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Editorials/Columns
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aybe, somebody should tell Governor Rick
Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Com- missioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam that they need to read a study by the University of South Florida’s Anthropology Professor Dr. Susan Green- baum, which reveals “restoring the right to vote for ex-felons reduced the recidivism (re-arrest) rate sig- nificantly.
Dr. Greenbaum writes, ex-felons were shown to be less likely to commit crime when their rights have been restored, and restoring their voting rights saves taxpayers money. And, it costs less to educate a felon than it does to imprison them.
Perhaps, reading the USF study will cause Scott, Bondi, and Putnam to stop spending tax dollars to make ex-felons wait up to seven years after they have completed their sentences, paid restitution and sat- isfied all other conditions of their sentencing.
Ex-felons are punished three to four times for their crimes: imprisonment, loss of housing rights, unem- ployment, loss of voting rights and most recently, loss of visitation rights. How many times must ex-felons be expected to pay for their crime?
Therefore, in case you haven’t seen her study, Dr. Greenbaum also reveals the connection between denying the right to vote to Jim Crow, its antecedent. The concept of denying the right to vote to ex-felons began when virtually the majority of felons in South- ern states were Black.
Now, you know why ex-felons should have the right to vote: the whole truth, and nothing less than the truth. You be the judge.
ust when you thought
that Donald Trump’s tenure in the White House couldn’t get any sleazier it turns out that, along with sleeping with porn stars with- out protection, “The Don- ald” also enjoys a little urine sprinkled on him during his sexual dalliances.
That is the unbelievable bombshell that former F. B. I. Director James Comey dropped in an interview Sun- day on ABC when Comey de- scribed a conversation with Trump, where he claims he warned the President about a possible Russian dossier that allegedly contained informa- tion pertaining to a video of Trump and two prostitutes using each other as toilets.
Even by Washington, D.C. scandals standards, this is un- charted territory. I mean politicians have been cheating on their spouses since Thomas Jefferson started raping his slave, Sally Hem- ings, when she was 14 over 200 years ago. But the idea of a possible sex tape existing somewhere involving a sitting U. S. president doing his best R. Kelly impersonation is
something the raunchiest porn company couldn’t make
up.
Of course, if what Comey
stated is true, it explains why Trump has been so reluctant to criticize Russian Presi- dent Vladimir Putin. If Trump knew that Putin had access to physical proof of his unhinged debauchery, it makes perfect sense that Trump would find it neces- sary to constantly lay lips on Putin’s backside in an at- tempt to keep his extorter happy.
The thing I can’t help but wonder, though, is how many more stories of Trump’s bad behavior are out there waiting to be exposed?
You have to imagine that, in his 70+ years on Earth, Trump has engaged in a lot of wild stuff. And having fun with someone else’s pee is, more than likely, just the tip of his Rick James-sized freaky iceberg.
The saddest part of this outrageous turn of events is that Trump’s salacious deeds have ultimately cost people their lives. When Trump bombed Syria on Friday he
said that the military action was meant as a deterrent to force the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, from using chemical weapons on the Syrian people.
But considering that the bombing conveniently took place right around same time that details of his golden showers started circulating, it appears more likely that Trump was desperately at- tempting to distract the world away from the embarrassment of, what will probably go down in history known as, “piss- gate.”
In light of this latest exam- ple of Trump’s flawed char- acter it will be interesting to see how Trump’s supporters defend him this time around?
But knowing how easily they blew off his “grab ‘em by the pussy” comment as locker room talk, weren’t disturbed by his support of white su- premacists, and tried to justify him philandering on his wife, I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that they may feel as though his pee fetish is no big deal either.
You would think that peo- ple would demand more from those who they choose as their elected leaders. But, as Trump continues to prove, as long as you tell suckers what they want to hear, they’ll truly go for anything.... Including, it seems, intentional bed-wet- ting.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Company. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbarronice@gmail.com.
Rick James Would Be Proud
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Triple Jeopardy For Ex-Felons?
Keep On Climbing
mpowered Greet-
ings. As you journey through life you will be faced with what appears to be some insurmountable obstacles. It may look like the odds are stacked against you. I want to encourage you today, to main- tain your faith, in the fact that your turnaround is coming, as you keep on climbing.
I don’t care what the ill- ness, sickness or disease is that you are facing, last time I checked, God is still in the healing business.
Keep on climbing to live, until you conquer that which is trying to conquer you.
There are people in your life, friends, family members, co-workers or mere acquain- tances that have caused you heartache, but despite what they have done, you got to keep on climbing.
Jesus came to mend the broken hearted.
He can fix yours if you let Him. He wants you to be all that God created you to be, so keep on climbing pass the heartache. You cannot allow the pains of life to cause you to quit. You must keep on climb- ing through the pain, the heartache, the disappoint- ment, the sickness, the tragedies, the lack of support, the lack of money, resources or any other obstacle, that comes to hinder you from reaching your peak in life.
Your success is within reach if you just keep on climbing. The misery of your past will become positive memories, if you keep on climbing. Those are the things that will push you forward and demand that you rise up to keep on climbing.
Your dreams will become your destiny if you keep on climbing. You’ll experience a breath of fresh air if you keep
on climbing until you reach the top. Your viewpoint of life will be shifted as you keep on climbing.
Step by step you can build the life that you envision for yourself, just keep on climb- ing.
Expect the best as you strive to be a better version of you. I guarantee you that you’ll marvel others and yourself with your achievements when you keep on climbing.
As I extend hope to you, share it and help someone else to keep on climbing until they reach their goals too. You will be living proof of what success can look like when you don’t quit, but keep on climbing in- stead.
Selphenia is a Life and Business Success Coach. She would love to help you keep on climbing to success. She is available to speak at your next event or provide development training to your team or or- ganization. Call (813) 603- 0088 to request her.
Stay connected to Selphe- nia through social media. Facebook: Selphenia Nichols Success Coach To Women; Instagram: @selphenia; or Twitter: @queenosuccess1.
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TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5