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Lawrence gets Stoked

Dec 27th, 2007 by Taylor Armerding

Yeah, it’s shocking and appalling that James F. Stokes of Lawrence would fake a military discharge record. Read all about it here. It’s shocking and appalling that he’d go so far as to put his claim to be a veteran of the U.S. Marines on the ballot when he ran for School Committee. It’s shocking and appalling that he got voted into office. But what’s really shocking and appalling is that anybody is surprised. It has been obvious for years that Stokes is a fraud at any number of levels. I looked into a few of his claims back in 2001 when he was running for City Council. At the time, he styled himself as a crusader for children, and claimed to be “Rev. Dr.” James F. Stokes. He also claimed to be a 20-year veteran of the Marines and said he had lost a City Council election in Lowell to the late Paul Tsongas by only 25 votes.
The reality? His theological titles came from a diploma mill in California. Send them 43 bucks and they’ll send you a certificate (suitable for framing) calling you any title you want – Reverend, Minister, Pastor, Evangelist, Chaplain, Missionary,Elder, Deacon, Preacher or Independent Bishop. The honorary Doctor of Divinity was another 39 bucks.
His veteran claims were as bogus then as they are now. No record of him anywhere, from the local veterans’ office to the national archives in St. Louis.
And while he did run against Tsongas, he lost by about 9,000 votes, not 25.
All this was reported in this newspaper in October 2001.
And now he will bring his delusional universe to bear on the children of Lawrence as an elected official? I guess you get who you vote for.
Stokes is 65, by the way, which makes him the poster boy for another reality – age does not necessarily bestow wisdom.

Posted in Local politics, Taylor Armerding | View Comments

  • Scott

    The guy is an absolute disgrace!

  • TENNIS LILLY

    Well first I have to note that this is one of the few times where you and I are 100% agreement. Stokes is a disgrace and should resign. I wonder how many people will show up for his first meeting to demand that he step down. I wonder who will show up to defend him.

    While you are correct in reminding folks that these are not new allegations, I have to wonder if anyone reminded your coworkers while Stokes was running for office. I don’t recall any articles in the Eagle Tribune exposing Stokes as a fraud prior to the election. Where was the local media? Did you pundits think Stokes was going to get creamed again and decide not to bother? Is it perhaps that the School Committee isn’t viewed as being that important, its junior varsity for people who want to get elected to more important positions.

    What concerns me most are the chuckleheads who voted for him. Even if his mythology was true, why on earth would anyone vote for Jim Stokes? (I’ve asked myself the same question about many local elected officials). The problem in Lawrence isn’t a lack of good candidates, it’s a lack of good voters.

    Jim Stokes doesn’t belong in office. I wish he were the only elected official in Lawrence I could say that about. The real travesty here is that he alone isn’t to blame

  • http://www.soft-vision.com Joe Oliver

    FYI on Levey
    Atlantic City Mayor Admits He Was Never a Green Beret
    http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/story/6922950p-6786289c.html

  • http://pownetwork.org M Schantag

    Stokes shoould be charged and received the MAXIMUM penalty allowed by law – and then some. No “scrub the memorial with a toothbrush.” Cash fine, jail time. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THESE GUYS ARE EVERYWHERE. How dare they do this while our young men and women spill their blood and EARN the title “veteran?”

  • bilge rat

    “What concerns me most are the chuckleheads who voted for him. ”
    It’s the same people who vote Ted Kennedy in every year.

    “The problem in Lawrence isn’t a lack of good candidates, it’s a lack of good voters. ”
    The state of Massachusetts is infested with these voters.

    Why is this such a surprise to anyone?

  • TENNIS LILLY

    bilge rat…I’m not talking about ideological leanings here (i get the impression you are not a liberal)…I’m talking about competence, intelligence, the ability to communicate, a basic understanding of public policy issues. In other words…the basic nuts and bolts stuff that all public officials, elected or appointed, Democrat or Republican or independent, liberal or conservative, should posses. For reasons that I cannot fathom, we here in the great city of Lawrence seem determined to send (and sometimes “re” send) people to the city council and school committee who cant string 3 coherent, complete sentences together. I must say that while it can happen anywhere, we seem to have elevated political incompetence to an art form here.

  • Tom Delaney

    To Tennis Lilly:

    Sent an email regarding Ted Kennedy to Mary Jo K, but there was no reply!

  • bilge rat

    Hi TL!

    Hope your holidays were safe!
    Yes, you are correct, I am not a liberal. But neither am I a hard line republican. I believe in common sense, which neither party seems to have a monopoly on! :-)

    Happy New Year!

  • Tennis Lilly

    bilge rat,

    Thanks, and the same to you as well. The holidays were great and the family is well. I hope 2008 is a good year for all of us.

    Tom Delaney,

    Regarding Mary Jo…good god man, let it go. There’s hardly a man or women in congress (or amongst us commoners for that matter)who doesn’t have skeletons in their closet.

  • Tom Delaney

    To TL:

    I never knew that murder was a “skelton in a closet.”

  • TENNIS LILLY

    Murder? Really?

    Was the Chappaquick incident investigated by the authorities?
    (Answer: YES, twice)

    Was Ted Kennedy charged with murder or manslaughter?
    (Answer: NO, he was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and got a suspended sentence)

    Has any court found him responsible for Mary Jo Kopechne’s death?
    (Answer: NO)

    Well Tom, I can see why you would think Ted Kennedy is a murderer. I guess concepts like rule of law and innocent until proven guilty only apply to republicans.

  • Tom Delaney

    Well TL, if you believe Ted (The sober one) is not guilty, then OJ is entirely INNOCENT. Justice for those with deep pockets, right?

  • TENNIS LILLY

    Tom

    Try to follow this….people in the U.S. are innocent until proven guilty. Ted Kennedy was never not found guilty (criminally) or responsible (civilly) for her death. The authorities ruled her death an accident after 2 separate investigations. That’s pretty much the end of it.

    Obviously you thinks it’s ok to make baseless accusations about people in a public forum. I do not.

  • TENNIS LILLY

    WOW!

    I really butchered that…sorry…should have said:

    “Tom

    Try to follow this….people in the U.S. are innocent until proven guilty. Ted Kennedy was never found guilty (criminally) or responsible (civilly) for her death. The authorities ruled her death an accident after 2 separate investigations. That’s pretty much the end of it.

    Obviously you think it’s ok to make baseless accusations about people in a public forum. I do not.”

  • Tom Delaney

    TL:

    The only thing in the Republic of the United States of America that deserves “baseless accusations” is a secular progressive liberal democrat that is intellectually vapid.

  • Tennis Lilly

    Tom

    Funny…I thought that in the republic of the United States NOBODY “deserved” baseless accusations.

    Please Tom, enlighten me. What, exactly is a “secular progressive liberal democrat ” and why do you hate them so?

  • TENNIS LILLY

    WOO HOO!

    I never thought I would be so happy to see someone resign from office. Good riddance! The man is a fraud and an insult to everyone who’s ever served their country or run for public office.

  • Rowdy Rick

    Nothing in the Lawrence City Charter keeps Stokes from serving on the School Committee because of the arrest. Stokes stood up at a committee meeting last month to say he intends to serve despite attacks against him. He skipped last week’s inauguration ceremony but was sworn in Monday by City Clerk William Maloney.
    School Committee member James Vittorioso, who has defended Stokes in the past, said Stokes “disgraced himself,” but should stay on the committee.

    “I think he should first apologize to the citizens in his district that voted for him,” Vittorioso said. “He’s a reverend, and I think he needs to have a good confessional.”

    With his co-conspirator like those listed above he will slip away and be elected again somewhere else. Lesson not yet learned!

  • Tom Delaney

    To Tennis Lily:

    Re: “What, exactly is a ‘secular progressive liberal democrat’ and why do you hate them so?”

    The answer to the first part of your question is LOOK IN THE MIRROR.

    As to “hate them so,” nowhere in my epistles can I find the “hate” word. I dislike secular progressives because they are intellectually vapid, but I digress.

  • TENNIS LILLY

    Wow…you really showed me Tom.

    As for “secular progressive” (I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and hope that you’re not getting your talking points from Bill O’Rieley), I am “progressive” and I do believe that politics and public policy should be secular endeavors. How that approach is intellectually lacking isn’t clear. While I don’t think “liberal” is a dirty word, “Democrat” simply doesn’t fit as I’ve been a “card-carrying” member of the Green party since 1997 (though I admit I’ll probably vote for a democrat, at least in the primary, this year).

    Tom, whenever you want to move beyond calling me names and talk specifics (if you’re up to it) just let me know. After re-reading your prior posts, I’m confident I’m not the one who’s “intellectually vapid”.

  • Tom Delaney

    Tennis Lily:

    Just answer the specifics. Did you look in the mirror? And as far as being a “card-carrying” member…let me see…how about NOW, ACLU and the American Communist (Green) party. Again you show your intellectual vapidity by my opposition to your political positions and take them as a personal attack. You personally attack yourself in print far better than I can. To open mouth and insert foot and validate it in print…Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

  • Tennis Lilly

    Tom…I am, in fact, a “card carrying” member of the ACLU and am proud of it. In this age of creeping pseudo – fascism I’m concerned that more people aren’t members (why aren’t you Tom?) The Green Party isn’t part of the Communist party or affiliated with it in any way but I’m not shocked that you assume it is.

    Like many people of your ilk you confuse personal attacks or insults with political discourse. So far you’ve called me names yet haven’t stated exactly what is wrong with my politics. I doubt that you could articulate exactly what my beliefs are on any number of important issues without calling me a commie or implying that I’m somehow intellectually deficient (I assure you I am neither).

    Like I said, whenever you want to talk issues (abortion, taxes, energy policy, the environment, the “war on terror”, civil liberties, death penalty, “gay” marriage, health care, etc.) let me know.

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