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Editorials/Columns
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Next week, Aramis Ayala, the first Black elected State Attorney,
is going to the Florida Supreme Court. Once there, she'll request that the high- est ranking justices in the state force Florida Gover- nor, Rick Scott, to respect her position as an elected official who has the author- ity to seek or not seek the death penalty in certain cases.
Her argument stems from the fact that Gover- nor Scott’s reassigned over 23 of the capital mur- der cases under her juris- diction after she publicly stated that she would not be seeking the death penalty for Markeith Lloyd, the man who killed his preg- nant girlfriend and Orlando police Lt. Debra Clayton, in 2016.
Since State Attorney Ayala made her intentions known her critics, the most vocal of them being Gover- nor Scott, have accused her of being incapable of upholding the law and using her position to make political statements based on personal beliefs.
But, the truth they may not recognize is that, Ayala
“The life you desire to have begins when you start living it.”
–Selphenia Simmons
I want to ask you a ques- tion. What are you waiting for? What are you waiting for to start living and stop exist- ing? What are you waiting for to maximize your poten- tial? 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
could be far more astute in the psychology of incarcer- ation than those who are choosing to throw stones in her direction.
For many people, taking someone's life is the most appropriate punishment for the crime of murder. It is part on an ideology that goes all the way back to an- cient Mesopotamia where King Hammurabi intro- duced the concept of “an eye for an eye” as one of the world's first written codes of law.
Of course that was well before man came up with the concept of prisons, places where an individual can be cut off from society and forgotten about for years at a time.
Contrary to the idea that State Attorney Ayala has a bleeding heart for people who commit heinous crimes of violence, in actu- ality, she could be someone who's figured out that com- pared to living for decades in a cage, surrounded by the most deplorable forms of humanity on Earth, a person being put to death for his crime is an act of mercy.
Even though waking up
desire to do, places you de- sire 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 wait- ing for the right time. You have been postponing and procrastinating 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 waiting until you get married. Now you’re married all your time is devoted to your spouse.
Maybe you were waiting
everyday knowing exactly how and when you're going to die is no joke, being forced to live until a ripe old age in a prison environ- ment is, arguably far worse.
That is because, for the person sentenced to death, by the time he or she gets to the point where they can't take it anymore, a needle is administered to put them out of their misery. For the man or woman serving life without parole, that relief never comes.
It is hard for me to imag- ine State Attorney Ayala, being a Black woman and career prosecu- tor, going out of her way to spare someone like Lloyd who brutally killed two Black women. To me it seems more plausible that her decision, regardless of how merciful it appears, would be based more on her attempting to make the rest of his life as uncom- fortable as possible.
It may not be the kind, quick and typical justice some may prefer. But, for State Attorney Ayala, knowing someone is endur- ing long suffering for their crimes is probably a lot more satisfying.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company. You can write to Mr. Barr at: Clarence Barr 43110- 018, Oakdale F. C. I., P. O. BOX 5000, Oakdale, LA 71463.
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 re- tire. What are you waiting for?
There will always be a rea- son why you should wait. Procrastination can kill a dream. Begin to focus on the reasons why you can’t wait and start living life today.
Tired of waiting or stuck on what to do, contact Selphenia.
Let’s stay connected! Sign up to receive my free E-zine Success Made Simple at Suc- cessCoachToWomen.com Follow me on Social Media: Facebook: Selphenia Nichols Success Coach to Women; IG:@selphenia Twitter:@queenofsuccess1.
A Black Widow In Disguise
POSTMASTER: Send Address Change To: Florida Sentinel Bulletin,
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C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. 1930-2010 (1977)
Dismantling Of The Department Of Justice
he NAACP caught them red-handed. In an
eloquent though stinging rebuke against At- torney General Jeff Sessons-led Department of Justice, NAACP Board Chairman Leonard Russell lashed out at what he, the NAACP, and many peo- ple around the world consider a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” change of face for America’s DOJ agency.
Writes Russell, “Attorney General Jeff Session’s order to Civil Rights division staff members that they avoid using consent decrees . . . is another clear attempt to hurt the Black community by weakening the government’s ability to defend our civil liberties.”
Adds Russell, “Not only does this break away from decades of tradition, (but) it’s just plain sneaky since the instructions were given verbally rather than written in a memo or email. (There- fore) the NAACP is calling on the Trump Adminis- tration to be more open and transparent about changes within the Justice Department’s Civil Rights division and about protecting America first.”
We support Russell’s comments, but wish to add a reminder that the consent decrees that Ses- sions requested no longer be used refer to “no- fault” agreements that through history have helped desegregate schools, reform police depart- ments, defend religious freedom, and ensure ac- cess for the disabled. Now, such help will not exist, according to Sessions.
Once again, the NAACP played the part of Paul Revere. But instead of “the British are coming,” who indeed were advancing, was a federal gov- ernment feverishly attempting to tear off its own skin.
It would have been great to have been alerted sooner, we thank the NAACP for the wake-up call. For, the enemy is no longer at the door, it has walked in.
Stop Waiting And Start Living
FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5-A
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