Florida Sentinel Bulletin

A Worthless Black Life

BY CLARENCE BARR, II

Right now I don’t feel like being politically correct in what I’m about to say. Not that I’ve ever been politically correct to begin with. But today I’m feeling even less concerned about being considered offensive. And after what happened Saturday night, I don’t think anyone can blame me.
The “Not Guilty” verdict following almost two days of deliberation by the jury in the second degree murder trial of George Zimmerman represented further proof that, as far as the law is concerned, the lives of individuals who look like me are only worth as much as the pieces of paper marksmen use for target practice. Maybe less.
Even though the trial ended as I expected, with Zimmerman walking because of a weak prosecution, the final result still left a sour taste in my mouth. That is mainly because I held out a sliver of hope that justice still had a chance to be served for the Trayvon Martin family when the charge of manslaughter was introduced as an alternative option to the second degree murder conviction.
I assumed that any reasonable jury wouldn’t have a problem finding Zimmerman guilty of at least being responsible for Trayvon’s death through irresponsible, reckless behavior. Especially considering the fact that Zimmerman was the one who initiated the contact by following Trayvon in the first place. Boy, was I wrong.
I mean, how is it that a man can go out of his way to confront another man, agitate a fight and then not be found culpable when he kills the person he was harassing? No, seriously, how does that happen?
The entire idea that Zimmerman is free this morning is incomprehensible. And it bothers me even more when I think about Michael Vick being forced to serve two years in federal prison for killing dogs while this guy doesn’t get as much as a slap on the wrist for shooting an unarmed, barely 17-year-old, Black child. It is a picture just too wrong to be ignored.
I heard a man on a news program yesterday spewing the usual rhetoric about the system being broken and pointing out obvious things like, “if Zimmerman were Black he would have been in jail since the night of the incident.” The entire time I’m listening to him talk I’m thinking to myself, ok, now go on and tell us that water is wet, fire is hot and ice is cold.
We all know that if Zimmerman was Black and Trayvon was white he would already be sitting in the Florida State Penitentiary trying to figure out a way off death row. And that’s the problem.
To us the system is broken because of these types of occurrences. But the ugly truth is that since the system seems to be designed to continuously destroy the lives of Black men while allowing whites to literally get away with murder, for them, it’s actually working to perfection. And right now there is nothing that we’re doing that will cause it to break.
Bullhorn speeches, picket signs, marches and colorful chants like “No justice, No peace” are as tired and as ineffective as they are old. Everyone knows we talk a good game and that we put up a good show. But they also know that, when it comes to action, a large majority of us won’t bust a grape in a food fight.
Sure we’ll pout for a minute, make a little noise. But give us some time and we’ll eventually calm down, return to our normal complacent lives and wait for someone else to get shot.
It is just what we do. And because of that no one will ever fear any repercussions for taking one of our lives. And we will always be considered fair game.
Anyone wanting to contact Clarence Barr can reach him at: Clarence Barr, II, 43110-018; P. O. Box 7007; Marianna, FL 32447-7007. Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company.

A Case For Monogamy

BY CLARENCE BARR, II

Today, I want to try to set the record straight. I plan on accomplishing this by giving the same advice I wish someone would have given me years ago.
Like most people, I assume, when I arrived at the age where I could start dating I was encouraged not to get too serious about any one particular crush.
Older relatives, both male and female, would seem to always make a point of telling me things like: “You’re too young to be in love;” “You have your whole life to settle down;” “There are too many fish in the sea to only stay hooked to one;” and a host of other worn out cliches’ I’m sure everyone reading this has heard at one time or another.
I interpreted their well intentioned tutelage as their way of teaching me that the path to adulthood involved a trip through the infamous playing fields. A place where everyone is expected to visit temporarily but, for some, becomes a permanent residence.
Of course, I wouldn’t say that being with one person was frowned upon. But there was no doubt that the frequency of pats on the back increased significantly when it was perceived that I was juggling more than one girl simultaneously.
Unfortunately, that kind of caddish rearing is far from uncommon for young men. That is why when women refer to men as “dogs,” they’re not saying anything out of line because, the truth is, most of us were actually raised to act in that kind of care-free fashion.
It is part of the reason why some women complain about not being able to find men who will be faithful to them in relationships. But the irony is that some of these same women subconsciously, by gushing over their child’s “player” good looks, train their own sons to behave in the exact same way. In effect, continuing the cycle that’s caused them so much frustration.
Recently it dawned on me, after reflecting on the negative impact philandering can have on our lives, how drastically misled we have all been.
The path through the playing fields not only set us up for failure by causing us to embrace an elevated level of promiscuity but, worse, may have tricked us into missing out on the one person who could have given us the long term happiness we crave.
What I realized is that cool isn’t jumping from bedpost to bedpost trying to sample every flavor in existence. Cool is finding someone special and building something meaningful while experiencing this journey called life.
We (men and women) spend so much time running after the better sex, the better body, the bigger butt, etc., that we end up on a never ending search for the type of perfection that we can’t even see in the reflections of our own mirrors. And it’s only after we find ourselves on the wrong side of forty, alone and having a drink in one of those bars where very few people still have their own teeth, that we realize how much energy we wasted during the process.
When I read the paper and see stories about 19-year-old H.I.V. infected prostitutes being arrested for knowingly spreading the virus and groups of young women going from city-to-city ripping off men for cash and jewelry, it’s just confirmation that being committed to one person is not just a good idea, but could potentially be a life-saving decision.
The model we were given for how we’re supposed to approach relationships was seriously flawed. But, the good news is that it’s never too late to recover from our mistakes.
Hopefully, when we’re presented with another chance to be all we can be with someone whose presence is a blessing to our lives, we’ll be more than ready to take full advantage of an opportunity that very rarely comes back around.
Anyone wanting to contact Clarence Barr can reach him at: Clarence Barr, II, 43110-018; P. O. Box 7007; Marianna, FL 32447-7007. Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company.

Jobs Not Needed

BY CLARENCE BARR, II

The other day I watched a news report that said a majority of millennial aged college graduates (individuals born between 1981 and 1996) were working in areas that didn’t require college degrees. Places like restaurants, clothing stores and telemarketing firms.
The reasoning, they explained, involved a multitude of factors including: a struggling economy, an already over-crowded workplace, people eligible for retirement holding on longer and companies taking advantage of the surplus of talent and being even more selective in their hiring. According to the statistics, it is a trend that doesn’t show signs of slowing down anytime soon.
The report led me to reflect on the idea that it may be time to re-evaluate how higher education is prioritized to young people. That is not to say that it’s importance should be lessened. But the reality is that we may have reached a point where it should be re-packaged for a new era.
Twenty-five years ago we probably wouldn’t think about having this conversation. Back then it was cool just to go to college and hopefully graduate.
You could major in almost anything. As long as you received a diploma, chances were that you could find a decent job anywhere.
Of course, that was then. As it stands now, that strategy appears to be as played out as the Dwayne-Wayne styled glasses that were also very popular at the time.
Today, outside of certain fields like medicine, bio-engineering, pharmaceuticals and computer programming, unless a person has an inside track, the average 4-year college degree seems to carry little more weight than a high school diploma. In this current environment, pursuing a master’s or doctorate becomes almost mandatory to remain in contention. And even then there is no guarantee that a job will be available.
For the typical kid coming out of high school contemplating on attending a college or university without a scholarship and who may not be doctor or engineer material, this translates to him or her seriously deciding whether or not it’s worth it to take a $50,000+ hit on his or her credit while taking a gamble on low paying, low demand fields of study like sociology, physical education or psychology. Degrees that, often times, lead graduates into occupations where the top salary may not even equal what they owe.
For that student it may be better for them to go into a different direction, something along the lines of entrepreneurship.
Steering everyone toward traditional secondary education just for the sake of receiving a secondary education only benefits two groups…. The schools and the banks handing out the guaranteed loans who make out like bandits during the process.
I mean, if they’re going to borrow money and go into debt anyway, it would seem to make better sense for them to use that money to start their own businesses as opposed to the alternative. Walking across a stage to receive a piece of paper only to find themselves, a year later, managing a Foot Locker.
As society becomes more technologically advanced jobs will continue to become even more scarce. Instead of continuing to raise our children to be little more than worker bees in conditions that make worker bees highly expendable, going forward, it may be a better plan to teach them ways to own the hive.
The future is here. Pandering for someone else to offer you work is slowly going the route of CD players and car ignitions that require keys.
The best way to succeed involves being self-employed and self-sustaining. Anything less in this new paradigm developing around us is a recipe for disappointment, failure and long-term parking in the lower middle-class section of life.
Anyone wanting to contact Clarence Barr can reach him at: Clarence Barr, II, 43110-018; P. O. Box 7007; Marianna, FL 32447-7007. Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company.

Time To Wake Up

BY CLARENCE BARR, II

While the world was being riveted by the Trayvon Martin murder trial and the hilariously bad “Knock-Knock” joke used by one of George Zimmerman’s attorney during opening statements, something interesting was happening in Washington D. C.
The Supreme Court made the shocking decision to repeal the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
This is the law that Martin Luther King Jr., famously helped to bring into existence by staging a Civil Rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Now, just 48 years later, the highest justices in the land have decided that the law, designed to protect Blacks and other minorities from literacy and other voter qualification tests, is no longer necessary.
According to the justices who voted to nullify the act, times have changed to the point where states no longer need to be policed by the federal government to do the right thing. Of course, that’s their personal opinion. But I can’t help but ask, “How big is the rock that they live under?”
Just last year Attorney General Eric Holder had to force states like South Carolina and Texas to abandon plans to implement the voter ID laws they attempted to install before the presidential election. And questionable redistricting is still as big of a problem now as it was in the 1950’s. So the question remains, “What were they thinking?”
I hate to go the conspiratorial route. But, you have to wonder if there is some bigger agenda at play. After eight years of having a Black man like President Barack Obama in the White House, I don’t think that it’s too much to assume that there may be those behind the scenes who aren’t looking for a repeat performance any time soon.
With scientific data showing minorities outpacing a steadily declining white population, this could be a strategic move to preserve the current status quo for future generations. Control who’s allowed to cast a vote for representation and you effectively control who occupies the most important seats of power.
Personally, I can’t say I’m surprised by what transpired. Judging by the road we’re traveling as a people, it only seemed like a matter of time before they began to make moves to turn back the clock.
With the torch bearers of the Civil Rights Movement aging rapidly and the generations who followed either content with the opportunity to live in the suburbs or strung out on chasing cosmetic highs through drugs like “Molly” (MDMA) and “Ecstasy,” for the individuals who wish to keep Blacks under the heel of oppression, it was a perfect time to strike. Looking at our situation, they had to be sitting back and thinking to themselves, “Who do they even have capable of fighting back?”
Avalanches always start with one stone. Today it’s the Voting Rights Act. Five years from now they could attack Fair and Equitable Housing, the Civil Rights Bill or even (dare I say) the 13th amendment. Never say never because when people like to sleep, anything can happen to them.
Anyone wanting to contact Clarence Barr can reach him at: Clarence Barr, II, 43110-018; P. O. Box 7007; Marianna, FL 32447-7007. Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company.

Extreme Madness

BY CLARENCE BARR, II

Extremist. We see them all the time don’t we? Whether they’re strapping bombs to themselves and running into buildings, condemning someone to Hell for not believing in a particular god or sleeping outside of stores for days to be one of the very first to own a certain product, these are the people who are known to take their passions to the next level.
This is not to say that they’re all bat-crazy lunatics. But I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that they’re just a little bit more over-the-top than the rest of us. And recently I realized that I’ve been having conversations with one on a daily basis.
I guess I should have recognized him from the moment we met. The permanent furrow between the eyebrows. The cold stare. The unruly grey beard protruding from coal black skin.
His exterior was a warning sign that I may have come in contact with some kind of hybrid mixture of Nat Turner radicalization and rattlesnake meanness. Both of them bonded together by a personality as prickly as a cactus.
After our first few conversations I nicknamed him “The Angriest, Blackest, Black Man Who Ever Lived.” It was a title he would eventually embrace with pride.
I called him angry because I didn’t think he could find anything in life he didn’t hate besides President Barack Obama, the book, Standing By the Scratch Line and Lebron James. Then again, depending how well James plays in the last two games of the NBA finals, “The Angriest” may be crossing him out as I write this. But that’s an entirely different story.
I have to admit, most of the time I understand his gripes. His hatred for the trend of tight fitting men’s clothing. His despising of people using the N-word in his presence. And his outright loathing of buffoonery in Black people. Although we’re from two different generations, those are things that register with me also.
But like I said, he’s an extremist. So there are times when he makes comments that are so cringe worthy that I have to remind myself that he’s entitled to his opinion.
Like the time he wondered out loud why people continued to pray to Jesus for help even though he couldn’t get himself off the cross. His words not mine. Or the time he actually said that, “the only way to help us (Blacks) out of the mess we’re in is to exterminate all those young dumb muth—— who don’t have enough sense to keep their pants on their asses.” The disturbing part is that he didn’t crack a smile or laugh in either instance.
To me, this was extremism in its rawest form. And what I learned after our many conversations is that what makes individuals like him seem so radical is the fact that they just don’t care.
They are not bound by political correctness. While the rest of us hold our beliefs under wraps, they throw theirs in the face of all who dare to believe or think otherwise.
It is not so much that people have a problem with what they say, the problem comes for most us when we realize they have the courage to say it. And the scariest thing we have face at that point is the prospect of what we’ll begin to think of ourselves if, somewhere deep inside, we actually start to agree.
Anyone wanting to contact Clarence Barr can reach him at: Clarence Barr, II, 43110-018; P. O. Box 7007; Marianna, FL 32447-7007. Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company.

Another Piece
Off The Board

BY CLARENCE BARR, II

Earlier this month, Courtnee Brantley, the young woman convicted of the seldom used Misprision of a Felony charge was sentenced to one year and a day in federal prison. It was the final chapter in a case that involved everything from a judicial dismissal to a mistrial.
To some, it may seem as though Ms. Brantley came out easy under the circumstances. But, when you consider the fact that she was little more than an uncooperative witness in a high profile investigation involving the death of two Tampa police officers, 366 days in prison for basically exercising a Constitutional right to remain silent is comparable to being body slammed.
The thing that stands out the most to me about the Brantley case is the fact that the feds were so aggressive with seeking this conviction. Federal trials aren’t cheap by any standard. And the idea that the feds were willing to spend so much money on a defendant who they knew would probably receive a light sentence indicates that there was another goal in play equally as important.
Being able to remove someone like Ms. Brantley from the streets was probably no big deal. For them the real victory came in the form of the long term damage they were able to inflict on her life by stamping her record with a felony conviction. Of course this isn’t uncommon. It is usually how the system operates.
Disenfranchising young Africans in America through the criminal justice system is one of most effective tools used against the Black community. Take away an individual’s ability to vote, own a gun, find a job, run for public office, sit on a jury or even secure decent housing and you create a person totally dependent, and utterly defenseless. A voiceless ghost relegated to the fringes of society, a virtual non-factor in the grand scheme of things.
When this kind of strategy is orchestrated against any one particular group it, not only, makes the group weaker as a whole, but it also makes it easier to control. A politically neutralized entity that’s basically powerless to stop any organized attack.
Though arguably unconscionable, Ms. Brantley’s crime wasn’t that she didn’t inform authorities that her boyfriend, Dante Morris, was in possession of a firearm. No, she was guilty of something the system finds a lot more dangerous.
She was a young Black woman of child bearing age who didn’t have a criminal record…. It was her future potential that made her a threat.
Any good chess player knows that even a pawn, if guided correctly, can grow to be something far greater. And when you’re playing an opponent who has mastered the game, you have to know that, with everything at stake, they’ll do anything in their power to make sure that pawn never has the opportunity.
Anyone wanting to contact Clarence Barr can reach him at: Clarence Barr, II, 43110-018; P. O. Box 7007; Marianna, FL 32447-7007. Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company.

Peeping Through Your Window

BY CLARENCE BARR, II

As further evidence that the freedom Americans believe they enjoy being little more than an elaborate illusion, it was discovered last week that the U.S. government has been operating a secret program called PRISM that collects personal information on U. S. citizens from different sources including cell phone service provider Verizon, tech giant Apple, internet search engines Yahoo and Google as well as the popular instant messaging company Twitter. All allegedly under the guise of keeping us safe from terrorism.
Political experts who approve of the government’s actions say that this kind of close monitoring is needed to ward off future attacks. That assessment is questionable considering just two months ago the F.B.I. and C.I.A. both admitted that they were well informed about the radical potential of Russian immigrant Tamerlan Tsarnaev, but were unable to stop him and his younger brother from pulling off the bombing of the Boston Marathon.
According to their logic and reasoning, that bombing should have never occurred. But yet, even with that kind close attention being paid, it did.
The fact that the feds are digging into the personal lives of individuals without court issued warrants is disturbing in itself. But when you connect the lines between this most recent revelation with past developments like the hidden tracking device that was found inside of Apple’s i-phone two years ago, President Barack Obama’s approval of using military drones over U. S. cities, and the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the legality of law enforcement agencies being allowed to collect DNA from anyone arrested, a picture begins to form that is even more ominous than we could have ever imagined.
Of course President Obama, with all of his charm, is trying to downplay the intrusion by calling a press conference to say that the program, as it pertains to phone calls at least, doesn’t allow for conversations to be heard. If that’s true, then the next question has to be, “what’s the point?” If they’re not listening to what’s being said between party A and party B then where does the actual benefit in the surveillance begin?
The only truth in this entire scenario seems to be that they’re not telling us the truth. This is nothing out of the ordinary though. World governments, particularly this one, have never been completely open with their populations. Why would they start now?
When you think about it, it really should come as no surprise that the United States government is involved with this type of intrusive activity. Conspiracy theorists have been saying for decades that the feds would compromise our civil liberties on the way to establishing some kind of “New World Order.” Maybe they weren’t so crazy after all.
The most disappointing thing to come out of this, to me, is the fact that it’s happening under President Obama’s watch. Sure, George W. Bush got the ball rolling with the Patriot Act (as far as we know). But now that it’s continuing during an administration that promised transparency means one of two things: Either President Obama is being kept out of the loop or worse, he’s down with the program.
The disturbing part is that this could only be the beginning. Today we’re talking about secret wire-tapping, phone and email monitoring, hidden tracking devices and drone policing.
In a few years this same conversation will probably include camera’s installed inside of all televisions in order to watch us while we’re watching it, mysterious black helicopters, the removal of paper currency and the mandatory imbedding of microchips into our flesh. I mean, who knows?
It sounds far-fetched. But 5 years ago no one believed that a 3-D printer could create a fully operational gun either.
Tomorrow is here. It might be wise to stay tuned to what’s coming next because, from the way it looks now, it won’t be all good.
Anyone wanting to contact Clarence Barr can reach him at: Clarence Barr, II, 43110-018; P. O. Box 7007; Marianna, FL 32447-7007. Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company.

Quitting Is No Option

BY CLARENCE BARR, II

Being in prison has got to be one of the worse experiences a human being can endure. It is loud, intrusive, and violent. The food is terrible and if you’re a heterosexual (male or female) it’s the equivalent of being stranded on a deserted island.
On most mornings it’s a struggle just to get out of bed. The idea of facing another day of engaging in meaningless conversations with individuals who care as little about you as you do of them, is unbearable to say the least.
People on the street often ask me how I maintain a positive outlook in spite of it all? My answer is always the same…. I really don’t have a choice.
I can dwell on the negatives I mentioned earlier and turn into a pill popping bug, or I can at least make the best of a bad situation. Besides, jumping from the top tier or hanging myself from a rail would probably hurt like hell.
Granted, I didn’t always have this mindset. When I came into the system I didn’t know how I was going to adjust. But when I met men with two and three life sentences living their lives the best they could, I realized that I had absolutely no room to complain.
I became like the man in a popular metaphor I once heard. He felt sorry for himself for not having any shoes. But when he noticed the man without feet, he realized that things could have been a lot worse.
It is that same thinking that makes it hard for me to have sympathy for those who even attempt to commit suicide. Individuals who may have run across a rough patch, but who were otherwise healthy enough to at least stand.
When I hear about people taking their own lives my initial reaction is always that they took the easy way out. They weren’t tough enough to deal with the bull crap like the rest of us.
It bothers me more when I think about the individuals who are desperately trying to hold on to life. Those who are fighting off things like cancer, starvation and other ailments. I mean, these are people who are trying to survive any way they can. For me to shed a tear for someone who falls weak while dealing with issues half as agonizing, in some way, seems unfair.
What those who contemplate taking the dark alternative to living seem to not understand is that life is never easy. There is always going to be some turbulence and the decisions we make sometimes make things even harder.
I guess some people never truly realize that no matter how bad things get, there will always be better days. You just have to learn how to hold on, while keeping your head up, until they come along.
Anyone wanting to contact Clarence Barr can reach him at: Clarence Barr, II, 43110-018; P. O. Box 7007; Marianna, FL 32447-7007. Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company.

We Can’t Shake ‘Em

BY CLARENCE BARR, II

I have a problem. Not a major one. But it feels significant enough that it warrants addressing.

I decided to come forward in hopes that anyone who may be dealing with the same issue would feel compelled to admit that they’re as fed up as I am. And, because of our mutual discussion, we could possibly come up with a solution that will help us, and anyone else affected, deal with the nearly inescapable and insufferable presence of the individuals we commonly refer to as “butt holes.”

Everyone reading this should be familiar with this character. The often inappropriate, rude, loud and way too talkative male or female who seems to never know when to keep it down. That person who’s present at almost every activity we attend whether it be school, work, church, movie theatre etc., and who never misses an opportunity to burn our ears with nonsense we could care less about.

Over the years I’ve tried almost everything to make any unavoidable interaction with one of these pathetic individuals as painless as possible. But, unfortunately, nothing ever appears to work.

It doesn’t seem to matter whether or not you ignore them, pacify their arrogance or go as far as to actually reason with one of these miserable souls, nothing seems to minimize the potency of their “but holeness.” It is almost as if they can sense our contempt and feed off the hatred.

After an encounter with one of these creeps, I often sit back and wonder about things like, where did they come from?  Are they even human? Or are they the creation of some secret government project designed to make our lives even more miserable?

The only thing that makes sense is that maybe God purposely sprinkled these annoying creatures around us for His own amusement while testing our patience. Much in the same way we used to get a kick out of knocking down dirt mounds and watching the ants panic when we were kids.

Regardless of how they came to be, though, the bottom line is that enough is enough. As far as I’m concerned it’s time to end the irritation. And the only way I can see it happening is through some type of blunt intervention.

The thing is that many of these people don’t even realize that they’re being “butt holes.” And that’s why I think it would be best if we stopped being polite and told them the truth.

Instead of beating around the bush and ducking them at every turn, the next time they approach us we should probably just try to give it to them blood raw. Something along the lines of: “Look, I’m not feeling you. Even the sound of your voice drives me nuts. I don’t care what you think. I don’t care what you know. I don’t care who did what to who or you. I’m tired of hearing you complain, whine and gossip.

“Miss me with the B. S. And the next time you see me coming, act like you don’t see me and stay the hell out of my way.”

I know it sounds harsh. And it may not even stop them from being aggravating. But, if we all collectively confront every one of them we know the same way, it will definitely give them a lot less places to unload the crap that they usually carry.

Anyone wanting to contact Clarence Barr can reach him at: Clarence Barr, II, 43110-018; P. O. Box 7007; Marianna, FL 32447-7007. Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company.