FIRST-PERSON: Thinking through the prospect of war
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (BP)--Talk of war in the United States has reached a fevered pitch, and the whole idea of American national security has taken on a new ideological configuration.
FIRST-PERSON: Our tendency to forget
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (BP)--"A day that will go down in infamy," "Another Pearl Harbor," "God Bless America," "United We Stand" were just a few of so many speedy declarations made by millions of commentators and observers on Sept. 11 as a terribly wounded America tried to make sense of and absorb the dark and brooding events, so evil and Machiavellian in significance that words of any kind were hardly sufficient to describe them.
FIRST-PERSON: The NAACP: Seekers of peace or wielders of the sword?
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (BP)--Centuries ago, when Jesus Christ said, "Blessed are the peacemakers ...," he spoke a great injunction to man to seek peace, harmony and reconciliation.
FIRST-PERSON: Government no substitute for good and competent parents
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (BP)--The Florida Department of Children and Families is just one of many such agencies nationally that exist as oversight entities, ostensibly, to provide protective services for society's most vulnerable members: at risk children and families that are at or are near insolvency.
FIRST-PERSON: Can a King be silenced?
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (BP)--The most current King controversy involves moves by his survivors to protect the intellectual property of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Of these actions by his family, much has been said and made of them by media personalities, by politicians and by private citizens who feel that the legacy of Dr. King, his works and ideas belong instead to the national trust and should not be the sole property of his family only.
FIRST-PERSON: It’s time to amend immigration policies
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (BP)--After the horrific events of Sept. 11, President Bush rallied the courageous young men and women of America's military to defend the nation against extremist Islamic terrorism.
FIRST-PERSON: Reparations: a divisive issue
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (BP)--I was most impressed with Newsweek's cover story in January profiling three of America's most powerful African American CEOs. Their achievement speaks volumes to the success and opportunities made possible in a free market society.
FIRST-PERSON: The opportunity behind Colin Powell’s MTV remarks
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (BP)--Colin Powell's controversial comments in a recent MTV interview with young viewers regarding the use of condoms was seen by some conservatives as the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Nonetheless, such comments and the debate that followed provide us with an excellent opportunity to re-examine sexual behavior in American society.
FIRST-PERSON: Distorting history: a disservice to us all
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (BP)--Controversy over the statue of N.Y. firefighters raising the American flag in the midst of the collapsed World Trade Center towers has indeed reminded us that those who seek to distort a historical act continue to disrupt the spirit of unity.
FIRST-PERSON: Sept. 11 lessons drawn from Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (BP)--On Jan. 21, millions of Americans will pause to reflect on the life, philosophy and work of the prophet of peace, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
