Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 8-21-20

Editorial/Columns
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We Need More Than 'Black Girl Magic'
ast week, Vice Presi-
dent Joe Biden chose California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate for the upcoming presiden- tial election. The pick was an historic one because it marked the first time that a Black woman was selected as a vice presidential candidate on a major party ticket.
While I understand the excitement that Harris brings to Biden's campaign, personally, I believe that Stacey Abrams, a former gubernatorial candidate from Georgia, would have been a better selection. But if Har- ris, a former hard-nosed prosecutor from Oakland, California, is the person who Biden believes will give him the best chance to defeat Donald Trump in Novem- ber, I wish him the best of luck.
I just wonder, with her being a member of the Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority, if it means that every campaign rally will kick off with CeCe Peniston's song, "Finally" blasting over the loud speaker? Anyone familiar with the step show scene at HBCUs over the last 30 years knows exactly what I'm talk- ing about.
On a serious note, I ap- plaud Biden for the gamble he took on Harris. While you would think that Amer- ica should be ready to elect a rock to the White House, rather than endure 4 more years of Trump, the reality is that this country may still not be comfortable seeing a woman, particularly a Black woman, in such a high posi- tion of power.
Even with the energy that Harris' presence creates, it doesn't discount the major issue her race and gender will be for those who realize there's a real possibility that
Biden, at 77, could leave of- fice sooner than expected. You have to imagine the idea of that happening, which would give the United States its very first female president in its 244 years of existence and the second African- American in the last 16 years, potentially gives the most well-meaning white individ- ual pause.
This is the x-factor that will ultimately decide the outcome of the election. It won't be the COVID-19 pan- demic, it won't be the state of the economy or Trump's lame attempt at voter sup- pression. It will all come down to whether or not mod- erate whites, who claim to despise Trump's behavior and who say that they em- brace diversity in public, will actually carry that same con- viction and open-minded- ness to the privacy of a voting booth?
If that doesn't happen, it won't matter how much "Black girl magic" Harris brings to the table, the end result will be the same.... A continuation of the worst po- litical, horror/comedy show we've ever witnessed.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbar- ronice@gmail.com.
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Dying To Die
We believe that only someone who has not met a Coronavirus survivor, or who has not had a friend or family member to die of COVID-19 would re- fuse to wear a mask or file a lawsuit to ban the wearing of a mask during this COVID pandemic. We found our- selves wondering if a large number of the world’s popu- lation or if millions of America’s senior citizens have to die before everyone gets the message, and agrees to wear masks.
Anti-mask protestors are literally dying to die (sui- cide) for some unknown reason because they are ignor- ing the risks of contracting the Coronavirus and the chance of living with permanent organ damage that the disease inflicts on organ systems. Corona wreaks havoc on the body by attacking our lungs, our heart muscle and lining, our blood vessels, our kidneys, the liver, and the brain.
Blood clots, seizures, amputations, strokes, acute hepatitis, diarrhea, memory loss, and loss of body parts are symptoms of Corona as well. The virus requires treatments such as amputations, dialysis, or continuous renal replacement therapy, and causes fatigue and un- controlled blood pressure that lasts for months. In spite of nearly total support of a ban on smoking in public buildings, and the use of seatbelts, too many people are balking at losing the opportunity to infect others and themselves by not wearing masks.
Wearing masks allows the wearer to protect them- selves and others by preventing respiratory droplets from escaping into the air. We wonder, therefore, if the mask protestors realize a cough can push respiratory droplets as far as 19 feet away, and a sneeze can push droplets up to 26 feet away, depending on a room’s hu- midity, temperature, and air flow.
We also wonder if they are aware that respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes can remain in the air for up to three hours.
The most important reason for wearing a mask is that people who do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected can infect others without either indi- vidual knowing it.
As for people who cannot wear masks, they should stay at least nineteen feet away from others; the distance respiratory droplets can travel. After all, realize that a death wish should not be presented as a democratic right to infect others.
Dreadlocks Or Not
PARI II OF II
Indeed, whites, Blacks, football players, other athletes, doctors, scientists,
musicians, lawyers, and everyday citizens wear dreads.
Even though the Supreme Court ruled we can be dis- criminated against for jobs if we wear dreadlocks to job in-
terviews, many states and cities across America have proposed laws and banned race-based hair discrimina- tion in the workplace and schools.
Too many adults and youth have been banned from jobs, schools and other public places for wearing natural curls, dreadlocks, twists, braids, and other hair
styles that embrace our cul- tural and historical heritage. If you live in California,
New York, Michigan, and five other cities and states, you are protected by laws ban- ning such discrimination.
As for women, after being pressured for generations to meet the European standard of straight hair; and after having endured years of heat and scabby scalps, relaxers, and weaves, more of us are beginning to love our own natural hair.
I don’t know about you, but I think hairstyle, as long as it is neat and clean, is both a personal and professional choice, that should be deter- mined by the wearer only.
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