When life doesn’t turn out as planned, when will we learn that the easy way out doesn’t work? When a person finds out that one actually has to put forth an effort to lead a productive life, why does any effort seem like an astronomical task? And when an individual is given the opportunity to better themselves, why do some opt to maintain in the minimal, lackluster way they’re accustomed to?
The primary reason I ask the aforementioned questions is because I am so tired of hearing about another young African American losing his/her life in a senseless fashion, mainly as a result of selling drugs.
I fail to understand why people don’t realize the tremendously negative impact that this type of lifestyle has. Realistically speaking, there are absolutely no positive long-term effects associated with selling drugs. The entire concept of Blacks selling drugs is extremely self-destructive for our people.
This behavior is so self-destructive because generally, the drugs are being sold right in the inner city, which of course is heavily populated by African Americans and other minorities. We’re hurting our own people for self-gain.
I once held a conversation with an individual that distributed drugs. When I questioned this person as to why he chose to lead that type of life, a smile covered his face and he began to laugh. He smugly said, “I don’t go recruiting people to buy my stuff, they come to me. There’s nothing wrong with what I do. I’m just giving them what they ask for, as a result, I live a very nice life.”
It saddened me to hear those words come out of his mouth. It saddened me even more when I realized that he actually believed what he was saying. This man honestly thought that what he does has no negative impact on the future of our people. I fully understand that individuals who use drugs are wrong, but in my opinion, those who supply the drugs are just as bad.
The questions I asked at the beginning of this editorial can also be applied to individuals who don’t want to take responsibility for their own lives. You know the individuals who are perfectly capable of working and providing for themselves, yet they’d rather live off of someone else or collect a check that taxpayers provide. This activity is also very destructive to the African American community.
We have to begin to set better examples for each other, particularly the children. If not, this disruptive behavior will just become a continuous cycle that plaques our community.
Cold temperatures caused water pipes to break at Martin University on Monday. It’s believed the issue was initially caused by a break in the college’s sprinkler system. A contractor first on the scene said the extent of the water damage was so bad that he’s relatively confident it will take “no less than $1 million” to repair the problem.
While Matin University is facing a tremendously significant problem with the sprinkler system, it’s a blessing that the incident occurred during Christmas vacation when students and professors took a break from classes.
Now is the time for the community to support Martin University during this very difficult and unfortunate situation. It’s my hope that given the challenges ahead for Martin we will all ban around the university in a very positive manner, be it through donations, encouraging words or prayers.
