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Editorials/Columns
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Two More Fall For The Devil’s Trick Bag
o one is immune to
greed. At some point we've all wanted more than we actually needed.
For the average person, being a little gluttonous typi- cally doesn't result in much more than an upset stomach, a guilty conscious or, if you're a gambler, empty pockets. But, when greed is mixed with criminal behavior and care- lessness, the consequences can become a lot more detri- mental.
Right now I can only imag- ine that Eric and La Joyce Houston, the two former Tampa Police officers who were indicted by the feds for their involvement in an iden- tity theft and tax fraud scam, are learning this first hand. Their lives and careers have been ruined all because they made a decision to violate the law, that they took an oath to uphold, in an attempt to add more comfort to their already comfortable existence.
But, more than their greed and the fact that they waited until they were well passed middle-age to try their hand at committing crime, the thing that mystifies me the most
about the Houstons is how they allowed themselves to be duped by a woman who was described as a "longtime" con- fidential informant inside of their own department? I just can't figure out how two vet- eran cops, one a detective, came to the conclusion that they could trust a woman who's been assisting authori- ties for years?
While they were scavenging the state justice system, look- ing for personal information they could use, at some point they had to come across their co-defendants record, right? I mean you would think, with the access the Houstons had, that it would be kind of hard for them to not notice that the person who they were pulling a caper with had been helping a few of their co-workers.
To me it's more than amaz- ing that neither of them came across anything that would have given them pause before going through with their ne- farious operation. But, as it turns out, they didn't and that's why they are the subject of this column.
I would give the Houstons a pass for not being street
smart enough to realize that they couldn't trust anyone in the criminal underworld, es- pecially since they were squares who didn't belong. But the fact that they were seasoned officers, with decades of experience, they should have known that the so-called "code of honor" be- tween crooks was broken years ago when Nicky Barnes sold out his commis- sion and obliterated after "Sammy The Bull" gave up John Gotti.
This is why I can't really feel sorry for the Houstons. They knew that the game they were playing was dirty. They knew the person they were working with was shady. And, for some crazy reason, they jumped in head first anyway.
Now here they are embar- rassed, ashamed and, more than likely, facing several years in prison, their fate ulti- mately falling in the hands of a judge who will, no doubt, feel like they should have known better.
Hopefully, after it's all said and done, they will, at least, be able to salvage their marriage. If not, it will be just one more thing they can chalk up as a loss after falling for the oldest trick in the devil's playbook.
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C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. 1930-2010 (1977)
Pres. Trump: The Emperor’s New Clothes
o doubt, you recall Hans Christian Anderson. He’s the
one who wrote “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” a satire about an extremely self-centered head of state who was duped into believing that he could be given clothes so supremely stitched that no one in his or her right mind could look without realizing “His Majesty” was “THE BOMB.”
And it worked except for one little boy who looked at the Emperor passing by in-parade, and who yanked his father’s coat sleeve and yelled with all his might, “THE EMPEROR IS BUTT-NAKED!”
The world came to a stop. In a heartbeat, the Emperor at last realized he had been hoodwinked, glared at the little boy and with his naked “Doughboy” physique growled, “I AM NOT!” Then he strutted once more down the street.
Anderson wrote “The Emperor’s New Clothes” in 1837. More than two centuries later, who does that sound like? If you’d answer “The 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump,” you probably would be among a growing number of people worldwide who have come to regard Trump as a com- bination of the Popeye cartoon character Bluto, Mussolini, Hitler, Russian mad monk Rasputin, his 21st century almost- name-sake Putin, Barnum and Bailey Circus founder John Ringling, and professional wrestler Vince McMahon . . . none of the previously given names would rank highly on the scale of most endearing Presidents of the United States.
Yet, Trump’s first 100 days in office have been a miracle of absurdities. Indeed, the more he acts like Archie Bunker, the more a certain American segment loves him. Thus, we come to the naked truth of a 21st century Nero. He couldn’t expose himself if his subjects didn’t clamor to see it. So, who is the most exposed?
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TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5
Woman Power
Empowered Greetings. The story of Deborah the Warrior Princess can
be found in the Bible, Judges Chapter 4 and 5. Deborah was a prophetic judge who’s incite led Israel to have victory against Sisera following 20 years of oppression.
God instructed Deborah to call Barak and command him to take 10,000 men and storm Mt. Tabor where God will trap Sisera’s army.
Barak said he would only go if Deborah went with him. She agreed. However, because of this Barak would not re- ceive the honor of having gained the victory. Instead, Jael, a woman of courage slayed Sisera with her bare hands, and therefore receives recognition for doing so.
Women, I want to inspire you to get in a position like
Deborah so that you can hear the voice of God. Deborah was notable for being a wise woman that gave great counsel and judged the Israelites well during her tenure. She was an oracle of God.
Here’s what I want you to glean from Deborah. When God speaks to you, that em- powers you to speak wisdom into the life of others. It was Deborah’s obedience to God’s instruction that posi- tioned Israel to be delivered from oppression. Obeying the commands that God will give you, puts you at an advantage over those that come against you and the people you have been called to serve.
The next thing to be gar- nered from Deborah’s story is to honorably accept com- mendations that are due you for the work you have done.
The work you do in the com- munity, company, church or any other place speaks for you. You are worthy of the praise. Kindly and humbly accept it.
Woman power is some- thing that must be respected locally and abroad. We are at the close of the month where women around the world are celebrated for their contribu- tions on a national and inter- national level.
However, this should not be the end of your celebration. Take time on a regular basis and recognize a woman that has impacted your life for the better.
Stay connected with Selphenia! Check out her website at SuccessCoach- ToWomen.com.
Follow her on social media for tips and strategies you can use for life and business suc- cess. Facebook: Selphenia Nichols Success Coach to Women Instagram: @Selphenia Twitter: @queenofsuccess1.
Invite Selphenia to speak, train or Emcee your next event. Call 813-603- 0088.
Train Americans For ‘Stem’ Careers
lack Americans (both men and women) and other mi-
norities are visibly underrepresented in the fields of sci- ence, technology, engineering, and mathematics, fields collectively referred to as “STEM.” Yet, these are the careers where America has a difficult time finding workers. Why?
Recent data reveals there are 500,000 job openings in America’s computer industry. Yet, there have been fewer than 40,000 new computer science graduates to fill them. The need of America’s “digital economy” continues to grow. Yet, our Black middle and high school youths continue to avoid science and mathematics classes like the plague, and continue to ignore them on the college level. Why?
Disparities remain in all fields of science and engineering where Black Americans represent less than seven percent of workers in the top ten technology companies, only two per- cent of biomedical graduate students, 15 percent of comput- ing workers, and 12 percent of the engineers.
There is a role, however, for parents, childcare workers, youth counselors/ mentors, youth serving organizations, civil and fraternal groups, and religious organizations to play in preparing and increasing the number of Black students who pursue STEM careers.
Indeed community-based and religious-based STEM pro-
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grams that expose Black youth to computers and computer games at young ages, parents en- couraging their children to take mathematics and science courses in school, purchasing STEM related toys and games for youth; and STEM workers serving as mentors and guest speakers are strategies that could help increase the number of Black youths pursuing STEM degrees.
Immigration has been America’s answer to filling STEM worker needs. Yet, it’s time for America to raise and train our own children to be STEM workers and to show the world that we are still a land of genius and creativity.