Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 2-21-17

Editorials/Columns
FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN
(USPS 202-140)
2207 21st Avenue, Tampa Florida 33605 • (813) 248-1921 Published Every Tuesday and Friday By
FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHING Co., Member of National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)
S. KAY ANDREWS, PUBLISHER
C. BLYTHE ANDREWS III, PRESIDENT/CONTROLLER ALLISON WELLS-CLEBERT, CFO
GWEN HAYES, EDITOR
IRIS HOLTON, CITY EDITOR
BETTY DAWKINS, ADVERTISING DIRECTOR HAROLD ADAMS, CIRCULATION MANAGER TOYNETTA COBB, PRODUCTION MANAGER LAVORA EDWARDS, CLASSIFIED MANAGER
Subscriptions-$44.00-6 Months Both Editions: $87.00-Per Year Both Editions.
Opinions expressed on editorial pages of this newspaper by Columnists or Guest Writers, do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of The Florida Sentinel Bulletin or the Publisher.
Never Let Them Out Of Your Sight
ast week the bodies of two
teenage girls, 13-year-old Abigail Williams and 14-year- old Liberty German, were found murdered in a wooded area outside of Delphi, Indiana, a small town north of Indi- anapolis.
According to authorities in- vestigating the case, the girls were dropped off to go hiking not far from where their re- mains were discovered. It seems as though their adventurous trek through nature was cut tragically short by an individual or group of individuals who felt compelled to destroy their inno- cence.
The initial question that ran through my mind, when this case came to light, was "why were these two young girls out there alone in the first place?" What parent or guardian thought it was a good idea, in this day and age particularly, to allow their children to go off into the wilderness unaccompanied by an adult?
I hated to criticize the family under these types of devastating circumstances. But I couldn't help but wonder what was going
on in their decision-making?
It isn't like we're living during a period in time when these kinds of occurrences are rare. To the contrary, they take place far
too often.
Just last year there were sev-
eral highly publicized incidents involving twisted individuals who attempted to snatch chil- dren from right underneath their parents' noses in broad daylight. The most shocking case was caught on a video that showed a man dragging a young girl out of a convenience store while her mother desperately tried to hold on to her legs.
With brazen attempted ab- ductions like these transpiring in crowded public places, what could have possibly made the parents of these two young girls think that it was safe to leave them alone in an area so se- cluded?
Whenever cases like these are thrust into the spotlight, you al- ways get some local appearing in front of a television camera saying stuff like, "this isn't sup- pose to happen here." And every time I hear this kind of ridicu- lous statement I always think to
myself, "Well, where in the hell is it 'SUPPOSE' to happen?"
The unfortunate truth is that so-called "safe zones" for chil- dren no longer exist. With child sex-trafficking rings, illegal organ smuggling operations and the random creep always lurk- ing, our children constantly face a clear and present danger. As parents and grandparents we simply have to become better at keeping our kids away from places where crazy things have the possibility of happening.
Of course, no one wants to be accused of sheltering their chil- dren from the experience of life. Being labeled an overprotective parent is never viewed as some- thing cool.
But, when it comes down to it, I'd much rather be the lame father with his son or daughter still alive than the cool dad with a front row seat at his child's fu- neral. I mean, seriously, where's the hip factor in that scenario?
For the parents of the two girls murdered, the time for taking extra precautions has passed. But, for those parents still trying to protect their little bundles of joy, the tragedy in Indiana should be a somber reminder that letting your guard down, even for a second, could have deadly consequences.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Company. You can write to Mr. Barr at: Clarence Barr 43110- 018, Oakdale F. C. I., P. O. BOX 5000, Oakdale, LA 71463.
POSTMASTER: Send Address Change To: Florida Sentinel Bulletin,
P.O. Box 3363 Tampa, FL 33601 Periodical Postage Paid At Tampa, FL
L
C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. 1930-2010 (1977)
Trump And The News Media: Fair Or False?
n his most recent impromptu news conference, President Donald Trump sounded more like wrestling mogul Vince McMahon as Trump became a one-man wrecking crew re-
garding the credibility of the majority of the American press. Consequently, CNN was publicly stripped of its title “The Most Trusted Name in News” and the New York Times would henceforth be known by Trump and troop as The Falling New York Times.
But those two news agencies weren’t alone in being thrown under the bus as The Washington Post, (of Watergate fame), also took abuse from America’s new Commander-In- Chief. Indeed, it would seem Trump echoed another Ameri- can celebrity, Thomas Jefferson, who said two hundred years ago, “Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a news- paper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle.”
But slave-owner Jefferson was later countered by political scientist, Harold Laski who wrote, “A people without reliable news is, sooner or later, a people without the basis of free- dom.” And news editor Herbert Swope stated, ‘The First Duty of a newspaper is to be accurate. (For,) if it be accurate, it fol- lows that it is fair.”
Is the majority of our news fair and fit to print? President Trump swears it isn’t. And as an alternative, he simply says, “BELIEVE ME.” Dare we do that? Should we one day wake to see that CNN has been pre-empted by a Trump News network that prints its media like a parrot calls out after its master? If so, when we lose access to what we so off-handedly referred to for generations as “The Mullet Wrapper,” with what will we be left?
Trump’s tussles with CNN may seem cute. But we detect in it a possible attempt to undermine the very basis of a free society’s ability to credibly tell the truth on a daily basis. And without the truth and free speech that supports it, neither Democracy nor fairness can stand.
I
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5
The Winning Shot
Empowered Greetings.
What do you do when you only have ONE SHOT TO WIN? How do you handle it when you only have one shot to win at making an impactful impres- sion? Can you pull it off with one shot to win at promoting your product, service, business or or- ganization?
When you only have one shot to win you better be pre- pared with the perfect pitch. The perfect pitch is the conversation starter that gets people wanting to know more about what you do and what you or your company has to offer. Preparing the per- fect pitch requires prior proper
planning. Here are a few simple tips to prepare the perfect pitch for your one shot to win:
Plan on introducing yourself by stating the answer to their problem. (ex. I make success simple... We make learning fun... Our company saves you money...)
Do it with a K.I.S.S. by keep- ing it short and simple. 60 sec- onds or less. Your pitch should pique their interest and imagi- nation so they want to hear more.
Explain your expertise con- cisely and with confidence let- ting your listener know why others have paid you for your
service and why you are the one that can get the job done for them. Share a brief story of how you recently benefitted a client, be sure to include the positive outcome your client received.
Preparation and practice makes perfect. Prepare more than one pitch for various situa- tions. Modify your story to match the product or service that’s appropriate for the reason why your client hired you.
Call 813-603-0088 for more information on perfecting your pitch and the Millionaires March Forth Conference. Be sure to let me know you read the 60 Seconds On Success Col- umn in the Florida Sentinel Bulletin. I have a special bonus for you.
Let’s get connected on Social media. Facebook: Selphenia Nichols. Twitter: queenofsuccess1. Insta- gram: Selphenia
In Praise Of Guns And Common Sense
o, we haven’t lost our minds. But sometimes, we won-
der if our Republican state and Congressional lawmak- ers are dealing with a full deck.
For instance, recent actions by two state lawmakers, Sen- ator Dennis Baxley, of Ocala, and Representative Don Hahn- feldt, of The Villages, both NRA supported Republicans, submitted proposals that would remove all state restrictions on where Florida’s concealed weapons permit holders can carry their guns.
Indeed, if Baxley and Hahnfeldt have their way and Senate Bill 908 and House Bill 803 become law, then concealed guns could be carried into police, sheriff, highway patrol stations, public schools, bars, buses, courthouses, jails, prisons, polling places, airports, City Council meetings, County Com- mission meetings, legislative meetings, football and other athletic games as well as public college and university cam- puses.
Even in cowboy movies, six-shooters were not allowed in
N
courtrooms and the presence of guns in saloons often ended in fights and shoot-outs. Besides, anyone with an ounce of sense knows that guns and alcohol don’t mix.
Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans made it easier last week for mentally ill citizens to secure and possess guns when law makers repealed a rule enacted by President Barack Obama that would prevent mentally ill people receiving social security payments from pos- sessing firearms.
No doubt, Conservatives may even listen to a high-ranking Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) official who supports removing restrictions on the sale of gun silencers and of imported assault weapons. Indeed, AR-15s and AK 47s are simply not used for brown bear or deer hunting.
If you, a loved one, or friend has been injured by a gun, you need to let your state legislator and congressional representatives know how you feel about gun control.
No, we do not oppose ownership and safe use of guns. But neither do we support stupid- ity.