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Editorials/Columns
FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN
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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.
Determined To Dream
“The biggest adven- ture you can take is to live the life of your dreams.”
~Oprah Winfrey
Empowered Greetings. Like Martin Luther King Jr., everyone reading
this column should have a dream. It is your dream that will inspire you to get focused on the future you’ve forecast. It is your dream that will mo- tivate you to develop a vision that will give you vitality to go for the gusto. It is your dream that will fuel you with the power to pursue your purpose at all cost, so decide today to dream.
I encourage you not to just dream, but DREAM BIG. The bigger you dream the bigger
the possibilities are for you to broaden your horizons. Dream big to maintain your excite- ment about your educational endeavors. Dream big to build your business to be an eco- nomic force not just locally but globally. Dream big to make your ministry maximize your message and move your mis- sion to uncharted borders. Outrageous dreams can lead you to outrageous outcomes, so dream big.
Get a resolve in your spirit that you are determined to be a dreamer. Determined dreamers have a vision of their success before they begin their journey to their dream. Deter- mined dreamers create action steps that will lead them on the path to discovering their destination. Determined
dreamers are brave enough to break the barriers that try to come between them and their dream. Determined dreamers are overcomers and achievers. So, despite what dares to dis- tract you become a determined dreamer.
It is my dream that this col- umn has empowered you to be determined to dream big about the positive possibilities of your desired destiny.
It would be my pleasure to be the keynote speaker for your next event or present a personal or professional devel- opment training to your group just call 813-603-0088 with your event info.
I want to coach you to suc- cess through any means neces- sary so let’s stay connected through social media follow me on:
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The Lost Photograph Of MLK
t is not an actual photograph at all, but is a product of
modern computer graphics wherein the likeness of the immortal Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is placed side-by- side with a photograph of President Barack Obama, and the both of them seem to be listening intently at some-one or some-thing just outside the focus of this compelling picture.
A member of our editorial staff brought the picture to our attention, the other day. Since then, few of us have been able to tear our eyes or our attention away from it. Picture this photo as we comment about a man who became a member of a very elite fraternity . . . a group of individuals who, by their singular efforts, were able profoundly to change the world.
Jesus of Nazareth was such an individual as were some other men and women of spiritual and humanitarian note. But what was so special about this child of a Southern itiner- ant preacher, and who himself would become a Man-of-God on his way to becoming a Man-of-the-People was the mantle of humility he wore like an emperor’s purple robe. But the color of King’s robe was black-ink on a white-page.
For, it wasn’t a robe, but words he wore that in time would sew itself into a fabric of nonviolent protest that would cause voices around the world to sing in diverse unison, “We shall overcome!”
If he yet lived, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would now be celebrating his 88th birthday. No doubt, he’d be riding in fancy cars with their tops down, would be receiving tons of plaudits, papers and keys to cities he might never visit.
But because we murder our prophets, King’s 88th birthday is a time only historians and poets will celebrate. Instead, we study his lost portrait where he, seated by a young man he helped foster is caught in the act of changing the world. It’s as close as we can get to saying once more, to another Prince of Peace, “Good Sir, Happy Birthday.”
The Thrill Is Gone
hours. That is roughly how much time we have left
before we say farewell to, what can arguably be considered, one of the greatest 8-year stretches in the history of Africans in America.
From November of 2008 to right now we were able to witness something that our ancestors never thought possi- ble. A man born of Kenyan an- cestry and his wife, whose bloodline can be traced back to the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, claiming residence inside of the most prestigious piece of real estate in the country.... 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
In the beginning no one thought it could really happen. When then Senator Barack Obama threw his hate into the presidential race in 2007 most people were just excited about the fact that he was deemed qualified enough to compete.
Up until that point, the only time we ever got a glimpse of what it would be like to have a Black president came while watching Holly- wood disaster flicks. It seemed as though the unspoken con- sensus was that the Earth would have to be facing com-
plete annihilation before a Black man would get an op- portunity to lead.
I mean this is a country that once believed The Cosby Show wasn't grounded in re- ality because, to most of mid- dle America at the time, the idea of a Black doctor marry- ing a Black lawyer and raising well-behaved, college-bound children came off like science fiction... How could a society that closed-minded and hand- cuffed to old stereotypes ever evolve into one capable enough to look beyond a per- son's skin color and elect him or her to the position of com- mander-in-chief?
But then, remarkably, something crazy happened. For a singular moment in time America proved that it actually had the capacity to judge an individual by the content of his character. And that changed everything.
Suddenly President Obama's campaign slogan "YES WE CAN" had more meaning. If he could accom- plish the highly improbable, that translated into the rest of us being able to achieve what we put our minds to as well.
On top of being the first president to implement uni-
versal health care, bringing the economy back from the brink of destruction and saving the lives of thousands of men and women who were harshly sen- tenced by the justice system, giving people hope and moti- vation will also go down as key parts of President Obama's legacy.
As the minutes count down, and we get closer to the day when someone very un- Obama like takes over leader- ship, I believe even President Obama's staunchest critics are starting to realize how much they're going to miss the man when he's gone.
They can say what they want about some of his poli- cies, but what they can't deny is that, regardless of what tur- moil we faced, when Presi- dent Obama spoke, he had the uncanny ability to make us feel as though everything would be ok. I don't think that level of confidence and cool will be present with the person preparing to step up to the plate.
It has often been said that you never appreciate a good thing until it's no longer around. And, unfortunately, now that "Barry" is walking out the door, we're all about to receive a textbook lesson on what that statement truly means.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can write to Mr. Barr at: Clarence Barr 43110-018, Oakdale F. C. I., P. O. BOX 5000, Oakdale, LA 71463.
What’s The Big Hurry To Dump Obamacare?
t is not difficult to fathom the sensibility and lack of sen-
sitivity among Republican congressional representatives for repealing Obamacare as their first agenda item.
In fact, we’re convinced Republicans, if they could, would erase every stitch of evidence that Barack Obama ever existed as President of the United States.
But the question remains, why would Republicans or any- body else for that matter, be in such a big hurry to dump more than 20 million Americans off of their Affordable Health Care Act (AHCA) insurance without having so much as a clue as to what they will replace the bill with.
So, what’s the real reason for the big rush to snatch health insurance from America’s sickest and most uninsurable citi- zens (the main reasons Obamacare was not profitable for cer- tain insurance industries)?
Continuing on the path towards scuttling health insurance for such a large number of Americans could very well trans- late into dumping both Trump and Republican congress in the next election.
Therefore, we question the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of every Congressman who would vote against Obamacare with- out having first crafted equally affordable substitute health insurance coverage.
So, who will benefit more from this quick action than insurance companies? So much for Republicans caring about the working poor. Moreover, building a 2000 Rio Grande mile long wall at a cost of over $3.9 million per mile between America and Mexico is not worth the lives of sick Americans who would die without health insurance.
In this brave new world where words are used like ICBM’s, we would all do well to remem- ber our humanity will be judged, not by the most adored, but by the least insured . . . not by white collar, but by no collar at all.
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