WSSN Stories

“Praise God Anyhow!”

Lou Coleman

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

I tell you we should all be like Habakkuk… Instead of standing staring in the face of his problem he backed off from the problem and he stood on solid ground. He gave up on what he didn’t know and started remembering what he did know and instead of worrying about why things were going the way they were going, and why in the world God was allowing this and allowing that, he just stood back and said, “Now wait a minute, my God is an eternal God, He’s a righteous God, He hates sin and He never does wrong, He always does right.” Once he had established what he knew about God then it was much easier to cope with what he didn’t know about the events around him.

Habakkuk’s attitude was: God I don’t understand everything; I don’t understand why you let Israel go. I don’t understand why you’re bringing the Chaldeans to judge them. I don’t understand why you’re going to wait to judge the Chaldeans after that. I don’t understand any of the things, but I know one thing God, You’re the God that is righteous. You’re the God that’s eternal. You’re the God that never makes a mistake. You’re the God that hates sin. You’re the God that never does anything wrong and I’ll stand on that and praise you anyhow.

In Chapter 2, Habakkuk is standing in the midst of an absolute dilemma. He is afraid. He is afraid for himself, he’s afraid for Israel. He can’t seem to justify and rectify all the parts of the situation, though he understands that God who allowed the situation is always right. He’s caught in a dilemma, but he does not ask for deliverance, he does not ask for personal escape, he does not ask for ease, he does not pray that God should spare Israel, he doesn’t even pray that there would be no victory for the Chaldeans and that they would lose the battle, he doesn’t pray that Jerusalem wouldn’t be sacked, he doesn’t pray any of these things because he knows in view of the kind of God that God is, God must judge. So he doesn’t even bother with those things. What he does pray is this: that God will do His work and that God will have His way…. What a tremendous prayer. He knows how to pray, contrary to most of us. He knows what to pray for. He’s not praying selfishly, he’s not praying biased in favor of his flesh or his people. He is praying singularly that God’s work come to fulfillment.

I tell you when you can arrive at that kind of position in prayer you have arrived. When you can look at the problems around you and the problems in your life and the problems in your world and say, “God I don’t care about those things, all I care about God, that you be glorified.” What a tremendous, tremendous prayer. Habakkuk had one thought in his mind and that was that God receive the due glory for doing His work. He says, God, if you’ve got to do it that way I want you to do it, revive your work in the midst of the years. His one desire was that things be right according to God’s plan, not comfortable according to his desires. Not peaceful, not easy, not happy, just right like God would have them. He wanted things to be the way God wanted them, and if you want a New Testament equivalent to that kind of a prayer you’ll find it in the prayer commonly called the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come.”

Habakkuk had made a fantastic transformation from fear to fate. He started out shaking like a leaf in Chapter 1, but he come to the consciousness of faith in a God that he knows is doing right. Our prayer ought to sound something like Habakkuk’s. We ought to be praying daily God be glorified in my life. God be glorified in my church. God be glorified in this world. That should be the cry and the prayer on the heart of every believer. Habakkuk had the right perspective. He had first things first. What really mattered to him were not the circumstances in the world around him, or his problems, although there were unbelievably bleak. The thing that really mattered to him was that God receive the glory. And that ought to be the thing that matters number one to us. Our concern should be the things of God that God’s work is coming to its fulfillment. What a tremendous lesson here. What can a person do in a state of human weakness? What can you do when you’re faced with all sorts of problems? Habakkuk said,” I’m going to stand here and love God and just keep on loving Him and praising Him no matter what happens.” Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”

Unless we see the big picture of what God is doing through the difficulties of life, the suffering, the pain, the iniquities, the injustices of life, we will miss the profound and foundational truth that God is using all of it for our ultimate good and His glory. So when all hell breaks loose in your world; when the worst comes to the worst; when everything is lost, step back from your problem, remember your God and start to rejoice with a holy joy based on love and adoration that nothing will ever touch. That you’re His and He’s yours and He cares for you and nothing will ever affect that in anyway. The sweetness of the spirit of Habakkuk. His problems were solved, not because he understood everything, but because he knew his God and he put his trust in Him. His circumstances caused him to shake, but his relationship to God was absolutely unshakeable. “Praise God Anyhow!”

 

WHAT IT DO WITH LUE: Tamiko Kirkland

Comedian Tamiko Kirkland

Comedian Tamiko Kirkland

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood and this is What It Do! This week I want to shout-out my girl and the very, very funny comedian Tamiko Kirkland, straight out of COMPTON.

This talented young lady is the TRUTH. She is a loving wife and mother who is slaying folks all over the Inland Empire and beyond with the funnies. How they say keeping it real, that’s exactly what she does.

She is not afraid to talk about her personal relationships in her sets. Tamiko has a unique way of capturing the audience through her sassiness mixed with a little gangsta’, which keeps the crowd laughing. I have seen folks fall out of their chairs with laughter after she has told a joke. She can go there if need be too. Her joke about the SMART CAR is one of my favorites.

You can catch her performance this month at our LUE Productions “TOP COOK COMPETTION/COMEDY FUNDRAISER” as a judge on Friday, October 24 in San Bernardino at 114 S. Arrowhead Avenue. Tickets are on sale now for 8 bucks. Don’t miss out! You can find her performing in Barstow and Victorville this month as well.

I need everyone to pay attention to the name “TAMIKO KIRKLAND”! A COMEDY QUEEN ON THE RISE! I say it all the time that comedy is good for the soul. Laughter is something that is needed in everyone’s life. It’s a great stress reliever. Until next week! Please follow LUE Productions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter under LUE Productions. 1 LUV!

 

Letter to the Editor: She questions benefits of loyalty to Democrats…

DemocraticLogoBy Audrey Thompson

In 1964  President Johnson, a Democrat,  received 94 percent of the Black vote and since then no Republican presidential candidate has gotten more than 15 percent of the Black vote. Today, in the new Millennium, our vote is the most reliable block of votes for the Democratic Party from local elections to the Presidential elections. We are not new Democrats, but for almost 100 years, not 45 years since the voting rights act was passed and not even since President Barack Obama was first elected, but for almost 100 years, we have been the most reliable block of voters for the Democratic Party. No other group can boast the same.

Yet, all other groups get support, money and their voices heard by the Democrats. For me, I think I have seniority! My people have been their most reliable block of voters for almost a Century. Time vested in this Democratic Party with blood, sweat and tears and nobody else can say the same. It’s so bad, you can count on one hand how many African American’s are on staff for the California Democratic Party, it’s bad, it’s real bad!

We still have the highest unemployment rate, the highest incarceration rate and the highest school suspension rate. In fact, we have the highest of all the bad things and the lowest of all the good things. The Democratic Party does not support our agendas and they don’t support our candidates. If we continue to vote for the Democrats blindly they will never respect us nor give us a thing. This election look closely at the candidate, don’t vote blindly!  Please don’t go for the okeedoke again, stop voting on a promise! As the late comedian Joan Rivers used to say, “Can we talk?”

 

ENHANCED EBOLA SCREENING TO START AT FIVE U.S. AIRPORTS

140807-ebola-spain-7a_467e254a065a484d2c28f83b36a56d08

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs & Border Protection (CBP) this week will begin new layers of entry screening at five U.S. airports that receive over 94 percent of travelers from the Ebola-affected nations of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

New York’s JFK International Airport will begin the new screening on Saturday.  In the 12 months ending July 2014, JFK received nearly half of travelers from the three West African nations. The enhanced entry screening at Washington-Dulles, Newark, Chicago-O’Hare, and Atlanta international airports will be implemented next week.

“We work to continuously increase the safety of Americans,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “We believe these new measures will further protect the health of Americans, understanding that nothing we can do will get us to absolute zero risk until we end the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.”

“CBP personnel will continue to observe all travelers entering the United States for general overt signs of illnesses at all U.S. ports of entry and these expanded screening measures will provide an additional layer of protection to help ensure the risk of Ebola in the United States is minimized,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. “CBP, working closely with CDC, will continue to assess the risk of the spread of Ebola into the United States, and take additional measures, as necessary, to protect the American people.”

CDC is sending additional staff to each of the five airports. After passport review:

  • Travelers from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will be escorted by CBP to an area of the airport set aside for screening.
  • Trained CBP staff will observe them for signs of illness, ask them a series of health and exposure questions and provide health information for Ebola and reminders to monitor themselves for symptoms. Trained medical staff will take their temperature with a non-contact thermometer.
  • If the travelers have fever, symptoms or the health questionnaire reveals possible Ebola exposure, they will be evaluated by a CDC quarantine station public health officer. The public health officer will again take a temperature reading and make a public health assessment. Travelers, who after this assessment, are determined to require further evaluation or monitoring will be referred to the appropriate public health authority.
  • Travelers from these countries who have neither symptoms/fever nor a known history of exposure will receive health information for self-monitoring.

Entry screening is part of a layered process that includes exit screening and standard public health practices such as patient isolation and contact tracing in countries with Ebola outbreaks.  Successful containment of the recent Ebola outbreak in Nigeria demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach.

These measures complement the exit screening protocols that have already been implemented in the affected West African countries, and CDC experts have worked closely with local authorities to implement these measures. Since the beginning of August, CDC has been working with airlines, airports, ministries of health, and other partners to provide technical assistance for the development of exit screening and travel restrictions in countries affected by Ebola. This includes:

  • Assessing the capacity to conduct exit screening at international airports;
  • Assisting countries with procuring supplies needed to conduct exit screening;
  • Supporting with development of exit screening protocols;
  • Developing tools such as posters, screening forms, and job-aids; and
  • Training staff on exit screening protocols and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)

Today, all outbound passengers are screened for Ebola symptoms in the affected countries. Such primary exit screening involves travelers responding to a travel health questionnaire, being visually assessed for potential illness, and having their body temperature measured.  In the last two months since exit screening began in the three countries, of 36,000 people screened, 77 people were denied boarding a flight because of the health screening process. None of the 77 passengers were diagnosed with Ebola and many were diagnosed as ill with malaria, a disease common in West Africa, transmitted by mosquitoes and not contagious from one person to another.

Exit screening at airports in countries affected by Ebola remains the principal means of keeping travelers from spreading Ebola to other nations.  All three of these nations have asked for, and continue to receive, CDC assistance in strengthening exit screening.

 

 

 

 

“Guilty as Charged!”

Lou Coleman

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

It is amazing how many people have little or no convictions. They are ruled by the flesh instead of the Spirit. They think, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else and it gives them a sense of pleasure it must be okay. Living for the moment is their rule of life. Boy, how wrong could they be. This kind of living always leads to regrets.

Let me tell you something. To live a life for eternity means you live with certain convictions. It means your life is guided by something greater than your earthly desires and momentary pleasures. READ 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Convictions are more than personal preference. It goes deeper than that. A conviction is a basic scriptural principal which we purpose to follow, whatever the cost. There are things we feel are worth fighting for and maybe even dying for. Convictions are the center core of our faith. Convictions produce an inner strength and provide protection from wrong influences, desires and deceptions. These core convictions guide me and help me live my life. I refuse to compromise the name of Jesus to be politically correct. I live my life with purpose. I take seriously the issue of holiness in my life. I set boundaries for myself. I am motivated to live up to my new identity in Christ. I work at living a balanced life. These core convictions and values help me navigate life. Does it mean I have no regrets? Of course not. There are times I live selfishly and complacently and let the pressures around me dictate my time and actions instead of my convictions. There are times I over commit and lose focus. I have regrets like everyone else. We all have regrets in life. My goal is to minimize my future regrets and help others just starting out to understand what is truly important as we learn to live with eternity in our hearts.

Don’t wait for a crisis to take the steps you need to take now. You can’t recapture this moment, so live it boldly with conviction and with a view of eternity. Listen, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God in our lives. We all have regrets, but when we bring them to Jesus, He forgives them completely. I don’t want you walking around with guilt and condemnation. If you do, you missed the whole purpose of what I’m saying. Let me make it plain. We can’t rewind our lives. This message is about the future. It is about learning some lessons from the past so we live differently. It is about developing some core convictions to guide us in making wise choices as we go forward. The message is about hope. It is about living for eternity now. So shake off any sense of shame or condemnation and lift up your heads. We are all part of the company of the redeemed, and God will continue to redeem our past regrets. Hallelujah!

Well, I don’t know about you, but from this day forward, I want to live without regrets. There is no rewind button on this life. Once this day is over it is forever gone. I want to live with the end in mind, with eternity in my heart. I want you to know that you can live a life of significance. You can become the person God wants you to be (Matt. 7:24-27). But you must know that living a life of few regrets begins with having a set of convictions that we live by. Let’s move forward. James 4:14 ask, “What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” Life is short. Do not wait until tomorrow. You need to obey now.

 

 

 

Only In America My Journey: Hot Coffee-Scrambled Eggs- Nuclear Submarines

Lt. Cmdr. Robert Crosby

Lt. Cmdr. Robert Crosby

By Lieutenant Commander Robert Crosby, United States Navy

I was born in a small town called Hot Coffee, Mississippi. My father had five children by five different women; some of these children were older than my mother. My father, a hustler, was abusive. My mother would escape my father’s abuse by visiting my grandparents’ house to do laundry. One day, she decided to stay permanently. My mother, who had only an eighth grade education, was now alone with three children. Still, she knew it was more important to protect her children than to stay in an abusive relationship.

After living with my grandparents for a while, my mother was offered a place to stay with my aunt in the Mississippi Delta, the poorest district in the poorest state in America. It was during this time that my mother remarried. WJ, my step father, provided a source of financial stability for us. Soon after, my other two siblings were born. WJ now had a wife and five children to care for on a salary of $150/week. We were extremely poor. We did not own a car. I wore my sister’s shoes to school, and WJ walked five miles to work every day. Because we were so poor, I was often bullied at school. Unfortunately, my parents’ relationship began to sour as domestic violence again reared its ugly head. My life consisted of a continual cycle of physically protecting my mother on the weekends and enduring bullying during the school week. Food was scarce at times because we depended, almost solely, on government assistance to eat.

Being on the honor roll at school was my only source of comfort and enjoyment. This made me feel important, as my report card became a source of pride for my mother, aunts, cousins, and sisters. I was in 7th grade when my grandfather became ill, and my family moved from the Mississippi Delta back to Hot Coffee. This move happened at a critical point in my life. I was beginning to get into trouble by hanging around the wrong crowd in the Mississippi Delta. Most of my friends and relatives, who I viewed to be role models in the Mississippi Delta, would later be sent to prison for drugs or murder. I am certain that if we had not moved back to Hot Coffee, this would have been my destiny as well. Though I later found Hot Coffee to be boring in comparison to my life in the Delta, at this juncture, I was glad to be moving. This move essentially saved my life.

After the Mississippi Delta, life back in Hot Coffee wasn’t much easier. It was during this time that I met one of the most important leadership figures in my adolescent life. Uncle J C Fairley, who we affectionately refer to as Uncle J, was sixty-five years old and possessed a fourth grade education. Uncle J was my community’s employer, banker, protector, spiritual advisor, and unequivocal leader. He was an entrepreneur and displayed compassion by hiring me to work in his watermelon field.

Uncle J and I drove two hours to New Orleans, LA to sell the watermelons. Once in New Orleans, Uncle J had a two-pronged operation. We parked the one-ton truck at a busy intersection and sliced open a display watermelon. This enticed many people to stop and buy them. We then drove the pickup truck through the residential areas of New Orleans, and as my uncle would honk the horn, my cousins and I would be on the back of the truck screaming at the top of our lungs in our southern Mississippi dialect, “WE GOT YO MISSISSIPPI WAATAMELOONS! RED TO DA RHYME!” Folks would come to the truck and ask, “How much dose watermelons?” and I would say, “Two dollas apiece,” and they would say, “Nooo . . . too high” and I would reply, “Tell you wat, I’ll give you two for fo dollas,” and they would say, “We’ll take ‘em!”

I prided myself on being Uncle J’s best salesman and his favorite yeller in getting prospective customers out of the house. Uncle J frequently motivated me by saying, “Boy, you know you can holla!” and “Keep bringing them out of the house, Bob!” I learned so much from Uncle J as he often taught about standards of conduct in a raised tone and in his wonderful, southern Mississippi dialect: “White folk’ll help you if ya wuk hard!” and “You may as well like’em (white folk) cuz ya godda wuk for ‘em.” I will never forget when he said, “Boy, if you go to jail for fightin, I’ll gitchu out cause I fought! If you go for jail for drankin, I’ll gitchu out cause I drank! But if you go to jail for stealin’ or messing wit dat dope, you gon rot there!”

I didn’t realize it at the time, but Uncle J was shaping my work ethic, teaching the value of relationships, and explaining a zero tolerance policy for stealing and illegal drug use. His experience base was formed while growing up under the Jim Crow laws of the South but his declarations set a precedent in my heart.

In the fall of my senior year of high school, I received a phone call from my girlfriend, informing me that I was going to be a father. I was only seventeen and the thought of raising a child was overwhelming. After a bit, I told my Spanish teacher, Mrs. Mayfield, and she asked her husband, the city Alderman, if I could work in their yard after school to help with the baby’s expense. They took the time to develop a relationship with me and allowed me the opportunity to work for $3.35/hr (min. wage) to support my son. Mrs. Mayfield understood my immediate family issues and included me as part of their extended family. The Mayfield’s were considered affluent, their children were educated, and they taught me responsibility, character, and the importance of education. I am still very close to this family today.

When my son, Robert Rashad Crosby, was born, I was determined to be a good father and a good provider, so I enlisted in the Navy in January of my senior year in high school. The first time I left Mississippi was when I left for Boot Camp in San Diego, CA. My recruiter had informed me that if I performed well, I could be promoted to E-2 when I left boot camp. I focused on this promise. Upon arrival, the Company Commanders gathered the hundred or so recruits and instructed each of us to sound off. Most of the recruits were shy and timid when called upon, but when it was my turn, I inhaled a healthy dose of God’s fresh air and shouted at the top of my lungs, in my full southern Mississippi dialect: “My name is Robert Crosby! Fo-two-seven- xx-xxxx! I’m from Hot Coffee, Mississippi! Favorite food is pinto beans and cornbread, Sur!”

After my “sounding off” an eerie silence came over the group. The Company Commanders called me to the front and after quietly inquiring to ensure that I was in the right branch of service (Navy versus Marines) they gave me a spot promotion to Recruit Chief Petty Officer. They were compassionate leaders and I earned E-2 out of Boot Camp. I was very excited about becoming a Navy cook.

I reported to the USS Thorn in the winter of 1994 and was immediately assigned to the general mess to cook for a crew of about 350 people. I was very motivated. I even memorized the entire crews’ first names so I could greet them by name as they came through my chow line. My chief noticed my initiative and persuaded me to go to the wardroom to cook for the officers. My shipmates sneered at that position and stated, “Rob, you are going to be a slave up there!” My buddies understood that in addition to cooking, the wardroom cook made the officers’ beds, vacuumed their staterooms, washed their clothes, and cleaned their toilets. I forced myself to love it because I viewed it as my only alternative and I wanted to be a squared away sailor. Also, I truly believed that the officers could not make good decisions if their stomachs were empty and if their accommodations were not properly maintained. In my mind, I was contributing to the mission of the ship by keeping them comfortable and well fed.

One day, while vacuuming my Captain’s stateroom closet, I saw his Service Dress Blues. After peeking out of the entrance to ensure no one was around, I tried on his jacket and cover. They both fit perfectly. I stared in the mirror for a couple of minutes and thought, “Maybe I can be a Naval officer?” I quickly replaced the uniform to its original position. A few days later, in the ship’s library, I found a book entitled Nimitz. Reading about how Admiral Chester Nimitz, a poor boy from Fredrick, Texas, overcame challenges early in his career was very inspirational and gave me hope. I fell in love with this book. One day while reading, one of my shipmates snatched the book from me, looked at the cover with Admiral Nimitz’s white face on the front, and said, “N(word) who do you think you are? You are a cook like us!” I laughed, but inside I felt like the little kid back in the Mississippi Delta all over again. The teasing by my shipmates intensified. I was labeled a kiss up and an “Uncle Tom.” The isolation was horrible but my mind was freed in the evenings, as I would get lost in the book. Imagining that I was Admiral Nimitz became motivation for me to become an officer so I could lead my own ship someday.

I had begun to seriously consider becoming an officer, so I visited my Command Career Counselor and informed him of my aspirations. He told me about the Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training (BOOST) program, which was a college preparatory program designed to enable enlisted personnel to receive a commission in the Navy. I had to cross a major hurdle to get into the program, scoring a high qualifying mark on the SAT. Given my sparse academic background this would be challenging.
I prepared for the SAT between standing watches and during breaks from feeding and taking care of the officers on my ship. Ensign Floyd, the only African-American officer on my ship, noticed my efforts and committed himself to assisting me. Daily, after standing his watch, he would meet with me in the wardroom to go over the basics of algebra. Despite sometimes falling asleep in the middle of teaching a concept, he was committed to helping me achieve that passing score to get into the BOOST program.

In spite of all of our hard work, my SAT scores did not qualify me for BOOST program. Still, I submitted my application and I was selected as an alternate, and later upgraded to a selectee. Upon acceptance to the program, I was introduced to calculus, trigonometry, and physics. These concepts were very foreign to me, but if selectees did not successfully graduate from the BOOST program, they would return to the fleet in their previous field. For me, going back to cooking and cleaning was not an option. I studied continuously and graduated with distinction.

After graduating from BOOST, the Navy awarded me a Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship. I decided to choose a major that I could relate to cooking, so I chose chemical engineering. I related cooking to chemical engineering because I thought the subjects shared the same foundations such as maintaining an optimal pressure and temperature for a certain product, and regulating temperature and pressure at a microscopic level to yield a better product. I enjoyed my professors at Hampton University as they went out of their way to help me achieve. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hampton University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering.

After graduation, I was commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy. Once I passed the nuclear admissions test in Washington DC, the interviewing four-star Admiral stated, “Trade your spatulas in for some Nuclear Reactor Plant Manuals. Welcome to the Club!” The next stage was to complete Admiral Rickover’s personally designed, academically rigorous, Nuclear Power School. Nothing at this point prepared me for the sheer volume of information I was required to understand and to be tested on weekly. I struggled. Several instructors worked outside their normal working hours to help me grasp concepts such as Reactor Theory and Radiological Controls. Eventually, I graduated from the school and was awarded the Director’s Personal Excellence Award, an award given for maintaining a positive attitude and for logging the most study hours ever at the institution–almost 3000 hours over a six-month period. My family from Hot Coffee attended graduation and my mother and father cried audibly as I accepted the award. While hugging my mother as she continued to cry, she whispered in my ear in her warm and southern way, “I can’t believe a person as smart as you came from an uneducated woman like me. Praise the Lord!” It was one of the proudest moments in my life.

After finishing the Nuclear Power School training curriculum, I reported to my very first submarine. In the submarine community, training and education never cease. Within the first days of reporting, I was given a qualification card for Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW). I did well in grasping concepts on paper, but the practical applications of supervising and giving orders, especially in a casualty scenario, were very challenging for me.

My immediate supervisor, the Engineering Officer, noticed that during the weekly Saturday night pizza celebrations among the officers in the wardroom, I was routinely absent. He would later walk through the engine room and find me behind a turbine generator practicing giving oral commands to members of the engineering spaces. From that point, he practiced with me daily until I achieved proficiency and qualified as EOOW. Additionally, my commanding officer took the time to ensure that I grasped certain concepts to qualify as Officer of the Deck. I would not be a submarine officer today, if it were not for the direct leadership of these two individuals.

After finishing my tour on the USS HAMPTON (SSN 767), the Navy sent me to the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) to pursue an MBA in financial management. After graduation from NPS, I received orders to report to the ballistic missile submarine, USS RHODE ISLAND (SSBN 740), as the Weapons Officer. I was in charge of all of the ballistic missiles on board. After reporting, I soon developed too much of a “Gung Ho” attitude that adversely affected other members of the crew. Instead of publicly reprimanding me, the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer privately counseled me on the importance of understanding human relations and how my actions, albeit motivating, were contrary to the command climate on the submarine. The power of their example inspires me today.

After leaving USS Rhode Island, I reported to Congressman Robert Brady’s office as the Military Legislative Fellow. The Congressman’s nomination numbers were extremely low and he was concerned about the apparent lack of interest students displayed for the service academies. The Congressman’s district is comprised of a large underserved community; therefore, I saw an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the children of the First District of Pennsylvania. I went to the district several times and spoke to many schools about my background and how the military afforded opportunities for me. The following year, 100 percent of the Congressman’s nominations were filled – a first in Congressman Brady’s 16 years in office. This would not have happened without the work place flexibility, which allowed me to share my story with youths of similar backgrounds.
Where I’m from, it’s not uncommon for teen parents to live a life of which they are not proud. I’d like to believe that a major contributor to why so many people went beyond the call of duty and reached out to help me is because they may have seen in me a bit of “A&W,” attitude and work ethic. A child cannot choose their parents, their birthplace, academic ability, or social environment in which they are reared, but they can choose to have a good attitude and strong work ethic. Even as an adolescent, I had the ability to see the glimmer of hope in any situation and the ability to focus on doing my absolute best in any endeavor, whether it was achieving the honor roll in middle school or working on Capitol Hill. As I consider the future, I will look for A&W in my colleagues and subordinates so I can positively contribute to their lives as so many have contributed to mine. This life has been an amazing journey, my destination is uncertain, but I am enjoying this wonderful ride. My journey continues.

——–

“Why Being There Matters”
On our planet, more than 70 percent of which is covered by water, being there means having the ability to act from the sea.  The Navy is uniquely positioned to be there; the world’s oceans give the Navy the power to protect America’s interests anywhere, and at any time. Your Navy protects and defends America on the world’s oceans.  Navy ships, submarines, aircraft and, most importantly, tens of thousands of America’s finest young men and women are deployed around the world doing just that.  They are there now.  They will be there when we are sleeping tonight.  They will be there every Saturday, Sunday and holiday this year.  They are there around the clock, far from our shores, defending America at all times.

Thank you very much for your support of the men and women in U.S. Navy, deployed around the clock and ready to protect and defend America on the world’s oceans.
 

“If It Looks Like a Duck, Swims Like a Duck, And Quacks Like A Duck, Then It Probably Is a Duck…..!”

Lou Coleman

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

The quote implies that a person can identify an unknown subject by observing that subject’s habitual characteristics. Follow me I’m going somewhere with this.  It is sometimes used to counter abstruse, or even valid, arguments that something is not what it appears to be. Oh, help me Jesus! Ah…

Too many of us that claim we know we’ve been changed still come into church with the same old crippled walk, the same old dry praise, the same old mope, frown, and hung head. When you act like you know you’ve been changed, your posture will change. You’ll come into the house of God with your head held high, no matter what you’re facing, and every time you experience God making a change in your life you’ll have a new shout, new run, new holler. Acts 3: 1-3: 10 tell us that, “We gotta act like we know we’ve been changed!

When you act like you know you’ve been changed, you don’t have to wait for other people to do for you what you can do for yourself. Before the lame man experienced a change, he had to rely on others to carry him where he needed to go. When he got his change though he automatically was able to push himself to a place of praise and worship in God. When you really know you’ve been changed, you don’t have to wait for nobody else to push you to a mindset of praise and worship in God! You don’t have to wait for the preacher, ministers, choir, praise team, or musicians, to push and provoke you to praise, you’ll come in busting the door down with praise because you know you’ve been changed!

When you act like you know you’ve been changed, you don’t allow your location or those around you to control whether you act like you know or not. Notice that the man didn’t wait until he got beyond the vale to praise and worship God, but he started doing it at the temple gate! Too many of us that say we know we’ve been changed only act like it in the house of God if that. When you know you’ve been changed you don’t have to wait until you get into the house of God to give Him praise, but you’ll bust loose with praise anywhere! When you know you’ve been changed, you ain’t worried about whose around you, who’s watching you, or who’s talking about you, you just give God glory. Amen!

In 2 Corinthians 13:5 Paul says to the Corinthian church, “Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves (emphasis added).” If there is no evidence of salvation in your life now, you need to face the fact that you may not be a Christian. You need to examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith. How does one do that? Compare your life with the standard Christ presents in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:7) One word summarizes His standard: Righteousness.

Remember, the scribes and Pharisees went to the Temple regularly, paid tithes, fasted, and prayed constantly. But Christ wasn’t impressed with their religious performance. God expects a transformation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” In Matthew 5:13-14 Christ referred to believers as “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” A Christian’s life- style will be easily distinguishable from the worlds. Is it evident to those around you that your life is different? Evidence of salvation is always present in a true believer. Meeting Jesus opens up a whole new world to a person. You have a new nature in your heart – a new influence in your life – new confidence and outlook on life… you laugh at impossibilities. There is a new sense of happiness, usefulness, honor, safety.

Here is the Lord’s challenge – “Let me take you, remold you, change you.” I tell you, “It doesn’t take much of a man to be a Christian, but it takes all of him there is.” “If It Looks Like a Duck, Swims Like a Duck, and Quacks Like a Duck, Then It Probably Is a Duck.

Hip–Hop Icon Charli Baltimore Speaks on Motherhood, New Label and New Projects

From left to right: India, Charli Baltimore, and Siaani. Photo credit: Sheron Barber/Synergy 7

From left to right: India, Charli Baltimore, and Siaani. Photo credit: Sheron Barber/Synergy 7

Interview by Naomi K. Bonman

Let’s take a trip down memory lane. Who remembers the record label Murder Inc.? If that rings a bell to you then the song “Down A** Chick” featuring Ja Rule and Charli Baltimore should sound familiar. Besides the two mentioned artists above, Murder Inc. also consisted of Ashanti, Irv Gotti (manager), and Vita. The label was established in 1990 and due to certain circumstances; the label fell under in 2007. However, since then each member from the crew have went their separate ways and succeeded as individuals.

Philadelphia native Charli Baltimore has made quite a few accomplishments since her Murder Inc. days. She is now one of the executives of B.M.B. Entertainment (Breaking Major Barriers) where she released her mixtape Hard 2 Kill and brought in several artists who are on the brink of their careers. They consist of Cash Paid, Midwest Rico, and Lody Lucci.

One of the major current projects that BMB Entertainment’s artists will be embarking on is a unique branding tour with the goal of raising the label’s and each individual artist’s profile by gaining 30 million impressions in 30 days. The 2014 Impressions Tour kicked off at the House of Blues in Los Angeles on Wednesday, September 24 and is set to enter 13 to 15 major markets. Baltimore will bless the tour in a few select cities over the next four weeks. To learn more visit www.impressiontour.com or visit @impressiontour on Instagram and Twitter. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite.

Being an artist on a major record label (Murder Inc.) has helped shape Baltimore’s management position with her current music family.

 “As an artist you understand other artists [much] better,” Baltimore say’s. “When you’re on a major record deal, [normally] the people that are running it haven’t been an artist, so it’s hard for them to understand music in that perspective. I now have a better insight of how to handle BMB.”

In addition to her implementation with B.M.B., the Philly rapper has had an astonishing year with her nomination for a 2014 BET Award for Best Female Hip Hop Artist. She was also an honoree at the 3rd Annual Female Hip Hop Awards. These two major award nominations and honors, after being away from the spotlight for awhile, is a major accomplishment for Miss Baltimore. It goes to show how hard work, dedication, and perseverance pay off.

With her recent achievements, Charli is in the works of a new album entitled, ETHOS. She explained how the creation process is different from what she is used to with past projects. Usually she is accustomed to sitting down for a few months and fully dedicating her time to writing and recording a record. This time around she has been able to find a new way of becoming inspired to write—being on the road.

Speaking of projects, Baltimore recently wrapped up a photo shoot with her daughter India and Siaani in downtown Los Angeles. The shoot was produced by Trea Davenport and photographed by Sheron Barber of Synergy 7. One of the reasons why she was out of the spotlight for awhile was to focus on them to ensure the success of their futures. Her oldest daughter, India, started modeling as a minor and needed a parent on-site until the age of 18. Now that both of her daughters are very successful in their careers, they applaud their mother for being an inspiration and for paving the way for them.

 “Perseverance for sure, [My mom] has taught me to never give up,” India states.

Siaani adds, “[She has] taught me to focus on myself, and not to rely on anybody to take care of everything for me, and to just go and do it myself which motivates me to do better.”

Not only has Miss Baltimore been an inspiration to her girls, but she also inspires other artists to strive in their careers. Yes this music industry business can get rough, but Charli advises you to, “Stay true to yourself and your music because you’re always going to have somebody that believes in the truth and that can relate to what you’re saying.”

In the coming months there is definitely much more in store for both Charli and her daughters. To keep up with Charli please follow her on Instagram and Twitter @CharliBaltimore. India can be followed on Instagram at @IndiaChristin and Siaani can be followed on Instagram as well at @SiaaniLove. To book Charli, please contact Trea Davenport at treadaypr@gmail.com.

“The Audacity of Some People”

By Sion S. Habtemariam

Sion S. Habtemariam

By Sion S. Habtemariam

(written on November 16, 2012)

The re-election of President Barack Obama in November caught the attention of many Americans. Among these Americans are teens who use social networking sites as an opportunity to voice their opinions. Although tweets and status updates are unlimited; facts, in many cases are hard to find.

Some teens joke about being able to stay on food stamps now that Obama was re-elected without realizing they are playing into a crippling stereotype. Many teens influenced by parents, forms of media like FOX News, uninformed teachers,  and the judgments of other teens have come to a consensus that all Obama supporters are receiving government assistance and are unemployed. Some go to the extreme to over generalize that all the Democrat party stands for is to give government hand outs to people who choose to not work. These views are not only incorrect but display the ignorance plaguing America.

Many teens are not aware of the facts behind much of America’s past. The system of welfare existed well before the Obama administration and he is not to blame for those who may take advantage of the assistance. In 1935 the Social Security Act was enacted. Most Americans were unemployed or underemployed and it was nearly impossible for people to support their families. Sound familiar?

There are many forms of welfare; about 83% of money for social programs goes to social security and Medicaid (programs that every citizen is eligible for). Many do not know what the negative impact of the getting rid of welfare would be. Those who are angry that their family pays for all “poor” Americans through the money they receive through their small businesses would soon see the sad truth that not only would completely ending welfare hurt the people directly involved, but also their business.

People also choose to forget that the burdens of middle class paying for taxes are because many richer Americans pay lower taxes. Does it make sense that 21% of millionaires face a lower tax rate than the three million individuals making between $50,000 and $100,000? The system of welfare does need regulation. But in general Conservatives are opposed to regulation as seen in the Bush administration. Imposing rules like Bill Clinton did in his administration which gave states funding for the poor, but made it necessary to help citizens move from welfare to the workplace. Enforcing this, as well as making it mandatory for all recipients to bring proof of looking for a job through applications or by other means, may help. But times like these when even college educated Americans are out of work it may take a long time for this to happen. Also a program requiring drug testing prior to receiving government assistance should also be put in place.

Americans like to believe that our system of government and the truth behind the American Dream are what differentiate us from the most of the world. But there is another aspect to what makes us unique. We have policies put in place that allows us to have lower poverty rates and allow us to actually have a middle class.

Many teens have also expressed their opinion that this generation is going to be derailed by Obama’s administration. Ask these same students about Obama’s views on funding for education and you may receive blank stares. There are those who have actually been more instrumental in the sculpting of their views and may have more to say. For many high school students their next step in education is college. Most families cannot afford tuition and most of us do not have the option to just ask our parents for money as suggested by Willard Mitt Romney. The Obama administration has repeatedly increased funding for student financial aid through the support of Pell grants. His administration has also supported funding for elementary and secondary schools. This makes it even more astonishing that some teachers who are misinforming students are actually being protected under Obama’s measures.  Americans who supported Proposition 30 have faith in the next generation. This proposition stops school cuts and college tuition hikes. So students who believe that because of Obama they will not be able attend college anymore, I’m glad to inform you that you are mistaken. The Democratic Party, including President Obama, will not be to blame for this generation’s derailment. Instead it will be the students who do not exercise effort, those who use class as a time to socialize and apply make up in class instead of taking advantage of their resources who cheat themselves.

Aside from the politics, those who oppose Obama often have degrading things to say about something he could not control, his race. From the moment Barack Obama announced he would run for president, to his inauguration, and ultimately his reelection America reached a monumental point in its history. Obama becoming President made many believe that America had finally achieved the progression from racism of slavery and Jim Crow Laws. As a nation we have made strides from an oppressive nation but the battle on racism is ongoing. It’s 2012 and some people still have a hard time believing that the son of an African father and white American mother may have something to offer to America.

Students use Instagram as a canvas to display their racially charged attacks on the President of the United States. Students posted pictures with captions full of poor language that included the “N” word. On election night, various postings that discussed dissatisfaction of our two-term President would not have be complete without a regressive picture of a homemade billboard from Hanson, Massachusetts. The billboard stirred up much controversy in Massachusetts but as many as 46 Instagram users agreed with its message that “Somewhere in Kenya a village is missing its IDIOT OBAMA One Big a** Mistake America Vote Mitt Romney for 2012!”  If your beliefs do not coincide with those of our President that is fine, being able to openly disapprove of our government is a unique right many countries lack. Before taking to social media sites to express your anger fuelled opinions ask yourself a few questions. Do my statements over generalize an entire group of people? Are they my own thoughts? Do my statements lack facts and express hatred?

As you express your disdain for America’s current president I challenge you to leave behind your comfortable world and see a world with children less fortunate than you. And above all I challenge you to leave behind the mindset that makes it acceptable to judge someone’s abilities and strengths by their cultural background.

 


About the author

Sion worked at the Registrar of Voters in San Bernardino on election night in 2012 during her senior year in high school after being chosen among some of her peers in her AP Government class. She is currently a sophomore at University of California, Irvine where she is studying Public Health and Neurology with an emphasis on Pediatrics Neurology.

 

“Through the Looking Glass”

Members of National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. and Delta Rho Chapter for the Far Western Region

Members of National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. and Delta Rho Chapter for the Far Western Region

By Dr. Margret Hill

SAN BERNARDINO, CA The 2014 Teach-A-Rama “Through the Looking Glass” was held at San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) on Saturday, September 20. Approximately 80 educators, professionals, and community members from San Bernardino City Unified School District, Fontana Unified School District, Redlands Unified School District, San Bernardino Community College District, Compton Unified School District,  Rialto Unified School District, Palm Springs Unified School District, San Diego Unified School District, Riverside Unified School District, and Los Angeles Unified School District participated in this event. The purpose of this gathering was to look at the different cultural elements students encounter in the classroom, providing educators with a closer look at the factors currently impacting minority students in the classroom.

Teach-A-Rama was sponsored by the Office of Instruction at San Bernardino Valley College working in partnership with representatives from the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. and Delta Rho Chapter for the Far Western Region.

Following the welcome, the purpose of the event was shared by Dr. Haragewen Kinde (Vice President of Instruction at San Bernardino Valley College), Joyce Payne (Basileus with Delta Rho Chapter), and Dr. Margaret Hill (Board Member for the San Bernardino City Unified School District).

Presenters included: keynote speaker, Dr. Louie Rodriguez (Professor at California State University, San Bernardino and author of “The Time is Now”), Euricidi Fitz (PAR Consultant with San Bernardino City Unified School District), Keisha Handy (Academic Coach with Monterey Elementary School, part of San Bernardino City Unified School District), and Dr. Kennon Mitchell (Assistant Superintendent of Student Services with San Bernardino City Unified School District)