Tacking Into The Wind

They came from all over.

From small towns, to large cities, from gatherings of a few hundred to assemblies of several thousands. The elderly and the young came. People of all races came. World-renowned celebrities and millions of unknowns gathered on a hot Saturday afternoon, all crying out for the same thing.

Justice. Equal protection under the law. Peace.

By now you know of the rallies held across the country in support of Trayvon Martin, the repeal of the Stand Your Ground laws, and calling on Attorney General Eric Holder and the Justice Department to continue the investigation into the actions of the night George Zimmerman took Trayvon’s life and to file a civil rights complaint against him. From sea to shining sea, the voices thundered, the signs waved, the passionate speeches were delivered, the promises were made.

And then we dispersed and went home. And little changed after that.

Two and a half hours after the demonstration ended here in Columbus, a man shot another man in the head at a party just blocks from the plaza of the Government Center where the rally took place. Later that evening, a woman was noticed wandering down the middle of the street and was eventually arrested for cocaine possession. I also noticed, later that evening, that a young man whom I saw at the rally posted an invitation on social media for his friends to join him at his house for his birthday party that night. Among the enticing words he sent out were the calls to the ladies (“B**ches, come shake that A**!”) and to the men (“Ni**as, come get that SH*T!”). Of course, he had to be plain as to what specific accommodations would be provided (“BYOB & BYOW – Bring Your Own Bottle and Bring Your Own WEED”). Everyone was encouraged to come and “Turn Up”, as opposed to “Turn Down 4 What”.

And that was just Saturday night.

Mine is a relatively small city that likes to think it’s a big one, and in the three days since the rallies we held on Saturday, there have been more incidents like this one. A Black man robbed another brother late last night, and shot him several times in the robbery attempt. Another arrest for drug possession. More unreported incidents of domestic violence. More undocumented examples of disrespectful and rowdy displays by our people of all ages.

And we wonder why people treat us the way they do.

I remember sitting on the steps of the plaza, while the speeches were being presented, and watching the crowds. I moved around and took several pictures of the event, and posted them on my own social media sites. And I asked the question, “It’s good that everyone has shown up like this, but after the rallies are over, what happens next?” No one has answered my question to date. Also interesting was the observation of one of my friends, who noted that we turned out for Trayvon because he was killed by a man of a different ethnicity for no justifiable reason, but we don’t react in a similar manner and with similar energy when it happens to one of our own. Allow me to tell you a story of one of them.

His name was Keon Coleman. A young man, recently graduated from high school. A new father to a one-year-old son, he was working and going to school. He wanted to make a bright future for his family and his son. But at the age of only 19, he also enjoyed the same desire for fun that most young adults do. A friend of his was having her birthday on a March weekend just three weeks or so after George killed Trayvon. Keon decided to join in on the celebration, and the partying eventually led them to the Broadway area of downtown Columbus.

His name was Ron Blair. A little older than Keon, at age 32, he was a businessman, with aspirations of enhancing the local entertainment and club scene in this area. He recently had leased an old bar in the same Broadway area, and was working on turning it into a club. He and his friends were also partying downtown on Broadway that same evening. As the two cliques wandered close to each other, one person from one group recognized someone from the other group. Someone began rapping out loud, and in particular, they cited a line from a “song” by the rapper Future:

“If she’s yo’ ho, then she’s my ho too…”

Someone in Keon’s group took exception to the obvious implications of that line towards the females in the group. Words were exchanged. While apologies were quickly offered and apparently accepted, Keon and Ron kept the exchange going a little while longer. They faced off against each other as they spoke.

Liquid from a red Solo cup splashed in Keon’s face. A gunshot erupted. And Keon lay dying on the ground, his blood staining the pavement from a gunshot wound to the right side of his head.

Ron’s group quickly dispersed, while Keon’s group desparately tried to save their friend. They got him to a hospital, but their efforts bore little fruit. Keon died later, in the early hours of a Sunday morning. Ron was arrested later that day as he returned to the building he had hoped to turn into the next big club in Columbus. He was charged with felony murder.

A year and a half later, as the trial of George Zimmerman got underway in Florida, the trial of Ron Blair began here in Columbus. You know how the trials go: the prosecution presents their case, the defense cross examines, then the defense presents their case while the prosecution counters. Closing arguments are presented, the judge instructs the jury one final time, the jurors deliberate, and then the verdicts are read.

In Florida, George Zimmerman was acquitted, to national outrage. It appeared the facts in the case were unimpeachable, and should have at least resulted in a conviction for manslaughter. But he walked. In Columbus, GA, Ron Blair was also acquitted, and there was barely a mutter. It appeared that the facts in the case were similarly airtight, and a similar conviction should have been given. But Blair walked too. Other than the local news outlets reporting the results of the trial, there were no further protests, no follow-ups, no calls for a civil suit or anything like that. Keon’s mother, Keyona Coleman, noted the proceedings at the Government Center plaza last Saturday afternoon with not a little irony.

“No one gives a damn unless one of their own is gunned down.”

I told the story of Keon Coleman and Ron Blair, and I mentioned the things I saw and heard after the demonstrations, to make a point. Someone once told me that the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” I heard a preacher say once that “change ain’t change UNTIL you change.” And I humbly submit to you, gentle reader, that like the President said many times over in his speeches in 2007 and 2008, “WE are the change we’ve been looking for. WE are the change that we seek.”

I have another friend of mine who loves to go sailing. As often as she can, she puts the boat out on the water and heads for her destination. But wind and water react in various and unpredictable ways. If you’re in the boat and headed for a certain place, you have to keep an eye on both. If you do nothing, you will always drift off course, carried along by the current of the water and the whims of the breezes. So people who use sailboats to move around the water have to always keep changing course, to keep the boat heading in the direction they want towards the destination they want. Sailors call this change of direction tacking. And they’ve learned over the centuries how to use the tacking method to go in the direction they want even when the prevailing winds are against them. This is called tacking into the wind. The result of the maneuver is a zigzagging course to one’s destination rather than traveling in a straight line, because straight line travel is virtually impossible in a sailboat when the waters beneath you and the winds above you are constantly moving.

As some of you may have heard your preachers in church say, “I said that to say this:…”

We have always had to contend with the prevailing winds of oppression and resistance. For a long time, their strength was likened to that of a hurricane, keeping us isolated on the island of slavery and the rocky shorelines of Jim Crow. But through the persistence, patience, determination and resolve of our forebears, on both sides of the racial divide, we got the winds to calm down a bit. But they still blow. Conversely, we have spent the last four centuries working to define our own cultural waters. Many of the aforementioned forefathers strived, learned, worked, talked, and even fought and died to make our waters as calm and promising as any other. But we’ve succumbed somehow to a Siren song of complacency that has allowed us to drift off course, and created a mindset within our culture that many of our young people have not only bought into but now aspire to. The lines between art and life, between entertainment and reality have blurred into seamlessness, and now our youth want to be like what they see in the movies, on the court, on the field and in the videos. And the waters beneath us are being driven as they always have by the winds above us, the corporate executives, politicians, pundits and government operatives who have worked for years to create the very environment we find ourselves in right now.

And so when stuff like this happens, when tragic events like that of George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin beset us, we come together to grieve, to comfort, to encourage, to resolve. And then we do little else.

Ladies and gentlemen, I submit to you that we need to make some course corrections. We need to tack into the wind, if you will. We need to do SOMETHING other than the massive amounts of NOTHING that we typically have done. And the time is right for it.

First of all, I have seen some attempts being made in certain areas. A group called the Dream Defenders has formed and they are working to address the issues brought out by the Zimmerman trial, and trying to ensure that laws that are passed will apply to everyone and be equally applied for everyone, regardless of demographic. That’s good. I’ve seen more people, like myself, blogging, texting, emailing, phoning, and doing whatever they can do to keep the conversation going. That’s good. Groups like the NAACP and the NAN have vowed to continue their work to level the playing field and give everyone a fair shot at life and happiness. That’s good.

But that ain’t enough, nor does it strike where the issues really are. True change starts at the grass roots. True change starts when an artist who was in favor starts to lose that favor because the tastes or the message changes. True change starts when communities come together, neighbor by neighbor, to protect and look out for each other. True change occurs when what was previously considered unacceptable gets reevaluated, and what has long been accepted and even celebrated gets reexamined. That’s tacking into the wind.

We need to have some honest conversations with our kids about the lyrics of the songs they listen to and the messages being conveyed. While many of them will tell you that the artist is just keeping it real and talking about what’s going on in the ‘hood, perhaps we can counter that argument with the sentiment that the artists themselves might have come FROM the ‘hood (maybe) but don’t live IN the ‘hood NOW, and that it’s time to change the reality of what’s going on in the ‘hood. If our youth demand change in the content of the songs (by NOT paying for a record that glorifies violence, advocates drug use, demeans women, and encourages lasciviousness), then the hit to the profits of these record labels will effect a course change.

We need to start having honest and respectful conversations with our neighbors on our streets. Many of us now live in communities where we don’t even know the person who lives next door to us, and haven’t known them for years. I admit, some neighbors are the type you don’t WANT to get to know, or at least develop a friendship with, but it’s important for us to come together and look out for one another. Get to know who’s around you. Remember that they want to live in peace just like you do. Take care of your place just like they are (hopefully) taking care of theirs. And if someone is in the neighborhood engaging in criminal or subversive activity, it’s ok to snitch! We cannot sit idly by and let them keep killing our kids! But we can’t go around being George Zimmermans either. Work with your neighbors. That’s an effective course change.

We need to help our kids see the potential in their futures when their education is complete. The higher one’s education level is, the more options they have. Their earning potential also increases. Everyone is not going to the NBA, the NFL, the Oscars, or the Grammys. And we don’t need everyone there anyway. But we’re doing ourselves no good if we have that aspiration but find ourselves either stuck at WalMart or looking for work because we didn't get the proper education. We need more people like Rachel Jeantel, who has stated her goal of taking the scholarship that Tom Joyner has provided for her and becoming a lawyer. What a success story that would be, especially if she one day is able to use her degree to successfully prosecute the next George Zimmerman, or successfully defends the next young man who is wrongfully profiled. What a course change that would be.

We need to learn how the system works, and get into position to make it work for all people. I remember a conversation I had with my mother once. I was venting about the challenges we educators face, and she told me, “Son, you can keep staying on the outside complaining about it, or you can work to get on the inside and do something about it. For change doesn’t come from those who are outside looking in. Change comes from the inside out.” Those words are true. Imagine what change could come if we had more people registered to vote, who served on juries, who participated in the process, who found young educated and driven people motivated to get into the position to make a change. Imagine if we elected them to office, and held them accountable to the promises they made to the people. What a course change that would be.

As for me, I think I've finally found my voice. I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing, teaching kids, coaching basketball, preaching the gospel whenever the opportunity presents itself, and writing about what I see. Not only the plight, but the promise. Not only the problems, but humble suggestions towards solutions. I want to see this world become what it CAN be. But I can't do it alone.

We can keep doing what we’ve been doing, and see nothing change, or things get worse. Or we can get sick and tired of being sick and tired, and this time, DO something about it. Some changes we can do immediately, like registering to vote (if you’re not yet), and having that conversation with your kids. And some changes will take time, like getting candidates in position and in office who are going to commit to actually DOING something to make things better. That’s tacking into the wind. We may have to zigzag to get there, but if we stay focused and consistent, we’ll get to our goal of peace and equal protection under the law. Let’s come about and set a new course.

Right Responses

Ok, the trial of George Zimmerman is over. And I think all of us would agree that justice was NOT served. And in the time that has passed since last Saturday night, people around the country and around the world have responded in various ways. Some have been appropriate, some foolish, some extremely arrogant, and some have been downright WRONG.

Look, we can't go back in time to change the events of February 26, 2012. That's history. Even the trial is now history. What we CAN do, however, is look a little closer at it to see what we can learn from it. You see, if you don't understand how a game is played, then you won't do well in it. So many have criticized how the prosecution presented the case, how the witnesses performed on the stands, the demographic makeup of the jury, etc. But I submit to you that this trial was going to be problematic for the prosecution from the time they finally decided to charge Mr. Zimmerman.

If any of you recall your history and law classes growing up, you might remember that they say that in this country, a person is innocent until PROVEN guilty. Well, that's what they say, at least. Several of my colleagues would argue that the reverse is true when the defendant is an African-American, but the presumption of innocence is supposed to be at the forefront of every judicial proceeding. This means that when a criminal case goes to trial, the burden of proof is on the prosecution, who must prove that the defendant violated the law "beyond all reasonable doubt." All the defense has to do in order to win is show that reasonable doubt, therefore, and they can get an acquittal.

George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin on that night of February 26th. The initial police investigation and interviews with the accused seemed to give credence to self-defense, so the police refused to charge him. But the public outcry was so large and widespread that they were compelled to look a little further. It took 44 days to bring a formal indictment, and when they did so, you recall, they charged Mr. Zimmerman with murder in the 2nd degree. Now, here's where it gets tricky. Remember, the burden of proof is on the prosecution, who, with this Murder 2 charge, now had to prove, beyond all reasonable doubt, that George Zimmerman acted with "a depraved mind" with malice towards his victim. In plain English, this means that according to Florida law, Mr. Zimmerman had to have known Trayvon, hated him beforehand, and moved to intentionally harm him but not kill him. If death was the result of his actions, then the burden of proof for Murder 2 has been satisfied. On the other hand, one of the defenses against a charge of Murder 2 is self-defense, which Mr. Zimmerman's lawyers employed to defend him in this case. All they had to do was prove that first of all, Mr. Zimmerman didn't know the victim beforehand and then reasonably feared for his life when the confrontation got underway. They were able to do that, and that's why Mr. Zimmerman is not in a physical jail right now.

So the real problem is, the prosecution leveled the wrong charge at Mr. Zimmerman. Remember that the judge gave the jury the option of manslaughter as a lesser charge. Had that been the primary charge, then the lesser charge would have been criminally negligent homicide. The burden of proof for the prosecution would have been a lot easier to prove, because for this charge, all they had to prove was that the defendant initiated the steps that resulted in the death of the victim. And they could have proved that the moment that Mr. Zimmerman left his vehicle. As Richard Cohen wrote in his op-ed piece for the Washington Post, "There’s no doubt in my mind that Zimmerman profiled Martin and, braced by a gun, set off in quest of heroism. The result was a quintessentially American tragedy — the death of a young man understandably suspected because he was black and tragically dead for the same reason." Everyone knows this to be so, and so if the prosecution's formal charge was manslaughter instead of Murder 2, then Mr. Zimmerman would be behind bars today.

Sadly, that's not the case. Mr. Zimmerman literally walked on the technicalities. And his acquittal has set off a literal firestorm of protests, debates, arguments, and the like, all over the world. I've been pleased for the most part at the strong show of solidarity all across this country for people who did not like this outcome. The protests have been the right response, as long as they have been peaceful. The debates on social media, even if they've been uncomfortable at times, have been largely productive, in my mind, because they have at least got us talking to each other. That's a right response. The support and assistance that has come to the Martin family in the last two days has been compassionate and beneficial for them. That's a right response.

But not every response has been a right response, hence my desire to take to the keyboard once again. As I stated earlier, most of the protests around the country have been relatively peaceful. But there have been some exceptions. Riots broke out in two protests, one in Oakland, CA, and the other in Los Angeles. Rioters broke store windows, broke out the windows of police cars, and even flash-mob looted a local WalMart. In Baltimore, a White man out for a jog was accosted by four Black teens, who beat him up while yelling, "This is for Trayvon!" Ladies and gentlemen, these are NOT right responses.

I have a question I'd like to pose to the looters and rioters, if I could: I know you're upset about Zimmerman going free, and rightly so, but what, exactly, are you accomplishing? How is tearing up your own neighborhood going to imprison Mr. Zimmerman? How is destroying the ability for the local businesses around you to DO business going to bring justice to everyone? What did the White jogger have to do with Trayvon's death, and if the answer is nothing, they why exact vengeance on HIM? Isn't that why we were upset with Mr. Zimmerman in the first place, because he harmed an innocent young man who wasn't doing anything wrong? So how are your actions any different from his?

Worse still, you and I are upset because of the imbalances that happen in the American justice system when it comes to the treatment of minorities, and rightly so. You and I don't want folks to look at us and label us troublemakers just because we're Black, right? We'd prefer that old "content of their character" assessment, am I right? Then WHY would you do something that by its very nature reinforces the negative stereotypes? Have you never heard that two wrongs don't make a right? Like Dr. King said, "An eye for an eye leaves everybody blind." Don't worry about George Zimmerman! His life as he knew it is over, and it ended the same time he took Trayvon's. Like one African American wrote to him, "I bet you never thought that by killing a Black man you would inherit all of his struggles." He's got all of that and more to contend with now. Trust me, nothing you do to him or anyone else will compare to the gravity of what he's done to himself.

I think everyone would agree that for as far as we've come, it is clear that we have so much further to go. But if we as a people wish to be taken seriously, then we are going to have to change some of the ways we do things! We CANNOT continue to act with reckless abandon and callous apathy and shallow thought processes and selfish motives and expect to be greeted as equals at the table! These are not right responses.

No, instead of responding with violence, respond with INTELLIGENCE. Learn how the laws of the land apply to you and your community. Take your education seriously, and get the credentials you need to get in the positions of influence and power, through the legal election processes. Take care of the community around you and build it up, don't tear it down! Learn to have a conversation, first with your family and peers, and then with those who are NOT a part of your circle. Find the common ground we all share, and build relationships and partnerships from that. Look at the situation we now find ourselves in as an opportunity to effect positive change, not as an insurmountable obstacle leaving you with no other choice than to attack it. Fight with IDEAS, not with fists, rocks, and bottles. Demonstrate EXCELLENCE, not mindless behavior. Trayvon Martin deserves that. The communities you live in deserve it. And YOU deserve it too. This would be the RIGHT response to what has happened.

Crime and Consequence

As much as I love it, America is a land of so many contradictions.

Some years ago, Michael Vick, professional NFL quarterback, who happens to be Black, was convicted and sent to jail for running a dogfighting ring and participating in the killing of some of his dogs.

Plaxico Burress, professional NFL wide receiver, who ALSO happens to be Black, accidentally shot HIMSELF in the leg in a New York City nightclub. He was sentenced to two years for this transgression.

Ben Roethlisberger, professional NFL quarterback, who happens to be white, had allegations of rape leveled at him, but he was NOT convicted of a crime and sent to jail. He endured some embarrassment, to be sure. But he stayed free.

Ten years ago, here in Columbus, there was a young Black man named Kenny Walker. A husband and father. College educated and career professional. He was out for an evening on the town with some of his friends. While they were out, they stopped at an apartment complex, where they apparently or allegedly got high on cocaine before heading home. It just so happened that at the same time, in the same apartment complex, a major drug transaction was taking place. The police drug task force had the apartment under surveillance, and they saw an SUV that reportedly had the major drug dealers inside. The thing is, that SUV looked just like the one that Kenny Walker and his friends were in. Other than that similarity, the only other thing these two vehicles had in common was that the occupants of both vehicles were Black.

So when the SUVs left the apartment complex, the drug task force swooped in for the arrest. But instead of targeting the SUV that had the drug dealers, they went after the one that held Kenny Walker and his friends. They stopped them in the middle of the highway, pulled them over, and dragged everyone out of the vehicle, guns drawn. One sheriff's deputy, who was White, and who (it was discovered later) didn't even have any business being with the task force that night, aimed his gun at Kenny's head while he was laying prostrate on the ground. The safety was off. Kenny shifted his weight, the deputy tripped, and two bullets tore through Kenny's skull. The deputy lost his job, some time later, but never had to do any jail time. And Kenny Walker's little girl has to grow up without her father, his wife without her companion.

A few years after the Kenny Walker incident (murder), also here in Columbus, there was a young White man named Zachary Allen. He was a firefighter. Out on the job one day, he crashed the fire truck he was driving into two cars. A woman and her little girl were injured as a result. Subsequent toxicology tests indicated that Mr. Allen, whose father was a current city councilman at the time, had cocaine in his system at the time of the wreck. Young Mr. Allen tried to claim that the brakes on the truck failed. Upon further examination, it was determined that nothing was wrong with the brakes on that fire truck at all. Mr. Allen was allowed to resign from his position as a firefighter. He was never charged with a crime for what happened. The woman's lawsuit was settled out of court.

Down in Florida, a young Black mother named Marissa Alexander was going through what so many families go through nowadays, the breakup of the family. Her husband was abusive, and she felt threatened by him. One day, during a particularly nasty fight, he got physical. She managed to get away from him, found a gun, and fired warning shots as he was approaching her. He stopped his advance, turned and left. She was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. She feared for her life, and cited the Stand Your Ground law as her defense. No one was harmed at all when she fired her weapon. But she was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison, where she sits to this day.

Down in Florida, a young White mother named Casey Anthony killed her little girl. The circumstances of the child's death made national headlines, as did the trial. But Casey Anthony was ultimately acquitted. She lives her life now as a pariah. But she didn't go to jail.

And tonight, a jury of six women, none of whom were Black, acquitted George Zimmerman of 2nd Degree Murder in the death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman pleaded not guilty and claimed self-defense. Unlike the young Black mother, someone DID die this time. A young, unarmed, 17-year old Black male. But Zimmerman, who profiled Trayvon because he looked suspicious, who followed him, who got out of his vehicle to track him, who ignored the police dispatcher's directives to stop following the young man, who failed to identify himself as a neighborhood watchman, who failed to fulfill his sole responsibility as a neighborhood watchman, which is to observe and report ONLY, fired the gun he had on him and then claimed he feared for his life. He's now in a safe place with his family.

Trayvon is still dead.

People want to claim in America that we live in a post-racial society, since we elected our nation's first Black President. But his election didn't assuage or eliminate racial tension in this country. In fact, it inflamed it. Not due to any particular actions on his part. Most of the time, the resistance to the President's policies have had at their root somewhere a particular distaste for his race. Most of the people I deal with will tell me that they are not racists, and they get offended that expressing their opposition to the president carries with it the likelihood that they will get unfairly tagged as such. And for the most part I believe them.

On the other hand, however, there are certain facts that are clear and have been supported by both research and experience. Statistics have shown that when a jury is composed the way this one was, and the victim of the crime is Black, but the defendant is White, that the result is either an acquittal, as happened tonight, or a much lighter sentence. Alternately, statistics have shown that if and when the defendant is Black and has to stand in front of a jury composed similar to the one who acquitted Zimmerman, the result is more often not only a conviction, but the harshest sentence possible. The trial of George Zimmerman sparked heated debate on both sides of the issue. People made valid points (at least in their minds) both ways, but the fact remains that Black Michael Vick had to go to jail for killing dogs and Hispanic/White George Zimmerman got to go home after he killed a Black boy.

So is the life of a Black man less valuable than that of a dog?

Now, while I'm definitely disappointed in the outcome of this trial, and in the message it is apparently conveying to the nation, I'm also thinking of some of the things we do that could possibly be contributory. Black-on-Black crime is at an all-time high, especially in my hometown of Chicago, where last weekend, the 4th of July weekend, 72 people were shot as a result of this tragic phenomenon. Our people have celebrated for some time a culture that tends to give credence to thuggin, to drinkin, to clubbin, to fightin, to sexin, to being uncouth and rowdy, and to settle conflicts with violence. As a result, one out of every three Black men in this country will go to prison in their lifetimes, and one in four Black males between the ages of 18 and 34 is either in jail, on probation, or dead, the victim of the crime we apparently think is inherent in our DNA.

But the flip side of that coin is just as glaring. The system is set up to create the very conditions we deplore. White neighborhoods don't have many liquor stores in them. Black neighborhoods are rife with them. It has long been contended that there was government collusion years ago in creating this particular piece of the environment.

There is still an emphasis on education in many White families. A lot of young Blacks think it's cool to NOT do well in school. I have to fight against that mindset all the time, and thankfully, I make a lot more progress among my children than failure. There are still kids who fall through the cracks though, and Black students are still getting suspended out of school more than White ones, even here at home.

There is a media bias that has gone on for years when it comes to Blacks and Whites. When the three young White and Hispanic ladies were discovered in Cleveland, having been kidnapped and held against their will for decades, the national buzz lasted for days. There are young Black women who have disappeared for just as long a time, but there is no coverage of their plight. When those three women were discovered and rescued, their first rescuer was a Black man named Charles Ramsey. But when the ladies made their first public statements expressing their gratitude at being free, none of them took the time to thank Mr. Ramsey. They didn't even mention his name. Back during Hurricane Katrina, the images of the police, firefighters and other first responders were overwhelmingly White, even though there were plenty of Black officers, firefighters, paramedics, and soldiers on the ground in New Orleans as well. When the cameras fell on the Black faces, however, the images were of the looters, the drunkards, the rowdy masses in the Superdome who gave into despair and manifested it by engaging in some of the worst possible behavior.

Many of our young Black children like to listen to musical artists who constantly feed them songs and images of partying, drinking, clubbing, and fighting, and they eat it up. And the executives in the music industry encourage the artists to make such songs. Then our kids turn around and act out what they see and hear. But the artists themselves see no need to change the paradigm, stating instead that their songs have validity because they're "keeping it real". I've taught students in the past who had difficulty remembering their basic multiplication facts, but could recite every word to 50 Cent's "In The Club."

But even though all of this was going on, and has gone on for years, it is no justification whatsoever for what happened tonight. I said it earlier: Michael Vick served time for killing dogs. At a minimum, George Zimmerman should have served some time for killing Trayvon Martin. Yes, as a parent, I would probably have an issue with my son going to the store by himself that late at night, even if he was 17. Yes, as a parent, I probably would have driven him in my car if he needed some candy that badly. Yes, he probably looked suspicious as he was walking home trying to stay as dry as possible in the rain. Or maybe he was trying to evade the man he knew was following him, following him simply because he "looked like" a suspect.

But George Zimmerman is an adult. He's supposed to act like one. He had a choice to do his job correctly, to observe and report and let the police handle it. But he didn't make that choice. "These a****les, they always get away..." were his words. So he followed him. He got out of his car to track him while he was on the phone with the police. The transcript is clear: "Are you following him right now?" "Yes". "Yeah, we're gonna need you not to do that..." Even the police knew that incidents like this threaten the safety of everyone involved.

George Zimmerman wasn't the only one afraid that night. Trayvon was too. But fear has a tendency to evoke more than one response: fight or flight. Many have said that if Trayvon was scared, he should have just kept on walking home and called the police from his house. But Trayvon apparently decided to confront the object of his fear, with tragic consequences. And George Zimmerman's lawyers, shrewdly arguing his claim of self-defense, and having the dual advantage of just having to introduce doubt into the prosecution's case and doing so in a system that works for the majority and against minorities, gave more credence to George Zimmerman's fear than it did to Trayvon's. So we live in a country where the life of a dog is more valuable than the life of an African American male. Or so it seems.

This crime has consequence. Even though it looks like it doesn't, it does. Trayvon is gone. His parents now have to go the rest of their lives without him. But George Zimmerman's life is over as well. He will never see his dream of becoming a police officer realized. He will have a very hard time finding a job now. His felt that his life was in danger a year and a half ago. Now his life is in constant danger, or it will be for the short term, at least. Even if and when the outrage passes, and the need for vengeance and justice abates, George Zimmerman will live out the rest of his days with the mark of Cain on him, the mark of having killed a boy for what many (including myself) do not feel was justified or necessary. Not every prison is made of steel and concrete and iron bars. George Zimmerman is in a prison of another sort, one of his own making.

And what can we do? Pray for the family of Trayvon Martin, AND for that of George Zimmerman. Both are now bereft of their sons. Pray for the people of this country, that we don't give in to despair and hopelessness and manifest our frustrations in rioting and other unseemly behavior. Pray for our elected officials, that they will pass laws that benefit and protect ALL people, not just a privileged few. And that they will have the courage to amend, adjust, or if need be, strike down laws which do not grant "liberty and justice for all". Pray for your own families to stay together and support each other through this life while we are on this dying planet and in this sin-sick world. And after you get off your knees, get to work. Teach your children, especially if they are minorities, how to conduct themselves in the presence of law enforcement officials. Teach them how to function as members of society and still retain their uniqueness. Keep instilling in them that while there is a lot that is wrong down here, there still exists in each of us the potential to do a lot of right, and that we can still reach our dreams if we work hard enough and do what's right and not just what's convenient. And after you've talked to your kids, get on the phone, on the internet and on social media. Talk to your elected officials and insist that they work to remove or adjust unbalanced laws such as Stand Your Ground. Insist that they work for ALL people, not just to win the next election. And if they won't do that, then find a qualified candidate who WILL work for the people who elect him or her, and vote out the ones who will not. Trayvon's death, which was indeed a crime, will not have been in vain if all of us, together, can create something positive from it, if nothing else as a tribute to his legacy. That would be the sweetest tribute and most effective consequence we can give.

Restore Your Balance!

Well, we made it back safely. I thought I was going to have to drive back to Columbus from New Orleans in the rain, as precipitation was forecasted for Mobile, Montgomery, Opelika and Columbus, but thankfully, it hardly rained at all on our way back. And with new tires on the Silver Bullet (my nickname for the new SUV), she handled the roads beautifully. It made the 7-hour journey seem like a few minutes.

This vacation time taught me something important. I feel more rested right now than I have in a long time. Before this year, I had not left the city for anything other than church trips and school business in 13 years. You heard that right. It's not something I'm proud of, although at one point I was proud of that fact. During the time that I served as Youth Pastor of my church, when the school year ended and the summer began, I was so committed to making sure that the children had things to do during the season (VBS, Summer Youth Revival, movie nights, attending other churches' youth revivals, etc.), that I never gave a thought to my OWN need for refreshing.

And yet, as you look over the teachings of Scripture, I was in error in this regard. Even God, with all His power, and His need for NOTHING, rested on the seventh day after He created the Heavens and the Earth (Gen. 2:1). When He gave the law to Moses His servant, God hallowed the seventh day and commanded that no work be done on it (Exodus 20:8-11). And Jesus, when He sent His disciples forth to witness and work for Him, pulled them out of the field for a little R & R after they got back (Mark 6:30-32). Our bodies are not designed to work indefinitely, and yet, we are pushing ourselves to do more and more with less and less, and in a much shorter time.

I'm sure some of you may have heard the old admonition to "not be so heavenly minded that you're no earthly good." There is a lot of validity in that statement. I know a lot of Christians who are so focused on serving the Lord and being pleasing to Him that they neglect their families, their earthly responsibilities, their careers, all in the thinking that if I'm serving the Lord with everything that I have, then He will take care of all the other stuff. I know, I used to be one of them (well, much worse than I was over the course of the last 13 years. So much so that it cost me a career in the military).

On the flip side, I've seen other believers that claim to rely so much on the unending love of God that they are convinced that they don't have to change their ways at all, that God's grace and mercy are so abundant that they can live any way they please, because "the Lord knows my heart." This is foolishness and presumption.

I'll never forget one of the things my wife and I discussed when we first met, and which has really been a continuous discussion of ours for the length of our union thus far (we'll celebrate 22 years at the end of next month). It is the need for balance. A balanced life, a balanced diet, a balanced budget, a balanced FAITH. Getting the right amount of sleep. Eating a good nutritious meal. Keeping watch of your finances, and investing wisely. Spending quality time with your family and loved ones, without smothering them. Spending time in the presence of the Lord, rightly dividing the Word of His truth, and receiving from HIM what we need to face the day and the challenges thereof. Yielding to the Lord so He can manifest His holiness IN you, without taking yourself so seriously that you become stuffy and unapproachable. (There are a LOT of saints, on both sides of this issue! They are either too tight or too loose!) In the book of Proverbs, Agur the son of Jakeh (they had some interesting names back then, huh?) made this a part of his prayer, when he wrote, "Two things have I required of Thee: deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain" (Proverbs 30:7-9). Make no mistake about it: the Lord requires us to work down here, work hard, and work with excellence. But we have to also make time to be refreshed and renewed. It is just as important for us to schedule some "down time" as it is for us to manage our work time. Don't be so driven to be a public success that you become a private failure. Take the time to work with your children and let them know you love them. Take the time to love on your spouse and convey your respect, love and admiration. Take the time to go someplace you haven't been before, to see something you've never seen before, to taste something you've never eaten before, to see the world and God's creation from a different perspective. And you will find that you will return to your corner of the earth with more energy, renewed focus, and greater appreciation for what the Lord has done and is doing in your own life.

That's what I took away from the past two weeks (that and a great appreciation for Cajun cooking, lol). I don't know where we'll be going next summer, if I live to see it, but I plan on going SOMEWHERE. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. I might just take you up on it. And if you find yourself bogged down like I've been, please, free yourself. Live life with no regrets, because tomorrow is NOT promised. Do what you need to do to restore your balance.

You do NOT put corn in Gumbo...EVER!

When I told some friends and acquaintances that I was coming to New Orleans for vacation this year, the overwhelming theme from each person I told was that I would EAT. There are no shortage of places in the Big Easy that have the most amazing dishes. I was given recommendations of places, by name, that I should visit, along with specific items of food that I should try. Now, I've been eating since I've been born, so I was ready to go!

Now, when I got here, I realized that the dishes and food items I was told to try are signature dishes of the entire city of New Orleans and this region in general. Mother's makes an incredible "po'boy", but po'boys can be found everywhere. Café du Monde is the birthplace of the beignet, but everywhere I traveled and looked, beignets were sold in every direction imaginable. Muffalettas, jambalaya, gumbo, etoufee, you name it... Cajun dishes abound. But while these dishes can be found anywhere, like my informal advisors told me, there are places that remain the gold standard for certain dishes.

So, with that in mind, let me add my recommendations to those of my predecessors. If you ever come to New Orleans, you MUST go to Café du Monde and have some beignets. They are always served in groups of three, with a ton of confectioner's sugar thrown across the top of them. Hot, fluffy, sweet, and chewy, they take you right in and make you feel right at home. Served with coffee and chicory (or the soda beverage of your choice), it is the perfect way to start your tour of the Historic French Quarter. There are lots of beignets in New Orleans, but no one tops the originators. Go to Café du Monde.

After you leave the café, if you want a meal that's down home but a little more full, then Mother's is your destination. Located at the boundary between the modern buildings of the downtown business district and the charming old buildings of the French Quarter, Mother's serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bill themselves as having the world's best baked ham, but their Famous Ferdi po'boy sandwich is awesome. Made with roast beef and dressed with cabbage and other flavors, it's a great delight. They also make a mean jambalaya. Mother's is a great place to start walking around the city. It's also just a few blocks from the Superdome, where the New Orleans Saints play football (Who Dat? the Atlanta FALCONS, WE DAT! LOL)

This year, I learned a new word for "sandwich". It's called a "muffaletta". You can buy one from the Central Grocery on Decatur St. You take salami, ham, provolone cheese, tomatoes, and a LOT of olives, and put them in a sandwich. They sell them in wholes or halves, and always cut them in quarters. It was, perhaps, the best sandwich I have ever eaten. Pick your favorite soda to go with it and prepare for an explosion of flavor in your mouth!

And then there's gumbo. Now, everybody within a 90-mile radius of New Orleans can make gumbo, so I have no restaurants to recommend for this. My hosts made a big pot for me when we got here. In fact, gumbo is so popular that you can go to any butcher shop and by a gumbo pack, with all the meats and things you will need to make it. Now, I learned two things about gumbo during my stay. One, gumbo is best served over rice. Great flavor and texture that way. And second, you do NOT put corn in gumbo. Ever. Now, this was an honest mistake on my part. I've eaten gumbo in the past, mind you. My mom makes a mean version of the same. Being a lover of all things food like I am, I've often enjoyed my meals if they tasted good without being too concerned about what was in them. So I assumed that since gumbo was such a conglomeration of a lot of stuff, there would be corn in it. Well, when I mentioned that assumption to my host, you would have thought that I cussed at them! I was informed, in no uncertain terms, that corn in gumbo was a no-go. I even got jumped about this on facebook! It was a very funny moment, but a learning one as well. So when my host made the gumbo, I definitely tasted, chicken, shrimp, crab, turkey necks, hot sausage, and rice. But no corn. Because you do NOT put corn in gumbo. EVER. Now you know.

What they told me was true. New Orleans is a place to party, to relax, to marvel, and to EAT. You will have a great time if you come here. Tomorrow, which is the 4th of July, I hope to take the ferry across the river and drive my vehicle to the end of Algiers Point, right across from the river. That will be the perfect spot to watch the fireworks, with the city in the backdrop. I'm looking forward to it. And I'll probably be stuffed when I get there. Happy 4th of July!