Wisdom from the NBA

Photo by Keagan Stromberg

TOMI JOHNSON:  Growing up, who was your role model?

TAYSHAUN PRINCE:  Besides my parents, Magic Johnson was always my role model.  Growing up in LA and watching him during the ‘80’s winning championships repeatedly, he was my role model.

---from 2003 interview in Compton, Calif.

Dick Parsons, CNN, and the NBA

If you're wondering how CNN got that Sterling interview and how the NBA will use it to help oust Donald Sterling, here are some facts about the Clippers' new CEO, Richard Parsons, who may be manipulating the hype surrounding this unfortunate story.

Parsons has deep pockets and heavy influence in financial and entertainment arenas.

He is former Chairman of banking giant Citigroup, former CEO of media giant Time Warner (Turner and CNN), and now interim CEO of embattled LA Clippers.

Parsons is a Republican.

There's more to this story...

It's all about the money and the media!

Sterling vs. Magic: Jewish/Black tinderglass

When my father died in 1969, the first person I remember coming to my house to pay his respects was a Jewish shopkeeper who sold seeds and art objects in downtown Huntsville, Ala. He told my 39 year old mother that if she ever needed anything, she could call on him.

I also fondly remember two pair of items my father purchased from this kindly Jewish man which were placed in my bedroom:  white and gold metal lamps with night light bottoms which distributed stars on the ceiling and blue and white porcelain angel wall plaques. I don't know if he paid for these items on credit or with cash which was his usual custom.

These are the first sensory perceptions I have of Jews besides Jesus, the God I was taught loved me.

With the new NBA controversy brewing, I think back to my childhood, that small shop, and the relationship my father had with that nice Jewish merchant. Was it all about money, trade, business? What did that Jewish man really think of my father and my family? Since both he and my father are dead, I will never know.

Donald Sterling's recent verbal attack on Magic Johnson, whether from a racist or jealousy viewpoint, leads me to think that there's been a history of Jewish/Black race friction which has now boiled over into the entertainment theater. It is bleeding into everyday power struggles between Blacks and Jews, players and owners, millionaires verses billionaires.

It's gone beyond Hymietown, to the  basketball court and NBA front office, to the examining room of public opinion. 

In a CNN interview, Sterling attacked basketball legend and entrepreneur Magic Johnson and ALL affluent African Americans who Sterling surmises are less philanthropic than Jews. Sterling also privately told his "silly rabbit" associate, V. Stiviano, that Blacks are treated like dogs in Israel. 

We should be concerned about these statements and the image the world is seeing in media manipulated by Jews who also control news broadcasts and today's Number 1 news story featuring Black Muslim terror rants in Nigeria, home to more black people than any other place on Earth. Nigeria also has huge oil reserves and a panoply of precious metals.

We are watching a volatile Jewish/Black public relations war unfold in real time.

Jewish political scientist Benjamin Ginzburg observes, "Jews cannot afford to engage in or tolerate political tactics or public rhetoric that seriously threatens to discredit blacks. This is one of the major reasons that Jewish racism, often expressed privately, seldom manifests itself publicly.

"African-Americans are simply too important to the legitimacy of the American domestic state. If Jews engage in attacks on blacks... Jews are, in effect, undermining a major moral prop supporting the institutions from which they themselves derive enormous benefits and through which they exercise considerable power."

The worst thing Sterling said was that the NBA could not force him to sell his "property."

Racism is no longer camouflaged, and it will be hard to massage the message because of the venue where it is being fought. This is a curiously painful lesson in Public Relations Race War 101.

Breaking News: Sterling banned for life

The NBA has banned Donald Sterling for life, fined him $2.5 million, and will take action to force him to sell the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team. Timetable for Sterling's removal is being urged.

Sterling sends wrong message on "owning" a team

Is it o.k. to take a picture with a basketball player?
(Former NBA star Ben Wallace and Tomi Johnson)

Charles "Chuck" Cooper, Boston Celtics' Number 11, could probably tell you a thing or two about racism in professional basketball if he were still alive.  Cooper was the first black man to be drafted to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) on April 25, 1950.

This small forward, who was 6' 10" and weighed 210 lbs. during his prime, played 409 games for the NBA. He died of liver cancer at age 57, the day before my birthday in 1984.

Sixty four years after Cooper's drafting, Black players make up 78 percent of NBA players. (African Americans were 13.1 percent of the U.S. population in 2012.)

But there's still trouble in the NBA locker room, a backstage mentality that keeps black players relegated in one place - as highly paid, athletic entertainers serving at the mercy of mostly white "owners" inside a culture of hidden inequality. Careers are short, injuries numerous, and egos often deflated.

Now comes one owner, Donald Sterling, caught in a racial rant with his "mixed" girlfriend, V. Stiviano. Sterling, in a taped conversation, said "his" Black athletes are paid, clothed, housed, transported, and fed well through his generosity. Sounds like what an 'ole slave massa would say... Also sounds like a rich old man trying to manage his lover's social agenda. It appears that Sterling also wanted his girlfriend to pass as white or Latino for some reason...

TEAM owners vs. ball handlers 
NBA owners are billionaires, the players are merely millionaires.
Paul Allen, owner of the Portland Trial Blazers, is worth $15.8 billion, making him the 26th richest man in the US according to Forbes Magazine. Kobe Bryant, the highest paid NBA player, had a salary of $30.4 million for the 2013-2014 season. Although there are some talented white players in the League, the NBA would be nothing without talented black players, coaches, and staff.

Do you suppose Kobe is listening to Sterling's remarks and will one day become an NBA team owner himself like Michael Jordan? Would Kobe and Michael not want to be seen with black folks? (I am human. Nothing human is alien to me!) Maybe a case of racism or classism. You decide.

Shan Cooper: Woman of Integrity

(From Cooper’s appearance at Aflac’s “Women of Integrity” Luncheon, April 24, 2014, Marietta Country Club. Digital images by Ilea Johnson)

At first glance, Shan Cooper, 45, appears wiser than her years, possibly because of the heavy weight of her responsibilities as VP of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company and GM of the company’s 6,300 employees in Marietta, Ga.  

Cooper is not a conservative celebrity but assumes that onlookers are watching where she eats, whether she’s on the company’s corporate jet headed to Capitol Hill, or if she curses when challenged. She's very conscious of image and purpose.

First and foremost, Cooper is a mom, a wife, a mentor, and a well trained businesswoman. She can get down and dirty, crawling through aircraft in the factory, or hold her own in a board meeting. These are perceptions of one virtuous Black woman working in today’s corporate “old boys” club.

“My natural leadership style comes from my dad,” Cooper said of her Pentecostal minister father. In the Anniston, Ala. household where she grew up, lying was forbidden and respect for people from diverse backgrounds was laudable.

Lessons learned from her parents: Be whatever you want to be while affirming the goodness in other people where ever you go.

Formerly Lockheed’s VP of Human Resources, Cooper said she looks for certain qualities when deciding to invest in human talent. Future employees must measure up to her standards of integrity, good judgment, ambition, drive, and creativity.

She says she needs people on her team that will tell her when "the baby is ugly." Two of her mentors were Connie Fisher and David Logan. Her strong arm is her administrative assistant.

Cooper often wrestles with decisions requiring employee layoffs and how cutting back can affect families. One of her worst days was July 8, 2003 when a worker at the Meridian, Miss. plant shot 14 of his co-workers with a shotgun, killing six of them before committing suicide. Her assignment: help with funeral arrangements; comfort the injured at the hospital; hold the team together.

Cooper is a woman of faith who starts each morning with prayer and ends each night with her husband in prayer when they are under the same roof. She continuously asks God for a spirit of discernment while making multimillion dollar decisions, for purity of thought, and the ability to listen.

Flag Barbie is in her office. Prayer is on her lips. Psalm 118:24 is in her heart. Along with company loyalty and patriotism, Cooper reminds listeners she serves at the pleasure of the Lockheed Martin organization and is all about keeping it real. "I tell my employees to pray, and then get back to work."
 

 

Bob Ott, Cobb County Commissioner, sits alone in hot seat during citizen's Town Hall

Ott (seated at left) listened while citizens discussed how to hold politicians accountable.

Bob Ott, one of four Cobb County commissioners who voted for the Atlanta Braves Stadium deal, answered questions from frustrated citizens who said his vote could negatively affect quality of life, taxes, security, traffic, and education in Cobb.

The meeting, sponsored by Citizens for Governmental Transparency (GCT), was held last night at Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church in Marietta. It was facilitated by Sabrina Smith of Gwinnett County, a member of the Atlanta Tea Party Patriots, and Sharon Hill, a public relations and logistics consultant from Powder Springs.

Some folks are wondering whether the group has just been established to vent or to really make positive changes in Cobb.

"We are not anti-Braves...what matters is the process...what happened to 'the people said?' " exclaimed Hill who asked attendees to Tweet their concerns to the media. Many in the audience seemed to be trying to figure out how they could benefit from the Braves move, either by business contracts or transportation improvements.


Two main discussion points: where is the money coming from, and how will Cobb handle Braves' game traffic.

According to the Cobb County government website, "The total budget for the new stadium is $672 million. This includes the stadium, parking and other related infrastructure. Atlanta Braves will be responsible for $372 million and the remaining $300 million will be contributed by Cobb County and the Cumberland Community Improvement District." Anyone who works in project management knows that projects often go over budget, and taxpayers may end up with additional bills.

The meeting was a fact-finding, emotional roller coaster that often turned heated.

Also in attendance were several candidates running for political office, including Nathan Wade, superior court judge candidate, Cindi Yeager, solicitor candidate, and Joseph Pond, District 3 commissioner candidate. "A lot of people don't have the money in this economy to donate, but we can use your sweat equity," Wade said.


Yeager said citizens should get involved in political campaigns and not just vote.

District 2 Commissioner Bob Ott, who is also a licensed pilot for Delta Airlines, said he did everything he could to responsibly represent voters in the area where the new stadium will be built. As far as transportation goes, Ott said it is unclear what will happen four years after the Braves move to Cobb County. As for now, Ott said major road projects on Windy Hill Road include "alignment of interchanges and divergent diamond" construction.

He said potential benefits of the Braves moving to Cobb will be construction of mixed use developments near the stadium and jobs. Attendees voiced concerns that job opportunities generated by the move will not include Cobb residents, and businesses that will benefit most will be operated by outsiders.

WingcomLtd. reached out to Populous, the architectural firm selected by the Braves to design the new sports facility, and the Atlanta Braves to ascertain what skills will be needed by potential employers, but they had not returned calls or emails before posting this article.

To learn more about Cobb County government's assessment of the Braves move, go to:
http://portal.cobbcountyga.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3220&Itemid=156

Census Bureau to release U.S. population estimates

 

There is a growing concern that the U.S. is losing population, and the Census Bureau is the clearinghouse for population estimates.

 

The Bureau will release population estimates for counties, metropolitan and micropolitan areas, and Puerto Rico later this month. The new statistics will be available in American FactFinder — one of the Census Bureau’s online data search tools — and the population estimates Web page and QuickFacts on Thursday, March 27.

 

 

Community groups demand government transparency in Cobb County, Ga.

Taxpayers in Cobb said they are tired of government officials not listening to them.

A coalition of 13 community groups ranging from Tea Party patriots to Sierra Club devotees will be meeting in full force to demand open communication with Cobb County government leaders on a host of topics.

Citizens for Governmental Transparency (CGT) will convene Tuesday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m. at Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church, 492 N. Marietta Pkwy. in Marietta. Organizers are asking all members of the community to attend who are interested in legal challenges to government decisions and who may want to run to replace current political officials.

The organization held its first Town Hall in February in response to the Cobb County Board of Commissioners agreeing to use taxpayer money to construct a new Braves baseball stadium. The decision was made without seeking voter approval in an area already plagued with huge transportation problems.

Public financing is estimated to cost taxpayers over $500 million in additional taxes over a 30 year period, according to CGT.

"I don't understand what is motivating these politicians, but the way Tim Lee runs commission meetings bothers me," said Dave Browning at the last Town Hall held by the group. "As a professional, I had to fight traffic to even stay alive," said the now retired worker who stated that Braves traffic congestion in Cobb without a proper transportation plan will be a nightmare.

Ken Howell said Cobb needs to find a proactive solution to transportation issues.

Ken Howell said he has a problem with Commission votes on transportation, too. "They couldn't afford rapid transit until the Braves are coming to town. Now they will be spending $900k on a shuttle! We need to stay focused on the money," Howell said.

Other issues important to the group are cronyism in government, the power over commissioners held by the Chamber of Commerce, and the attempt to keep 17,000 Hispanics living in Cobb from becoming citizens with voting rights.

Carlos Garcia is organizing taxpayers to push for citizenship rights.

"I can't vote, but I pay taxes," said Carlos Garcia of the Cobb Immigrant Alliance, one of the groups in CGT. "I cannot vote now, but I do not make that an excuse not to get involved," he said.

For more information on this topic, call 404-573-1199 or 770-876-2070.

Thought for today...

"Prayer is the ardent wish that every way of life be light; that every act be crowned with good; that every living thing be prospered by our ministry. A noble deed, a helpful word is prayer; a fervent, an effectual prayer. The fount of prayer is in the heart; by thought, not words, the heart is carried up to God, where it is blest, Then let us pray."
---The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ

 

LGE announces 2014 scholarship program

LGE Community Credit Union is continuing its college scholarship program this year and will be awarding five scholarships in the amount of $3,000 each to students entering college this Fall. The application will be available until April 30, and the drawing will take place on May 2, 2014.

How it works:
Applicants complete a brief application and answer a short quiz in order to be entered into the drawing. If you are currently a high school senior, download the application and quiz, then mail the completed forms to LGE or drop them off at your local LGE branch. Applications and completed quizzes must be received by 4:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 30, 2014. The drawing will occur on Friday, May 2, and the names of the winners will be posted on the LGE website by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 9. 

Each winner's check will be mailed directly to the college on the winner's behalf before the Fall tuition payment deadline.

For a complete list of rules and details, visit www.LGEccu.org/Scholarships.

Peace Corps volunteers back from Ukraine

I have it on good intelligence that some Peace Corps volunteers have been safely evacuated from Ukraine and are now in Washington, DC. Praise God!

I have been told that these volunteers underwent very violent circumstances and are happy to be back in the United States. Stay tuned for more information and possible interviews on this subject.

 

Black History Month Factoid

African American or Afro American? You decide.

Asking the question, where did the term "African American" originate, and can it be used by whites to identify themselves? If you are a "white" person living in the United States and from South Africa, aren't you African American? Maybe Malcolm X's "Afro American" is a better term to use for some blacks.

Here's a slideshow explaining who came up with the term "African American" and how it was promoted in the United States.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_did_the_term_African_American_originate#slide=1&article=Where_did_African-Americans_originate

Quote for today...

"If you will it, it is no dream."
Theodor Herzl, founder of the State of Israel

Cobb County, Ga. citizens wail against immoral government

Decided to put last night's call for government transparency Town Hall Meeting notes into a poem. Snow image effects added.

"Political Snowstorm Blues"

Michael Opitz and Ben Williams

Did my taxes today, paid more than last year,
what a horrible disgrace.
Went to a town hall meeting tonight, sat in a front row chair,
frustration in the air.

Seems like nothing else will work
except a revolution of the heart.

Politicians stare, only two were there,
but they don't want to be called leaders.
I sup-pose everybody knows
that these folks just want to be rulers.

Seems like nothing else will work
'cept a revolution of the heart.

Why do we pretend there will be an end to this political disgrace?
Why are we going round and round, in this "ground hog day" nightmare?



Thomas Carter

Sitting next to me is a friend of mine
a fighter for his community.
At his age he knows when his hearing goes
the message he needs to give will end up losing.

Seems like nothing else will work
except a revolution of the heart.

There are three men here with advanced degrees
what on earth could they be thinking?
Are they shrills you think, dressed up in mink,
Or just simply spies for the asking?

Why can't we go live off the grid,
pay a dollar for a house?
Why do we not use common sense
instead of being stuck in this snowstorm?



Kenneth Howell

Seems like nothing else will work
'cept a revolution of the heart.



Laurel Harmon

There's a woman here, emotion in her hair,
she's a member of some association.
There's a man over there, wants to get involved
guess he's got a gun cocked and ready.



Michael Watson

Seems like nothing else will work
except a revolution of the heart.

When I get home, talk to my old man
about the disrespect I'm feeling.
He says don't worry, you still have your opinions
although their worth is a little shaded.

Seems like nothing else will work
'cept a revolution of the heart.

We need a revolution of the heart.

For more information on this topic, go to: http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/24757614/cobb-watchdog-group-holds-first-town-hall-meeting-upset-over-braves-stadium-deal
and
http://deadspin.com/heres-how-cobb-county-will-pay-for-the-braves-ballpar-1464404976

State of Emergency could negatively affect employees in Right to Work state

Two weeks ago, some Atlanta motorists were stuck in their cars for 24 hours after a snow storm dumped less than three inches of hazardous precipitation on interstate highways. Two days ago, citizens were warned to stay off the roads after Gov. Nathan Deal ordered a State of Emergency in 91 counties.

But some employees are complaining that their bosses are telling them it's o.k. to come to work, although they don't have four wheel drive vehicles, tire chains, or bus service.

Since Georgia is a Right to Work state, should non-essential employees be more afraid of losing their jobs or risking their safety during this State of Emergency? I'm going to watch Deal's press conference now to see if he will address this issue:

https://esenetworks.com/live-event.aspx?id=590&live-event-id=1797

State of emergency has been extended until Sunday.

Please comment.

Are we just existing or are we committed to being awake?

Religious life after King: stay awake!

As I sit here looking out the window on an icy afternoon, I contemplate my own moral attitude and what I feel the religious community needs to be doing in light of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is Black History Month, and many folks are pulling King’s name out of their back pockets. It is a Dives/Lazarus moment.

I am reminded of a discussion recently with a European friend. We talked about whether I should give a dollar to a homeless beggar we encountered on the street. “Whenever I see these people, I tend to think they are in a better place than I am, with no mortgage or car payment. I’m the one who’s in debt," he advised me. "You yourself are living off your husband’s salary and have no cash in your pockets. We should be asking the beggar for a handout!”

Then I told him how selfish I think some religious folks are, especially those who know I don’t have a steady income but ask me to volunteer to help the church raise money to pay for icons. As if giving me something to do without being compensated would make me feel worthwhile. My friend just shook his head and ordered another cup of black coffee. Is this what MLK would want us to be doing, or would he want us to be waging a war on poverty?

I spend my days trying to network into a full-time job, watching old movies and the Weather Channel, reading old MLK speeches, typing up feelings, and napping. What has happened to King’s revolution while we’re sleeping? Did King die in vain? Is his dream becoming my nightmare?

Read this and make up your own mind.

http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/kingpapers/article/remaining_awake_through_a_great_revolution/

 

Birthdays time to reflect

My singing and hearing aren't what they used to be, but I can still remember and count my blessings!

I told my friends who wished me "Happy Birthday" yesterday that I've stopped counting years and am reflecting back on what I have done to chart my future. My husband is always reminding me that I am somebody, although the fact doesn't feel real as I sit here in my housecoat looking over old photographs and newspaper clippings.

Then I get to thinking about people of God of modest means looking to the hills for help. "God will be with you 'til the very end," my Aunt Virgie told me just before she died. She was persuaded, and I should not lose track of that idea.

All we can do is try our best and hope that history treats us well. Children, remember this lesson.

To God be the glory!

Facebook, Google hold deleted images/content without permission

Delete this!

With Facebook turning 10 the other day, they gave me a big surprise - a movie that looks real appealing which I included on my personal page. After waking up 15 minutes ago from a sound sleep, it came to me that pictures I had deleted were used in the video. How could they still be accessible on Facebook and to the world if I deleted them?

Also, I have noticed that pictures I uploaded to this blog and then deleted are still accessible through Google. What the???

Just goes to prove that whatever you put out there is still on some server. I bet deleted Gmail attachments are still "out there" too, which makes me fearful that anything I have posted or said in the privacy of my own emails has been stored by someone and can be used for or against me at anytime.

In a 2009 article by Jacqui Cheng re: Facebook deleted photos (http://arstechnica.com/business/2009/07/are-those-photos-really-deleted-from-facebook-think-twice/) this subject was discussed.

Cheng noted that Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, the governing document for the site,  states that "when you delete IP content, it is deleted in a manner similar to emptying the recycle bin on a computer. However, you understand that removed content may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time (but will not be available to others)..."

Cheng concluded that, "This looks obviously false—said 'backup copies' are indeed accessible to anyone on the Web...if you don't want to give your enemies blackmail material, don't upload questionable photos in the first place. If you already have, just hope that no one has a direct link... or be prepared to blame all your transgressions on an evil twin."

Guess nothing I have said and images I have posted and deleted are not vaporized at all, and guess if I delete this blog, it will still linger in outer space. Maybe they are still on my timeline...Roll with it!

St. Joseph's Mission and Black History

Here is a Black History factoid:

Leaving mass is Condredge Holloway, Jr. (1st black quarterback at Univ. of Tenn.), Joan Moses, Mary Beeble and Tomi Morris.

"St. Joseph parochial school, with Sr. Imelda, principal, and Sisters Yolanda and Gerard teaching, opened with a bang in September of 1963...But the biggest bang of all resulted when, for the first time in the State of Alabama, in any public, private, or parochial elementary school, 118 students - 106 black and twelve white - took their places together, constituting a historic school integration.  Accomplished two days BEFORE George Wallace 'stood in the schoolhouse door', the integration was 'reverse', but integration none the less, and was 'not just peaceful, but warm, welcoming and comfortable' according to the mother of one of the white children enrolled."

---from History of St. Joseph's Parish, 1950-73 by Isabelle Marrero, Huntsville, Ala.

 

Black History Month begins with challenge

Stop dreaming. Do something big!

ATL snowstorm: lessons learned

View of roads on way to Marta in ATL. Photo by Ayron Johnson

When snow is predicted in metro Atlanta, Ga., do not go to school or work because government will not have roadways cleared...some people still stranded in cars here...very unsafe. Seven hundred ninety one accidents in ATL alone. Many gas stations closed. OMG!!! It's all about the money. Governor blaming National Weather Service and Mother Nature. Al Roker blaming Gov. and Mayor. Bucks are passing around while folks are suffering.

Cars, snow and ice mixing on road during Jan 2014 snow event. Photo by Ayron Johnson

 

Quote for today...

To attendees at World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland,

"...I ask you to ensure that humanity is served by wealth and not ruled by it."
Pope Francis

Politics, law, and MLK: making it personal

King says "I need you!"

This year I witnessed the Atlanta Commemorative Celebration of the life and legacy of St. Martin Luther King, Jr. without taking notes for an article.  I listened to several speeches, litanies, musical interludes, and amens. How should we pay homage to King without acting from an entertained viewpoint but from an engaged/committed mindset?

What can I, a part-time worker, wife, and mother of adult children, do to advance King's goals? Where should my own footsteps lead? How can I make King's dream personal? I'm tired of crying while listening to his recorded words, and have to write about it!

First and foremost, I cannot be heartbroken by today's state of affairs. By putting carnal living aside, focusing on natural and Mosaic laws, adopting a Christ-like spirit of love for others, and never doubting God's power in the affairs of men, I can help move myself and others forward.

God is not mocked.  By being committed to God's commands, I can decide to live in truth. By using political force to bring humanity out of bondage, I can demand change without being afraid of professional retribution. I can maintain that war should become a historical topic not to be played on a neighborhood or international stage but superseded by conscious living.

Replace hate, envy, and superiority complexes with love. Love means more than just being kind and polite but actually transforms needs into action  If you know a child is having a hard time learning to count,  place a handful of beans on the table and help him sort them into small groups, starting with a group of two up to groups of twelve. Math is simple, as is living in MLK's shadow when you understand basics truths related to group action which are non-Einsteinium in application. 

 

You make a political statement when you live out the Beatitudes. When you use political will to make elected officials accountable for what you and your community needs. You have to be engaged to know what is needed and necessary.

Yes, King was a closet politician who never served a day in office but challenged those who were on every issue - from war, to poverty, to basic human rights. King was a holy prophet. He foretold violence would be a sad lesson learned around the world if ways were not mended. He abhorred violence yet was felled by it. He was hammered down with one bullet, but we can raise him up with Christ-like actions.

Simple, but not easy.

King is not an enigma, but he lives through our actions and dies with inaction.

 

When you teach a child life lessons -  allow him to learn how to earn a living wage, to be able to react to health issues, to save money, to stay out of jail - then you are fulfilling a "King"-dom-like dream.  But unlike slaves, that student will have to live in a world that gives incentives for his goodness, a job, a hospital room he can afford, a bank with limited fees, rehabilitation when he errs. We have to make that happen ourselves.

Then you will be doing more than regurgitating "pie in the sky" philosophy and participating in a real, 21st century, American revolution of the heart.

 

Amen, and amen.

Romeo, Wingcom Watchdog, dies at 14

Romeo going on vacation to Florida

As I am writing this, Romeo, our beloved Italian Greyhound, is being put to sleep. It's over.
May God accept his soul.

Romeo was adopted from PetSmart.