A MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER
By Bobby R. Henry Sr.
Publisher, Westside Gazette Newspaper
“Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given.” — Proverbs 25:11
As we prepare to embark upon a new journey following this election season, I am reminded that democracy is not simply about who wins an election, who controls the halls of government, or which political party holds the reins of power. Democracy is about the people. All the people. And when leadership loses sight of that fundamental truth, democracy itself begins to suffer.
As we recognize Veterans Day, I find it especially fitting that we reflect upon the sacrifices of the brave men and women who wore the uniform of these United States, many of whom fought and died defending freedoms they themselves were not always permitted to enjoy.
Let that sink in.
Black soldiers fought for a country that segregated them. They defended a Constitution whose promises were too often denied to them. They stood on foreign battlefields fighting tyranny while their families faced discrimination, intimidation, and injustice here at home.
Yet they served.
They served with dignity. They served with courage. They served with honor. And many returned home determined to continue fighting another battle — the battle for equal rights, economic opportunity, voting rights, and human dignity.
Today, as we celebrate our veterans, we must do more than offer a handshake, a parade, or a ceremonial thank-you. We must honor their sacrifices by protecting the very democratic principles they were called upon to defend.
What good is thanking a veteran for defending freedom abroad if we remain silent when that same freedom is threatened at home?
We have witnessed throughout our nation’s history how laws and governmental authority can be manipulated to benefit a calculated few while placing additional burdens upon the least, the lost, the left out, the locked up, and those who have been systematically denied a fair opportunity to participate in the American dream.
We have seen the consequences when justice becomes selective, when economic opportunity is reserved for the privileged, and when political power becomes more important than public service.
And I would remind those newly elected, as well as those returning to office, that the authority granted to them does not belong to them personally. It is entrusted to them by the people.
That is why the wisdom found in Proverbs 25:11 is so appropriate for this moment:
“Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given.”
What a beautiful picture of what leadership should represent.
Gold is precious. Silver is valuable. But neither has its fullest meaning in this scripture without the wisdom of a word rightly spoken, a decision rightly made, or a judgment delivered with fairness.
Our elected officials should understand that their words carry weight, their decisions have consequences, and their actions can either build bridges of opportunity or construct walls of oppression.
Leadership without wisdom is dangerous. Power without compassion is destructive. And government without accountability becomes a threat to the very people it was established to serve.
As a nation, we cannot afford to continue allowing political differences to destroy our common humanity.
Whether Democrat, Republican, Independent, or someone who has become disillusioned with the entire political process, we must recognize that the true measure of government is not how well it serves those who already have everything, but how faithfully it responds to those who have the least.
What about the veteran sleeping beneath a bridge?
What about the veteran struggling to receive proper medical care?
What about the veteran battling the invisible wounds of war while attempting to provide for a family?
What about the Black veteran who served this nation honorably, only to return home and encounter barriers to employment, housing, education, and economic advancement?
These are not simply political questions. They are moral questions.
And morality should never be determined by political affiliation.
I cannot reflect upon Veterans Day without remembering my father, the late Rev. Levi Henry Jr., a United States Army veteran who served during the Korean conflict. Like so many of his generation, he understood the meaning of sacrifice, service, perseverance, and responsibility.
He also understood that having a voice meant very little if that voice could not be heard.
That understanding helped shape the foundation of the Westside Gazette, a newspaper established to ensure that our community could tell its own stories, challenge injustice, and demand accountability.
His generation knew that freedom was never something to be taken for granted.
And neither should we.
As we enter this next chapter of American leadership, I challenge those entrusted with public office to remember the veterans who helped preserve the opportunity for them to serve.
Remember those who came home to communities that did not always welcome them.
Remember those who gave their lives without ever experiencing the full promise of American equality.
Remember those whose names are etched into memorials and those whose sacrifices remain largely unrecognized.
Most importantly, remember that the oath to defend the Constitution is not an oath to a political party, a wealthy donor, or a particular administration. It is a commitment to the principles upon which this nation claims to stand.
Our veterans deserve more than recognition one day out of the year. They deserve access to quality healthcare, affordable housing, mental health services, employment opportunities, and the dignity that should accompany honorable service.
And our citizens deserve leadership that understands that justice must never be a privilege reserved for a chosen few.
I believe this nation still possesses the capacity to live up to its highest ideals. But that will require more than campaign promises and political slogans. It will require wisdom, humility, compassion, courage, and a willingness to place service above self.
The election may determine who occupies the seat, but character determines how that seat is used.
So, to our veterans, I say thank you. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your sacrifices. Thank you for standing when others could not, and for serving even when this country had not fully lived up to its promises to you.
And to our newly elected leaders, I offer this reminder:
Do not confuse winning an election with earning the people’s trust. One happens at the ballot box. The other must be demonstrated every day through your actions.
Let your decisions be guided by wisdom rather than vengeance, fairness rather than favoritism, and service rather than self-interest.
Let your words be like apples of gold in settings of silver.
And let your actions prove that the freedoms our veterans fought to defend are freedoms you are committed to protecting for everyone — especially the least, the lost, the left out, and the locked up.
Because when we honor our veterans by protecting the rights of every citizen, we do more than celebrate their service.
We give meaning to their sacrifice.
And that, my friends, is what a government of the people, by the people, and for the people ought to be.
A positive paper for a positive people.
