Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 8-28-20

Editorial/Columns
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A Tip Of The Hat
just finished reading Rashia Wilson's book, "The Life Of A Hood Star Trap Queen." And, I have to say, it was impressive. The thing I found most inter- esting about it is that, even though the book is billed as a biography, it was written in the form of a first-person character novel. The smooth dialogue, and seemingly never ending drama, made the storyline so eventful that I had to keep reminding my- self that what I was reading
was non-fiction.
Of course, for those who
may be a little prudish when it comes to their literary tastes, it should be noted that Ms. Wilson doesn't hold back when it comes to graph- ically documenting her active sex life within the confines of the story. Those scenes, in which she explains how sex could be considered her kryptonite as easily as it could be her super power, could rival any found in such popular erotic titles as The Zane Chronicles or the 50 Shades Of Grey series. But don't be mistaken. Trap Queen isn't solely about Ms. Wilson's healthy appetite
for bumpin' and grindin'. Beyond her numerous bedroom exploits, her re- markable hustle and taste for the finer things the world has to offer, at its core, Ms. Wil- son's memoir is a tragic nar- rative about a misguided little girl who spent her en- tire life chasing the one thing that always eluded her.... Someone to simply love her for being herself. And, like most young adults who find themselves on that same quest, she continuously had to find out the hard way that physical and financial gratifi- cation doesn't always lead to
happiness.
What I believe most peo-
ple will find refreshing about Trap Queen is the realness Ms. Wilson expresses with- out a bit of shame. While she doesn't pull any punches when it comes to her enemies (I found myself embarrassed for her former lovers whose reputations she thoroughly eviscerates in some in- stances), she also has no problem holding the mirror up to her own flaws as well. Ms. Wilson doesn't shy away from pointing out, what she views as, her imperfec-
tions both mental and physi- cal. And she's quick to admit to her own mistakes that ul- timately led to the many mis- fortunes she suffered along with her downfall. All of which work to make her that much more relatable.
Knowing how she was raised, without a strong fa- ther-figure to guide her, by the book's end you can't help but wonder how Ms. Wil- son's life might have turned out had someone been there to encourage her self-confi- dence and worth from an early age?
Unfortunately, like the millions of other women who've experienced similar circumstances, it wasn't until she hit rock bottom did she finally realize that the streets, which taught her that her value could only be validated through her looks, material possessions and the approval of men, severely misled her.
I give Rashia "First Lady" Wilson the utmost props for blessing us with such a deep introspective tome disguised as a "hood tale." They say inspiration comes from the most un- likely of places. Trap Queen is further proof of that maxim's truthfulness. Well done.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbar- ronice@gmail.com.
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Who Can You Trust?
Certainly not our President Donald Trump, who has told more than 3,500 lies in three-and-a-half years, at 2 lies per day, and whose sister says that he lies and cannot be trusted.
Now, we find out we can’t believe our newly ap- pointed 75th Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. DeJoy made changes that has already slowed mail delivery to everyone. Both Trump and DeJoy deny recent changes to the operation of postal services are an attempt to delay election ballots in November.
One of our staff members waited a week to get a let- ter mailed to her from Brandon. She is now waiting for a letter with checks in it that was mailed on Friday, Au- gust 14, 2020, that has only taken two days in the past.
DeJoy claimed that removing automated sorting machines from mail distribution centers, removing mailbox receptacles from street corners, and terminat- ing payment of overtime to postal workers was done to accommodate reductions in cost. Conveniently, these changes were made at the same time Trump was stok- ing fears of voter fraud by the use of mail-in ballots.
In effect, all of these changes have significantly cre- ated problems for millions of users of the postal sys- tem and will certainly impact the timely delivery of mail-in ballots in November.
One Senator’s office received 15,000 letters of com- plaint about mail delivery problems. A mail-tracking provider found that 27% of tracked mail was delivered late. Persons who mail bill payments could risk pay- ments being late and ruining their credit.
Veterans, seniors and persons who receive their medicine through the mail are at risk of missing criti- cal dosages of their medicine. Persons who receive So- cial Security, payroll checks or other funds through the mail risk late payments for their rent or other bills. Documents that need to be signed and received by set deadlines are at risk of being received late. There are reports of packages being treated as 3rd class mail and being delivered a week or more after mailing.
Come November, we urge our readers to take or send their mail-in ballots to an early voting site to be placed in a locked box, or make arrangements for some family member or friend to take your ballot to the Su- pervisor of Elections Office.
As of now, don’t trust the post office.
Let’s Register To Vote
Souls To The Polls Challenge 2.0: Virtual Voter Registration
Those who have not registeresd to vote can do so by joining the “Souls to the Polls Challenge 2.0.”
The virtual voter registration drive will be heled every Tuesday in September. Registration time is 6:30-8 p. m.
The Zoom meeting ID is 509-471-4531.
If you have not registered to vote in the November General Election, here is your op- portunity.
Other dates and deadlines to register for the November General Election:
• The deadline to register online to vote is Monday, October 5, 2020.
• The deadline for registering by mail to vote is (postmarked by) Mon- day, October 5, 2020.
• The deadline to register in person to vote is Monday, October 5, 2020.
• The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Saturday, Octo- ber 24, 2020.
• The early voting period runs from Saturday, October 24, 2020 to Satur- day, October 31, 2020, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live.
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PAGE 6-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2020