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Editorials/Columns
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Anything For Mass Appeal
am Newton is Mexi-
can. I know this because the Carolina Panther's super- star quarterback admitted as much during an interview with a Mexican television station a few weeks ago.
It was a revelation so sur- prising and so unexpected that I could barely get the words "NEGRO PLEASE" out of my mouth before bursting out into laughter.
Not since Tiger Woods told the world: "I'm not Black, I'm caublasian" twenty years ago had I heard something so utterly ridiculous.
Newton's “I'm Mexican, I'm African, I'm American, I'm a little bit of everything" was arguably worse because, unlike Woods (whose mother is ac- tually Asian), Newton's par- ents appear to be two regular Black people from Georgia. I mean his Pops could pass for "light-skinned." But viewing
him as a distant cousin of Oscar De La Hoya would definitely be a bit of a stretch.
To be fair to the young brother, I don't have any evi- dence to dispute what New- ton is saying. Maybe he found something on Ancestry.com that led him to believe that his roots, somehow, traced back to the country south of the bor- der.
I just find it hard to believe, after all of his years in the NFL and numerous stories focused on his background, that this fun fact about Newton's "true" heritage conveniently surfaced while he was promot- ing the football league to a Mexican audience. I guess it's a good thing the NFL wasn't attempting to expand to China, otherwise, this Newton con- versation would probably be about claiming himself to be a descendant of the Ming Dy- nasty.
Newton's comments now give me a better understanding of some of his questionable ac- tions in the past. When he was conspicuously silent during the unrest that followed the shooting of an unarmed Black man by police in Charlotte last year, it may not have been due to the fact that he didn't grasp the gravity of the situation. As a trans-racial Mexican, it could be assumed that he simply no longer identified with the plight of Black lives.
At this point it would make little sense to be upset with Newton for his confused state of self-awareness. In this new era, where it's cool to be what- ever you want, his shameless pandering is his way of em- bracing the trend for maxi- mum self benefit. Instead of keeping his soul to himself, he's proving to the check writ- ers on Madison Ave. that he's willing to part with it if it means profiting from a posi- tion of mass appeal.
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Parents, Monitor Your Children On Social Media
We get it! Parents are just too busy handling the pressures of their jobs, parenting duties, shop- ping, cooking, home, and car maintenance along with
other family chores to keep up with everything and every- body.
However, no parent should be too stressed out to check out their children’s use of social media on a regular basis. E
Every parent should have the passwords to each type of social media on which their children are logged or have an account. If not, consider that doing so might save your child’s life.
Numerous instances come to mind of bullying, photo- graphs taken illegally, expressions and acts of suicide, rape and drunken parties in progress and possible online predators.
Parents and children may be placed at risk of cyber identity theft, burglary of their homes, viruses, credit card scams, and stunting children’s ability to socially in- teract and engage in face-to-face conversations.
Because of increased data that connects the use of the internet and social media with bullying, depression, and suicide, we encourage all parents to become informed. After all, the life you save just might be the one you helped to bring into this world.
How Much Do You Need Change?
“When you are through changing, you are through.”
~Bruce Barton mpowered Greet-
ings. How much do you need change? I am not talking about change for a $50, $20 or a $10 bill. I want to know do you need change for your life?
Stop right now and take a moment to reflect on your life’s journey. Are you doing what you thought you would be doing at this age? Or... do you need change? Are you liv- ing the life you thought you would be living by now? Or... do you need change?
Are you sick in your body? Do you take medicine when you wake up and when you lay down? If so, then you need change. You need a physical change.
Is your mind tired and con- fused? Have you lost your peace and sense of direction? Are you lost, wandering and wondering, “Why can’t I seem to get it together?” Then you need change. You need a men- tal change.
If you don’t have two nic- kels to rub together to make a dime and you have more bills than you have money. Then you need change. You need a financial change.
Do you feel exhausted, de- pleted or are you experiencing a loss of hope? Do you ques- tion, “Is there a God and does he care for me?” Well, you need change. You need a spir- itual change.
No matter who you are, or where you are in life, nine times out of ten you need change.
When you begin to em- brace change, and be empow- ered to change, then your life will change for the better.
Change what you put into life and you will change what you get out of life.
Until next column, be em- powered to change.
To contact Selphenia Nichols-Simmons, Email: selphenia@successcoach- towomen.com
Follow her on twitter @queenofsuccess1 Face- book: Selphenia Nichols Success Coach To Women Instagram: Selphenia; Call 813-603-0088.
E
Syria, North Korea And Peter Cotton Tail
issiles flew, yesterday. Diplomats fly, today.
Today, warships ply the Pacific. But who or what will fly, on Easter Sunday?
Who knows?
Meanwhile, flag wavers and nail biters recount what happened days ago when 50 cruise missiles named after Ameri-can Indian weapons of war rained down on a Syr- ian airstrip thought to be the site of jets that carried out sarin gas attacks on innocent Syrian civilians in the name of the Syrian Government.
Almost simultaneously, a U. S. Navy strike force set sail for waters off the North Korean coast in a muscle- flex as to what might happen if North Korea continues its nuclear weapons program.
In the meantime, at least ten thousand school chil- dren and their parents are waiting in Washington, D. C. to hear whether or not Peter Cotton Tail will do as he has done for the past 138 years, come to visit the White House to hide 10,000 eggs.
M
As of yet, no directive has been sent or acceptance made. Once again, what’s the plan?
Was there a plan when President Donald Trump, tears streaming from Tweet-stained eyes, beheld Syrian children ruined with sarin gas and let loose the dogs of war? Is there a plan as to what will happen when warships reach N. Korea and somebody blinks?
And even though the first two questions are on the level of Third World War, dare we not venture to ask, is there a plan for an Easter Egg hunt at the Washington, D.C. White House . . . at Mar-a-Lago (the so-called Southern White House), or at Trump-Towers where the new First Lady is exiled as if she were a wife of King Henry VIII?
Dare we merit an explanation in times like these? What is up, or down or what’s true or fake?
And when we wake up on Easter Sunday, will we be greeted by eggs from a bunny or burned out sticks of wood and twisted steel from a nuclear nightmare?
PAGE 6-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2017