Lakeland, Ohio. Sarah Palin spoke on how her and McCain would balance the federal budget by the end of the first term. They want to aggrandize child tax deduction and help the veterans.
Palin explained this is the worst time to consider raising taxes and that this is what Obama voted for. She stated that bigger government is the problem and not the solution. Her an McCain want to restore our economy. It was as if Sarah Palin was trying to descry that Obama wasn't good enough to be our president by pointing out little things. CNN was showing the time till the polls were closing.
They gave the key states to look for in Obama's winnings. Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Washington were most of those key states. CNN also said that Obama had a good chance of winning Pennsylvania even though campaigned there heavily before the election. When Palin was speaking she was more concerned on making Obama look bad and making McCain look better. She also mentioned developing new energy resources.
This station showed McCain campaigning in Florida looking to be pragmatic about this election. On MS NBC they focused mainly on information like the different speeches that were held by Obama and McCain. They talked about the death of Obama's grandmother and how special she was to him. She died at 86 from cancer in Hawaii. She helped raise Obama in Hawaii but never lived to see him get elected or not. People were worried about how Obama would take the incident. He came temperate to everyone's surprise when he spoke at a rally in Florida he showed no sign of being too upset. The information was given off of Hardball the News Wall Street Journal. Obama was in the lead by 51% and McCain at 43%.

**Spooky Story Part Two**

*Locked out*

Then an erie wind
blew pass Tina which made her shiver in fear. When the lights were back on there was a quick announcement stating that the mall was experiencing a technical glitch in the system. The students rushed to get there costumes and leave before something noisome happened. The costume that Tina was amazed by was soon gone. It was so hapless that the lights went out because now instead of dressing up like a cute cat she had to wear the only decent costume left. It was a black and silver mask with writings on the back. It came with a catcher’s suit. Tina couldn’t understand the writing cause it looked like some other type of language but she in turn payed it no mind.
The night was here and people were already lined up outside the door to get in. Thinking of a plan to get in was part of the reason was what made Tina so late. The other part was trying too convince her cousin to come along with her. “Please Rodney, I promise just this one time and I’ll never ask you again” Time was running out and the place was crowded with people, people you’ve never seen in your life. Rodney and Tina got to the door, two people ahead of them walked in. The person at the door let them go and began to close the door. “Sorry” he said. “where over crowded tonight try back again later when some people leave.” Tina stretched out her hand to grab the guard. “Can’t you just squeeze us in its only two of us?” The guard turned around. “I’m sorry but I can’t, try back later” and then closed the door behind him. People behind Tina and Rodney began to walk away but Tina was dogged to leave just yet. She made Rodney sit out on the steps with her and wait till later came. Unaware of it, a glowing light blew from Tina’s mask under the door into the party. It was after one now. “There not gonna let us in now Tina lets go its getting late” “Just hold on a minute Rodney ok?” She waited a while and then got up. A loud scream was let out from the party as they walked away. Rodney and Tina looked back but continued walking ahead. All of sudden people were scrambling to get out the little door. “What’s going on in there?” Tina yelled out trying not to be trampled on. “I don’t know ” Rodney said, “but it looks like…wait what’s that floating in the air?” The glowing light turned red and stretched bigger and bigger into the sky. It was scraping up students like a giant hurricane, turning in to a ponderous cloud of smoke.

**Spooky Story Part One**

**Lakeland High’s Best**

Tina and Rodney stood outside the steps of Lakelands 5th Annual High school party.
Known for being the party of the year, only Lakelands best were invited to attend. “I can’t believe we’re
sitting outside Rodney” Tina said. “I know but there not going to let us in now.”
Early that week, everyone was talking about how cool the Halloween party was going to be on
Friday. People from different high school’s all over the county were coming to dress up and dance. There
were more people there from different school’s than Lakelands own every year. Tina planned to get
involved this year, even if she could only get into help decorate. She had to be apart of it this year some
how.
“I can’t fathom what the big deal is, it’s not like its gonna be on t.v. or something.” Rodney
said to Tina at lunch. “That’s it you don’t get it Rodney. Do you have any idea how many school’s
are gonna be there Friday? “I don’t know and I really don’t care Tina. Your making it seem like your
gonna die if you don’t get to go this year” Tina rolled her eyes and got up from the table. Friday was
getting closer and closer every second that went by.
Booka Booka, the Halloween store in the mall was packed Thursday night of Lakeland high
students. “Half of these people aren’t going to get to the party, there’s going to be a lot of disappointment
tomorrow night” A cheerleader said walking by Tina. As Tina searched the aisle’s of the store the lights
started to flicker. No one payed any attention since they were too busy looking for the perfect costume.
The lights flickered in the store again an then shut off. People were dispassionate for a minute until a flash of light cut across the room causing everyone to see each other for only a second.

Last Lynching Outline

Samantha Brown
**10-17-08**
Eng 131
*The Last Lynching Outline*

I. Cruelty in the 1900’s
a.) Law student named Artur Davis, a democrat from Birmingham held the Ku Klux Klan accountable
for Michael Donald’s murder in the 1980’s.
b.) Michael Donald was an innocent victim chosen at random, who died for the cause of another black
man, Josephus Andersonan.
II. The Family
a.) Donald was captured by two Klansmen, his throat was slit and he was hung on a tree close by his
family’s house for them to see.
b.) The FBI was soon to be involved but were convinced that Donald was just involved in a drug deal
gone wrong.
III. Last Lynching
a.) James Knowles and Henry Hays were arrested and convicted for the murder, Hays was 26 and
Knowles was 17 then.
b.) Henry Hays was executed in the electric chair in 1997, Knowles was interviewed by Ted Koppel an is
serving a life sentence for testifying against Hays.
VI. Making it better
a.) Morris Dees was a civil rights attorney who was the founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center
whose stated purpose is to combat racism and promote civil rights through research, education and
litigation.
b.) The United Klans of America went bankrupt when they were sued by Beulah Mae for a $7 million
Wrongful-death verdict on the case.
Conclusion: People seem to think that because we have a black candidate running for president that
there will be a post racial period in American history. Ted Koppel stated that he feels there might never
be a time for the racial era to be over. The only thing that we can do for now is make racial harmony in
this country and raise up our children to know where they came from.

**The last lynching part two**

The three articles speak about the murders of four young blacks and Micheal Donald.
A former anchor of "ABC News Nightline", Ted Koppel, came to Mobile, Alabama to produce a one-hour program on the discovery channel. In 1981 an African American named Josephus Anderson was charged with the murder of a white policeman in Mobile. The man got off the case because the jury couldn't find a verdict. This in turn upset members of the KKK and their was a meeting held after the trial. Bennie Hays was the second-highest ranking official in the Klan and and a nefarious man. He held the meeting and stated that "If a black man could get away with killing a white man, we ought to be able to get away with killing a black man. The plan had been set for a random black victim to be murdered that same night. Henry Hays and James Knowles were convicted and arrested. Hays was later executed in 1997. The story of America's last mass lynching involved four young blacks; George Dorsey, Dorothy Dorsey, Malcom and Mae Murray Dorsey. The mob who killed them were really after Roger Malcom who had just been bailed out of jail for stabbing a white man while drunk. They were obviously pedantic about the situation. Roger was passing over a bridge when the killers, with no venerate, appeared and dragged his passengers out of the car. The enigma behind the murder of this case is still yet to be solved.

**The last lynching part one**

The murder of Micheal A. Donald was said to be the last lynching in the United States. The main point of the program was really to depict how close racism lies and to tribute to the nomination of Barack Obama. Basically relying on how far African Americans have come. Micheal was chosen at random as he walked down the street and kidnapped at gunpoint. He was captured in Mobile, Alabama by two Ku Klux Klansmen.
They drove him into the woods where they beat him and slit his throat. Afterwards they hung his body on a tree outside of his house for his family to see what they had done. These men were audacious to have done this to Micheal's family. I'm guessing that they felt this would enervate the family but it instead became noticed as a landmark and the two men were convicted. I don't believe that the klansmen would of ever thought that lynching was soon to be ephemeral.

Bring the noise! {Kanye West/Common}

Kanye West and Common are two of the most realest artist in my book. I don’t even like to call them rappers but more outspoken poets. They advocate so clearly on realistic things. Visual situations that are happening right here and now but actually have a point and a meaning to them. Their lyrics make you think of things that everyone worries about but are never brave enough to come out and say. Although they seem to have the same qualities and values they have a couple differences. Kanye West was born in Atlanta, Georgia but then moved to Chicago due to the divorce of his parents. He attended Chicago State University but dropped out because of poor grades. I believe his album college dropout was meant to depict that he made it anyway. Common, other wise known as Lonnie Rashied Lynn, Jr. was born in Chicago but was moved to Denver, Colorado by the divorce of his parents as well. He attended Florida A&M University and dropped out also. I feel that both Common and Kanye were dogged in their music career because people tried disparaging them most of their lives. They went through much and still managed to find a way to the top.