Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 11-30-18

Editorial/Columns
FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN
(USPS 202-140)
2207 21st Avenue, Tampa Florida 33605 • (813) 248-1921 Published Every Tuesday and Friday By
FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHING Co., Member of National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)
S. KAY ANDREWS, PUBLISHER
C. BLYTHE ANDREWS III, PRESIDENT/CONTROLLER ALLISON WELLS-CLEBERT, CFO
GWEN HAYES, EDITOR
IRIS HOLTON, CITY EDITOR
BETTY DAWKINS, ADVERTISING DIRECTOR HAROLD ADAMS, CIRCULATION MANAGER TOYNETTA COBB, PRODUCTION MANAGER LAVORA EDWARDS, CLASSIFIED MANAGER
Subscriptions-$44.00-6 Months Both Editions: $87.00-Per Year Both Editions.
Opinions expressed on editorial pages of this newspaper by Columnists or Guest Writers, do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of The Florida Sentinel Bulletin or the Publisher.
ive centuries ago, William Shakespeare said, “All
the world’s a stage.” Five centuries later, we won- der if Shakespeare would be willing to amend his ob- servation by saying, “All the world’s a Facebook.”
And why not? A citizen of the 21st century wakes up and before placing feet on the floor or deciding whether to visit the toilet or fetch a cup of coffee in- stead fishes and activates his or her true friend . . . a Smart-phone . . . wherein he or she proceeds to tell the supposedly interested world what he or she was think- ing, directly before blowing his nose. What’s worse is that every minute thing dictated to the smart-phone which finds its way to a Facebook, Google, iPhone, or iCloud file has no guarantee that it may not end up on the hard-drive of either a hacker or business-huckster.
So, whatever privacy John-or-Joan Q private citizen may have imagined they have is, at worst, a cruel and pitiless psychological rape.
And what is a human being without privacy? Re- searchers reveal most computer consumers have no idea that unless they’re very careful, the card-size giz- mos many of them nestle with in bed while asleep, never sleeps.
Too often, startled sleepers waken only to discover the phone they were watching had instead been watch- ing them and having conversations about what they (the machines) had seen. Yet, the love affair with cell- phones seems to have become a hopeless addiction based on the belief that the world does indeed want to know what size shoe we wear.
In other words, the idea of electronic privacy has gone the way of the hobbit and the dinosaur. And as the dream of “fifteen minutes of fame” shrivels to “fifteen seconds of Facebook exposure,” more fellow human beings are willing to trade their souls for a make-be- lieve celebrity. . .
Therefore, this is a warning for anyone who cares about privacy, sanity, and democracy: Be careful who and what you put on your Facebook, etc.
Feature
Even Jesus Wouldn’t Stand A Chance
imagine it's a good thing that a character like The Black Panther only exists inside of the Marvel Comic Universe. In the real world he, more than likely, would have been shot and killed by trigger happy police officers
by now.
As sad as it may sound,
that's how worthless a Black man's life seems to be in this country these days. It's so bad that even an act of hero- ism couldn't save him from being snuffed out by a cop who wouldn't be able to see beyond the color of his skin.
This, unfortunately, is how two young men were taken from their families re- cently. One, a security guard at a club outside of Chicago, was shot by cops as he sub- dued a suspect; the other, a soldier home on leave inside of an Alabama mall, was gunned down for simply try- ing to protect those around him during a shootout. Both
victims of an unwritten rule among law enforcement offi- cers that says, "if Black skin is present, take no chances."
After this latest episode in Alabama, I think it's worth trying to figure out what America deems "acceptable" behavior for Black people. As it stands already, driving while Black, walking while Black, barbecuing while Black, partying while Black and attempting to enter your own apartment building while Black are all violations that will either get you ar- rested, harassed or filled with ventilation holes.
Now it seems that saving lives has also become a health risk for Black folk as well.
The most frustrating thing about the incidents we're seeing is that whenever high profile athletes like Le- Bron James or Colin Kaepernick attempt to bring attention to the issue
they're told, mostly by people who aren't affected by the problem, to "shut up and dribble" or that "sports are no place for politics."
But what's political about trying to prevent individuals, who've been given a certain amount of authority, from using their positions to bla- tantly exterminate an entire racial demographic?
At this point, I'm not sure what else we can do (outside of avoiding contact with law enforcement all together) to stop cops from using Black bodies for target practice? I know a lot of people place their hope in Jesus coming down from heaven to save us. But, the cruel irony is, if He came back with an ap- pearance anything similar to how He is described in the Bible, they probably would- n't hesitate blowing Him away on sight either?
It is all enough to really make you wanna holla. It's just too bad that all the screaming, marching and yelling in the world still won't make a bit of differ- ence to people who simply don't give a damn.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbar- ronice@gmail.com.
POSTMASTER: Send Address Change To: Florida Sentinel Bulletin,
P.O. Box 3363 Tampa, FL 33601 Periodical Postage Paid At Tampa, FL
C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. 1930-2010 (1977)
The Death Of Privacy: Facebook Madness
Popular Gospel Singer Passes
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
A popular gospel singer passed away last Sunday (Nov. 25th) in Hospice Care after a long time illness. She was 76 years old.
Funeral services for Mrs. Nellie Sheppard have been planned for this weekend, 11 a. m., at Word of Grace Min- istries, 30th St. and Hanna Ave. (See funeral notice for additional information).
Although she carried a soft demeanor, and a broad smile, Mrs. Sheppard had a strong, gospel voice. She shared her voice with several bay area groups, as well as in her church. She was often called upon to appear on pro- grams to sing, and was often a speaker on Women’s Day programs.
Her popularity at the time led her to perform on the Bobby Jones Gospel Hour on at least 2 occasions.
A native of Dooly County, GA, Mrs. Sheppard came to Tampa as a young woman in her 20s. She initially united with Northside M. B. Church under the Rev. Jacob Jor- dan. She later united with Evening Star Tabernacle M. B. Church, where she has been a longtime member.
Mrs. Sheppard sang with the Philippian Gospel Singers and Eddie Mae Jack-
son and the Voices of Zion. When the Tampa Bay Gospel Legends organized about 5 years ago, she eagerly united with the group and served until illness would no longer allow.
The mother of 5 sons, Mrs. Sheppard spent many of her work years as a hostess at the Lawrence Truck Stop, a family-owned business at Platt and Cass Sts.
In a photo from the past, Mrs. Nellie Sheppard, 2nd from right, is shown with other members of the Voices of Zion.
I
F
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5-A