Just because you don’t have to, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t   

A Message From Our Publisher

Just because you don’t have to, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t   

But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence. Genesis 16:6 (NASB)

By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

There has, here lately been those who have blatantly abused- to the point of death in some instances their power of authority which is altered based on segregated and racist beliefs.

To name and list those who exploit, manipulate and take advantage of laws and create loop holes would take up too much time, space and energy, which would leave no room for anything else, so I won’t.

What I will do, however is to make a point how a few misuse and selectively enforce the law, not for the betterment of all but the benefit of a few.

No, I‘m not one who has earned  all the required knowledge to be degreed with a Juris Doctor diploma, unfortunately I, along with millions more have suffered and still suffer at the hands of those who have and who manipulate laws for personal gains due to ‘selective amnesia’.

In the arena of sports, rules are created to give equal footing to all teams to attempt to be fair.

One would think that when rules apply all play under the same rules in that field of play. We know that the rules that apply to kickball do not apply to swimming and we do not expect to get Florida driver’s licenses by passing a scuba diving course.

The laws for speeding fines are the same as well as parking fines in a no parking zone.

Yet, when it comes to doing business within the media arena,  there seems to be a clear cut selective process that has been designed to eliminate the “small businesses.” In that field Black owned media businesses in particular suffer consciously more when authority “wants” to be selective.

This selective amnesia induced coma-matic syndrome is more often used when advertising dollars are requested. Black owned media seems to be the preferred vehicle to use for placing FREE PRESS RELEASE SERVICES, “THAT YOUR PEOPLE NEED BECAUSE THEY ARE THE MOST AFFECTED.”

“According to Public Law we don’t have to advertise in your publications.”

How many times has this regurgitated response been used to not pay for advertising with Black owned media?

One would think that the same law should be applied equally when it comes to doing business with media, just like sporting activities when you play in the same game.

This scenario is applied no matter the severity of the effect on the audiences of the Black media.

This point of contention is a constant distraction.

Sometime ago a caller brought to my attention an ad for a constructive notice that would be affecting a prominent Black community, a community that has been labeled as a brownfield area, by Florida Statues. She asked me why wasn’t the notice placed in Black newspapers? So I called the number listed and the contact person to whom he said he was, a Mr. Michael R. Goldstein, told me when I presented the question to him, “The law says that I don’t have to advertise in your paper.”

How convenient, the law labels this place as a brownfield which is hazardous to our health but some choose to use the law to not alert through our own media  about something that might be killing us.

I have to admit he and others will stick by their laws not to do business with Black owned media so perhaps we should hold firm to the laws of reciprocity and good cooperative citizenship: We support those who support us and if you do business off the backs of our communities, we expect you to reinvest in the up keep of our communities.

     THE LAWS THAT GOVERN THE BEST ARE GOD’S LAWS

 

About Carma Henry 24455 Articles
Carma Lynn Henry Westside Gazette Newspaper 545 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Office: (954) 525-1489 Fax: (954) 525-1861

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