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Editorials/Columns
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TDeath At The Rio Grande
his wasn’t a movie sequel starring Clint East-
wood, nor was it a lost episode of Gunsmoke. The story featured real-life actors who weren’t ac- tors at all, but were a father and his two-year-old daughter frozen by death in each other’s drowning arms as they struggled in vain to cross the Mexi- can-American border.
Suddenly, the audience, which was the world, stopped idly watching, and threw up in its pop- corn.
Yet, rumor has it someone said, when made aware that a Central American refugee and his two-year-old daughter had drowned while seeking freedom, “They should’ve come the right way.”
We are told, President Donald Trump himself, when informed of this latest immigrant tragedy, blamed it on the Democrats and was otherwise by no misery moved. Indeed, too many Americans weren’t shaken when made aware of what took place south of Texas.
Meanwhile, Conservative crowds continue to crow like roosters at Trump’s increasingly vitriolic rallies, and the world without popcorn begins to wonder if America has caught Nazi-pneumonia.
No one came to claim the corpses of the man and his daughter. However, rumor has it, a rose was found nestled on the shore where the two bod- ies were found. Alongside the rose was a brief note that read, “I weep for your deaths and welcome you to my arms as true and fellow Americans.”
It was signed, “Love, The Statue of Liberty.”
We, at the Sentinel, cc that note.
The Worst Dad Ever
W hen a man becomes a father one of the main things he's ex- pected to do is protect his child; along with providing for and teaching him or her right from wrong, that's his
top priority.
This is something I always
thought men knew instinc- tively. But, as it turns out, some guys don't appear to have a clue.
I came to this realization a few weeks ago when I ran across a story about a man who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for carjacking. While there wasn't anything particularly remarkable about his crime, the thing that shocked me was that his son, who received the same amount of time, was his co- defendant.
It was hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that a father would take his son with him on such a life de- stroying caper. It would be one thing if the father was a
well-known crook and the son went out on his own to follow in his old man's foot- steps. But for the father to show his son the ropes, knowing what could happen, is about as foul as it gets.
I mean, regardless of how much of a screw up a person is in life, he's still suppose to want better for his seed.
Unfortunately, in this sce- nario, that doesn't appear to be the case. Instead of lead- ing his child away from the pitfalls that come with living the street life, this is an indi- vidual who actually thought it was cool to pull his son into one.
I can only imagine what kind of affect this episode had on the boy's mother and grandparents? Losing a son and grandson simultane- ously to the system probably feels like they were witnesses to a murder/suicide.
And I'm sure the anger and pain they feel becomes even harder to deal with
knowing that the person re- sponsible for their anguish is someone who they least ex- pected would place one of his own in harm’s way.
The one good thing I can say about the father in this story is that he at least had good timing. Due to Congress recently changing the way federal gun charges can be stacked, he and his son were able to receive sentences that will give them an opportunity to recover from their mis- takes.
Had they engaged in the same activity a year earlier that would have been almost impossible because the judge would have been forced to make them both official members of the 40/40 club.
By now, I'm sure the father has attempted to apologize to his son for getting him into this mess. It is just too bad that the gesture, though most likely sincere, will do little to make up for the precious time they'll each lose off their life clocks because of poor decision-making and even worse, parenting.
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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Start Living Life Today
you’re married, all your time is devoted to your spouse.
Maybe you were waiting until you have children. Now that you have them, you’re waiting until they are grown and gone.
Maybe, you’re waiting on the right career. When you get that you’ll be too busy climbing the ladder of success; then you’ll find yourself waiting until you retire. What are you waiting for?
There will always be a rea- son why you should wait. Pro- crastination can kill a dream. Begin to focus on the reasons why you can’t wait and start living life today.
Let's continue to stay con- nected. Join me on Social Media for some daily motiva- tion.
Facebook: Selphenia Nichols Success Coach To Women; Instagram: Selphe- nia; or Twitter: queenodsuc- cess1.
To request Selphenia to speak or train at your upcom- ing event call (813) 603-0088.
“The life you desire to have begins when you start living it.”
–Selphenia Nichols Simmons
Empowered Greetings.
I want to ask you a question. What are you waiting for? What are you waiting for to start living and stop existing? What are you waiting for to maximize your potential? What are you waiting for to be all that you can be? What are you waiting for to live life to the fullest?
If you are like most people, you have buried dreams down on the inside of you. You have
hopes that were once flames of fire but have been reduced to smoldering ashes.
There are things you desire to do, places you desire to go and experiences you desire to have. Again I ask, “What are you waiting for?”
The rationale of your finite mind says that you are waiting for the right time. You have been postponing and procras- tinating living your best life...just to wait.
When you were younger you were waiting until you were older. Now you’re older, you think you’re too old. When you were single you were wait- ing until you get married. Now
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