Leadership is Missing in America

The last time I wrote a controversial piece was the jury deliberations in The State of Florida vs. Zimmerman case. Pundits lost the message as they set out to start another narrative about gun ownership. The media loves to have two sides to any controversy. It creates drama and tension for their ratings, but it's still not a solution to a problem.


I think people speaking out about Kaepernick's right to protest isn't a solution either. All you manage to pull off is discover how many supporters each side has in their court. Kaepernick is an ignorant young man. He protested on the only stage he has and it just happens to be a large stage with a captive audience. It was a controversial thing to do and this fact is diluting his message. Those types of protests are ineffective. How does this help the communities that are deteriorating?


These communities are in need of strong leaders to serve as role models. Leaders don't burn down buildings, loot businesses, and disrespect the American flag.  Leaders evolve and rise to the top, but nobody is taking the lead inside these communities. Athletes with large stages protest but never step foot in the communities that are in trouble. And the leaders in the NFL community? From nowhere are they heard. Sad, isn't it? Let's put this in perspective here:

In 2012, the NFL fined the San Diego Chargers $20,000 because they failed to surrender towels on time when directed to do so by an NFL official.

 In 2014, the Cleveland Browns general manager used an electronic device many times. The NFL suspended him for the first four games of the 2015 season. The team incurred a $250,000 fine.

If these athletes are so passionate about making a difference, they should get involved. If black lives matter, go to the office of the Mayor and demand more. Go to the local leaders in the legislature and protest. Campaign to throw out ineffective leaders. The lazy way out is to sit out the national anthem while collecting millions from your fans and sponsors. This is why I'm boycotting the NFL. Maybe when the network ratings drop, the sponsors will wake up.


There is a bigger issue here than black lives or blue lives. It's about leadership and the lack of it in places where it's needed the most. When are the leaders going to step up and do something about it? There are generous black celebrities who use their wealth and power to help out black causes. Yet, the communities that need the most are those where it seems the only folks who visit are the cops.

These young athletes could use a reminder from Dr. King.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others.   

    --Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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The State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman - Awaiting a Verdict

I have a heavy heart this evening. I don’t usually speak out on matters in the media because to me it’s just fodder for attention whores and that’s not what my blog is about. I blog about making progress, whether with my own writing (mainly it’s about my writing), or about personal growth within my own family, or even about progress at work in my field of technology.

My heart is heavy today because I’m thinking about the progress of the country I love, The United States of America. When growing up, I didn’t notice so much division. Maybe I was too young to understand the “us” versus “them” concept. We all said the pledge of allegiance and it wasn’t a big deal. Maybe they tried harder to shield us from this division or maybe the division wasn't as powerful as it is today. I don’t know.

It just seems there is more division than there ever was and I’m trying to comprehend where it is coming from, because we on the bottom level, the ordinary people, are trying to make sense of ground zero, wanting to survive.

Now my concerns:

As the jury deliberates today in the case of The State of Florida versus George Zimmerman, I am saddened. I'm not saddened for George Zimmerman or the fact that a life is lost; I've become immune to it over the months.

What saddens me is when these six jurors come out of their sequestered world and deliver a verdict, their lives will be forever changed, and our country will be transformed shortly thereafter. Why?

1. Racial inequality and politics

Though I believe our country has moved forward in civil rights issues, I don't believe that the media and government have accepted this fact. If they accept the forward progress, then they would have to find another means to cause civil unrest so that there may be this need for intervention, thus more government and more bureaucracy. I have faith in the people in our country and in all our diversity. It's the media and politics which caused this to play out for the world to see.

2. A mother's love

How wonderful to put all women on this jury! I'm not knocking an all-woman jury. However, think about it. Their hearts go out to Trayvon's mother, for the death of her son. What mother wouldn't relate? Their hearts go out to Zimmerman's mother, for the potential conviction of her son and 30 years in prison. What mother wouldn't relate? These jurors have a tough job, and I will be thinking of them and the pain they will endure attempting to reconcile this huge mess of a case. Whatever their decision, the world is watching, with scrutiny, and it's just not fair for them to bare this burden on their own. I'm behind them with whatever decision they come to, and I feel for them.

3. The second Amendment right to bear arms

This verdict will change how we deal with the Constitutional right to bear arms. Why? Because, bearing arms has restrictions as it is. We must abide by certain laws before we are able to obtain, carry, and utilize firearms. Better yet, we are required to provide fingerprints, photo identification, and certification of training, before permits are granted for "carry conceal" licenses. Any person who acquires and intends to utilize a firearm without abiding by these rules is breaking the law and has a total disregard for the right to do so.

So, how do we protect ourselves and others without putting ourselves in the same class as those who have a total disregard for human life and the law? We do the right thing. That's not good enough though, because there is room for error, which the law does not provide a definitive clause. We act first, and then are judged later.

Now that I've listed the things which sadden me, let me share with you my biggest fear.

If this is a case decided by defining the perception of "death or grievous bodily harm" we are in trouble. Today, with violent crimes reported in our media, more people are becoming legally armed, many with "conceal carry" permits. If I'm a licensed carrier, will I need to change my perception in the future? Do I need to change my perception of imminent death or serious bodily harm before I utilize my legally purchased and licensed firearm for its intended purpose? Is it even humanly possible to do that during a time of high stress and fear?

If a woman is being raped, does she now leave her firearm cradled in its holster because she doesn’t believe that penetration of her vagina and lacerations from the friction are more severe than a fractured nose and lacerations to her head?

This is serious. I hope I never have to be in a position to place a verdict on anyone, but worse than that, I hope I never have to carry out justice while leading from behind because certain people in positions of authority just couldn't stand up and say enough is enough.

My heart goes out to the Trayvon family AND the Zimmerman family. I just hope we can fix things so this tragedy doesn't happen again, because it IS a tragedy, and a misuse of justice. What I'd like to see is both families come together in a fight to prevent these types of tragedies in the future. We can't heal from this if that doesn't happen.