Every 3rd Sunday in June, we celebrate Father’s Day. Over the past years, I have had some struggles with Father’s Day. At times, I have focused on some of the bad traits involving my father. But as I have embarked on this thing called life, I have come to focus on the good. And I have finally come to accept my dad for the good that he did and the lessons that he taught me. I know that my sense of adventure and love of travel has come directly from my father. Unfortunately, his wonderful sense of direction has eluded me. Unfortunately, I acquired my mother’s poor sense of direction. Growing up, my father would take us on family Sunday outings in the car. He loved to drive. And whenever he would say, "let's go for a ride", I knew I was in for a treat. My mother, brother and I would get in the car, never knowing where we were going. Sometimes, we might end up in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and learn about the civil war. At other times, we might just drive and end up hours later at … [Read more...] about Father’s Day: A Day for Remembering My Dad
Archives for June 2014
O.J. Simpson Trial 20 Years Later: Has Anything Changed?
On the 20th anniversary of the killings of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson, O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife, very little has changed in terms of how Americans view race and the criminal justice system. Shortly after the murders on June 12, 1994, O.J. Simpson was arrested and placed on trial. As everyone in the world knows, he was found not guilty of the murders. Depending on one’s race is the lens through which the OJ trial was viewed. For most white Americans, O.J. Simpson got away with murder. For most African Americans, the prosecution did not do its job and O.J. was not guilty. As a former prosecutor, I did not find that the prosecution proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt—the criminal standard for a conviction. Those sentiments on the OJ case remain the same some 20 years later. As President Obama stated about the Trayvon Martin killing and ultimate acquittal of George Zimmerman, most African Americans see the criminal system through a different lens than white … [Read more...] about O.J. Simpson Trial 20 Years Later: Has Anything Changed?