Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 11-27-20

Editorial/Columns
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When They Were Babies, They Danced
or a few years now, it
seems that gun violence has been skyrocketing across the country. Just last week 7 people were shot in broad day- light at Tampa's Nuccio Park, with one of the victims dying from his injuries.
Every time something like this happens, I can't help but think about the part I played in allowing such a bloody episode to transpire. Even though I wasn't on the scene and didn't fire a weapon, it was my inac- tion decades ago that paved the way for the trigger or trig- gers to be pulled.
This is mainly due to the fact that when the gunman was a child, I didn't do my part in teaching him better. Instead of giving him proper instruc- tion, I allowed him to grow up believing that being reckless, crude and uncaring was nor- mal human behavior.
Of course, I'm not alone in my failings. Some of you read- ing this right now are equally culpable.
Back in the mid to late 1990s when the shooter was a potty-mouthed toddler telling grown people to "shut up" and "f--- you," you didn't attempt to straighten him out or tell his
mother that she shouldn't allow him to act in such a way. Like me, you probably sat back, laughed uncomfortably at the result of poor parenting and chuckled even harder when he bounced to the music playing while his mother cheered him on saying, "dance baby."
A few years later when you watched in horror as his mother brutally punched him in the chest to stop him from crying, because she thought that showing any type of ma- ternal nurturing would make him soft, you didn't inform her that denying him affection would eventually cause his heart to turn cold... And nei- ther did I.
Now, here we are, 20+ years after the fact. That same disrespectful, dancing and hardened baby has grown up to become a heartless killer who terrorizes our communi- ties. And the craziest thing I hear people asking is, "how did he get so bad?"
No one wants to accept the responsibility that what we're witnessing is our fault. Re- gardless of which direction we may want to point our fingers to direct blame, the bottom
line is that, we helped to create this mess.
The children who we left to fend for themselves, because we felt how they were raised wasn't any of our business, are currently the biggest threat to our peace of mind. And no one appears capable of coming up with an effective solution for the problem.
The one thing I know we can't do is go to the federal government for help. The last time that occurred laws were put in place that sent a gener- ation of Black men to prison, which ultimately led to a short- age of Black fathers and the dilemma we're currently fac- ing. I see no need to make the same mistake twice.
To me, a better strategy would involve some type of personal intervention. Since most of us know young, way- ward people in need of guid- ance, I think it would be a good idea for us to reach out to these individuals and place them under our wings in an effort to show them there's more to life than running the streets and that the world is a much larger and more exciting place than the block they grew up on.
Of course, there's no guar- antee that it will work. But if we don't, at least try to correct our error, the next bullet one of these "dancing babies'' shoots could find its way lodged into the body of some- one we love.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany.
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Thanksgiving 2020
In the midst of one of America’s greatest challenges, our nation is about to celebrate Thanksgiving. Though COVID-19 decimates our population and an unwilling out-going president proceeds to work toward a coup d’ etat, nervous shoppers still throng local grocery stores looking for turkeys, hams, and other holiday delicacies. In our nation, a wanna-be despot has been deposed. In our City, more than 40 people have been gunned down this year in the Black community by other Blacks. But the thought of Thanksgiving still glistens like a promise or a blameless dream.
There is no doubt, we have much to be thankful for through the Pandemic, loss of jobs, a lagging economy and the threat to our democracy, and why not? After cel- ebrating a presidential election where millions of voters throughout America and the world victory danced for the Biden election victory in the streets. Why shouldn’t cran- berries taste equally as sweet despite the sadness?
So, here’s what we want you to do. Prepare to have a “Zoom” Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings ex- cept for one... the family and friends will be on-line shar- ing their blessings. Whatever we do during this holiday season, please make the safety of you and other friends and family a priority.
This season, electronics will fill in the loneliness and help keep million of Americans safe and at home.
Yes, we Americans have much to be thankful for. But most important of all is the thankfulness for life. Happy Thanksgiving.
Holiday Schedule
The Florida Sentinel will be Closed Thursday, November 26th and Friday, November 27th. Will reopen
Monday, November 30th.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Enjoy your Family & Be Safe!
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PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2020