Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 5-6-22

Editorial
FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN
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S. KAY ANDREWS, PUBLISHER
C. BLYTHE ANDREWS III, PRESIDENT/CONTROLLER ALLISON WELLS-CLEBERT, CFO
GWEN HAYES, EDITOR
IRIS HOLTON, CITY EDITOR
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A Plea For Our Children
plea to all gangban- gers, OG’s, gun ca- rriers – PLEASE let the public parks, rec centers and athletic fields be off limits. These are the pla- ces our children go and consider a safe place; so- meplace to be a child, to play, meet friends, have fun. The inner city has enough to contend with, so please let our children have a chance to be chil-
dren without fear.
Let me start by saying,
I’m a proud 20-year vo- lunteer at Belmont Heights Little League. We have more than 300 players, both boys and girls, ages 4-15, and every day I can be found in the concession stand. In the past, Belmont Heights has had a bad re- putation, and rightly so, but the board, commu- nity, coaches and pa- rents have worked very hard to eliminate the stigma that was once Bel- mont Heights Little Lea- gue as well as the inner city. For the most part we’ve been successful. I beam with pride, seeing once players that are now coaches, grandpa-
rents and the elderly come out to enjoy a game.
Saturday, there was a robbery and shooting in the street adjacent to the park entrance, and of course, the incident spread like wildfire. By Monday, we were noti- fied by visiting park they would no longer come to Belmont Heights for fear of their safety. The kids that were scheduled to play were not only hurt, but had a feeling of less than, of not good enough, of shame. My heart went out to the pla- yers who were crying and upset, wondering if this would mark the end of this season.
I went upstairs to rea- rrange games among ourselves in an attempt to salvage this season. We almost made it a whole season with no in- cidents, no need to call police, no arrests, and suddenly it was over.
I sat upstairs and star- ted to hear laughter, and the cling of balls and bats, cheering and laugh- ter. I walked out on the roof and heard a coach
say, “We are Belmont Heights strong, let’s play each other.” I saw pla- yers, coaches, grandpa- rents, parents playing each other. The blea- chers were full, as a pick- up game started, mothers were playing the bases, fathers were pitching and catching, a grandfather was umpi- ring, a great-grandmo- ther was first- base coach, the field was full of players, and the che- ers were loud and posi- tive. There were smiles, laughter, cheers, and fun, in the midst of it all, we still came together to be the safe haven these kids want and need.
At that moment, I re- membered why I volun- teer, I buy cleats, I wash uniforms, sew patches, take kids home, feed kids, kiss boo-boos, wipe away tears, apply band- aides; I do it for the hugs, the kisses, and especially to hear, “Hey, Ms. Sonja,” even when I don’t remember them by name.
I beg of all to please let the parks and rec centers remain these kids’ safe haven; let these places be off limits, let OUR kids have a chance to grow without fear. They shouldn’t have to live in fear and not have the abi- lity to enjoy just being a child.
Sincerely, SONJA M. ALEXANDER Vice President, Belmont Heights Little League
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C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. 1930-2010 (1977)
Zelensky And Ukraine For 2022 Peace Prize
ven though the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize nomina- tions were due January 31, 2022, we certainly hope someone nominated President Volodymyr
Zelensky and the Ukraine people for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize “is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of the Swedish in- dustrialist, inventor and military armaments manufac- turer, Alfred Nobel.” Other prizes are awarded in the fields of Chemistry, Physics, Physiology, Medicine and Literature.
Zelensky and the Ukrainian people showed resolve, courage, and bravery as they tried relentlessly to avoid war with Putin and Russia as they were threatened, bullied, and attacked without provocation. The Nobel Peace Prize is given to individuals or organizations who “have done the most or best work for fraternity among nations, for the abolition or reduction of stand- ing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” The recipients are chosen by the Norwe- gian Nobel Committee.
The Nobel Peace Prize has been the subject of nu- merous controversies for most of its 120-year history. Established in 1895, the Peace Prize was awarded first in 1901 and include an award of 10 million SEK ($1,015,711 U. S. dollars).
Indeed, Zelensky and the Ukrainian Country de- serve to be nominated and selected for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. They have shown perseverance in seeking a peaceful resolution of the unprovoked attacks on their country and have been restrained in retaliatory attacks on Russian soil.
Even though Russia is nearly 28 times the Ukrainian land mass and has a population three times the popu- lation of Ukraine, Russia has not been able to overrun the country because of the fierce defensive tactics of the Ukrainian military and volunteer militia. We ap- plaud Zelensky and the Ukrainian population for their heroic efforts to prevent the invasion and takeover of their country. For that alone, Zelensky and Ukraine deserve the award.
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PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022