Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 2-12-19

Editorial/Column
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his Friday we're going to find out just how much Donald Trump
enjoys the idea of making people slaves. That is when he threatens to shut the gov- ernment back down (once again stopping the paychecks of his subordinates), if the House of Representatives doesn't come up with a bill that includes funding for his beloved border wall.
To some individuals I'm sure that classifying govern- ment workers as slave labor- ers comes off a bit harsh and insulting. But, to be honest, I don't know how else to de- scribe people who may be forced to punch time cards without being paid for their services?
Even though their work- place conditions aren't nearly as horrible as what Africans in southern tobacco and cotton fields had to en- dure over 150 years ago, it
doesn't change the fact that, if the shutdown does occur, many federal employees will be working from can't-see- morning to can't-see-night for free while the person re- sponsible for their humble circumstances comfortably resides inside of his own plantation-styled big house.
Of course, it's hard to have a great deal of sympa- thy for these federal employ- ees considering that many of them will choose to continue clocking in 40-hour work weeks, without pay, out of loyalty and the hope that they'll eventually be compen- sated for their efforts. Though I can't help but won- der, when they're putting up with all of the usual crap that comes with a job, if they'll develop a newfound compas- sion and appreciation for tel- evision series classics like Roots, Underground and Queen?
The worst part of it is that all of this potential financial suffering won't even go to- wards a worthy cause. Trump insists that a large part of why a wall is needed is to stop the flow of deadly drugs into the country. But when you take into account that the biggest drug prob- lem America faces right now involves the consumption of pill form opiates that are dis- tributed by pharmaceutical companies already here, a physical barrier seems out- right pointless.
I don't know about any- one else but, to me, it's pretty disturbing that in 2019 some U. S. citizens can still be thrust into, what's basically, indentured servitude as part of an egomaniac's political posturing.
But, I guess, it stands as further proof that, regardless of what ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation you be- long, when it comes to a game that involves money, power and greed at the high- est levels, we're all pawns whose lives and livelihoods are equally expendable.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbar- ronice@gmail.com.
Slavery By Another Name
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C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
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Trump’s State Of The Union Address:
At The End Of The Day
ealizing the eyes of the entire modern world
were focused on the slightest jut of his jaw or squint of his eye . . . recognizing thats after the political drubbing handed him by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (who sat directly and menacingly behind him as once he did to another woman who ran for president), with all these things privately and politically on his mind, the 45th president took to the microphone for his sec- ond State of the Union Address . . . and gave a speech of a lifetime.
Indeed, and to his credit, Donald Trump was not himself, the other night. Staying on-script, he declined to rave, rant, and reminisce about the glory days of his campaign barnstorming. He spoke about things he sel- dom, if ever spoke about . . . healthcare, HIV research, education, coming down hard on the cost of medicine, then introducing America and a packed House of Rep- resentatives audience to men, women, and children who stole everyone’s heart in their capacity as Ameri- can heroes and Trump-supporters.
Not everyone stood to applaud. Many military men sat stone faced while others sat on their hands. In truth, kudos go to a brilliant cadre of speech writers who somehow convinced our president that he should listen to someone other than himself.
Therefore, Trump’s shining hour-and-a-half State of the Union speech should be seen as successful if only theatrically.
For, at the end of the day, he remains a hard-headed Dennis-the-Menace, and Nancy Pelosi remains the Speaker of the House. But at least, for a moment, the world could dream.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5