Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 5-10-19

Editorial/Column
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Nothing Is As Bad As It Seems
Whenever I hear about someone commit- ting suicide, like most people I imagine, the first question I often ask is what pushed the person to take such a drastic route? What was so bad about his or her life that they felt it would be better to cut it short?
The thing I wish I could tell these individuals before- hand is that there's almost nothing you can experience on this plane of existence that can't be overcome. Even though issues such as heart- break, financial ruin, embar- rassing episodes, and failure can cause huge amounts of anxiety and stress, the good news is that their devastating effects don't last long. And, like a wise man told me years ago, it doesn't make sense to resort to a permanent solu- tion for a problem that only lasts temporarily.
When I get depressed,
which happens more fre- quently than I would like to admit, I always get over my gloomy thoughts by remem- bering those who have it worse. After which I become ashamed at the fact that I even allowed myself to wal- low in self-pity when the re- alization hits that, regardless of how terrible my circum- stances may seem, there's al- ways somebody who would love to switch places.
I mean, how could I dare complain about needing a new pair of shoes after com- ing across a man who has no feet? Or, more pointedly, how could I allow myself to get emotionally down about the time I was sentenced to prison when there are men and women out there with- out release dates who are housed in even harsher con- ditions?
When you look at life with that kind of perspective
you'll soon realize that the things you may worry the most about are, in actuality, mild inconveniences or minor setbacks compared to what others may be endur- ing. And moaning about what could have been or what you don't have only makes you look petty and ungrateful to those who are far less fortunate.
In chapter 3:4 of the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible it says, “There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and time to dance.”
What I've always inter- preted this passage to mean is that in life you must be prepared to deal with what- ever comes your way, whether it be good or bad.
The one thing we should never forget when we're going through our trials and tribulations is that it's always the darkest before the dawn. You just have to have enough patience to make it through the night so you can see the sun rise again.
R.I.P. Aaron Joshua
Ferguson White 8/12/92
--- 5/4/19.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Company. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbarronice@gmail.com.
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American Frogs
here is a story about how people’s minds can be
bent to the point that they will happily commit suicide. Another story making its rounds is the one about placing a frog in a container of water then grad- ually increasing the water’s temperature one degree at a time until the water comes to a boil and the frog is cooked to death without ever having known he was dying. When we think of Americans who are still sup- porting President Donald Trump after the horrible things he has said and done, we can’t help but think of the poor frog that died unwittingly.
After all, American voters have indulged Trump in mismanaging America much like he managed his bankrupt companies and voters appear to like it. Hav- ing been granted great tax breaks, major corporations with millions in profit pay no taxes and get tax refunds, while workers pay taxes through their noses. At least 60 of America’s biggest companies (Netflix, Amazon, General Motors, etc.) made $79 billion in profit, yet paid not one penny in taxes in 2018. We are, therefore, the ones who enrich companies that pay no taxes and or received tax refunds.
Strangely enough, we are willing to continue to pay income taxes while Trump and major corporations make billions in profit, yet pay not one cent in income taxes. In all probability, that is the reason Trump won’t share his income tax reports. Moreover, Trump con- tinues to try to rip healthcare coverage from more than 8 million Americans on Obamacare, attempts to wrest Medicare and Medicaid from the elderly and poor. Yet, few of us protest about it and even fewer of us act like we care. We are still waiting for the hue and cry from Americans about the country’s failure to address cli- mate change while lifting or cancelling rules that pro- tect our environment.
We wait for the day when more voters wake up and say “enough is enough!” We pray America will not be like the frog in increasingly hot water.
State News
Lawsuit Alleges Man Harassed At Starbucks
A South Florida man has filed a lawsuit against a Star- bucks Coffee Shop in Bran- don. He alleges he was harassed by store employees while visiting.
In the lawsuit, Lorne Green said he has visited the business with white col- league before and never had a problem. However, Green said when he visited the business at 2350 W. Bran- don Blvd., on April 22nd, he was harassed.
He said during a press conference that he went to the bathroom before placing his order and heard an em- ployee say, “the big Black guy is headed for the bathroom.”
He stated during the press conference that as he used the bathroom, employ- ees continuously banged on
Lorne Green is shown with his attorney, Jasmine Rand.
the door, asking if he needed fire rescue.
Green said he began to fear for his life when the em- ployees said they were going to call police.
When deputies arrived, Green said he was issued a
citation for trespassing. This is not the first time the coffee shop chain has been accused of harassment of their African American customers.
Green is represented by Attorney Jasmine Rand in the lawsuit.
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