Winston Churchill

One ought never turn one's back on a threathened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flilnching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never.

Winston Churchill

Rehabilation and Treatment: Joe Martinez

The convict strolled into the prison administration building to get assistance and counseling for his personal problems. Just inside the main door were several other doors, proclaiming: Parole, Counselor, Chaplain, Doctor, teacher, Correction, and Therapist.

The convict chose the door marked Correction, inside of which were two doors: Custody and Treatment. He chose Treatment, and was confronted with two more doors, Juvenile and
Adult. He chose the proper door and was again faced with two doors: Previous Offender and First Offender.

Once more, he walked through the proper door, and, again, two doors: Democrat and Republican. He was a Democrat; and so he hurried through the appropriate door and ran smack into two more doors: Black and White. He was black; and so he walked through that door--and feel nine stories to the street.

Joe Martinez

Full Circle: F. Godfrey, 10/29/02

Full Circle

It has often been said that what goes around comes around. I have observed at least three examples that support this contention.

Slaves were nor allowed to read on the plantation, as the master knew that books might well hold the key to liberation. Slaves who were caught with a book could be whipped, have a limb chopped off, or even hung.

The descendants of these same slaves have access to all of the knowledge in the world, and too many of them still do not read! It has been said that if you want to keep something from the black man, put it in a book.

So, what is the difference between the old slave and the new slave? The old slave had no doubts about his or her condition. On the other hand, the new slave thinks that he or she is free merely because they can stand in line with white folks at a McDonald's. The old slave was not allowed to read and most of the new slaves won't read; so there is little difference between the two. What goes round comes around.

Not too long ago, the greatest fear that a black man had of being killed was at the hands of a white man. Today, 9 out of 10 times a black person is killed, he or she is killed by another black person.

Many blacks marched, protested, and even died for the right to vote, but to day too many blacks refuse to vote. Black apathy has allowed many candidates to be elected to office who do not have the interests of blacks as a part of their platform. Too many blacks have been brain-washed into believing that their vote doesn't matter. Mush of this brain-washing comes from other blacks.

It is also quite possible that some of the sons and daughters of the former slave masters still recognize the danger of books and the right to vote and have effectively continued the same strategies used by their ancestors. On the plantation, quite often the "house" Negroes were pitted against the "field" Negroes and the light-skinned pitted against his brother of the darker hue. Today, blacks kill each other over such things as colors, and so-called turf, to which they hold no legal title.

If this cycle of apathy and self-destruction continues unabated, the oppressor need only sit and watch as we not only destroy each other, but also in effect, dismantle most of those things that many of our ancestors fought, and in many cases, died for. What goes around comes around, but it doesn't have to remain that way. We must instill in our youth a passion for not only reading, but also reading about our rich past. We must show them why it is important to vote. And, we must teach them to love one another as brothers and sisters who all have their roots in Africa. Each one teach one, each one reach one.

"This Day Is Mine. Please May I Use It Well ". Author Unknown

This Day Is Mine
Please May I Use It Well

This is the day that belongs to me,
For it was given to me early in the morning,
Freely and without obligation.
The moment that I accepted the gift,
I accepted the responsibility for its growth.
I received it in good condition, fresh and young and clean.
And now that it is mine, I can choose what kind of day it will become.
I can make it ugly by deciding to be miserable,
Or I can make it beautiful be deciding to be glad.
This is the day to be happy.
I know I can be just as contented as I wish to be.
Above all, I can find contentment now,
Instead of thinking it necessary to wait for some uncertain, future pleasure.
This is the day to be free.
To cut the bonds of all those tomorrows and all those yesterdays.
I would be unwise to waste any part of today in useless guilt of distress about a yesterday,
Or in pointless worry or panic about a tomorrow.
This is the day to treat lie as a great adventure and each moment of it as a satisfying, Rewarding Experience.
Since I have but one chance at today, I want to live it fully, and I want to live it well.
I hope that I well handle myself in such a manner that when today becomes yesterday,
My memories will be pleasant,
And, when tomorrow becomes today, my regrets will be few.
On this day, I do not want to indulge in crippling, selfish emotions such as
Anger, hatred, and fear.
I want instead to seek their opposites.
This is the day to be thankful, for some pains removed and some blessings received;
To translate my gratitude from mere word into cheerful, whole-hearted achievement.
This is the day to promise myself that I am going to build my world with gladness and
With love right now.
Because this is the only day that belongs to me.

A question

I found this taped to the side of my mother's refrigerator after her untimely death in 1985.

Is anybody happier because you passed this way?
Does anyone remember that you spoke to him/her today?
The day is almost over, and its toiling time is through.
Is there anyone to utter a kindly word of you?
Can you say tonight in parting with the day that's slipping fast,
that you helped a single brother or sister of the many that you passed?
Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said?
Does the man or woman whose hopes are fading, now with courage look ahead?
Did you was the day or lose it? Was it well or sorely spent?
Did you leave a trail of kindness, or a scar of discontent?
As you close your eyes in slumber, do you think that God will say:
"You have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today?"

Anonymous

Non-conformity

It takes no resolution to agree with the crowd.
Group pressure is a very compelling influence.
And only a strong mind continues to hold convictions
after they have become unpopular.
All social progress, however, is the result of the
leadership of intelligent and unselfish minorities.
And character is always the consequence of
independent self-reliant decision.
Modern propaganda and standardization are fatal foes of spiritual life.
The urge to accept ideas and customs because "everyone else does,"
destroys the impulse to do the best regardless of consequences.
Among the many needs of our generation, the greatest is to stand alone,
to be true to convictions of right and wrong, and to be willing to pay the
price of non-conformity.

Anonymous

Inferiority

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent". Eleanor Roosevelt