The Bannister & Sutherby Show

NO LONGER ACTIVE

2008-03-15T22:53:00.006-04:00

This site is no longer active. I use it primarily for the archived posts.

Check out my YouTube for my religious & political videos.

VOTE 4 BOB IN WARD 1

2007-09-24T10:59:00.000-04:00

DEAR OLIVET LEFT

2007-09-17T08:49:00.000-04:00

Paleo's challenge to the leftists at Olivet College.

Clips From September 10th Paleo Radio

2007-09-12T20:44:00.000-04:00

Topics Include:

1. Tyrants forcing gay pride down the throat of our culture.

2. How Affirmative Action hurts blacks.

3. New form of Drug Testing.

4. Dog Fighting and its sub-culture.

5. Why we say "uh" and "um."

6. My secret admirer / stalker calls in

Listen to Paleo Radio every Monday and Friday from 7-10pm on 89.7, WOCR.

Contact us at bannisterandsutherby@yahoo.com

Paleo Radio on 89.7 FM, WOCR

2007-09-09T07:54:00.000-04:00

CLIPS FROM SEPTEMBER 4 PROGRAM

2007-09-03T17:03:00.000-04:00

Clips From Our Latest Program

2007-08-22T22:12:00.001-04:00

WALBERG'S GOT A BLOG!

2007-08-20T08:57:00.000-04:00

http://walberg.house.gov/Blog/

I have two recommendations for the new blog:

1. Open up a comment section. Sure, there is good, bad, and ugly with opening up a comment section, but the good far outweighs the bad. It also shows that one is not afraid of criticism, even the childish jabs coming from Mr. or Mrs. "Anonymous."

2. Link our site to the blogroll. A local access program that deals exclusively with local and state politics would offset the high-roller blogs such as RedState and TownHall. Then again, our YouTube would be even better! To top it off, our having numerous vlogs honored in various categories due to feedback and viewership would make this a win-win.

SIDE NOTE: The Congressman could set up a comment format that would take anonymity out of the equation. It would require names and emails for submission. He could even go so far as to make it so that all comments require pre-approval from the administrator.

Contact us at bannisterandsutherby@yahoo.com

Did You Mean SCHIPwreck, Congressman?

2007-08-12T18:32:00.000-04:00

PALEO CONTRA WALBERG????

2007-08-08T14:20:00.000-04:00

Congressman Walberg: "Providing health insurance for children who otherwise can't afford it is an endeavor worthy of the resources and time of the U.S. Congress."

Alright, now I've admitted that Walberg is no strict constructionist, but this is absurd. After spending a decent amount of time flipping through my extremely worn copy of the Constitution, I have been hard pressed to find any evidence that this matter is within the scope of congressional responsibly. For the life of me, I could not find a single line in that beloved federal document granting the Congress any authority whatsoever over providing health insurance for children of families that are too rich for currently available welfare programs.

Regardless, we are all too aware of the tendency our politicians have to cite the grossly abused "general welfare" clause. But Congressman Walberg knows full well that this won't do. Were he to resort to such reasoning, the mooring for his beliefs pertaining to a constitutionally limited federal government would be uprooted faster than he could mumble "Leviathan."

To add insult to injury, he mourned the fact that Congress didn't return to the "original intent" of the bill. Why, Congressman, should they? If they have abandoned the original intent of the Constitution, why not something of much less importance?

In the end, Congressman Walberg was right about one thing: SCHIP is a train wreck. Too bad he didn't see that it was a constitutional train wreck from the get-go.

Contact us at bannisterandsutherby@yahoo.com

CLIPS FROM SHOW ON 6-30-07

2007-08-02T23:53:00.000-04:00

A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP

2007-07-31T18:30:00.000-04:00

Fan Mail:

"I just watched the show for the first time, and I was impressed."

1st Lt. T.J. Allred USMC(Ret.)

"I actually learned some new facts those videos, too. I really, really think your show is taking on an awesome appearance. It's really developed to the point where you should certainly find yourself with a synidcated radio show...I'm not exaggerating. I really would be surprised if you didn't have a large audience and major influence. Keep it up. These are the REAL issues. These are what turn people's heads and causes them to listen. We are starving for a moral compass as a nation."

C.F.

"I caught the tail end of you fellas show... and you peaked my interest. I believe that it is great to see any person taking an active role in their government."

J.S.

"Your Tuesday TV show is a 'must see' for its candor, insight, humor and occasional crazyness about local politics and other doings. I also enjoy your blogsite. Excellent analysis and good writing."

J.R.

"I am very impressed of the content. There are many other people who have the very same opinions. You have created a show that is different from the 'norm' of happy-back-slapping of government spending."

BCTruth

Hate Mail:

"YOU sir are what is wrong with the system: misinformed zealots with a pulpit. I would love to be more articulate and informative but quite frankly it's none of your business and all you deserve is a resounding FUCK OFF, FUCK YOU and YOUR ILK...as usual judging without knowledge or compassion.. pound sand and leave the world to us rational folks who manage to find a better way... Boo too you...how about fun without your VErY large cranium?"

Anonymous

"I cannot believe I am reading all of your posts... your commentary here does not make any sense... how will anyone take you seriously?"

Anyonymous

"HARD HITTING" = UNDERSTATEMENT

2007-07-28T14:37:00.000-04:00

Preview of the next episode of Bannister & Sutherby

Watch more video clips at www.youtube.com/paleocrat

PALEO ON THE UNFAIR "FAIRNESS DOCTRINE."

2007-07-26T17:11:00.000-04:00

Want to see more? CLICK HERE!

PALEO <3's SUSAN DEMAS

2007-07-22T22:58:00.000-04:00

Visit Paleocrat's YouTube HERE.

MAKING GOOD ON PROMISES

2007-07-19T13:47:00.001-04:00

For the thousands of you who watch our show on a weekly basis, you may be confused as to why we did not make good on our promise to put our program on this site in order for you to watch over and over again. Well, the reason is simple: we messed up. First, our producer was unable to get the mini-DV to record the program while we were taping. Then, after the show was over, I sat through the entire program again in hope of assuring that we get a good copy of it on mini-DV. Unfortunately, it was not until I made it home that I realized that the DV copy was no good. Not only was the frame-by-frame off, but there was absolutely no sound. It would be an understatement to say that we were frustrated.

Fortunately, we think we have it figured out and hope to post our program online for this next program. Keep your fingers crossed.

WALBERG ON THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE

2007-07-15T12:01:00.000-04:00

*Paleo (Jeremiah Bannister) in studio during his radio program*

Congressman Tim Walberg:

"The Constitution says 'freedom of speech,' not 'freedom of government approved fair speech in rationed amounts.'"

THE PETULANT, THE GADFLY, THE ANONYMOUS

2007-07-15T00:33:00.000-04:00

We love anonymous comments, especially when they are actual people rather than blog bots. We have one anonymous reader who is a real pistol. From the sound of it, the reader:

1. Hates Walberg.

2. Is critical of the small things (i.e., tags on blog entries).

3. Has a journalistic eye for distinctions the "man on the street" would gloss over without a second glance (i.e., State Reps are not Congressman).

4. Isn't one for making good first impressions... unless, of course, petulance is a virtue.

We don't think that it would require Sherlock Holmes to unravel this mystery, but our hope is that Anonymous will do us a favor by gracing us with a name...

PS- Thank you for the criticism. As you will see, we made the appropriate changes wherever we were able. Once again, thanks.

COMMISSION WANTS WATERLESS URINALS?

2007-07-05T19:20:00.000-04:00

Waterless urinals on the horizon for local government buildings? So when did Al Gore become our city manager? Personally, I think the idea stinks... literally.

PALEO'S BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

2007-07-05T19:13:00.000-04:00

This took place on July, 4, 2007.

CRY ME A RIVER, SUZY.

2007-07-03T20:52:00.000-04:00

DEMAS: “U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg doesn’t like me and I don’t give a damn.”

PALEOCRAT: Do you wonder why he doesn’t like you, Suzy? You are a Schwarz crony that the Enquirer masquerades around as an objective journalist!

DEMAS: “The press is in the business of reporting the truth about officials’ voting records, platforms, finances, and campaign ads.”

PALEOCRAT: Yes, that is the business of reporting. Unfortunately, you barely qualify as a reporter. A better job description would be "propaganda peddler."

DEMAS: “What you should care about is that the congressman doesn’t care much for you, either, because he is actively squelching your right to know.”

PALEOCRAT: Give me a break. The Enquirer had a segment the exact same day that said Walberg would be in 3 different locations in the region to sit and talk with residents. He is also a regular contributor to the Op-Ed page. This doesn't even take into consideration the fact that one could keep up-to-date with him via phone or email. He even has weekly Walberg Wrap-Ups that are sent out by Sue Groth. Pick up a phone, log on to the internet, and presto, there you have it!

DEMAS: Whines about the fact that she doesn't get his press releases.

PALEOCRAT: You're a journalist with journalist buddies, you shoudn't have to look far for someone in your business who does get the press releases. If you were worth half what you are getting paid, you could figure out a way to get you little paws on a copy of his releases.

THERE ARE NO WINNERS, MR. NOFS

2007-07-03T20:43:00.000-04:00

REPRESENTATIVE MIKE NOFS: “In any business tax there will be some winners and some losers, but with this plan there are more winners.”

PALEOCRAT: "No, Mr. Nofs, there are no winners with any tax. There are merely those who lose less."

CLAIM: It’s provisions are aimed at helping small business grow.

PALEOCRAT: How is taking any money from small businesses, regardless of the amount, going to help them grow? This is economic nonsense.

SCHWARZ: THE ENQUIRER'S GOLDEN CALF

2007-06-30T16:06:00.001-04:00

Enquirer: "[The reception of Schwarz] was just short of the thronging adoration of a rock star."

Paleocrat: There is a fine line between respect and hero-worship, between a love-fest and an orgy.

OH, SILLY SUZY...

2007-06-18T19:08:00.000-04:00

Susan Demas is at it again. I am beginning to think that the only time the Enquirer uses her material is when she has put together another bundle of journalistic drivel pertaining to how much she dislikes Walberg. This would not be at all surprising given the fact that the Enquirer is about as subtle in their hero-worship of Joe Schwarz as Barry Bonds is of his steroid use.

In her recent journey in to blatherland, she went on a tirade against issues where Walberg supposedly betrayed his conservative constituency. Now, keep in mind that she is the furthest thing from an objective analyist and she is most certainly no friend to anything remotely conservative. So what did she call the Congressman out on? What did he do that was so heinous, so devious, so "liberal" that his supporters should have their underwear up in a bunch?

1. He supported various “green” policies pertaining to the environment
2. He honored a British abolitionist for Black History Month
3. He attacked No Child Left Behind
4. He voted to dismantle domestic spy tactics

As I read her list of “betrayals,” I was at a loss as to what the beef was.

A conservative Republican honored an abolitionist for Black History Month? What is the problem? Conservatives do it all the time. There is no unanimous despise among Conservatives for a month being set aside for teaching Black History. Does she think that Republicans would be at odds with abolitionism? If so, then I think she ought to read up on her history.

A conservative supports “green” policies? In case she hasn’t been keeping up with political shifts within the conservative and libertarian movement, there is quite a number of thinkers leaning in this direction. Are they comfortable with top-heavy government regulation? Not likely. But do they believe that something must be done about our environment? Yes. Many of these people identify themselves as "Crunchy-Cons." Maybe someone should grab Susan a copy of a book by the same designation next time they are at Barnes & Noble.

A conservative attacked No Child Left Behind? Heaven forbid! Here is where we see that Susan is either ignorant or a propagandist. She should know that many conservatives have been upset with NCLB. Open up to the National Review, American Conservative, Chronicles, or Reason and one could find a ton of conservative and paleolibertarians dissent on the Bush-Kennedy education plan.

Domestic spying? The same as above. While many of the talking heads may support the President and his crew on the issue, it is far from having unanimous approval from conservative pundits or from the public at large. Furthermore, such an intrusion by the government in to the actions of citizens that are neither unlawful nor immoral is repugnant to the conservative mind. Of course, Susan should know this, she is a political analyist!

Then, as a good puppet for the Schwarz 08 regime, she goes on a cry campaign about how big, bad Walberg painted a false picture of ole Joe in the last election. She wines about how he was painted as a Democrat in disguise and how he was characterized as being nothing short of the general secretary of the Communist Party USA.

When all is said and done, I think that someone must inform her that this kind of prattle won’t go half as far as she is anticipating. Reason being that her readers aren’t half as stupid as she sounds.

PS- Does anyone other than me notice that she frequently mentions McDonalds or uses a play on words involving the fast-food chain? McMansion? Abortions being performed at the rate McDonald’s sells Big Macs? If one can reason from her writings anything of value, it would be that she is craving a #1 with extra special sauce.

Oh, and lest I forget, McDonalds would only have to sell 4,000 Big Macs a day to keep up with the rate that women are having their babies murdered in America.

REFORMING HOW WE SPEAK...

2007-06-15T23:02:00.000-04:00

... about pregnancy and abortion.

As someone who is staunchly pro-life and has a journalist's passion for communication, I have become fascinated with how people speak about pregnancy and abortion. I recall talking to my wife about this when she was pregnant with our first child. I remember telling her that I found it interesting that we refer to ourselves as being X years old when, in fact, we are X years old plus the additional amount of time we spent in the womb between conception and delivery.

Many may this as just another classic example of my nitpicking, but I think it reveals something quite profound. Many, if not most, people (including pro-life advocates) speak of the pre-delivery child in a different manner than the post-delivery child. We do this all the time. We may not realize it, but the way we speak of the pre-delivery child and those in relation to the child may cause very subtle, yet real, difficulties in how we try to speak to those who support the "right" of abortion.

Take for example the phrase “She is expecting a child.” How many times have we heard this phrase? Sure, it is innocent enough, and most of us know that people are implying nothing more than that the mother is expecting that what is currently in her womb will one day be in her arms. But the fact remains that the mother is already with child. She is not "expecting child," she is expecting one day to embrace with her arms the child that is currently within her.

Similar phrases would include “she is going to be a mother” and “she has a child on the way.” Problem is, the woman is already a mother. There is no “going to be” about it. She doesn’t have a child “on the way,” the child is very much here already.

So, Jeremiah, why all the fuss over something that most people generally understand? Simple: it all boils down to the fact that words, regardless of how subtle they may be, play a huge role in the formation of one's understanding of an issue as well as the framework of a debate. On a very subtle level, we have allowed many people to distinguish a post-delivery baby (child) from a pre-delivery baby (fetus). This has taken place gradually, and the way we speak about it reflects this fact.

It is my contention that unless we speak in a manner that better reflects the reality that what is in the womb is already a child, that the pregnant woman is already a mother, and that the baby is already here rather than on the way, the pro-abortion advocates will have a very real, yet subtle, leg to stand on. Rather than “killing a child the woman has,” they will continue to insist that abortions merely extract a fetus from a woman who "had a child on the way" and, were she not to have aborted the child, "would have become a mother."

Do I think that making radical changes like adding 9 months to what we refer to as our age is the answer? No. But I think we should seriously reflect on how we phrase things and the impact our words may have on setting the framework for the battlefield where the "culture of life" and "culture of death" come face-to-face to wage war over the lives of the unborn.

Read xanga comments regarding this post HERE.

SEX ED INSANITY

2007-05-31T12:01:00.000-04:00

A recent report indicates that Calhoun County is not looking hot in the teen birth department. In fact, our 252 reported teen births (not including those children murdered through abortion) between 2002 and 2004 indicates that we are in some serious trouble. Saying that this is “not good” would be an understatement.

So what is the answer? The not-so-Reverend Mark Pawlowski, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Michigan, insists that “continual [sex] education is necessary.” Yeah, Rev., looks like your “comprehensive education” has been hard at work! Unfortunately, it's just failed at producing the right results. Unless, of course, you are aiming for more pregnant teens. But hey, keep it up. I mean, what does it hurt to do the same thing over and over again only to get consistently negative results?

Then we have Commissioner Nancy MacFarlane, the CEO of Community Action Agency of South Central Michigan, giving us this gem of a soundbite:

“[I’ve] tried to encourage people to look at this as more of a medical and health issue than a moral issue. We give a lot of knowledge about other areas of our health and physiology to our children… we’re just not prepared to do that about sex.”

Well, Mrs. MacFarlane, turning the tide on the age old “sex is a moral issue” opinion may take a little longer than you think. And try telling the Joneses that when they catch little Jimmy and little Sally doing the wild thing in their room that it is not really so much a moral issue as it is a medical issue.

It may not be long before we start hearing people encouraging parents to leave condoms in their childrens lunchboxes. They are good for their health, right?

Susan Demas: Your Argument is Bankrupt

2007-05-28T13:00:00.000-04:00

Susan Demas, a reporter for the Battle Creek Enquirer, has unloaded a few doozies over the past month or so. A while back it was a tirade against Walberg and his staff of “20-something Jesus camp counselors.” This time it is a blathering column describing how the rich are getting wealthy on the backs of the poor.

She begins by describing how difficult life is for those poor souls making a meager $57,000 a year. Ironically, she is describing a married couple with two children. Well, this almost fits the description of my household... minus about $20,000 dollars a year.

One would think that if these $57,000 families are having it rough, then certainly a family such as mine that only gets $37,000 (on the high end) a year would be in dire straights! Unfortunately for her line of reasoning, the argument just doesn’t work. Sure we cannot afford the “McMansions” or Mercedes that she claims those who make $166,000 can, but we get by. We live in a respectable 3 bedroom home and drive a luxurious 4 year old Honda Element. Sure, our Lego-style box car is no Mercedes, but it gets us from point A to point B on a regular basis. Granted, our 3 bedroom is no McMansion, but we live comfortably.

These necessities aside, how do we live? Well, not half bad. We own quite a collection of books, a television, a Playstation, a DVD/VHS player, a 5-disc CD player, a digital camera, a digital video camera, and more clothes and shoes than we have room for. To top it off, we have an excellent lawnmower! Beyond this, we have a computer and an all-in-one copier/scanner/printer. And when all is said and done, we have 10% to tithe and money left over in the bank. Is it always easy? Nah, but we make ends meet. All the bills are paid, and any outstanding bills we may have are not due to our lack of money but, rather, due to our lack of prudent spending in times past. All in all, this family of 4 making $37,000 does just fine.

In the end, Susan Demas is simply playing the game of class warfare and guilt manipulation. If one had the time to waste, they could locate where this line of reasoning was employed in the works of class-A guilt manipulators such as Marx or Hegel. I, being a married man with two kids and not enough time to waste on such a venture will leave it to the reader. For now, let it suffice to say that Susan’s arguments are as lame as they are bankrupt.

picture taken from http://mosnews.com

Schwarz Wants Mandatory STD Vaccinations... For Kids.

2007-05-23T13:52:00.000-04:00

Dr. Joe Schwarz, the darling child of all things moderate in Cereal City, is at it again. Actually, were one to even take a passing glance at our local newspaper, it would appear that he never quit. Since his defeat in the 06 primaries and his pathetic attempt as a write-in, he has since seen his face on the pages of the Enquirer more than ever! It is the first time (that I am aware of) that a local official was given more attention after he or she was no longer in office than while in it.

This time it is about the recent Senate decision pertaining to how schools should deal with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Their decision requires schools to inform the students and their parents about HPV and the much heralded vaccination. Students as early as 6th grade would hear of this sexually transmitted disease as well as the vaccination that has everyone buzzing.
Well, Joe is not happy with the decision. "You have the ability to within one and a half to two generations to wipe out cervical cancer," Schwarz said, "shame on the morality police, because no fewer young women are going to be sexually active. It is a given in this day and age."

Aside from the fact that there is no long-term medical evidence substantiating his triumphalist claim pertaining to the potential of the vaccine, he couldn't have been any more demeaning to our young children, or the parents that raise them! Little Jimmy and Sally are destined for sexual promiscuity? Oh, ye of little faith, Dr. Schwarz! And on what empirical evidence can the esteemed doctor make such an outrageous charge? On what basis does he make this prophetic assertion? Ah, nothing more than a hunch that he tosses around as an authoritative "given."

In the end, Dr. Schwarz, I hope that American parents are better than you make them out to be. I hope the same for America's little ones. It is also my hope that we can return to a sense of dignity and respect concerning matters such as sex and marriage. Then, Dr. Schwarz, we wouldn't need Big Brother shoving vaccinations in little Sally's arm.

K-Zoo Police & CPS Decline Investigating Planned Parenthood

2007-05-21T22:10:00.000-04:00

Anne Norton, a local pro-life activist, claims that she has mounds of evidence proving that Planned Parenthood of South Central Michigan in Kalamazoo has been covering up instances of child rape cases. She insists that they have failed to report possible instances of statutory rape of underage girls. She has personally documented more than 10 cases of young girls under the age of 16, which happens to be our state’s age of legal consent, who were taken to the Planned Parenthood offices in Kalamazoo for pregnancy test or abortions. She has a list of the victims and has gone so far as speaking with their parents for verification. She also has proof in the form of eye witnesses and sworn affidavits that one of the victims was an 11-year-old girl. The girl’s mother is also willing to testify.

So where is Kalamazoo’s local law enforcement? Where is Child Protection Services? AWOL. They have declined to even investigate these accusations! In fact, they have yet to even return phone calls from LifeSiteNews.com, the pro-life source that broke the story.

Contact Kalamazoo Police Department

Contact Kalamazoo Prosecuting Attorney

Children Protective Services

322 E Stockbridge Ave

Kalamazoo, MI 49001

Telephone: (269) 337-5046

SUTHERBY ON THE RETIREE RAISE

2007-04-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

Read what Bob has to say HERE.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

2007-04-19T10:12:00.000-04:00

Isaac Athanasius Bannister was born on March 2, 2007.

To read comments on Bannister's blog:

http://www.xanga.com/Paleocrat_etc/574259148/my-son-my-son.html

Sutherby Has a Blog????

2007-04-17T12:41:00.000-04:00

You'd better believe it! If you simply cannot get enough of Sutherby, then http://www.sutherby.blogspot.com is just right for you.

Bannister remarks:

"If Bob updates the site on a regular basis, city officials may begin to see him more as a scourge than a gadfly. Honestly, though, I don't think Bob would lose any sleep over them thinking that about him. Actually, he may see it as a badge of honor."

WHERE HAVE WE BEEN?

2007-04-14T13:40:00.000-04:00

Ok, so it has been forever and a Chinese New Year since we have updated our site. I wish we could say that we had problems with our huge technical staff or that our server was down or that we were in transition of moving our headquarters downtown right next to Wayne Wiley's office, but we would be lying. Instead, we figured we would just tell you the truth. So here it is:

Bannister and Sutherby were abducted by angry, robust, extraordinarily unattractive feminists enraged over Bannister's comments pertaining to his opinion that the maxim "beauty is solely in the eye of the beholder" was a lie concocted by ugly, fat women who wish to manipulate men (any man with at least one functional eye) in to feeling bad for taking the woman's gross abuse of food and lack of respect for her physical appearance in to consideration.

PS- If you believe this explanation then we would like to see if you are interested in purchasing some ocean front property in Idaho.

MI Legislators Go To Budget Boot Camp

2007-02-16T13:23:00.000-05:00

Click on blog entry title to see link

Michigan is experiencing a budget crisis. We are in a single state recession and officials are projecting an $800 million budget deficit. In an effort to save face, lawmakers got together for a “budget boot camp.” They went over a 160 page report detailing what the state spends money on and how much is being spent.

After going over the details of the report, they got together in small groups to discuss possible resolutions. What did they come up with? Something profound, of course. They concluded that we have a budget crisis and that we must either:

A. Raise taxes
B. Cut spending
C. Do a little bit of both

Nothing like stating the obvious!

Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, Republican, says that officials have to “reinvent state government, find ways to become more efficient, more streamlined.” Representative Tom Pearce, R-Rockford, says that it is his hope that the congress will review what services the state provides, consider their results, and make cuts wherever needed.

Sure, the state could do a pro/con analysis of their current programs where they would decide to trim the services that are performing “above the bar” while cutting (or throwing more money at) those programs that are “failing.” Problem lies with the fact that cutting programs, even those that perform as well as a quadriplegic valet driver, is about as easy as finding a three-legged ballerina.

Another problem lies with the fact that this approach is purely utilitarian. It doesn’t deal with the most fundamental question of whether or not it is the state’s responsibility to provide any given service. Then again, questioning the legitimacy of the state’s right to get involved in virtually anything it desires is tantamount to political suicide.

In the end, what we have are a bunch of people stating the obvious, ignoring the fundamentals and putting forward patchwork proposals that are the economic equivalent of someone expecting a band-aid to stop the bleeding of an amputated leg.

Welcome to the Real World

2007-02-14T15:31:00.000-05:00

Click on title to see comments on Bannister's Xanga account

Senate Republicans want to cut business taxes in Michigan by $290 million. Predictably, the left opposes the notion while the right insists that it will fuel our decaying economy.

Summer Minnick, the vice president of the Michigan Municipal League, thinks this is a really bad idea. "It is like telling a family that they cannot buy groceries because they have food in their kitchen," she said. She went further by comparing the loss of this revenue to a slow starvation.

Well, Summer, this is how it works in the real world. Maybe you have never experienced serious debt. I have. My wife and I have endured seasons where we were forced to embrace the luxury of Ramen and hotdogs. If we already had food in the fridge then there was no reason for us to spend a single penny on more. Contentment, Summer, was not an option. It was a harsh reality.

This was a life for a family a couple thousand dollars in the hole. Michigan is looking at a $800 million budget deficit! If families like mine have to suck it up and brace ourselves for difficult times while bearing the burden of a couple thousand in the red, why would the state not do the same when looking down the barrel of $800 million?

Welcome to the real world, Summer.

Will Evangelicals Vote Morman in 08?

2007-01-25T15:59:00.000-05:00

Many people have asked my opinion of Mitt Romney's presidential bid. Each and every time it boils down to the "Mormon" issue. Will Christian conservatives vote for a Mormon in a presidential election? I regularly respond by asking them a few questions of my own. Most common in this line of inquiry is whether or not Christian conservatives would have (or would have had) any hesitation voting for a mason, a Catholic, a deist, a Unitarian, or a nominal Christian. The answers are normally no, maybe, no, no, and maybe.

As pietistic as they may claim to be, the truth of the matter is that when push comes to shove and the rubber hits the road we often do things that contradict what we profess. This is especially true in the realm of politics. Most of the people I speak with love George Washington, yet he was a mason. So is Newt Gingrich. They talk highly of JFK regardless of the fact that he was a member of the "apostate" Catholic Church. They would refuse to vote for a deist, yet they revere Thomas Jefferson. These people wouldn't vote for a Unitarian, yet almost all of them talk about how great Abraham Lincoln was. What of the nominal Christian? One need not look any further than Ronal Reagan. He, along with Lincoln, didn't care much for church attendance. In every one of these cases, Christian conservatives were far less concerned about a persons orthodoxy than they were about how he compared to the person he was running against.

So here is my answer: If the Mormon Mitt Romney wins in the primaries over the Roman Catholic RINO from NYC or the Episcopalian RINO from Arizona then the vast majority of Christian conservatives will have no problem voting for him. Then again, Christian and conservative pietism normally goes the way of the dodo on Election Day.

Operation "Do the Wrong Thing"

2007-01-19T15:57:00.000-05:00

This is Bannister's op-ed piece that will run in next week's edition of the Echo

"Failure is when your best just isn’t good enough," or so says the demotivational calendar I bought my father for Christmas. While the maxim is meant to be a joke, I couldn’t help but to think that in a very strange way it summed up Bush’s tenure as commander in chief. Regardless of how hard he tries, it appears that his every effort results in a worsening of an already horrific situation.

Unfortunately, his “new direction” for the Iraq war is no exception. To be honest, prior to seeing his speech on Thursday, January 11, my hopes were at a 4-year-high. With the pounding the Republicans received from the Democrats in November, the overwhelming public disapproval of the war and the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group getting praises from both sides of the political aisle, I bet my chips that Bush would abandon the neoconservative mantra for a more political and diplomatic approach. Time magazine had the same enthusiasm, publishing a cover story entitled, “The Iraq Study Group says it’s time for an exit strategy. Why Bush will listen.” Even neocon flagships like the Weekly Standard and National Review were biting their nails over the possibility of Bush “backpedaling.”

Unfortunately, those predictions were dashed to pieces when Bush made it clear that he would continue flying with the war-hawks. The Kagan-Keane report, a plan concocted by the same cabal that got us into this infamous fiasco, was the game plan our president ended up embracing. With Baker-Hamilton’s 79 recommendations tossed to the side and Colin Powell’s recent criticisms disregarded, the president chose to call for tours to be lengthened, deployments to be stretched and recruiters to go hog-wild in hope of bolstering the floundering enlistment numbers. This, contrary to popular demand, was the new direction for our policy in Iraq.

Will the plan work? Not likely. It emphasizes a surge that, like its predecessors, will not resolve the problems in Iraq any more than a Band-Aid would stop the bleeding of an amputated leg. With over 3,000 American soldiers dead, 25,000 wounded, over 100,000 Iraqi civilians six-feet-deep and the cost of the war surpassing $400 billion dollars, it would appear the that only surge worth pursuing is one that would include soldiers coming home. Then again, Bush is about as fond of conventional wisdom as he is of reading the newspaper.

In the end, my father’s calendar hits the mark when it says, “Quitters never win, winners never quit, but those who never win and never quit are idiots.” Unfortunately, these folks often end up dictating our foreign policy.

Olivet College & Vagina Monologues

2007-01-10T13:35:00.000-05:00

The extremely controversial "Vagina Monologues," a play written by Eve Ensler, will be performed at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 14, at the Oaks Theatre. The show is being directed by an Olivet student, Anabel Montalvo, and produced by Professor Joanne Williams, assistant professor of theatre and journalism/mass communications. The proceeds of this V-Day program will go to help the Siren-Eaton shelter in Charlotte, Michigan. The "V" in V-Day stands for Valentine, vagina, and victory against the abuse of women.

The Olivet news source says, "Those wishing to audition should bring a short monologue to perform, preferably not from 'The Vagina Monologues.'" I am curious to know what the school would do if the one auditioning reenacted the notorious "good rape" scene? This scene from the original production has since been banished from the official program and Eve Eusler vows to press charges against any group that includes it in their rendition. The controversial monologue was entitled, "The Little Coochie Snorcher that Could," and described a lesbian dominatrix affair between a 13-year-old and a grown woman.

I am curious to know whether or not the Olivet production will include the additional transgender monologue, "They beat the girl out of my boy, or so they tried."

It appears that Olivet College believes that fighting domestic abuse by putting on a play that was described by one feminist as a "blast of hatred for men and heterosexuality" is a good idea. Welcome to Bizarro-World...

Read comments about this post on Bannister's blog, HERE.

Yankama Interview Tonight @ 6:30

2007-01-02T14:46:00.000-05:00

Make sure to watch this evening's edition of Bannister and Sutherby! We had the honor to interview our favorite city commissioner, Andrew Yankama. To top it all off, he bought us some truffles as a Christmas gift! Can't get any better than this...

City Commissioners Could Learn From This

2006-12-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

Here we have all the makings of a typical Battle Creek City Commission meeting:

1. Nobody in the audience
2. A motion requiring an absurd amount of money

The only difference? The BC commission would have rubber stamped the motion. Green lights down the row. Spending is simply irresistable!

Midnight Mass @ St. Philip

2006-12-25T22:51:00.000-05:00

I went to St. Philip (pictured above) last evening for midnight Mass. I have many friends who have attended the service and I figured it would be a nice experience during this otherwise not-so-festive Christmas holiday.

The Mass far exceeded my expectations. I was intrigued by the liturgy, inspired by the music, and impressed with the general feeling of love and devotion. I strongly encourage any and all residents of Battle Creek to attend a Christmas eve midnight Mass at St. Philip. Trust me, you won't regret it.

PS- If anyone wants to get me a belated Christmas present, a Douay-Rheims version of the Bible would hit the spot! It should be genuine leather, of course, but hardcover would do just fine. haha

MAKE LOVE, STOP WAR

2006-12-22T17:39:00.000-05:00

Well, the time has come. Today is Global Orgasm Day. We talked about it on the program a few weeks ago and it has finally arrived. We hope that you are all doing your part to make this day a success. As we love to say, the primary goal of Bannister & Sutherby is to educate and encourage people so that they may "get involved in the process."

Actually, if this works then I think that we ought to seriously consider putting together a resolution requiring all nations to make every day Global Orgasm Day. This will obviously require the creation of bureaucracy and an international gestapo (we'll call it a peace task force, of course) specifically designed to ensure that everyone is contributing to the cause. I mean, can you imagine not being able to attain world peace because a few people or rogue states refuse to get on board? I would be so ticked....

PS- I fear that this day will go down in history as being the most worthless, yet entertaining, concept since the Chia pet.

Bannister is a Republican Delegate

2006-12-14T15:31:00.000-05:00

I had the honor of meeting Congressman-elect Tim Walberg, the man I endorsed in the 7th district race for U.S. House of Representatives, at the Calhoun County Republican Convention this evening at the Hunt Club. Angela and I also had the privilege of speaking at great length with his wife. Both are very devout Christians.

As if the night couldn't get any better, I left the Convention as a delegate (Bedford township, district 4).

PS- Chris Simmons, you are the man.

Gun-Rights Under Fire

2006-12-14T14:48:00.000-05:00

Recently, attorneys for the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) argued that the 2nd amendment "right to bear arms" applies only to militias, not individuals. The judicial ramifications of this case could never be underestimated. Here is what gets me:

1. Most anti-gun lobbyists could care less about the Constitution. They certainly don't care about what it really meant to those who drafted it. What matters most to these activists is what they can "make it mean." A little manipulation here, a little rewording there, a pinch of revisionist history and VOILA! there you have it, what the constitutions "means." This is the kind of "living document" BS that makes the Constitution something of a Mr. Potato Head in the hands of anti-Constitution activists.

2. A clear-eyed view of history would show that the second amendment was intimately tied to the incident where the "lobsterbacks" (Red Coats) attempted to confiscate the "arms" of the citizens of Boston. Yet this is the very thing that the anti-gun activists are attempting to do on a national scale! It may do them well to go back and see how the Framers viewed such a usurpation of the right to bear arms. In fact, they could begin by reading the Declaration of Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, which was drafted by none other than John Hancock and Thomas Jefferson.

3. Most importantly, they should ponder (long and hard) the reason why framers rejected the proposal to place the phrase "for the common defense" at the end of the 2nd amendment.

Bottom Line: The anti-gun lobby has no Constitutional leg to stand on... unless, of course, the Constitution is a Mr. Potato Head.

Racism & Newspapers on Olivet Campus

2006-12-07T10:22:00.000-05:00

One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which quote is racist,
By the time I finish my song?

A. "Brothers and Sisters, isn't it bad enough that we are being dumbed-down by white folks?... There are Black folks who control media outlets that do not operate in the best interests of Black people. Why would you support them - in any way?"

or

B. "Brothers and Sisters, isn't it bad enough that we are being dumbed-down by black folks?... There are White folks who control media outlets that do not operate in the best interests of White people. Why would you support them- in any way?

Did you guess which thing was not like the others?
Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong?
If you guessed that B was the one that's racist,
Then you're absolutely...right!

Well, at least in the multicultural bizzaro-world of the diversicrat.

BANNISTER ON WBCK LAST WEEK

2006-12-03T23:15:00.000-05:00

Bannister had the privilege of filling in for Chris Simmons on WBCK's Hotline program this past week. He was the guest co-host, along with station manager Tim Collins, for three shows. "It was a great experience," Bannister said. "We talked about a variety of issues and had some great callers. I am hoping to do more with WBCK in the future."

Bannister talked about issues such as the city commissioners considering a ban on "public smoking," the myth of a constitutional Separation of church & state, the Intelligent Design controversy, the failure of liberal talk-radio, the Battle Creek public employees pension debate, and the violence against members of Young Americans for Freedom at the MSU event featuring Representative Tom Tancredo (R-CO).

Watch FOX News Coverage of MSU Incident!

2006-12-03T23:11:00.000-05:00

The O'Reilly Factor interview:
http://tancredo4prez.blogspot.com/2006/12/oreilly-factor.html

Hannity & Colmes coverage:
http://tancredo4prez.blogspot.com/2006/12/hannity-and-colmes.html

Bannister & Wife Assaulted @ MSU Event

2006-12-03T23:03:00.000-05:00

My wife & I went to see US Representative Tom Tancredo speak at MSU Law College. The event was put on by MSU's Young Americans for Freedom and MSU's College Republicans. As president of Olivet College Young Americans for Freedom, I was invited to the event.

Little did we know that the event would turn violent. To start things off, the liberals rushed the stage in hope of stopping the event. It was then that they pulled the fire alarm, forcing everyone to evacuate the building. Once outside, they surrounded Kyle Bristow, chairman of MSU YAF, hurling insults, vulgarities, and threats at him. I grabbed a hold of him in order to get him away from them. While we were talking away, one of them spit on him. While he was wiping it off, he was kicked in the back! When I reached over to help him, one of the liberals hit me in the back of the head with their fist!

It was here that things got really bad. Everyone started moving towards the door which just happened to be where my wife (6 months pregnant) was standing. One of the violent liberals (pic above w/ hoop earings and bandanna) was moving towards my wife without paying attention to where she was going. My wife pushed her to the side in order to stop from being hit. The girl then swore at my wife and began to lunge at her in order to hit her. By this time, EVERYONE was freaking out! We were screaming, "She is pregnant! What are you thinking???" She said something along the lines of, "I don't care, I am going to beat that b****es f***ing a**!" That made me livid! That is when I started yelling. All hell broke loose! Everyone was yelling, pointing, holding people back, trying to hit people, etc.

Once the police arrived, the girl responsible for assaulting Kyle and the girl responsible for assaulting me fled the scene. These two girls have not been arrested or even taken in for questioning. These two girls are the ones holding the banner in the video clip shown on O'Reilly.

Marshall: Nativity Center Stage in Town Square

2006-11-28T00:15:00.000-05:00

Marshall, Michigan, has officially told the secularists where they can stick it with this one. The nativity is within the centerpiece of the town square, directly across the street from city hall.

Bannister v. Atheist on Hotline's Wednesday Edition

2006-11-28T00:11:00.000-05:00

Tim Collins, WBCK's station manager, and I will be interviewing David Koepsell for an upcoming edition of Hotline. Koepsell is the Executive Director of the Council for Secular Humanism and the First Amendment Task Force. We will be discussing the role of religion (i.e. Christianity) in American politics, the first amendment, and the influence that Christian Reconstruction has had on the American conservative movement.

Chris Simmons, the host of Hotline, and his co-host, Tom Ford, are currently on vacation.

PS- I was hoping to get Eddie Tabash, the atheist constitutional lawyer who has debated Christian apologists such as William Lane Craig and Greg Bahnsen. Tabash works with Koepsell as a chairman on the First Amendment Task Force.

BANNISTER PROTESTS "GAY-RIGHTS" BILL IN LANSING

2006-11-21T16:27:00.000-05:00

A group of Olivet students, headed up by none other than yours truly, decided to form a chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) at Olivet College. Yesterday was our first day as an official clob/organization at the College. So what better way to kick things off than to join MSU's YAF in protesting a "gay-rights" bill in Lansing? There were about 20+ of us in all and everything went well. To top it all off, we made it on channel 10, the front page of the Lansing State Journal, as well as the front page of State News, the official MSU daily newspaper. Here are some links from the event.... and yes, I am the one holding the Christian flag.

WATCH TV CLIP: http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=5711678

READ STATE NEWS: http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=38845

Voters of MI v. Affirmative Action Activists

2006-11-18T13:48:00.000-05:00

By, Jeremiah Bannister
Printed in The Olivet College Echo, 11-17-2006

On November 7, 2006, the citizens of Michigan let America know where they stood on the issue of affirmative action. With 2,131,310 “yes” votes, Michigan became the third state in the Union, behind only California and Washington, to restrict affirmative action to the private sector. The passage of proposal 2 effectively bars State and local governments, publicly funded schools, and other agencies receiving tax money from using affirmative action measures in their hiring and acceptance procedures.

Jennifer Gratz, director of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI) and one of the three white students who sued the University of Michigan in 1997 over the University’s use of racial preferences in evaluating and accepting college applicants, was very satisfied with the results. "This has been 10 years in the making," she said. "Today the people of Michigan have stood up. We stood up and we said equal treatment will be the law in Michigan."

As Detnews.com reported on November 9, Proposal 2, which won with 58% of the popular vote, saw its most significant opposition in college counties. In fact, the measure only failed in Wayne, Washtenaw, and Ingham counties. They reported that the results were also close in Isabella and Kalamazoo counties, both of which are home to universities. And with just over 44% of the eligible voters making it to the polls, the city of Olivet voted in favor of the proposal by a margin of only 41 votes.

After the election results were in, many Olivet College students felt an even greater need to continue the debate. Eddie Ward, senior, created a Facebook group called, “If you voted ‘YES’ on Proposal 2, then F*** you.” On the group page, he has a picture of an African American man glancing down at a park bench with the words “Whites only” written on it. In the thought-bubble above the man are the words, “Why didn’t more people vote ‘no’ on proposal 2?” The issue was also the topic of debate on WOCR, 89.7 FM, during last Friday night’s edition of Real Talk with Demetris Mayberry. Others have spurred on discussion by continuing to use “Vote ‘YES’ on Proposal 2” icons as their Facebook profile pictures.

Students are not the only ones refusing to allow the issue to rest. The Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration and Immigrant Rights has joined with Fight for Equality by Any Means Necessary in filing a suit against the proposal on the grounds that it is unconstitutional. The University of Michigan is also considering a court challenge. The suit claims “in the absence of affirmative action, college admissions, state hiring and contracting will be conducted on a discriminatory basis.” The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a similar suit when California banned affirmative action in 1997. Proposal 2 is set to go into effect on December 22, 2006.

Bannister on 3rd Party Politics

2006-11-18T13:24:00.000-05:00

This post is taken from Bannister's blog.

Personally, I have no interest in working with 3rd parties. I believe that Christians, conservatives, and libertarians ought to use the tools currently available which will enable them to make the greatest impact with the least amount of resistance. At this time in history it appears that this tool is the Republican party. The infrastructure is already in place. Christian conservatives and libertarians have a history with the party and, at least to some degree, still have some influence within the party. To top it off, we only have to convince people of our ideas. This is much easier than convincing people of our ideas and then following that up with having to convince them to join or vote for a 3rd party.

Convincing people of the need for reformation is a lot easier than convincing them of the need for - and advantage of -separatism.

PS- If it ever became more advantageous for Christians, conservatives, and libertarians to work within the Democrat party then I would have no problem with encouraging such a shift. As I have said before, I do not believe that Christians, conservatives, or libertarians ought to chain themselves to any one party, rather, I believe that we ought to work within the party which enables us to make the greatest impact with the least amount of resistance.

Giving it 112%

2006-11-13T13:28:00.000-05:00

Bob & I on the set of Bannister & Sutherby

I have to give it up to Athens, MI, for an extraordinary voter turnout! They give a whole new meaning to the phrase "giving it 110%." While the statewide turnout was just over 50%, Athens broke through with 112%!!! That's right, 112%! While there are only 837 registered voters in Athens, 940 are on record as having voted. Simply amazing...

BANNISTER ON ELECTION AFTERMATH

2006-11-09T11:22:00.000-05:00

I am not too worried about the election results. Honestly, I think there are good reasons for this type of thing and, if responded to properly, events such as this can be advantageous for Christian political action. Here are a few of the reasons I am not shedding tears over this one:

1. I believe Republicans brought this one on themselves. The war, their insatiable taste for pork, a mind-boggling deficit, out of control borders, scandals, their wish-wash position on embryonic stem-cell research, their limp-wristed position on homosexuality, and their failure to stop abortion are but a few of the reasons people have "had enough."

2. Gridlock is underrated. Were it to be a complete sweep for the Dems, I would be more worried. But as it stands, I do not believe we will see a ferocious shift towards the left. In fact, I am betting my chips that Bush has already put his rubber stamp in the drawer and replaced it with his veto stick.

3. This kind of loss sends a message to Republicans. The old maxim "spare the rod, spoil the child" comes to mind here. It is my hope that Republicans will get the right message. Some have already indicated that they have no clue as to why they lost. Some said it was the vast amount of money given to Democratic candidates by liberal activists. Others have said that it was due to misinformation. On a national level, there are many blaming the religious right for this. Honestly, they may have a case, but only insofar as the religious right has allowed itself to be identified with Bush & Co.

As I mentioned before, the election results are bittersweet. This being said, religious libertarians and conservatives have a great opportunity. The question is, are we up to it?

PS- As a blogger and a radio/TV host, power shifts such as this are not so bad. We are notorious for being adversarial, grassroots oriented, and (unfortunately?) reactionary. These shifts also give us a TON of talking points and parodies.

Bittersweet Election Results

2006-11-09T11:20:00.000-05:00

Chris Simmons & I at the CCR "Victory" Party

Last night was as interesting as it was depressing. I had been sick for the last few days, but was assigned a story dealing with the election "aftermath." So what better place to go than the Calhoun County Republican "Victory" party?

The results of yesterdays election are bittersweet. Most of the candidates I endorsed lost while most of the proposals I endorsed passed. The sad fact is that I predicted it almost perfectly. I was wrong on 1 proposal predictions and 1 county prediction. Other than that, my predictions were dead on. This is as sad as it is true.

On a positive note, affirmative action has been given the big boot, eminent domain has been strictly regulated, and mandatory public school funding increases were shot down. Also, Tim Walberg won. As hard as Schwarz may have wished otherwise, "I'm pro-life because I oppose the Iraq war" Renier did not have what it took to beat off the Reagan Conservative from Tipton. Thank God!!

PS- I had the privilege last night of finally meeting Chris Simmons. He is the host of AM 930 WBCK's Hotline program. We have spoken over the phone many times, and he has seen my show, but we have never actually met face-to-face. It was nice to finally meet him.

Mother Joy Wants the Power

2006-11-05T21:15:00.000-05:00

"I am tired of sitting in the belly of the whale where there's not much light and it's dreary and damp. I'm tired of feeling like I have no power."

~Rev. Joy Rogers of Battle Creek's own "Naked Calendar Girls" church during a recent JONAH meeting

THE ENQUIRER IS SO PREDICTABLE

2006-11-02T16:09:00.000-05:00

Immediately after the primaries I predicted that the Enquirer would endorse Sharon "I'm pro-life because I am against the Iraq war" Renier for US House of Representatives. Robert Warner (aka "Cranky Bob") thought I was a little quick on the draw in my prediction. Was I? Of course not... I was right on the money. They just "had to" endorse the Red Loon.

They also decided to endorse Gov. Jennifer "I led MI into a Single State Recession" Granholm! Her record sucks so bad and her positions on the issues are so bankrupt that the Editors must have relied upon the fact that she is kinda hot.

As if the Enquirer could not look worse, they also endorsed Senator Debbie "I'm Ronald McDonald's twin sister" Stabenow!

I wish I could say that my being 3 for 3 on the Enquirer's endorsements took some professional political forecasting... but it didn't. It was about as difficult as predicting the sunrise.

Bannister Hosts Real Talk on WOCR 89.7 FM

2006-10-28T02:08:00.000-04:00

Tonight we talked about:
1. Olivet's Cheerlead Squad- why don't the girls throw the men in the air?
2. The new Men's Resource Center- The return of the masculine?
3. The Diversity and Tolerance Workshops that Olivet is requiring all 07 incoming freshman to attend
4. The lack of any conservative club on campus
5. 10 1/2 Split- The worst CD ever made!And much, much more.....

Special Guests:
Brian Parker
Ma' boy Rell (he directed the program)
My wife, Angela Lee
Jarvis from WOCR's techno program

Paleo-Radio on TV

2006-10-25T10:26:00.000-04:00

This weeks edition of Bannister and Sutherby was a little different. Sutherby was out of town, so we decided to videotape Paleo-Radio. It went so well that we decided that we would create a show specifically for Paleo-Radio that would also air on Access Vision. We hope to record the first episode of the new program within the month. I am hoping to make it a weekly program that will air on Friday and Saturday nights. This will allow people to watch Bannister and Sutherby on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Paleo-Radio on Friday and Saturday. We'll have to see what time slots are available. I will keep you updated.

PS- We are also looking into transferring the video to digital in order to have the entire program online. We found out that we have copyrights to the material and that Access Vision will permit us to have it hosted for streaming video online. Just give us some time...

Bannister & Sutherby: Every Tuesday night @ 6:30pm and Wednesday morning @ 8:30am.

Bannister on WOCR 89.7 FM: Every Friday night from 8-10pm.

Bannister is on WOCR 89.7 FM

2006-10-25T10:14:00.000-04:00

I showed up as the guest on Friday night's campus radio program hosted by Demetris Mayberry, I left as the new co-host. I will be on WOCR 89.7 FM from 8-10 every Friday night. This move will also free Demetris up to go home over the weekends. A win-win for everyone.

We discussed the Olivet Controversy, the blog revolution, and how talk-radio has been a leader in providing jobs to overweight men who happen to have a decent voice and the ability to talk for 2-3 hours straight, 5 days a week. This spurred on a discussion about the word "husky" and how it was created by grandmothers who loved their grandchildren too tell them that they were fat.

Bannister & Sutherby: Every Wednesday night at 6:30pm
Every Tuesday morning at 8:30am

Bannister on Olivet Radio, WOCR 89.7 FM: Every Friday night from 8-10pm

IT'S A BOY!!!

2006-10-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

It has been confirmed: Bannister and his wife are having a baby boy!

Long live the Bannister name!

BANNISTER INTERVIEWED BY AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION

2006-10-16T20:55:00.000-04:00

I got a phone call today from the American Family Association. Actually, it was the head of their radio group: American Family Radio. The guy talked to me for about 45 minutes. He asked me questions about a recent issue involving a communist professor, a presentation on affirmative action and reparations, and... well... ME. (Read about it HERE)

The interview will be on the American Family Radio sometime tomorrow.

He also told me that Agape Press would also be running this story. He told me that it will be on their website, and it may even be included in their mass-emails they send out to AFA members and subscribers. AFA's subscriber list is currently at 3,328,408.

BANNISTER v. COMMUNIST PROFESSOR

2006-10-16T20:52:00.000-04:00

THE INCIDENT?

I mention God during a presentation concerning affirmative action and reparations.

TEACHER'S RESPONSE?

My communist professor (who also admits to being a Sunni Muslim) was livid! He went on to inform me that I had no right to include God in a conversation dealing with law and economics. He insisted that students leave "metaphysics out of the class."

MY REPONSE?

1. Nothing in the class syllabus would deny a student the right to talk about social and economic matters from a theonomic perspective.

2. Nothing in the student handbook would deny a student the right to talk about social and economic matters from a theonomic perspective.

3. His asking me to give my opinion while simultaneously asking me to ignore or deny my most ruling assumptions would make me intellectually schizophrenic.

4. When asked my opinion in the future, I will continue to work from a theonomic worldview.

WHAT WAS THE BACKLASH?

I was docked 10% from my grade for this. He posted my grade, and the reasoning, on Blackboard Suite for all the students to read. He said:

"All discussion and comments must and will remain within the basic framework of the course (see course description on class syllabus). Academic debate and discussion will conform to basic standards of academic discourse. Invoking one's personal religious faith in order to argue a point about affirmative action public policy is anti-intellectual and poor method of argumentation, and there is nothing in the syllabus that would support metaphysics as an acceptable form of argumentation. Please save this for theology classes, not IDS 111, Section 3. Please dis-enroll if you cannot adhere to this basic standard."

DOES HE HAVE A CASE?

I went up the "chain of command." Turns out, the teacher made some serious mistakes. For starters, he is not permitted to put up the grades of students for others to see on Blackboard. Secondly, he is not permitted to talk about students the way he did in his evaluation of my presentation. To make matters worse, his syllabus (which he has students refer to) militates against him! How?

1. There is no "standard" for academic discourse disclosed in the syllabus.

2. He nowhere states, or even implies, that metaphysics is outside of academic discourse.

3. He states that one of the 3 class objectives is to "experiment with various forms of argumentation."

4. He writes, "To reach these ends [learning from one another], we will be discussing a variety of subject matter that will help you reflect and share with others your own thoughts, feelings, opinions, and perspectives. We have much to learn from one another, so please do not rob us of the opportunity to learn from you by failing to participate in class. I realize that not all of you will feel comfortable sharing your personal perspective with a room full of strangers. It is my goal to create a sense of community and trust so that we may build off each other's ideas and experiences."

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?

Well, many teachers are Department Heads have sided with me on this issue. Whether or not they personally agree with my worlview is irrelevant. The Department Heads acknowledge that the teacher's comments and remarks are in blatant violation of school policy, that they are in contradiction of his own class syllabus, and that they are at odds with the College's commitment to diversity and tolerance. I am not sure what will happen with the teacher, but I do know that God is still permitted to be involved in the political, economic, and academic affairs of his creation... at least on Olivet Campus.

Enquirer News-Runner Interviews Bannister!

2006-10-10T21:54:00.000-04:00

Justin Hinkley, a news-runner for Battle Creek's local newspaper, interviewed me Friday concerning the Paleocrats and our Society. He will be posting about us on his blog. I will let you know when he posts the interview. While Hinkley is a leftist, he has been very fair in his reporting of "local politicos," regardless of what side of the political aisle they may stand. Then again, we are not your typical right-wingers. I will be interested to see how he reports on the Paleocrats, our Society, and what we are doing in this community.

Program Volunteers Celebrate After Recent Program

2006-10-10T21:43:00.000-04:00

These are some of the people who volunteered on the set of our most recent program. We celebrated, as we do every week after recording a new program, by going out to eat. This week, we went to Sports Page downtown Battle Creek. To top things off, the Tigers were playing... and WON!

PS- The first show was done with only 2 volunteers on the set. The most recent show had 8 volunteers on the set. It just gets better every week! Thanks so much for all your hard work and creativity!

LISTEN TO PALEO RADIO ON THIS SITE!

2006-09-27T00:09:00.001-04:00

For those of you who simply cannot get enough of the Evening Emperor, we have a new feature on this site: Paleo Radio. On the right-hand side (coincidentally, of course) of the main screen you will see the Paleo Radio archive above the our Link list. Click on any of those topics and off you go, head first into the Lions Den of Cereal City Conservative commentary!

Listen... Learn... Live... The Paleocrat!

PALEO HUBRIS

2006-09-24T15:56:00.000-04:00

"Dave Eddy may be the 'Morning Mayor,' but I am the 'Evening Emperor.'"
Jeremiah "Paleocrat" Bannister

"Fire Wayne Wiley, NOW!"
Bob Sutherby

Contact the Dynamite Duo: bannisterandsutherby@yahoo.com

You Must See This Show!

2006-09-23T00:27:00.000-04:00

We recorded a new episode of our program tonight. It went great! We had 4 volunteers who worked cameras and lighting. There was also someone in back helping the "Powers that be" (our director) make sure that everything ran smoothly.

We also decided to incorporate a new feature into the program. It will be called "3 minutes around the blog" and will deal with posts taken from this blog. This week I dealt with Schwarz's comments concerning the separation of Church and State, the comments made by the Pope, and the Op-Ed piece I wrote for the Olivet Echo. To top it all off, I am standing behind a pulpit! It is the "gloves off" portion of the show and tonight the gloves certainly came off! Bible-thumping, fist-pounding, liberal-bashing commentary. Bob even joined in on the action when he called for City Manager Wayne Wiley's resignation!

Our director surprised us by placing titles at the bottom of the screen throughout the show. At one point, he placed the words "Evening Emperor" at the bottom of the screen while I was speaking! Residents of Battle Creek should be able to connect the dots between his calling me the "Evening Emperor" and a local DJ who goes by the title, "Morning Mayor." He also had phrases such as "softball" for sections of the show where he thought we were going easy on someone and "hardball" for those sections where we were taking an issue head-on.

We cannot thank the crew enough for helping make this the best, and most controversial, show yet! You all did a great job and we want you to know that we are grateful for all the hard work you put into making our show the success that it is.

Watch this program on Tuesday (9-26) at 6:30pm. It plays again on Wednesday (9-27) at 8:30 in the morning.

Bannister's Opinion in the Echo!

2006-09-19T18:13:00.000-04:00

Bannister wrote an Opinion piece which will be featured in the next week's edition of the Olivet Echo. Here it is!

FIGHT RACISM; BAN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
by Jeremiah Bannister

Affirmative action has been around for some time and there‘s been no lack of brilliant men and women arguing both for and against it. So while I do not think that this piece will “put an end to the debate” it’s my hope to point out what I believe to be a few of the subtle contradictions advanced by those defending affirmative action at the recent forum.

Brandon Jessup, president of the NAACP Youth and College Division, tried making it clear that he opposed quotas. He also made frequent use of the phrase, “under-representation.” Under-representation, as defined by affirmative action advocates, occurs when the percentage of minorities on any given campus or job site doesn’t reflect the number or percentage of minorities in the surrounding area, State, or nation. The goal, according to Jessup, is “accurate representation.”

So how is accurate representation determined? Let’s say that 30% of an area happens to be black. The goal then is to have that percentage reflected racially in schools and jobs. The closer we get to 30% the closer we are to accurate representation.

The problem is that people often forget that percentages reflect, and are translated into, numbers of people. The percentage becomes the number of people which must be hired or enrolled in order to reach accurate representation. This is functionally no different from a quota. We do not need to be told the exact number of minorities or women to hire or admit into the school because the percentage required for accurate representation does that for us. It looks like a quota and it sounds like a quota because it is a quota!

Another problem arose when Mr. Jessup insisted that affirmative action is not discriminatory. “Racial profiling is discrimination,” he said, “Affirmative action is not discrimination.” How is it anything but discrimination? One group is given different treatment and held to a different standard than those of another. To top it all off, it is based on race and gender! This is, by definition, discriminatory. Actually, it is racial profiling! To say otherwise is like trying to split the hairs of a bald man!

Subtle contradictions such as these, and there were others that I have not mentioned which were far more blatant, undermined his arguments favoring affirmative action. In any case, it appears that signs once reading “Blacks in back” are now reading “Whites need not apply.”

Contact us at bannisterandsutherby@yahoo.com

Our Show Went Great!

2006-09-12T23:39:00.000-04:00

Oh, yet another fantastic episode of Bannister and Sutherby. We went back to our old 30-minute straight format and it worked out great. It went better than we could have hoped for. We dealt with a TON of issues and on a few occasions took the gloves off! Shock-jockin it would be an understatement.

If you missed the program this evening you can catch it again tomorrow on Battle Creek's channel 12 at 8:30 in the morning.

We talked about:

Schwarz refusing to endorse Walberg
My article in the Echo
My conversation with Chris Simmons from WBCK's Hotline program
The man charged with solicitation in Battle Creek
The 17 West Controversy
The Wayne Wiley Controversy (Sutherby took the gloves off)
The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (I took the gloves off)
The bike-lane petition drive
The petition to cap government spending
The 6 year old girl who drove her moms van into the Dollar General Store
The $5,000 life-size Robin's stolen from The Robin's Nest

Paleocrat's Press Pass!!!

2006-09-12T23:37:00.000-04:00

I am now a certified member of the Associated Collegiate Press! Now I can enjoy all the perks and quirks of being an official member of the press. Hmm... doesn't feel like much has changed. : )

Our show went great! It was the best one yet, hands down! If you live in Battle Creek and missed tonights program you can watch the same show tomorrow at 8:30am on channel 12.

PS- Chris Simmons, you have my number.

Bannister's Article in the Echo

2006-09-08T23:33:00.000-04:00

"Ignite the Flame" Explodes With People on Blair Lawn
(Bannister did not choose this title)

At the beginning of every school year the campus is filled with events meant to promote various clubs, houses, and issues. This year, Alpha Omega, one of three Christian groups on campus, wanted to do something a little different than they have done in the past. Rather than a typical “meet & greet” they chose to host an event called “Ignite the Flame” which was meant to bring students and community members together for food, games, music, and a gospel message delivered by a local pastor. They even chose to use a survey in hope of becoming more familiar with the spiritual makeup of the student body.

The event seemed to be a smash hit all around. Natalie Cavett, sophomore, said, “I was really impressed with how many people showed up.” Justin Barnes, former president of Alpha Omega and senior at Olivet College, echoed Natalie’s assessment when he said, “I was excited to see just how much God has worked on the campus at Olivet College over the past year.” According to Barnes, the club, which has gone from 6 members to around 60 over the past year, will benefit greatly from events such as this. Given the level of involvement and cooperation from local churches and ministries, which donated an overwhelming amount of food and support, his optimism does not seem to be without merit.

The event also featured music from Oneyecry, a band which will be opening for Kids in the Way and recently took first place in Midland’s “Battle of the Bands.” Collin Willbrandt, guitarist for Oneyecry, was very impressed with the event. He thought it was a great opportunity to share Christ with students on campus as well as becoming familiar with various community ministries. “It (Ignite the Flame) was fun and was a lot more laid back than other shows,” he said, “and we got to do worship and we really like to do that because that is what we are called to do.”

Greg Jarratt, sophomore and President of the Olivet College Fellowship of Christian Athletes, summed up the event by saying, “(It was) all about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and openly sharing your faith with students on Campus.” Justin Smelter, senior and current president of Alpha Omega, agrees with Jarratt’s comments. “It was definitely to share Christ,” he said, “we are all about loving people, we are a community.”

Bannister Echo Update

2006-09-07T16:14:00.000-04:00

My first assignment as a staff writer for the Olivet Echo will be in tomorrow's edition! I will make sure to post it here for everyone to read... and make fun of. : )

Contact us at bannisterandsutherby@yahoo.com

Bannister College Update

2006-09-07T16:13:00.000-04:00

We discussed an article by the NYT called “When Jane Becomes Jack” in my Self & Community class today. As the token theonomist in class -and the teacher is aware of my being a theonomist- there were a number of questions and comments thrown in my direction concerning religion, morality, and the issue of homoseexuality. To say that the class was intense would be an understatement!

In the lions den? I don’t mind….

Contact us at bannisterandsutherby@yahoo.com

A Special Thanks to The Emberlight!

2006-09-03T21:49:00.000-04:00

Robert Sutherby and I want to extend a special thanks to The Emberlight for allowing us to use one of their songs for our TV show. It is the theme song for our show and we are very grateful. The band website and contact info will be featured during the credits and we are providing them a link on this site. If you have not heard their music or visited their site you must! Visit:

www.theemberlight.com

PS- We are planning to have the band on as guests in order to talk to them about their ministry and allow them to play the theme song on the air! Once again, thanks guys!

Contact us at bannisterandsutherby@yahoo.com

Topics for Tuesday's Program

2006-09-03T21:12:00.000-04:00

We taped the second edition of Bannister & Sutherby today. This picture was taken by Paleocrat Society member, Brian Parker.

We discussed:

Bob Sutherby volunteering with disaster relief in Louisiana

My week at Olivet and meeting the deadline for my first Echo article

Local high school sports

My interviews with members of To Begin Rebellion and The World Can’t Wait

State Rep. Mike Nofs’ adult education funding

The possibility of our local military base

Wayne Wiley turning down his 2% raise

A lead up to next week’s discussion of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative which would, were it to pass, place a constitutional ban on the use of racial preferences by public universities and various employers

From the show:

Bannister: *picks up cell phone* Hold on a sec…
Sutherby: Who is it?
Bannister: It is Betty Crocker…
Sutherby: *confused*
Bannister: She is interested in getting Joe Schwarz’s recipe for bottomless pork barrel spending….

"I Saw You On TV!!"

2006-09-03T21:07:00.000-04:00

We have had nothing but positive feedback concerning our first program. Hardly a day goes without someone approaching us to say they watched the show or that they recognized us on TV.

Keep watching, folks! It will only get better...

Contact us at bannisterandsutherby@yahoo.com

We Were On The Air

2006-08-31T13:40:00.000-04:00

Our first show went great! If you missed the premier you can still catch the same program on:

Tuesday, September 5, 6:30pm, channel 12
Wednesday, September 6, 8:30am, channel 12

New episode will air on Tuesday, September 12, 6:30pm, channel 12.

Have a topic for us to discuss? Know a candidate we should interview? Want to volunteer on the program? Let us know! Email us at bannisterandsutherby@yahoo.com or call us at 269-317-1263.

TUESDAY'S PROGRAM

2006-08-28T12:46:00.000-04:00

Just thought I would let everyone know that the first episode of Bannister & Sutherby is finished and ready to go! We talked about:

1. The AM 1400 controversy

2. Wayne Wiley's 2% raise

3. Joe's loss to Walberg

4. What is a paleocrat? (briefly)

Watch it Tuesday at 6:30pm on channel 12 right before the City Commission meeting.
Hinkley, Greene, Rathbun, Cranky Bob, and the guy (Ralph) calling Schwarz a "conservative" on the CounterCulture blog were all referenced during the program. And if I remember correctly, which happens every once in a great while, I even mentioned To Begin Rebellion.

PS- Our next show will deal with issues brought up at the upcoming city meetings as well as the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.

Contact us at bannisterandsutherby@yahoo.com

Our Show on 2A of Enquirer

2006-08-25T19:49:00.000-04:00

Our TV show made 2A of the Battle Creek Enquirer! The article ran on Thursday, August 24, 2006 in the Local/State/Nation section of 2A under "Around Our Communities."

First show airs on August 29th at 6:30pm.

For further info:

Call Bannister @ 269-317-1263
bannisterandsutherby@yahoo.com

Bannister & Sutherby on TV

2006-08-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

The Bannister and Sutherby show is set to air on August 29th at 6:30pm. The show will deal with local and State politics, economics, media, and current events. They will also be interviewing politicians, political candidates, activists, journalists, and the occasional "man on the street."

If your looking for a hard-hitting program that deals with the city's most important issues and is not afraid to ask difficult questions then you have no further to look than Bannister & Sutherby.

Every Tuesday at 6:30pm and Wednesday at 8:30am on channel 12. Watch for listings in your local TV Guide.