The Rich vs. The Wealthy

I've never been a fan of LeBron James. Why? Because too many people refer to James as the "Greatest of All Time" (or G.O.A.T.) basketball player, while blatantly ignoring the fact that:

Wilt Chamberlain, a 2-time NBA Champion, set and continues to retain more NBA records than any other player; Wilt's dominance changed the game by raising the height of the basketball goal, widening the lane, and Wilt intentionally stopped scoring because he was embarrassed by scoring too much;

Bill Russell, with 13 NBA Championships, has more rings than any other player [that's right, more than LeBron (3 rings), Michael Jordan (6 rings), more than Kobe Bryant (5 rings); and

Kareem Abdul Jabbar, a 6-time NBA Champion, used his "Sky Hook" as the greatest offensive weapon in NBA history, and scored more points (38,387) than any other NBA player.

Yes, LeBron is an exceptional player - for (t)his generation - but his "stats" don't remotely compare with the character and talent of legendary NBA players such as Wilt, Russell, and Kareem; and the physical aspects of the NBA game was much more demanding as played by Wilt, Russell, and Kareem (there was no 3-point basket, there were no "acting" fouls, hand-checking was allowed, etc.).

When Kareem played, the best shoe deal endorsement he received was the receipt of "free" shoes. Conversely, as reported by USA Today Sports, Kevin Durant, aigned a 10-year deal with Nike with the potential to reach $300 million and includes a $50 million retirement package. So, what do these super-rich athletes do with all that money? What should they do? Yes, I have an answer. But first . . .

On a personal note, for at least the past 30 years I've been repulsed by the lavish salaries paid to professional athletes. Repulsed by the tax breaks municipal governments give to build and retain professional sporting teams while local school districts and park and recreation departments lack funds to build or maintain 400 meter tracks, tennis courts, or swimming pools. Likewise, I've been equally repulsed by the lack of compensation paid to NCAA Division I college athletes who are literally pimped and extorted by colleges to perform in their dog and pony athletic shows to generate mass amounts of revenue for schools. Plus, like the overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens, I live from paycheck to paycheck and I refuse to use my meager income to support professional athletes. I'll watch athletic events on TV or not at all - period.

As reported by TheNation.com, all television revenue, ticket and jersey sales, likeness promotions and other sources of income go to the NCAA, the schools, the coaches, the event staffs and everyone else involved in the business—except for the athletes creating the value. In 2014, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament generated $1.15 billion in television ads, well beyond the revenue generated by the NFL and NBA playoffs, according to ESPN. As reported by CBS Money Watch, the odds of winning a NCAA sports scholarship are miniscule. Only about 2 percent of high school athletes win sports scholarships every year at NCAA colleges and universities. Yes, the odds are that dismal. For those who do snag one, the average scholarship is less than $11,000. Full-ride sports scholarships are scarce. There are only six sports where all the scholarships are full ride. These so-called head-count sports are football, men and women's basketball, and women's gymnastics, volleyball, and tennis. In these Division I sports, athletes receive a full ride or no ride.

Here's how it works:

1. Often urban (Black) or rural (White) schools with poor athletic facilities and poor support services pinch athletes to perform in the "big show" of NCAA Division I schools. For example, as validated by the following research from 2014 on average, only 50% of Black athletes graduate from college:

Conversely, as posted at NCAA.org, the NCAA's most recent data indicate that more than eight out of 10 (82 percent) Division I student-athletes are earning their degrees. Overall, college student-athletes graduate at rates higher than college students in general. So, who do you believe?

2. NCAA Division I coaches are literally paid millions and millions of dollars; conversely, some but not all student athletes only get a "free ride" of paid college tuition, room and board, books, and perhaps, a small stipend. Here, take a look:

CLICK TO ENLARGE

3. The overwhelming majority of NCAA Division I athletes are not pinched to play professional sports, and instead, they follow their chosen academic career path, or as with many Black athletes, they fail to finish college and end up unemployed or incarcerated. What percent of college athletes actually turn pro? As reported by businessinsider.com, here's how many college athletes turn pro:

Baseball: 11.6% of college players play professionally, 0.6% of high school players do

Football: 1.7% of college players play professionally, 0.08% of high school players do

Men's ice hockey: 1.3% of college players play professionally, 0.1% of high school players do

Men's basketball: 1.2% of college players play professionally, 0.03% of high school players do

Men's soccer: 1.0% of college players play professionally, 0.04% of high school players do

Women's basketball: 0.9% of college players play professionally, 0.03% of high school players do

So, given the unlikelihood that a high school athlete will get a NCAA Division I scholarship, and the unlikelihood that a college athlete will become a professional athlete, and the unlikelihood that a professional athlete will become "rich" with robust financial resources; and the unlikelihood a professional athlete will have the altruism to give anything greater than "chump change" to actually help anyone, the recent act of altruism by LeBron James is particularly exceptional.

Here, watch this:

CLICK ABOVE IMAGE TO READ ARTICLE FROM SBNATION.COM

As reported by Celebrity Net Worth.com:

After this Lakers contract ends, LeBron will have made about $390 million on the court. Over 19 seasons, that equates to about $20.5 million a year. Only two other players – Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett – have made more than $300 million on the court. LeBron typically earns around $60 million PER YEAR from endorsements. As of this writing, between endorsements and salary LeBron's career earnings are $600 million. When you combine his new salary and upcoming endorsements, LeBron's career earnings will easily top $100 million every year for the next four years. Perhaps closer to $110 or $120 million. At at the $100 million level, by year four of his contract LeBron James will pass the $1 billion career earnings mark. That will put him in an extremely exclusive billion-dollar athlete club that currently has three members: Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

But although LeBron James and many of his peers are "rich," and he's clearly a member of that top 1% of the richest U.S. citizens, please keep in mind LeBron James is NOT "wealthy." FACT: LeBron James is an employee, he has bosses, LeBron James "works" for people who are, in fact, wealthy. I'll say it again, there are milions of "rich" people, but "rich" people typically work for or are ultimately controlled by people who are "wealthy." Given the aforementioned, what do wealthy people do?

Unlike LeBron James, multi-billonaire Oprah Winfrey, she's number 239 on the Forbes 400 list of the richest and wealthiest U.S. citizens, she's wealthy. Many Black people, especially Black men, are concerned that Winfrey launched the television success of two White men who were already "rich," Dr. Phil McGraw via the "Dr. Phil" program, and Dr. Mehmet Cengiz Öz via the "Dr. Oz" program; but Winfrey has not "anointed" a Black male, or other Black women, with the opportunity for such financial success. Why is that?

LeBron James "gave back" to the neighborhood in Arkon, Ohio where he grew up by building a school there. Conversely, instead of focusing on the educational development of Black children in cities where she grew up (Kosciusko, Mississippi; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Nashville, Tennessee), Winfrey created the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Henley on Klip south of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Does it matter? As reported by CNBC.com in 2017, of the 10 worst states to live Mississippi is ranked 7th, and Tennessee is ranked 9th, and as reported by Marc V. Levine of the University of Wisonsin at Milwaukee, for decades Milwaukee has held the highest or second highest rate of unemployment for Black men in the United States.

Does it matter? Ask President Trump if it matters when extremely wealthy U.S. citizens appear to have an affinity to develop "relationships" with people outside of the United States.

On the other hand, consider the example of Ted Turner:

As a philanthropist, he is known for his $1 billion gift to support the United Nations, which created the United Nations Foundation, a public charity to broaden domestic support for the UN. Turner serves as Chairman of the United Nations Foundation board of directors. Additionally, in 2001, Turner co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative with US Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA). NTI is a non-partisan organization dedicated to reducing global reliance on, and preventing the proliferation of, nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. He currently serves as Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors. Source: Wikipedia

Let's applaud LeBron James for "giving back" to his community, and hopefully, other "rich" professional athletes will do the same. In fact, since it's primarily upper-income middle class people who attend professional and NCAA Division I sporting events and not paycheck-to-paycheck "regular folk" who don't make enough money, why don't local governments establish a revenue tax on pro sports and NCAA Division I teams specifically dedicated to fund the athletic programs of school districts where professional teams are located? Why not?

QUESTION 1: Likewise, instead of sitting on their wealth or engaging in grant-based "social philantrophy" as do Bill Gates and other billionaires, isn't it about time the wealthiest people, those people who truly own and control all aspects of the United States, did the unimaginable and coalesced their mighty wealth and power and made a college education "absolutely free" to all citizens of the United States?

QUESTION 2: As the wealthiest nation in the world, why can't the United States be better than Norway, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Slovenia, and France that offer free or virtually free college education to their citizens?

ANSWER: Obviously, the overwhelming majority of "rich" and "wealthy" people in the United States of America, which includes nearly every member of Congress, lack the mental acumen to coalesce effective team building, and most importantly, they are stingy and selfish. Keep in mind, Frank Sinatra was not as rich as LeBron James, but during his lifetime, Frank Sinatra, the man and performer, and civil rights activist raised in excess of one billion dollars for various charities worldwide. Frank Sinatra's philanthropic work is legendary and continues after his death through the Frank Sinatra Foundation. Clearly, LeBron James is no Frank Sinatra. However, for the time being, I’ll briefly give LeBron James a pass, and if he becomes wealthy, hopefully James won't be as stingy and selfish as his wealthy peers.

Trip Reynolds
trip.reynolds@yahoo.com

Sick and tired of immigration?
Illegal immigrants intentionally interrupt and infringe!

The Atlantic Daily reported on Monday, June 18, 2018:

Immigration Policy: The Trump administration’s policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the U.S–Mexico border continued to provoke outrage over the weekend. Evangelical leaders, members of Congress, and former First Lady Laura Bush added their voices to what Krishnadev Calamur calls a “national moral reckoning.” The children are being detained in chain-link pens that the Associated Press recently described as “cages,” provoking a semantic controversy. Yet that debate, David Graham writes, distracts from pressing moral questions about the policy. A disturbing recording captures the sobs of children detained at the border.

Yada, yada, yada. So what. FACT: If illegal immigrants don't want to be separated from their children - they should not violate U.S. law. Yeah, I said it. As you must know, the actual interpretation and enforcement of all laws has always been and will forever remain under the immediate control of law enforcement officials (police, prosecutors, judges, etc.) authorized to investigate, arrest, and convict. Those bleeding-heart liberals, those sardonic television personalities like Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert, and those stick-up-their-butt right-wingers will have you to believe this is a moral issue or a political issue, or whatever, but it's NOT. Let me make "immigration" simple for you. Immediately do the following things:

1. Email me your home address. Yes, I'm serious. Send it to: trip.reynolds@yahoo.com

2. Permanently unlock both the front and back doors of your house or apartment, and throw away the keys. Oh, I'll need your car keys too, so leave your keys out on the kitchen table or counter!

3. Now, as with the Federal Government, many State governments, and many Sanctuary Cities, laws don't matter, not even trespassing.

So, when you least expect it, I'm going to come over to your residence, your home and use or take whatever the hell I want, and with no expectation or commitment to ever pay you back. Plus, I'm going to stay in your home for as long as I want, drive your car, etc. You get it? You still don't get it? Really, let me clarify:

No matter what you call it, Squatters' Rights, or adverse possession, or Sanctuary Home, or whatever - get this through your head - I'm movin' in - and YOU MUST TAKE ME IN! So, whatever you've worked hard for I can use, abuse, misuse, take; it's now mine!

Plus, since you've "agreed" to take care of me and my family at-no-cost or reciprocity, you're going to use your taxes, rent, mortgage, utilities, food, clothing, education, transportation systems, infrastructure, and criminal justice system (courts, prisons, jails, etc.) to sustain me and my family for perpetuity (forever) - or until such time as I move to Canada (smile)!

If you previously planned and committed for your family or friends to visit you, well, that's too bad, because I'm taking their place. I'm intentionally interrupting and infringing upon your life, your financial and social resources, your commitments, etc. It's your obligation to take care of me!!! Yep, I cut to the front of the line. I am now your #1 priority, thank you!

So, are you still planning to send me your address? I double-dog dare you! However, if you send me your address, I'm NOT going to give it to any of those do-gooder organizations seeking to help illegals seeking a "good life" in America or to those so-called freedom seeking refugees from Mexico and various South American countries or anywhere else in the world. Nope, I'm going to give your address to homeless U.S. citizens, mostly White women and children, who continue to wait in line behind those illegal immigrants who cut to the front of the line. You get it?

That's right, I'm going to give your address to Black U.S. citizens, because the overwhelming majority are poverty-stricken, jobless, incarcerated and continue to wait in line behind those illegal immigrants who cut to the front of the line.

That's right, I'm going to give your address to Native Americans, because the overwhelming majority are poverty-stricken and continue to wait in line behind those illegal immigrants who cut to the front of the line. Here, watch this:

Immigration is not about a “national moral reckoning” or politics, or any such crap. Ultimately, the subject of immigration must be confined to law, both criminal and civil. With regard to morals:

If the United States actually cared about "morals" it would return stolen lands back to the soverign Nation of Lakotah.

If the United States actually cared about "morals," then Black people would not have been forced to endure 250 years of slavery, 90 years of Jim Crow, 60 years of separate but equal, and 35 years of state-sanctioned redlining, and on-going acts of discrimination, forced incarceration, and genocide.

If the United States actually cared about "morals," after the Mexican-American War (1846–1848), the U.S. would not have annexed much of the current Southwestern region from Mexico, and Mexicans who remained would not have been subject to discrimination.

After actively separating Black children from their parents during 250 years of slavery, if the United States actually cared about "morals," then the United States would not continue to actively separate Black children from their parents by:

1. Fabricating a "War On Drugs" to intentionally target the destruction of the Black family: The traditional Black family no longer exists, and was destroyed in part by a so-called "War on Drugs" that remains skewed to target, arrest, convict, and incarcerate more Black men per 100,000 residents than any other ethnic or racial group. "Marriage rates have fallen for all groups since the 1960s, but more sharply for Blacks than for whites. In 1960, 74% of white adults were married, as were 61% of black adults. By 2011, the Black marriage rate had fallen to 56% that of the white rate: 55% of whites were married, compared with 31% of blacks." Source: Pew Research.

Click image to enlarge

2. Intentionally destroying the Black family: As documented in a survey of nearly 11,000 women from July 24, 2002 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and reported by Laura Meckler of The Associated Press: Black women are least likely to marry and most likely to divorce, with more than half splitting within 15 years. Black women are significantly less likely to marry than White women. By age 30, 81 percent of White women have been married, whereas only 52 percent of Black women. The report notes one explanation, that there are fewer Black men considered marriage material, given their high rates of unemployment, incarceration, and highest death rate in the United States. When it comes to marriage, Black relationships have been the exception, not the norm.

If the United States actually cared about "morals," during the Great Depression (1929 and 1939) the United States would not have deported over 1,000,000 Mexicans, which included Mexicans who were U.S. citizens!

If the United States actually cared about "morals," it would not have authorized “Operation Wetback” which deported 1,490,776 illegal immigrants back to Mexico between 1954 and 1962.

If the United States actually cared about "morals," at least 597 Mexicans would not have been lynched between 1848 and 1928 (conservative estimate due to lack of records for many reported lynchings). Mexicans were lynched at a rate of 27.4 per 100,000 of population between 1880 and 1930, second only to the lynchings of Black people during that period of 37.1 per 100,000 population. Between 1848 to 1879, Mexicans were lynched at an unprecedented rate of 473 per 100,000 of population. Source: Wikipedia.com

Unfortunately, it remains the established practice of the United States to "pick and chose" whatever social "morals" it aligns with or laws it will enforce. What, you still need proof? Here, watch this:

Sarah Root, 21, from Omaha, Nebraska was killed on January 31, 2016. Her SUV was rear-ended by Eswin Mejia, an illegal alien from Honduras, who was street racing. Sarah had just graduated from Bellevue University with a 4.0 GPA the day before she passed away. Omaha is in Douglas County, Nebraska which has sanctuary policies that impede local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with ICE officers. Mejia was charged with motor vehicular homicide but posted bond to get out of jail and was released. He is still on the run.

And watch this . . .

On May 6th 2017 on the way back from DisneyLand, Ingrid Lake's car was struck by a drunk driver. The accident severely injured her 6 year old son Lennox. The driver of the vehicle Constantino Banda Acosta, was previously deported over 15 times before the accident. This accident has forever altered the Lake family.

FACT: U.S. citizens could not be killed or injured by illegal immigrants it they were not here in the first place. Duh.

QUESTIONS: If Mexico was serious about controlling illegal immigration, why doesn't Mexico stop people from Honduras, El Salvador, etc. from illegally entering Mexico? Duh. If Mexico was serious about controlling illegal immigration into the United States, why aren't Mexican troops stationed on the Mexican side of the border to prevent the illegal exodous of Mexicans and others into the United States. Duh.

ANSWER: Because Mexico is as corrupt as many South American nations. Watch this . . .

THE SOLUTION?

HOW TO PROVIDE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN STRUGGLING COUNTRIES, AND PREVENT PEOPLE FROM FLEEING THEIR NATIVE COUNTRIES TO ESCAPE ORGANIZED CRIME?

PROBLEM: People seek prosperity and a "good life" in United States for economic gain, or as freedom seeking refugees to escape organized crime or political unrest.

SOLUTION: Enable people to achieve prosperity and a "good life" in their native countries.

SOLUTION OPTION #1: Under the direction of Mexico, and in concert with all members of the United Nations Security Council, an international military coalition of combined army, navy, and air force will be formed to conduct a global "War Against Drugs," which will aggressively locate, occupy, and eliminate all organized crime in Mexico and other South American nations involved in organized crime and drug trafficking. If you don't "play to win" you don't win. War strategy is very simple. History shows, in the absence of genocide, many if not most people will continue to fight, even using guerrilla warfare tactics (Vietnamese) to ultimately win. You must "clean house" to win a war.

PROPOSED ACTIONS:

1. Establish an overwhelming international military force of 500,000 or more to simultaneously encircle the entire nation of Mexico. Then, by constantly moving inward from the north, south, east, and west each quadrant will be painstakingly searched and cleansed of all elements of organized crime. This military campaign is exceptionally pervasive in scope and execution.

2. The mission is "to destroy all aspects of organized crime, and kill or capture, if possible, all persons involved in such.” Most importantly, Mexican citizens identified and validated as non-combatants don’t have to leave their homes, and will be provided with transportation to safe areas that will accept refugees on a temporary basis. However, war means destruction and killing, and people will be killed or possibly captured if they are aligned with organized crime and drug trafficking. You must "clean house" to win a war.

3. If people aligned with organized crime or drug trafficking would like to avoid their complete and utter destruction, they should immediately surrender all weapons and drug paraphernalia to the military authorities.

Just think for a minute. If "we" significantly reduce or eliminate organized crime and drug trafficking in Mexico and other countries, the result would be a positive domino impact on the nation state economies of Mexico, the United States, and many other countries. You significantly reduce or eliminate the need or desire for people to move when their financial and social needs (family, culture, etc.) are being met where they live. What's wrong with that?

SOLUTION OPTION #2: As approved by Congress, the U.S. will:

1. As with Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, negotiate with Mexico for its annexation to become a U.S. Commonwealth, and subsequently enforce U.S. federal law upon the Commonwealth of Mexico including the use of U.S. military to target and eliminate organized crime; and to promote commonwealth-based and local economic prosperity aggressively work with Fortune 500 companies and lobbyists to establish enterprise zones throughout Mexico; or

2. Negotiate with Mexico to become the 52nd U.S. State and with Puerto Rico to become the 51st U.S. State; and subsequently enforce U.S. federal law upon the State of Mexico including the use of U.S. military to target and eliminate organized crime; then, to promote state-based and local economic prosperity aggressively work with Fortune 500 companies and lobbyists to establish enterprise zones throughout Mexico and Puerto Rico;

As reported by thebalance.com, the United States has the world's largest trade deficit. It's been that way since 1975. The deficit in goods and services was $566 billion in 2017. Imports were $2.895 trillion and exports were only $2.329 trillion. Mexico is the United States third largest trading partner:

1. China - $636 billion traded with a $375 billion deficit.

2. Canada - $582 billion traded with an $18 billion deficit.

3. Mexico - $557 billion traded with a $71 billion deficit.

4. Japan - $204 billion traded with a $69 billion deficit.

5. Germany - $171 billion traded with a $65 billion deficit.

By annexing Mexico as a commonwealth of the U.S. or establishing Mexico as a state:

(1) the trade deficit with Mexico would no longer exist;

(2) given Mexico's closer proximity to the U.S., products can be produced more cheaply in Mexico than in China;

(3) the U.S. could create more businesses and jobs in the State of Mexico, which would reduce or eliminate the need or desire for people to leave Mexico to secure their financial success;

(4) with Mexico as a U.S. commonwealth or State, the U.S. could reduce the trade deficit with China, because more products would be produced within the "new" United States.

(5) the southern border of the United States would no longer be shared with the current nation of Mexico - a largely uncontrollable 1,960 mile expanse of the Rio Grande river and related terrain; but reduced to the much smaller and controllable 276 km (171 miles) border of Belize and the 958 km (595 miles) border of Guatemala.

3. As with the spread of the Vietnam War into Cambodia and Laos, and due to Mexico's failure to stop the spread of organized crime and illegal immigration into the United States, the U.S. Congress declares war against Mexico; unilaterally invades Mexico; and strategically targets all persons and places aligned with organized crime or drug trafficking. You must "clean house" to win a war.

Given the aforementioned, you might not like the tactics, but it's clearly possible to "fix" the immigration problem. But it takes leadership and commitment to create change, and such characteristic are not evident in the current U.S. Congress. As a candidate for President, Donald Trump clearly established his plan to reduce or eliminate illegal immigration, and he has not deviated from core elements of his plan. His reputation in this regard continues to intimidate or scare or anger many, especially those who want to maintain the "immigration status quo." Sadly, anyone who advocates "we" confine management of immigration to the rule of law is labled a cold-blooded racist.

Just like candidate Trump, as Governor of California, Ronald Reagan established a no-nonsense record of dealing with civil unrest and crime. Accordingly, immediately prior to being elected POTUS, a no-nonsense candidate Reagan repeatedly said he would bomb Iran and send troops to free American hostages in Iran. Acting President Carter repeatedly failed to free the American hostages. However, within hours of being elected POTUS, Iran voluntarily freed all American hostages - because they knew President Reagan was serious about bombing them off the face of the planet and sending in U.S. troops to conduct clean-up operations. NEWS FLASH: President Trump is serious too!

To recap, if you believe it's okay to have sanctuary cities, open borders, and laws that give preferential treatment to illegal immigrants:

1. Email me your home address. Yes, I'm serious. Send it to: trip.reynolds@yahoo.com

2. Permanently unlock both the front and back doors of your house or apartment, and throw away the keys. Oh, I'll need your car keys too, so leave your keys out on the kitchen table or counter! Expect some uninvited house guests.

I double-dog dare you!

Trip Reynolds
trip.reynolds@yahoo.com

As you should know, not long ago there was only one four-hundred meter (i.e., "400m") track in Crete, Nebraska - over at Doane University, which is currently being renovated and not available for public use until August 2018.

As it deemed necessary, Doane kinda made their track available to Crete Public Schools (CPS) and to the community. Then, finally, in 2016/17 a new track was built logistically between the "new" Crete High School and adjacent to the new Crete Middle School (i.e., the former Crete High School).

As a career athlete in track and field (click here), I've always been very mindful to maintain the facilities where I train and compete, which includes picking up trash, closing gates, informing the general public a track is NOT a park, that dogs are not allowed (with or without a leash), bicycles are not allowed, motorized vehicles are not allowed, playing unauthorized football or soccer on the in-field is not allowed, etc. Plus, consistent with "track etiquette" all across the United States - the middle lanes four-(4) through lane six-(6) and especially the inside lanes one-(1) through lane three-(3) are for sprinters and runners, and the outside lanes, specifically lanes seven-(7) and eight-(8) are for the much slower-moving walkers and joggers. Plus, signage is generally posted informing citizens of the number of laps required to walk or run a mile in lanes 7 and 8.

Well, absolutely no "track etiquette" exists in Crete, Nebraska - which includes public use of the 400 meter track at Doane University.

Perhaps, one might think that with the last day of school for students having concluded on Friday, May 18th, which included an early dismissal that day, someone might have thought to put the hurdles, starting blocks, and mats in storage, which would protect these items from environmental damage, vandalism, theft, etc. Additionally, since the 2018 Nebraska State Track and Field Championship occurred on May 18th and May 19th at Burke Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska, why should the new CPS track equipment and the new track facility be left in a state of dereliction? Shouldn't reasonable people, people with common sense, act responsibly to take care of the new track? Yes?

Well, that's what responsible people should do, people who recognize their fiduciary responsibility to act in the public trust.

Even if a third-party was permitted use of the new CPS track facility, they should and must recognize their fiduciary responsiblity to act in the public trust and put the hurdles, starting blocks, mats, etc., in proper areas. Unfortunately, general "housekeeping" at the new track is, well, pathetic. Here, as of Wednesday, May 30th, take a look.

Hurdles left out . . .

Hurdles left out . . .

Hurdles left out . . .

Starting blocks left out . . .

High jump brackets and mat left out . . .

Signage ignored by persons who play soccer

Starting blocks left out . . .

Hurdles left out . . .

Starting blocks left out . . .

Hurdles left out . . .

Hurdles left out . . .

Hurdles left out . . .

Hurdles left out . . .

Multiple entry points unlocked . . .

Gates left open . . .

Signage ignored by persons who play football

Finally, a recent addition of signage!

The new track should NOT be closed to the public, but:

CPS should recognize their fiduciary responsibility to act in the public trust and maintain the new track;

CPS should direct their staff to properly monitor the new track, and to conduct general "housekeeping" at the new track;

CPS should post signage (in English and Spanish) directing the general public on proper "track etiquette" use of the new track facility;

CPS should post signage informing citizens of the number of laps required to walk or run a mile in lane 7 and 8;

PROPOSED		BENSON HIGH SCHOOL - OMAHA, NE

CPS should reduce the number of unlocked entry points into the new track facility to more effectively manage traffic and conduct facility maintenance; and

To prevent people from bringing their bikes, strollers, soccer equipment, etc., onto the track, high schools, colleges, and universities either: (a) completely deny access; or (b) have gated entry systems that prevent access of bikes, strollers, soccer equipment, etc.

NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL - OMAHA, NE (NO PUBLIC ACCESS)

Click photos to enlarge

BENSON HIGH SCHOOL - OMAHA, NE (LIMITED PUBLIC ACCESS)

Click photos to enlarge

As pictured above, at Benson High School in Omaha, and Northwest High School in Omaha, North High School in Omaha, and high schools in Grand Island, Nebraska, and at so many, many more track and field facilities, a turnstile gate entry is installed to prevent damage to the track and infield from bikes, strollers, soccer equipment, vandalism, theft, etc. (see image below). Crete Public Schools should do the same, and sooner than later.

Click above image to enlarge

Is it asking too much for your public officials to take care of your track?

EPILOGUE!

As of Monday, June 4th, Crete Public Schools finally decided to adhere to its fiduciary responsibility - to act in the public trust and maintain the new track.

Hurdles removed from track and properly stored.

Hurdles removed from track, gates closed.

Starting blocks removed from track.

High jump mat removed from track.

Starting blocks and hurdles removed.

Thank you Crete Public Schools!

Trip Reynolds
trip.reynolds@yahoo.com

 

Governor Ricketts wants you to "trust" him. Speaker of the Legislature, Jim Scheer, wants you to "trust" him. Should you?

Back around 1985 or so, as an employee of the City of Dallas, I was required along with nearly one-hundred other employees to attend an off-site retreat for the Department of Human Resources. I was employed as the Manager of Compensation, Classification and Employee Selection. The retreat began with the Director of Human Resources telling everyone to repeatedly "trust" him and his leadership as "we" collectively work to achieve our departmental objectives.

I was the only person to raise my hand and say,

"Excuse me, Troy, but "trust" exists as nothing more than an emotion-based, unvalidated, unsubstantiated belief, and as detailed by my job description and the job standards that measure and validate my work product (that is not trust-based), I wasn't hired to work on the basis of my emotions or how I "feel" about the work product. In fact, legally, as you know, without regard to "trust," you will terminate my employment if I fail to perform my essential job functions or fail to comply with departmental rules, regulations, and City policy. This is a linear, fact-based expectation that has absolutely nothing to do with trust. Likewise, should I discover you've embezzled City funds, engaged in theft, or other illegal activities you should expect me to act in compliance with City policy and immediately report your illegal activities to the police and City Manager, because my failure to do so would jeopardize my employment and cause others to wrongly accuse me of criminal involvement. So, I'm not going to "trust" you, and I don't want you or anyone to trust me. I expect all employees, including management, to act in compliance with their assigned job functions and job standards, and in the event of non-compliance, I expect disciplinary action, including termination, or prosectution in the event of criminal activity."

In response to my comments, Troy replied, "Okay, Trip. I see your point. I'll just have to find another word to . . . yes, Trip?" I raised my hand and said, " "Leadership, Troy? Is that the word you're looking for, because you want HR staff to blindly follow your leadership? If so, how do we ignore due dilligence as we perform our essential job functions and problem-solving?"

In summary, Troy changed the subject, and completely abandoned the use of emotion-based business practices that ultimately lead to theft, deceit, discrimination, harassment, incarceration, or murder.

For example, the following people were "trusted" by dozens or hundreds or thousands or millions of people. Click their before and after photos to assess why "trust" is often overrated or misplaced.

BERNARD MADOFF
	Deceitful.
LANCE ARMSTRONG
Deceitful.
MARION JONES
	Deceitful.
LARRY NASSAR
Deceitful.
TONYA HARDING
	Deceitful.
LIL KIM
Deceitful.
MARK WAHLBERG
Deceitful.
MARTHA STEWART
Deceitful.
BILL COSBY
Deceitful.
RUSSIAN OLYMPIANS
	They all lied.L
MEN
They all killed innocent people.
JIM BAKKER
Deceitful.

 

QUESTION: Is there absolutely no one you can trust?

ANSWER:

Of course, you can always trust yourself (kinda), unless you have a chronic-obsessive-compulsive-addictive-neurotic personality and you're unable to embrace fact-based, cause-and-effect, common sense reality.

Emotion has absolutely nothing to do with work, because "work" is about the demonstrated and consistent performance of all established essential job functions in compliance with job standards, company policies and procedures, and relevant laws.

Ultimately, it's in your best interest to separate instinct (emotion) from intellect (intelligence), because . . .

Leave "emotions" out of your work and when assessing the work of others. Instead, focus on the objective evaluation of work in compliance with company policies and relevant law and act accordingly.

When it comes to dealing with people in the workplace, or people in government, or dealing with people on things that truly, truly matter to you, don't trust; because trust is not enough. Verify. Validate. Conduct due dilligence.

Trip Reynolds
trip.reynolds@yahoo.com

For previous editorials, click here.

Can you really deal with the truth? Well, can you? Okay, here goes.

Crete is a very nice, quiet, small town, but with the same stereotypical advantages and disadvantages found throughout America, including small-town rural America. As you should know by now, Shopko, one of the few remaining retail alternatives to Crete's Walmart will be closing for good on June 30, 2018. As reported by bankrate.com, "Retail closures hit a record high in 2017, with nearly 7,000 stores disappearing. The trend is expected to continue in 2018, although not on a scale as massive. So far, more than 1,770 store closings have been announced. Some chains are phasing out stores over a period of years." Given the aforementioned, what does the closing of Shopko mean to Crete? As pictured below, here's what it means . . .

But if you go to Walmart (click image), be forewarned of the chaos entering the parking lot.

QUESTIONS:

1. As with so many vacant storefronts in downtown Crete, will Latinos move in due to White flight?

ANSWER: Probably. Because one Latino business after another has opened in downtown Crete, and the overwhelming majority of non-Latinos (White people) typically do not practice integration or egalitarian principles. As documented in, “The Persistence of Segregation in the Metropolis: New Findings from the 2010 Census” prepared for Project US2010 (Brown University and Florida State University):

The average White person in metropolitan American lives in a neighborhood that is 75% white. Despite a substantial shift of minorities from cities to suburbs, minorities have often not gained access to largely white neighborhoods. For example, a typical Black person lives in a neighborhood that is only 35% white (not much different from 1940) and as much as 45% black. Diversity is experienced very differently in the daily lives of Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians.

In 367 metropolitan areas across the U.S., the typical White person lives in a neighborhood that is 75% White, 8% Black, 11% Hispanic, and 5% Asian. This represents a notable change since 1980, when the average Whites’ neighborhood was 88% white, but it is very different from the makeup of the metropolis as a whole.

The experience of minorities is very different. For example, the typical Black lives in a neighborhood that is 45% Black, 35% White, 15% Hispanic, and 4% Asian. The typical Hispanic lives in a neighborhood that is 46% Hispanic, 35% White, 11% Black and 7% Asian. The typical Asian lives in a neighborhood that is 22% Asian, 49% White, 9% Black, and 19% Hispanic.

So, consistent with their White-peers throughout the U.S., in Crete, Nebraska the overwhelming majority of White people elect not to patronize minority businesses, or minority churches, or minority cultural events. Conversely, minorities are far more inclined, often my necessity, to patronize White business (Walmart, etc.), White churches (Catholic, etc.), and White events (Pumpkin Festival, etc.). Clearly, there's a double standard in place, and there are two separate cultures in Crete. (click image below to enlarge).

13th and Main	12th and Main
Juniper and East 1st	13th and Main
123 E. 13th	248 E. 13th

2. What about the Crete Chamber of Commerce? Surely it wants to encourage business development and without regard to ethnicity?

ANSWER: You've got to be kidding (ha! ha! ha!).

The Crete Chamber of Commerce operates as an incestous entity to promote and generate revenue for itself; it does not promote, cross-market, or network with Crete businesses, such as Shopko, to strategically improve their return-on-investment, or operating capacity, or profitability. As represented by the Chamber's web site:

(1) you will not immediately find direct links to any member business web site;

(2) you will not find any graphics, downloads, or related materials or events promoting any member business;

(3) you will not find any audio or video content promoting any member business;

(4) you will not find any dedicated content particular to women owned businesses or minority owned businesses.

(5) you will not find a calender dedicated to promoting events, cross-marketing activities, or networking for member businesses.

So, why should any business, especially Latino businesses, join the Crete Chamber of Commerce since it does not promote "business," White or otherwise?

The Crete News Business Directory is the only service dedicated to promoting any business in Crete, including women and Latino owned businesses: with immediate links to company web sites; promotional art and downloads; local and national audio and video content; cross-marketing and networking with area businesses; and a dedicated calendar promoting Crete businesses, community events, and area schools and universities.

The Crete Chamber of Commerce's 2018 Chamber Event Planning Guide does not strategically and routinely target on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis the business development of any individual businesses or categories of business (note the following linked examples highlighted in green), such as: churches, dentists, automotive repair and service, restaurants and special events, women owned businesses, minority owned businesses, start-up businesses, etc.

As validated by the Chamber's calendar of events, instead of focusing on the strategic promotion, marketing, and networking of businesses in Crete, it remains the Chamber's practice to overwhelmingly promote events specific to Doane University and Crete Public Schools. The Crete Chamber of Commerce does not give attention to "business" events specific to its membership (business anniversaries, special promotions or discounts, cross-marketing and networking events, seminars, etc.). Likewise, the Chamber does not give any attention or frequent outreach to women-owned or Latino businesses, and the web site is not bilingual to meet the needs of Spanish speaking businesses and entrepreneurs. Why is that? Is this racism or incompetence?

3. What about the broadcast media? Surely broadcast media want to encourage business development and without regard to ethnicity, right?

ANSWER: Again, you've got to be kidding (ha! ha! ha!).

In June 2016, the CBS-TV broadcast affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska 1011News broadcast a collection of ten-(10) videos spotlighting Crete, Nebraska. Unfortunately, as represented by the graph below, 1011News made absolutely no attempt to showcase an accurate profile of Crete, Nebraska, and they intentionally ignored Latino businesses in Crete, Nebraska.

a. As validated by the U.S. Census, Crete, Nebraska was 35.7% Latino in 2010 and is clearly much greater six years later, but 1011News did not feature one-(1) Latino business or cultural event.

b. 1011News did not report that the on-going increase of Crete's Latino population is why the new high school was built in Crete; Crete Public Schools is 55.1% Latino!!!

c. Nearly one-half of all businesses in Crete are women-owned, but not one women-owned business was featured.

d. Absent from the 1011News reporting was the fact that the overwhelming majority of people who work in Crete, Nebraska do NOT actually live in Crete, Nebraska!!!

Plus, Crete is also an aging community, but this was not conveyed in the reporting.

The absence of due dilligence by 1011News to conduct and to subsequently broadcast an objective overview of Crete is evidence of negligent reporting, and reflects poorly on 1011News and its owner Gray Television, Inc.

Race is NOT the issue, but skewed reporting makes it so!

The failure to showcase (without regard to Title VII) the diversity of businesses and cultures in Crete - from the smaller “mom and pop” businesses to larger businesses like Sid Dillion, Nestle Purina, and Farmland - yes, this “failure” is the issue and problem.

Unfortunately, whether intentional or unintentional, it’s an extremely common practice for White-owned and White-controlled news and media companies, especially in Nebraska, all with senior management and news staff who are predominately White and male (like 1011News) to ignore and not report on "White flight” and the subsequent evolution of communities like Crete, Nebraska. 1011News should have done better!

4. Is the City of Crete going to do anything to reduce or elimate the ethnic, cultural, and racial divide in Crete, Nebraska?

ANSWER: Nope. You've got to be kidding (ha! ha! ha!).

Latinos are not represented on the Crete City Council, but it will change concurrent with White flight due to the demographic profile of the student population at Crete Public Schools, which is 63% Latino at the elementary school, 63.71% Latino at the intermediate school, and 39.2% Latino at the high school.

When it was determined Farmland/Smithfield Foods, Inc. would employ nearly two thousand workers to process fresh pork, hams, bacon and sausage products at their plant located between Crete, Nebraska and Wilber, Nebraska political and business leaders of both towns met to decide were to put "those Latino people," who would likely be hired to work at the plant. Wilber said, "No." So, Latinos were essentially dumped in Crete, Nebraska to live in older homes or low-income housing primarily located in floodplain areas.

The overwhelming majority of people who work in Crete actually live outside of Crete, which is due in part to the lack of existing and new housing. Despite the increase in Crete's Latino population and the growth of Latino businesses, new business growth is not linked to an increase in new housing for White people, and especially not for Latinos. In summary, a finite population base of City residents are forced to pay constantly increasing property taxes and utility fees to support the continued employment of non-residents, which establishes an extremely skewed and inequitable economic relationship between citizens and non-residents. In the absence of residency requirements for City employees, or payroll taxes from all non-residents working in Crete, here’s what typically occurs:

a. Insufficient tax-base to maintain, meet service demands, or repair existing streets or to create new streets;

b. Insufficient tax-base to maintain, meet service demands, or repair existing utilities (water, electric, and franchise agreements); and

c. Insufficient tax-base to spur home ownership and business development.

5. What happened first, the chicken (White people who own or control all of corporate America, government, politics, entertainment, public education, etc.), or the egg (White people who, due to racism, ignorance, stupidity, or whatever blatantly refuse to live next to or work with Latinos or other minorities)?

ANSWER: It doesn't matter, because Crete's progress is hijacked by overt racism and incompetence. There's an absence of leadership to make economic, political and social life in Crete, Nebraska . . . equitable. And that's a shame because White lives matter, and Black lives matter, and Latino lives matter, and Asian lives matter, and Native American lives matter, and Women matter, and Disabled people matter, and Veterans matter, and children matter, and seniors matter. Everybody matters!!!

Trip Reynolds
trip.reynolds@yahoo.com

 

Gun control is NOT the issue!
Open your eyes.

Okay, let's take a very candid, no nonsense, matter-of-fact look at gun control - or, in the view of some people, the lack thereof. Frankly, the solution to this subject is blatantly linear. For most of life, I was entirely against guns being within the home, especially my home, because the easiest way to avoid accidental injuries and deaths in the home was to simply not have guns in the home. Duh.

As a law abiding citizen, I was very comfortable with guns being primarily in the possession of the military, police, gun collectors or hobbiests, hunters or sportsmen and sportswomen, and yes, the occassional bad guy. Unfortunately, as a Black man, I've personally encountered too many times where White police officers have used their weapons to intentionally threaten law abiding Black people (including me). Plus, I also know of too many instances where White police officers have killed unarmed Black men. Statistically, the rate of serious crimes in the U.S. has been going down for the past twenty-five-(25) or more years, but the death of unarmed Black men and the incarceration rate of Black men continues to increase. Oh, you might erroneously think those crime-and-gun-infested Black neighborhoods require White police officers to take a heavy-handed approach to effectively police Black people, then consider the following list of the twenty deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history (c. 1950 onwards):

QUESTION 1: So, why do police constantly profile Black men, when the overwhelming majority of the deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. are caused by White men?

RESPONSE: Plain and simple, it's called racism.

Black people are "strategically" more likely than Whites to be gun homicide victims! According to some reports, there are more guns per resident in the United States, nearly 90 guns per 100 residents, than any other nation in the world. White men represent just a third of the U.S. population, but about 60 percent of adults with guns in America today are white men. Plus, while Blacks are significantly more likely than Whites to be gun homicide victims, Blacks are only about half as likely as Whites to have a firearm in their home (41% vs. 19%). Hispanics are less likely than Blacks to be gun homicide victims and half as likely as Whites to have a gun at home (20%). Source: American Trends Panel, April 29-May 27, 2014, Pew Research Cente.

However, not all White men are bad or evil, and given that the overwhelming majority of men (and women) are simply good and decent folks, such is also true of White men. So, any generic statement asserting the evil of White men or any gender or race is blatantly wrong, stupid, and is extremely counterproductive. Please read the previous two sentences again!

So, just because the clear majority of the most atrocious, most heinous crimes, murders and loss of human life have been directly caused by White men...like these guys pictured below . . . it doesn't mean that all White men are atrocious and heinous. However, isn't it better to be safe than sorry?

QUESTION 3: How come the overwhelming majority of school shootings in the U.S. occur at White schools and the perpetrators immediately responsible are overwhelmingly White men?

RESPONSE: Mass shootings at Blacks schools or in Black neighborhoods is highly unlikely because the so-called criminal element or gangs in these areas would work outside of police protocol and immediately seek vengenance. When someone kills a gang member or a friend of a gang member, face it, from the Mafia (Italian) to the Yakuza (Japanese), to M-13 (Latino), that's what gangs do - maintain and enforce organizational control (vertical and horizontal) over their territory. Note: Gangs have guns.

CONCLUSION: Predominately White suburban schools are extremely soft targets, not immediately protected by police or the imminent threat of gang retribution.

QUESTION 4: If mass shootings are so deplorable, why do print and broadcast media constantly publicize, promote, market, advertise, and glorify such events and the perpetrators?

ANSWER: Just like "reality television," it's not news, it's entertainment. For the news media, mass shootings are NOT deplorable, and "sensational events of human tragedy" are intentionally used as a catalyst to increase ratings and advertising revenue. It's illegal to falsely yell, "Fire" in a crowded movie theater, but it's perfectly okay to promote a "state of public danger" by constantly saturating print and broadcast media with heinous criminal acts of mass murder and violence. So, why is it illegal to falsely yell, "Fire" in a crowded movie theater, but it's perfectly okay to promote a "state of public danger" by constantly saturating print and broadcast media with heinous criminal acts of mass murder and violence?

RECOMMENDATION: At the state and local level, laws could be passed to limit coverage of "heinous crimes" to no more than a sixty-(60) second news story (via local or national broadcast, cable, internet) compliant with the established journalistic standard of "who, what, where, when, why, and how." Likewise, print media (newspapers, magazines, etc.) would be limited to a one-by-one column inch print story compliant with the established journalistic standard of "who, what, where, when, why, and how." For those who want more information, data will be available by phone, email, fax, or web sites at local, state, federal or designated law enforcement agencies. In summary, the "right of the people" to know is not infringed, and the "freedom of the press" is not infringed. "GUN CONTROL" is not the issue; the issue is:

1. the failure of law enforcement to accurately track and target the demographic most likely to commit crime;

2. the failure of law enforcement to accurately track the illegal distribution of guns;

3. the failure of elected representatives to effectively manage and prevent print and broadcast media from directly encouraging people to commit specific criminal actions of their own.

QUESTION 5: Will the U.S. government repeal or modify the second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, that, "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

ANSWER: No.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

	WHAT	WHY
1.	Be a law abiding citizen.	Ultimately, it's your immediate responsibility to comply with all laws. The easiest way to avoid being involved in criminal activity is to avoid being involved in criminal activity. Don't go places where you don't belong. Look before leaping. Be aware of your surroundings. Use common sense. Duh.
2.	Protect yourself.	Ultimately, it's your immediate responsibility to protect yourself and your family. You cannot count on others, including law enforcement, to do so. You can: learn martial arts; get alarms for your home, car, or business; purchase mace and other methods of protection; or if necessary, obtain a local, state issued, or (when available) national conceal carry permit to legally carry a firearm.
3.	Don't buy a gun unless you thoroughly commit to learn how to use it correctly and legally.	Ultimately, it's your immediate responsibility to comply with all laws. The easiest way to avoid being involved in criminal activity is to avoid being involved in criminal activity. Don't be stupid or cocky because you have a gun. Most importantly, when people know you're serious about protecting yourself and your family - they KNOW you're not to be trifled with. Duh.
4.	As validated by the data presented above, compel your elected representatives to:	As a law abiding citizen, YOUR right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
	a. stop playing the "race" card;	Because . . . targeting Black men, when the overwhelming majority of mass shootings are done by White men is racist.
	b. target or "profile" the right kind of perpetrators, especially those who illegally distribute guns;	Because . . . White people make and distribute guns throughout the U.S. (and the world), and the technology exists to accurately track this legal and illegal business activity - so, stop making excuses, just do it.
	c. establish security protocols for schools that mirror the security protocols used for banks, some prisons (yes!), and secure military facilities; and	Because . . . banks are secure, prisons are secure, military facilities are secure, and schools can be made just as secure.
	d. prohibit print and broadcast media from "sensationalizing and advertising human tragedy" as dramatic entertainment, and as a catalyst to increase ratings and advertising revenue.	Because . . . the First Amendment does not premit "dangerous speech" from mass media to promote a constant "state of public danger" by constantly saturating print and broadcast media with heinous criminal acts of mass murder and violence which only serves to harm the public by "advertising" the proliferation of such acts . . . "we'll be back with late breaking information on this horrendous mass murder after this message from Xanax. Don't go away, stay with us, we'll be right back."

 

Are you tired of Oprah?
When is enough too much?

Some people would have you to believe Winfry is the best thing (oops, let's not objectify Winfrey) . . . some people would have you to believe Winfrey is the absolute best individual ever created, and she's the solution to all of the problems faced not just in the United States, but throughout the world. Maybe. Or, maybe not.

PHILANTHROPIST - Yes, Winfrey has been extremely successful, and she should and must be proudly recognized for her achievements. She's an inspiration for females (and some men) all over the world, and she's donated millions of dollars to support non-profit organizations, particularly those that align with her personal agendas such as LGBTQI+, sexual abuse, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Henley on Klip south of Johannesburg, South Africa, and much more.

MEDIA MOGUL - Plus, her mass media empire footprint includes her own television network, her own production company for feature films and television, media relationships with CBS television and other outlets, magazine publishing, and more. In 1985, Ms. Winfrey landed a co-starring role (her film debut) in Steven Spielberg's "The Color Purple," and she was nominated for an Academy Award. She continues her thespian pursuits with "A Wrinkle In Time," released in 3,980 theaters on March 9, 2018. With a production budget well over $100+ million, unfortunately the film has only returned $39.3 million so far.

So, yes, there are many great things about Oprah Winfrey, and this editoral is not a pretense for a bait-and-switch hatchet job. Unfortunately, with Ms. Winfrey's acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at The 75th Golden Globe Awards the mainstream print and broadcast news media began to herald Ms. Winfrey as a potential candiate for the presidency of the United States in 2020. It would be a huge mistake for Winfrey to run for president, because not everyone is perfect, especially Ms. Winfrey.

IMAGE - For decades, many people, especially Black people considered Winfrey's television success primarily occurred because she resembled the "big-titty, big butt, morbidly overweight or obese, talkative, Aunt Jemima-esque, dark-skinned stererotypical Black woman" that has consistently been endorsed and promoted by White owned and controlled print, film, and broadcast media since before, during, and after the "formal" end of slavery. Historically, that's how White owned and controlled media represent the stereotypical Black woman, from Hattie McDaniel's role as "Mammy" in the legendary 1939 film, "Gone With the Wind" to Theresa Merritt in the 1970s ABC-TV sitcom, "That's My Mama," to Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique in the 2009 film, "Precious." Or, Black women must be presented as prostitutes, promiscuous, or lascivious as with Halle Berry's 2001 Academy Award winning performance in "Monster's Ball," which remains the first and only Academy Award winning performance with graphic sexual nudity by the leading actresses.

Yes, during the nascent beginnings of Winfrey's career in the late 1970s and early 1980s there were many smart, attractive, and media savvy Black women who were not morbidly overweight or obese like Pam Grier, Rosalind Cash, Sheila Frazier, Freda Payne, and Diahann Carroll, but to showcase a smart and very attractive Black woman on a daily basis hosting a nationally broadcast American day-time television program was NOT going to happen - and it never did. Even Rolonda Watts internationally syndicated talk show, which only aired from 1994 to 1997, was short lived. Winfrey was the stereotypical Black woman in the right place at the right time.

SELF-ESTEEM - Winfrey has the almost unlimited financial resources of a billionaire to hire physical trainers and nutritionists to effectively manage her physique, and Winfrey is the author of a weight-loss book, and Winfrey bought a 10% stake (6.4 million shares, for $43 million) in Weight Watchers - but it doesn't matter, because Winfrey lacks the emotional and intellectual capacity to control her weight. Simply put, Winfrey's image "fit" and continues to "fit" the perception and values of White people (media moguls) that Black women must be morbidly overweight or obese, and yes, as pictured below, she has definitely sustained this image.

BEFORE	AFTER	FOREVER

From a global perspective, many if not most countries have labeled the U.S. as grotesquely unhealthly because 4 of 5 adults are morbidly overweight or obese.

Since Winfrey lacks the emotional and intellectual capacity to control her weight, is she the best representative, the best "leader," the best "role model" for the presidency of the United States of America?

FAMILY VALUES - The traditional Black family no longer exists, and it's nearly hopeless for any adult Black woman to find an eligible Black male. As reported in Savvy Magazine from Februrary 1980, "Where Are the Men for the Women at the Top?" sociologist Robert Staples of the University of California stated "Single Black women have even more dramatic problems; there are five-(5) eligible Black women for every Black man." That was 1980, and the disparity has continued to grow, and the disparity will continue to worsen.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

As documented in a survey of nearly 11,000 women from July 24, 2002 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and reported by Laura Meckler of The Associated Press: Black women are least likely to marry and most likely to divorce, with more than half splitting within 15 years. Black women are significantly less likely to marry than White women. By age 30, 81 percent of White women have been married, whereas only 52 percent of Black women. The report notes one explanation, that there are fewer Black men considered marriage material, given their high rates of unemployment, incarceration, and lack of education. When it comes to marriage, Black relationships have been the exception, not the norm.

The traditional Black family no longer exists, and was destroyed in part by a so-called "war on drugs" that remains skewed to target, arrest, convict, and incarcerate more Black men than another other ethnic or racial group. "Marriage rates have fallen for all groups since the 1960s, but more sharply for Blacks than for whites - as with Black income (below).

In 1960, 74% of white adults were married, as were 61% of black adults. By 2011, the black marriage rate had fallen to 56% that of the white rate: 55% of whites were married, compared with 31% of blacks." Source: Pew Research at http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/08/22/race-demographics/. As posted on Wikipedia, Winfrey once commented that she had chosen not to be a mother because she had not been mothered well. At 13, after suffering what she described as years of abuse, Winfrey ran away from home. When she was 14, she became pregnant but her son was born prematurely and he died shortly after birth. Winfrey later stated she felt betrayed by the family member who had sold the story of her son to the National Enquirer in 1990.

Winfrey considers her family experience dsyfunctional, and although she recognizes many Black girls and Black women aspire to be like her, nevertheless, she does not consider herself a role model. Likewise, Winfrey does not believe in marrige, and Stedman Graham has been Winfrey's "plus one" since 1986 - for 32 years. Given the ongoing destruction of the Black family, and Winfrey's negative assessment of marriage and family, is she the best representative for the presidency of the United States of America?

IS SHE BLACK ENOUGH? - Many Black people, especially Black men, are concerned that Winfrey launched the television success of two White men, Dr. Phil McGraw via the "Dr. Phil" program, and Dr. Mehmet Cengiz Öz via the "Dr. Oz" program, but Winfrey has not "anointed" a Black male, or other Black women, with the opportunity for such financial success. Why is that?

Plus, although Winfrey supported the election of Barak Obama as a "change agent" for the presidency of the U.S., ultimately, the overall social and economic status for the overwhelming majority of Black people did not change, has not changed. In fact, as reported by the Chicago Tribune, Black people are the only U.S. racial group earning less in 2017 than in 2000. Black people are the only racial group the Census Bureau identifies that has been left behind. Black people have the lowest earnings of any racial group by far. While median household income for African Americans was just over $39,000 last year, it was over $47,000 for Latinos, over $65,000 for whites and over $81,000 for Asian American households. As with Barack Obama, Winfrey would continue to personally benefit or profit from a political career, but she would not be a "savior" to Black people.

If you're Black, shouldn't this matter? If you're White, what difference does it make? Consider this, as reported by the Atlantic in 2011, the cost of one year at Princeton University was $37,000. Conversely, the cost of incarceration for one year at a New Jersey state prison was $44,000. Consider this, if California (which spends over $48,214 per-inmate - the highest in the U.S.) emptied its prisons and sent every inmate to a university of California college it would save over $7 billion a year!!!

So, given Winfrey's lack of affinity toward the cultural and financial empowerment of Black men, how could or why would she be any different than yet another token highfalutin Black person taking up space in the oval office while accomplishing nothing to significantly improve the social and economic status of Black people?

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Given the destruction of the traditional Black family, given the extremely high rates of Black male unemployment, the extremely high rates of incarceration of Black males, and the fact that Black males have the highest mortality rate in the U.S., and Winfrey's ongoing negative assessment of marriage to a Black man, is she the best representative for the presidency of the United States of America?

Nope.
Too much Oprah is way too much!

Trip Reynolds
trip.reynolds@yahoo.com

President Trump, do the unexpected!

LET’S IMPROVE HUMAN RIGHTS. Let's imagine President Trump holding a press conference reading the following proclamation.

As you know, I’m not concerned about being politically correct, because being “politically correct” is a major reason why our country continues to languish in the failures of our past, and in particular, our dismal history of human rights: genocide and incarceration of Native Americans, slavery and ongoing incarceration of Black people, incarceration and discrimination of Latinos, discrimination and internment of Asians, and discrimination and sexist treatment of women and alternative lifestyles.

Despite being founded on principles of democracy, nevertheless, our country continues to treat women, Native Americans, Blacks, Latinos, and Asians and others inequitably – and based on the wage and income gap between Whites and minorities, for most it’s getting worse. Even poor White people have extreme difficulty prospering in this country. Here’s how I will aggressively work to eliminate sex and race-based inequities as President of the United States. Simply put, I’m establishing the following cabinet level positions, to be chaired by the Secretary of Human Rights, with each position required to strategically and tangibly improve the political, economic, and educational status of their respective charge:

Secretary of Human Rights, Chair
Secretary of Women’s Rights
Secretary of Black Rights
Secretary of Latino Rights
Secretary of Native American Rights
Secretary of Asian Rights
Secretary of Rights for the Poor
Secretary of Rights for the Disabled
Secretary of LGBTQIBPP

Most importantly, I will not create a bureaucracy around these positions; we already have the bureaucracies – but no results. Second, these positions will be funded through attrition from existing vacancies. Consistent with how I run my businesses, all incumbents in these cabinet level positions will have clearly defined essential job functions, clearly defined job standards, and clearly defined strategic business unit objectives that they must accomplish. We can no longer tolerate the “business as usual” protocols of the past. I will demand improvements from each Secretary for each year of my presidency or they will be fired. If you’re running a private sector Fortune 500 company or a public sector employer with token women and minorities in only a few management level positions, be warned, we know who you are, and so does anyone who takes time to review your EEO-1 or EEO-4 or 5. We’re coming for you! We will make America GREAT!

God Bless the United States of America
President Donald Trump

Frankly, no previous POTUS had the balls to do the aforementioned, nor would wannabe-prez Hillary Clinton, but President Trump is enough of a maverick to at least consider doing something different, because all previous and current tactics to establish equality HAVE NOT WORKED. "Freedom and liberty for all" must be more than only a pipe dream; so President Trump you're hereby challenged to aggressively use the ferver of the executive branch to HOLD AMERICA ACCOUNTABLE. It's not enough to make America great. More importantly, your action in this regard would truly make America greater than it has ever been!

Trip Reynolds
trip.reynolds@yahoo.com