Admirers say good-bye to Byrd

Tim Huber CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Craning heir necks and clapping to ppalachian music, West Virginians id farewell Friday to Robert C. Byrd, heir beloved senator who rose from hildhood poverty in a coalmining own to become the nation's longesterving member of Congress. President Barack Obama, Vice resident Joe Biden, former Presient Bill Clinton and other digniaries watched as Byrd's casket was arried down the red-carpeted steps f the state Capitol where he began is political career in 1947. Byrd, ho died Monday at 92, never lost n election. "I'll remember him as he was hen I came to know him," Obama aid, "his white hair flowing like a ane, his gait steady with a cane,

Fraunces

From Page 1A "You have," wrote the first presient of the United States, "invaribly, through the most trying times, aintained a constant friendship nd attention to the cause of our ountry and its independence and reedom." In fact, Fraunces, along with his avern, were favorites of then-Genral Washington, as well as of the ons of Liberty who frequently rank and rallied there. According to Blockson: "More clandestine activities [were] planned in the Fraunces tavern than anything dreamed up in a [spy] movie. It was there that Sons of Liberty met in 1774 before they dumped East Indian tea into the Hudson River. ... On another occasion, the British, during their maneuvers, fired a shot from a warship from the harbor, crashing into the tavern." Blockson also noted that it was believed to be a member of Fraunces' family - his daughter Phoebe - who saved Washington's life. His daughter, according to legend, uncovered a plot to poison Washington and several of his officers by the British. The man alleged-

Economy

From Page 1A better performance than in May, when private job creation nearly talled. But it fell far short of what he economy needs, at least 200,000 obs a month, to bring down the nemployment rate. Nobody, from Obama to Federal eserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to rivate economists, expects that nytime soon. And the government as mostly exhausted its realistic ptions for nudging the economy long faster. Benchmark interest rates, which t low levels can encourage borrowng to spur economic growth, are already near zero. Republicans in Congress object to additional stimulus spending. Unemployment is expected to tay above 9 percent through the idterm elections in November. nd the Fed predicts joblessness could still be as high as 7.5 percent two years from now. Normal is considered closer to 6 percent, and economists say it will probably take until the middle of this decade to achieve that. The jobless rate did come down in June from 9.7 percent the month before. But that was mainly because 652,000 people abandoned their job searches. Even among Americans with

Guns

From Page 1A Richard Daley to rewrite its gun ban ordinance. This ruling was expanded to include the whole country. What impact will the Supreme ourt's decision have on Philadelhia's gun laws? Not much, experts ay. The high court's decision leaves tate and local governments the ption to pass reasonable restricions on gun ownership. In Philadelphia, for example, gun wners are required to report lost or tolen firearms to the police. Ceaseire PA, the Commonwealth's argest gun control advocacy group, s pushing similar legislation at the tate level. "We think it's a simple responsiility," said Ceasefire's Executive irector Joe Grace. "If your gun is ost or stolen, report it to the police. e think that's reasonable and it is assing muster in Pennsylvania ourts. And it should pass muster in determined to make the most of every last breath. The distinguished gentleman from West Virginia could be found at his desk to the very end and doing the people's business." Obama recalled an early discussion with Byrd, who as a young man joined the Ku Klux Klan. "He said there are some things I regretted in my youth," Obama said. "I said, 'None of us are absent of some regrets. ... That's why we enjoy and seek the grace of God.'" "As I reflect on the full sweep of 92 years, it seems to me that his life bent toward justice," Obama said. "Robert Byrd possessed that quintessential American quality. That is a capacity to change, a capacity to learn, a capacity to listen, to be made more perfect." Former President Bill Clinton sought to humanize Byrd, a fellow ly involved, Thomas Hickey, was eventually hanged. When New York called up troops for the revolution, Fraunces was among the first to enlist. He was captured by the British in 1778, and brought back to New York to serve as a cook for a British general. It was then that his role as a spy reached its zenith. Fraunces used his position to aid American prisoners and spied on the British for Washington. Because British officers and soldiers ate and drank at his tavern in New York, Fraunces sometimes overheard information or won confidences about information that became crucial in the Revolutionary War. Blockson has labored for years to bring this story into the American mainstream and rescue this "sable man," as he calls Fraunces, from oblivion. Avenging The Ancestors Coalition, led by attorney and activist Michael Coard, have also joined in the crusade to illuminate Fraunces' life. From the start, Blockson has been attempting to bring attention to Washington and his Philadelphia slave entourage. Besides the nine slaves at the President's Executive House, Washington was said to have over 300 back at his Virginia home at secure jobs, confidence is fading. One gauge of consumer confidence fell in June to about 53, down nearly 10 points in a single month. And it's well below the reading of 90 typically seen in a healthy economy. Add to that, jitters over Europe's debts, an edgy stock market and cautious consumer spending, and the result is an economy essentially moving sideways. It's no surprise that businesses are reviewing their orders and seeing no reason to add to payrolls. Few big companies say they plan any court in the land." Local officials around the country professed confidence that their regulations would hold up under legal scrutiny, but many scholars were not so sure. "I think a lot of these will fail," said Temple University law professor David Kairys, a gun control proponent. "Can you limit people's ability to carry concealed weapons, or open weapons? That's noticeably absent from the majority's list of what you can do." Law enforcement authorities are quick to point out that illegally obtained firearms easily find their way onto the streets and into the hands of criminals despite the enforcement of local gun laws. Daley said during a press conference following the decision that a new ordinance would be drafted soon and would protect the residents of Chicago as well as Second Amendment rights. "I'm disappointed by the decision, but it's not surprising," Daley said in a published report. "We're still reviewing the entire decision, Democrat, after other speakers canonized him. Recalling Byrd's ability to bring billions of dollars to West Virginia, Clinton said he told the senator: "If you pave every single inch of West Virginia, it's going to be much harder to mine coal." Byrd responded, "the Constitution does not prohibit humble servants from delivering whatever they can to their constituents." Victoria Kennedy, widow of Sen. Ted Kennedy, recalled watching Byrd vote in favor of Obama's healthcare reform bill on Christmas Eve. "I was in the gallery, and tears flowed down my cheeks when he said, 'Mr. President, this is for my friend Ted Kennedy. Aye.'" Kennedy and Byrd became close friends after a brief rivalry for power in the Senate. When Kennedy, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in Mount Vernon. Because Pennsylvania was an anti-slavery state, Washington had to do some fancy legal footwork to circumvent the local laws that would otherwise have required that he free his nine slaves. By claiming he was a resident of Virginia and not Philadelphia and by rotating his slaves in and out every six months he was able to get around the local anti-slavery statutes. "George Washington may never have told a lie, but he lived one," quipped award-winning journalist Monroe Anderson in a recent column. Despite such blemishes on his record (or possibly because of it - his ability to dissemble), Washington was said to be something of a "spymaster," adept at the game of intrigue. He is said to have relied heavily on espionage. Spies like Fraunces and Nathan Hale were used to make up for deficiencies in his ragtag army. As with many claims to fame by African Americans, the saga of "Black Sam" has been met with criticisms, debunkings and challenges along the road. Critics often attempt to refute his Blackness by noting that he had ambiguous fair skin. But research conducted by Blockson and a white relative of Fraunces - genealogist Job seekers wait in line to see potential employers at the Diversity Job Fair in New York. -AP PHOTO/BEBETO MATTHEWS to step up hiring in the second half of the year. Most auto, airline and railroad companies, for example, say they expect little or no job growth, blaming weak demand. One that does plan to hire, Chrysler Group LLC, expects to add engineers and other workers as it updates its aging line of cars and trucks. The company has announced 1,000 factory jobs in Detroit to meet demand for the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV. But other companies, like American Airlines, have no plans to sig- but it means that Chicago's current handgun ban is unenforceable, so we're working to rewrite our ordinance in a reasonable and responsible way to protect Second Amendment rights and protect Chicagoans from gun violence." The 5-4 decision reversed a ruling that had upheld Chicago's strict ban on handguns and all but declared the 1982 ordinance unconstitutional. The case was sent back to Chicago for a lower court to issue the final decision. The Supreme Court's ruling also follows a spike of shootings in Chicago, more than 80 people shot in two weekends and 13 people killed. Those figures stand in stark contrast to the fact that while Chicago has some of the strictest handgun laws in the nation, it also has some of the highest incidents of gun violence. Law enforcement authorities believe that most of the shootings in Chicago were gang-related. In Philadelphia, a different dynamic is at work where statistics show the majority of shootings are the result 2008, became ill during Obama's inauguration, Byrd was overcome with emotion and had to leave. Biden reminded the crowd how much Byrd cared about improving the condition of those he represented. "This is a guy who continued to taste, smell and feel the suffering of the people of his state," Biden said. "Because of that service, you have gained greatly." People in the crowd strained to get a view of Byrd's casket, which was draped with a West Virginia flag and a bouquet of red roses. Mourners clapped along with music that celebrated the region's heritage and Byrd's own talent as an accomplished fiddler. The West Virginia National Guard's 249th Army Band played John Denver's "Country Roads." - (AP) Connie Cole - traced Fraunces to the French West Indies where he was listed on a birth certificate as the child of a Frenchman and an African. Fraunces' grandchildren are Black. The dashing, nattily dressed Black sleuth Fraunces was reimbursed by the Continental Congress for some of his services. The Continental Congress cited him at the end of the war. But he never received full repayment of monies owed for donations and services in kind to Washington's army for wartime bed and board of the army on occasion. When the war was won and the Americans re-occupied New York City, Fraunces Tavern hosted Washington and his officers in a victory banquet. On Dec. 4, 1783, Washington was again at Fraunces Tavern to say farewell to his officers in the Long Room. Saving America from the fate of many republics that turned quickly to military dictatorship, Washington quickly resigned his post and returned to civilian life. After the war, the tavern housed some offices of the Continental Congress as the country struggled under the Articles of Confederation. With the establishment of the Constitution and the inauguration of Washington as president in 1789, nificantly boost hiring this year. And major railroads, which have furloughed thousands since the recession, say they have no plans to add employees in the coming months. In June, manufacturers, the leisure and hospitality industries, temporary staffing agencies, and education and health services providers all added jobs. Retailers, construction firms and financial service providers cut payrolls. So did state and local governments, which are wrestling with budget shortfalls. On Wall Street, stocks sagged yet again on the news. The Dow Jones industrial average finished down 46 points, its seventh consecutive losing session. The Dow lost more than 10 percent of its value in the second quarter. Trying to put a positive outlook on the report, Obama said it showed that "we are headed in the right direction." At the same time, he acknowledged there is a "great deal of work to do to repair the economy and get the American people back to work." His options are limited. Senate Republicans concerned about record budget deficits this week blocked his efforts to extend unemployment benefits for millions of out-of-work Americans. "The two things that are growing fastest in this Democrat economy of arguments. On Thursday, July 1st, four people were shot and killed within a 15hour period in the city. Law enforcement officials point out that Philadelphia leads the nation in the number of homicide deaths for Black males under the age of 35. Most, but not all, of those homicide victims were also victims of gun violence. "Is the Supreme Court decision going to have any impact on Philadelphia's gun laws? We really don't think so," Grace said. "The language of the decision was clear that reasonable gun regulations would be permissible. "In Philadelphia and in the rest of the state we're promoting the lost or stolen gun regulation and nothing is more reasonable. In fact there have been five court rulings and all have rejected the NRA's legal challenge to this regulation. So far 45 Pennsylvania municipalities have moved to institute lost or stolen gun regulations and we're seeking to have a state law passed by the general assembly." - (AP) Sunday, July 4, 2010 * Page 9-B From left, President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton, listen to the invocation during a memorial service for Sen. Robert Byrd, at the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston, W.Va. - AP PHOTO/GENE J. PUSKAR Fraunces Tavern became the home of several government agencies, including the departments of Foreign Affairs, Treasury and War. The tavern slowly deteriorated after the capital moved to Philadelphia and then Washington, D.C., though the building remained a functioning tavern through much of the 19th century. The Sons of the Revolution began holding meetings in the building in the late 1800s and purchased and restored it in the early 20th century. Despite glowing praise from Washington and others, scant recognition of Fraunces remains in American history books. For two centuries, not even a grave marker designated the spot in Philadelphia where he had been buried. That was the case until last Saturday, on June 26, at a special ceremony in St. Peter's Episcopal Church cemetery. At the event, Blockson and Cole unveiled an engraving on an obelisk beneath the shady trees of the church. Last Saturday's long overdue recognition ceremony for the new graveyard marking preceded a procession along a "Trail of Blood and Tears," established recently to honor the sad trail of slavery in Philadelphia. In the ceremony, close to 100 peo- are the size of the federal government and the crushing burden of the national debt," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who led opposition to the extension. All told, 14.6 million people were unemployed in June. An additional 11.2 million have given up their job searches or are working part-time but would prefer full-time work. That adds up to nearly 26 million Americans, and an "underemployment" rate of 16.5 percent. Among the 225,000 census workers who lost their temporary jobs in June are people who had been unemployed before and now are again. One of them is Michael Stein, who worked for the census in Phoenix on and off since April 2009, after losing his job with an architectural firm. It all ended for good two weeks ago. Jobless again, Stein, 49, at least feels better off with the census experience on his resume. "I was told the State of Arizona is hiring again," he said. "Because of the people I met at the census, there's a possibility if they could find the right position, they'll put in ple squeezed into St. Peter's Church and then cemetery to glimpse the rolling back of the stone of neglect and racism to allow the resurrection of a man who "walked with Princes and Kings" near a graveyard entrance at Third and Pine streets. Despite a May 26 ceremony, the event was only a symbolic step toward marking Fraunces' grave, since the exact location in the cemetery of the patriot's grave is still unknown. Ironically, the same fate befell other men of color - nine Native American chiefs who died of yellow fever in an epidemic while attending a doomed peace conference with Washington in Philadelphia before the battle of Fallen Timbers. At the ceremony, Blockson read Fraunces epitaph, which he dubbed an "Epitaph Deferred." Blockson called Fraunces forth with these words: "During your ubiquitous lifetime, you were known in many places as a father, a caterer, cook, restaurateur, patriot, spy, farmer, artist, botanist, esquire and president's house steward," Blockson intoned. "Although you are now lying in the quaint corner of St. Peter's Church's Cemetery in an unmarked grave, your essence is ongoing. We salute you for your extraordinary contributions to our country." a good word for me." Eric Model, co-owner of Seal & Co., a shop in Summit, N.J., that sells accessories and toys, said he has not replaced the two backoffice workers he let go two years ago. Not including a summer hire, Model has four employees, plus himself. "It would be nice to get some support," Model said. "But I don't want to go out on a limb and hire somebody, anticipating things will improve. I would rather run with low expenses." Those Americans who still have jobs drew smaller paychecks last month. Average hourly wages fell 2 cents to $22.53. Workers' hours were cut, too. Those factors could dampen consumer spending in the months ahead and further weaken the recovery. It all threatens to perpetuate a vicious cycle for the economy. "It is a Catch-22 situation," said Sung Won Sohn, professor at California State University, Channel Islands. "Businesses are reluctant to hire for fear of a 'double-dip' recession. Without jobs, people are watchful of their spending, a danger to the recovery." - (AP)

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