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Editorial/Column
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Imagine this scenario, if you will. A member of your family goes to han- dle an outstanding warrant at the sheriff's department and ends up being booked into the county jail.
Two days later, you're no- tified that your family mem- ber died while in custody. The authorities eventually release your loved one’s re- mains, but there's a problem.
His heart, throat and brain are missing. And, to add insult to injury, once you inquire about what hap- pened to your family mem- ber's organs, no one can give you a clear answer as to their location. In essence, they've vanished without a trace.
If this sounds too bizarre to be true, think again. This is the devastating experience the family of Everett Palmer, Jr., had to endure in Lancaster, Pennsylvania back in 2018.
It has been a year since the mysterious case of the 41- year-old Army veteran's death and subsequent loss of his organs first transpired. And, since then, the family has been attempting to find the whereabouts of his body parts or who's responsible for taking them?
The disturbing part of this story is that what happened with Palmer is just one of numerous cases involving the unexplained removal of organs from Black people after deaths that occurred under suspicious circum- stances. And, for some strange reason, the main- stream media has remained silent on the issue.
If the Palmer event was a singular, first-of-its-kind,
episode it would be under- standable for news outlets to treat the incident as an anomaly. But, considering there have been other cases, including that of Ryan Sin- gleton, whose body was found in a California desert without his eyes, heart or liver intact and Kendrick Johnson, whose shocking organ removal was only dis- covered after his body was exhumed for a second au- topsy following his contro- versial death inside of a high school gym in Valdosta, Georgia, I think it's safe to assume that these occur- rences may not be as random as they appear.
During Hurricane Kat- rina in 2005, and after the earthquake that ravished Haiti in 2010, I remember rumors circulating during each of those catastrophes about children who were being kidnapped by individ- uals who wanted to harvest their organs on the black- market.
Though those stories were written off as urban leg- end, when you see what's happening now, and think about the number of inci- dents that may have gone unnoticed due to quick buri- als, it's hard not to wonder if there could be some truth be- hind the speculation?
While it may seem far- fetched to imagine some ne- farious conspiracy to kill people for their body parts, once you take into account the level of demand there is around the world for healthy human tissue and the profit that could be obtained by those who traffic in such a rare commodity, it's not out
of the realm of possibility that an unscrupulous med- ical examiner or mortician could exploit their access to cadavers (particularly those which they may deem poor and destitute) in order to make a buck.
What are known as body brokers claim to earn be- tween $3,000-10,000 off of each body they obtain through so-called "dona- tions" depending on the age and condition of the speci- men.
But, typically, most of these companies often sell bodies piece by piece to fit customer needs. A full torso with legs is worth $3,750, a head $500, a foot $350 and a spine can bring in some- where in the neighborhood of $300.
According to a report con- ducted by Reuters, one com- pany in Phoenix, Arizona, estimated that it could profit over $13.5 million over five years based on collecting just 2,100 bodies. With numbers like these making death big business, it's easy to see the motivation of those who would hasten someone's de- mise or do whatever it takes to acquire as many human remains as possible.
Of course, knowing what may be the cause of the organ snatching phenome- non does little to help fami- lies like the Palmers locate the missing parts that will give them closure in their grief. But, now that the rest of us are aware of what can occur behind the scenes, I think we would all benefit from paying more attention whenever one of our loved ones departs so that when we pray for them to rest in peace, we can take comfort in knowing that all of his or her pieces are actually present.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbar- ronice@gmail.com.
Beware Of The Body Snatchers
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C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
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Happy Father’s Day
rom our hearts to yours, Happy Father’s Day to all
fathers (fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and big brothers, etc. and responsible men), taking part in the raising of your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or brothers and sisters.
All men play a role in raising children with whom they spend time. Watching and interacting with men whom they come in contact with is how young boys learn how to act like men. Our prayer is that the men they observe and interact with are “Good and Godly men.
But what is a good man? It’s someone who claims a power greater than himself; who spends quality time with his children; who respects his children’s mother and all other women; who listens with understanding; who works to provide the needs of his family or those for whom he has responsibility; who keeps his prom- ises; who is honest, ethical, and understanding; who talks to his family members with love and respect; and who is patient. Do you know a father like that?
More important is the idea that fathers and father- figures practice what they preach. Children become confused and resentful when they see the men in their lives all live like bullies, thieves, adulterers, liars or practice other self-destructive behavior. How difficult can it be to tell your children not to behave in a manner the child sees you behave often.
All men must walk the walk instead of “talking the talk.”
To those men who at least try to be good men, we en- courage and thank you for stepping up to the plate and for being the man our children need in their lives.
For those of us whose fathers are alive, but have lit- tle to no relationship with their fathers or father-fig- ure, we encourage you to seek spiritual healing for yourself and offer forgiveness to your father. Let Fa- ther’s Day be a day of redemption for all fathers and a day of healing for children.
Perhaps, we can begin to heal Black families when our children are no longer placed in a tug of war and love between fathers and mothers and are reconnected with their fathers. Happy Father’s Day, every day!”
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FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5-A