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Editorials/Column
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Father’s Day Blues
or millions of children
across the country Fa- ther's Day is the one time of the year where they can go out of their way to show their dads just how much they mean to them in the form of a card or gift. But, unfortunately for those youngsters whose fa- thers are incarcerated, hand delivering a token of apprecia- tion is seldom an option.
To kids in those types of sit- uations Father's Day usually means either sending a card through the mail to a correc- tional facility hundreds of miles away, hopefully receiv- ing a 15-minute phone call so that they can at least hear their pop's voice or, if they're really lucky, being able to sit with "daddy" for a few hours during prison visitation. While each of these methods offers some form of interaction, neither of them provides enough of a bonding experience to prove satisfying for either party.
Of course, even this minimal amount of contact is usually
dependent upon whether or not a child actually desires to have a relationship with his or her father in the first place. Of- tentimes, when a parent is ab- sent from a child's life for a long period of time, the child tends to develop resentment and anger toward that absen- tee parent.
For these children Father's Day (or even Mother's Day in some instances) becomes just another date on the calendar; an annual notification that, somewhere, there's a male who provided the sperm responsi- ble for their existence.
When a man commits a crime, he rarely thinks ahead to what kind of impact his ac- tions will have on his offspring, if he ends up being taken from their lives. In his mind it's all about the "come up" of the mo- ment. The little ones, who he'll let down if things go wrong, are never factored into the equation.
It normally isn't until after he receives his sentence, be-
gins to settle into his bid and hears about his daughter's out- of-control promiscuity or his son's rebellious behavior, does it dawn on him the true costs of his poor decision-making. But, at that helpless point, it's often too late.
For the child and the parent forced to deal with this kind of unfavorable circumstance, Fa- ther's Day becomes two things: For the boy or girl being raised without a masculine presence as a guide, it means recogniz- ing a void in his or her life that nothing seems capable of fill- ing. And, for the man locked away inside of a prison cell, the holiday is a constant reminder of his failure at the only job in his life that really mattered; the one position that he was uniquely qualified for but de- cided not to keep...
For each of them it's a day they dread to acknowledge be- cause of the emotions that be- come stirred up upon its arrival. And, I imagine, the quicker it all passes, the easier it is to handle the pain that comes with fantasizing about what could have been...
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Feature
When They Came For The Gays And Lesbians...
eading about last week’s horror in Orlando, many
comments came to mind. For instance, we recalled Rev. Martin Niemoller’s powerfully unsettling poem “First They Came For The Communists,” a piece first written in protest against Nazi Germany, but that was later reworked by German poet Berthold Brecht then re- done just recently by American editor-author Michael R. Burch.
It is Burch’s rendition we share with you, today. It be- gins, “First, they came for the Muslims, and I did not speak out because I was not Muslim./ Then they came for the homosexuals (Gays, Bisexuals, Lesbians, and Transsexuals) and I did not speak out because I was not homosexual./ Then they came for the feminists and I did not speak out because I was not a feminist. / Now when will they come for me because I was too busy and too ap- athetic to defend my sisters and brothers?”
When the final count is tallied, more than 50 innocent lives may have been lost to hate-crime bullets unleashed in a dance hall that catered to Gays and Lesbians. Many in the world weep, but not everyone understands. If pressed, how will pastors explain what happened in Or- lando outside of the inferences of Sodom and Gomora? Yes, America has a fascination with high-powered guns, but it also has a sado-masochistic fascination with homo- sexuality. What addiction should it face first?
Yes, Black life matters. Yet, Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual life matters, too. In fact, all life matters, which is why Neimoller’s poem, restated by so many voices from such a diversity of perspectives, is and will be a ghost to haunt our moral conscience.
With that in mind, we end with our rendition of Burch’s final poetic line: (Because I refused to speak for my brothers and sisters), when it comes my time for judgment, who will speak for me?
Father Serves As Mentor And Inspiration To Many
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
When telling the story of Central Avenue, it cannot be compete without recognizing the band members. Some came to Tampa to perform, while others launched their musical careers in the historic district.
As a youngster, Horace Washington launched his career as a drummer on Central Av- enue. He recalls that, “during that time, the older musicians taught the youngsters in the neighbor- hood for free.”
At the time he was learning, Washington had no idea that he was learning a trade that he would carry with him throughout his life.
Even as Washington served a 10-year stint in the U. S. Army, he never stopped playing music. And, he has played with such bands as Cannonball Adderley, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, James Brown, and the Leon Clax- ton Review.
A Tampa native, Washington attended St. Peter Claver Catholic School. He then relocated to New York, where he graduated from high school.
Following his stint in the military, Washing- ton pursued his love of music, traveling through- out the country.
During the 1950s, Washington married and settled down in Tampa. He supported his family by working at Stone’s Memorial Funeral Home.
Horace Washington continues to inspire oth- ers with his love of music.
But the father of 5, held fast to his love of being a drummer.
Today, Washington is a widower, but he is not alone. He continues to serve as a mentor, ac- complished drummer, and inspiration to his chil- dren, 50 grandchildren, 60 great grandchildren, and others.
And, at 89, Washington still enjoys playing the drums.
All Politicians Lie: The Pot And The Kettle
In the words of the late Riley B. B. King, “Everybody lies a little.” Then recall the comment, “I ain’t never told a lie that I didn’t mean to make come true someday.” That memorable line spoken so eloquently by the lead character Rev. Purlie, in the 1970’s Broadway Musical Purlie Victorious.
Needless to say, we certainly hope politicians, locally or nationally, don’t feel that way about some of the lies they have told in their professional lives. Indeed, Hillary Clinton doesn’t hold the title of “Liar” alone, even though Donald Trump calls her “Lying Hillary.”
For instance, of each of the three remaining presiden- tial candidates, Donald Trump has the worst record for telling lies as recorded by PolitiFact, a Tampa Bay Times and affiliated media outlets fact finding group of re- porters and editors. Based upon their “fact-checking” of select statements by members of Congress, the White House, lobbyists, Florida legislators, and interest groups, there are few if any politicians who don’t lie, “ whether
intentionally, out of ignorance, or in error. So, we exist in a sad state when we have to fact-check almost everything a politician says before we can believe him or her.
In fact, Donald Trump won the PolitiFact 2015 “Lie of the Year” award and holds a record of making the fewest true, mostly true and half-true statements. Statistically, he scores only 24 percent of true statements while Hillary scores at 71 percent of true state- ments, and Bernie Sanders ties Hillary with 71 percent of true statement. Therefore, when politicians call each other liars, they become more like the “pot and kettle” axiom, and voters need to bring their brillo pads to scrub each statement politicians make.
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