Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 10-10-17

Another View Revisited:
The Star Spangled Banner Controversy
I have watched with great interest the big controversy surrounding the choice of many professional athletes who have decided to kneel during the playing of the National Anthem as a means of protesting inequalities in America. Some in society, led by President Donald Trump in partic- ular, have expressed outrage claiming that it is disrespect- ful to our brave soldiers, many of whom have given their lives in defense of this country so that we all might have freedom.
Mr. Trump said that these protesting “SOBs” should be fired. This controversy leads me to ask the following: What is the Star Spangled Banner, where did it come from and what does it mean?
It was first a poem written in the year 1814 by an ama- teur poet, Francis Scott Key. In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson signed an executive order making it the National Anthem and in 1931, under President Herbert Hoover, it was enacted into law. There are four verses but we only sing the first. Here is that verse:
O say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed
at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare,
the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night
that our flag was still there;
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
It is the hardest song in the world to sing and I must admit that all of my life I never knew all the words to the song nor had I ever given much thought to what they meant. In an informal survey of family and friends I am not alone in my ignorance and I suspect that if all of society were honest we would find that most are like me.
While I have never served in the military, I have many family members and friends who have, including two sons, one of which served in the Gulf War and I have the greatest respect for our military. I have never considered the Star Spangled Banner to be a measure of that respect and I have never met anyone watching an event on television that stood for the anthem. I am certain that many athletes come from military families and may have had loved ones to die in service to this country.
Blacks first came to America in 1619 as slaves. With the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 and the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865 slavery was abolished on paper. To this day, Blacks as a group are still negatively impacted by stereotypes and prejudices dating back to slavery. Some others in American society either fail to understand this fact, are in denial, or simply don’t care.
I have no idea what Francis Scott Key meant by the above verse of his poem or any of the other three. Al- though some have speculated what he meant, I can’t find any record where he explained it. However, there are cer- tain facts that cannot be denied.
In 1814, the author of the Anthem was himself a slave owner and Blacks in America were slaves. So when he ref- erenced the land of the free and the home of the brave, he certainly wasn’t talking about us. Never-the-less, Black Americans love this country and have contributed mightily to and have received some benefits from its success.
Just another view.
BY SAMUEL KINSEY Tampa
Government News
Senator Files Bill To Create Florida Fuel-Supply Reserve
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U. S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) took steps to ensure that Florida’s residents and first respon- ders have access to the gaso- line they need before and after a storm.
Senator Nelson filed legislation to create a Florida gas supply reserve to prevent future gas shortages like those seen throughout the state before Hurricane Irma. Specifically, the legis- lation requires the Secretary of Energy to create a “Florida Gasoline Supply Reserve” that would hold a minimum of one million barrels of re- fined petroleum products in two locations: one on Florida’s west coast and one on the east coast.
Senator Nelson said, “When a major storm is
BILL NELSON U. S. Senator
heading towards our state, we have to make sure people have access to the gas they need to get out of harm’s way. A Florida gas reserve would not only help prevent some of the gas shortages we saw ahead of Hurricane Irma, but would also help
ensure that our first respon- ders have the fuel they need to help people during and after the storm.”
Gas shortages became widespread throughout Florida as residents were or- dered to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma.
Those gas shortages af- fected not only residents and visitors trying to flee the storm’s path, but also ham- pered first responders’ and local governments’ efforts to prepare for the storm.
Last month, Senator Nelson sent a letter to Sec- retary of Energy Rick Perry urging him to use his author- ity to create a gasoline re- serve supply for Florida, similar to the one the Depart- ment of Energy set up in the Northeast following Super- storm Sandy.
Elected Officials File Legislation To Reduce Gun Violence
TALLAHASSEE --- Sen- ator Audrey Gibson (D- Jacksonville) and Representative Lori Berman (D-Lantana) are filing bills designed to tem- porarily prevent individuals who are at high risk of harm- ing themselves or others from accessing firearms. The legislation allows family, household members, and law enforcement to obtain a court order when there is demonstrated evidence that the person poses a signifi- cant danger to themselves or others, including danger as a result of a mental health cri- sis or violent behavior.
Senator Audrey Gib- son said, “It is critical to ad- dress senseless gun deaths that now seem to be more the norm than a rarity. This bill is designed to remove from harm’s way individuals who are at high risk of harm- ing themselves or others through an act of gun vio- lence. A temporary, evi- denced-based court order to remove a firearm from the home can be extremely help- ful in curbing dangerous cri- sis behavior.”
SENATOR AUDREY GIBSON
The purpose and intent of this legislation HB 231, with the Senate measure awaiting a bill number - is to reduce gun deaths and in- juries by allowing an order to temporarily restrict a per- son's access to firearms, while simultaneously re- specting constitutional right.
Court orders are in- tended to be limited to situ- ations in which the person poses a significant danger of harming themselves or oth- ers by possessing a firearm, and include standards and safeguards to protect the rights of respondents and
due process of law.
Rep. Lori Berman, “In
light of Sunday night’s tragedy in Las Vegas, it is more important than ever that we address how to limit gun violence. This bill pro- vides a mechanism for fam- ily or household members and law enforcement to stop bad actors before tragedy happens. The legislation also gives family members a pathway for removing firearms from individuals in the throes of a dangerous mental health crisis, includ- ing suicidal ideations.”
REPRESENTATIVE LORI BERMAN
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2017