Saturday, March 31, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Would You Fight another Student for Bullying Your Child???
UPDATED: Police Filing Charges in Long Reach Fight
The video showing a man being knocked out by a student has since gone viral.
The video is 27 seconds long. In a quick shot at the beginning, a young man wearing khakis and a collared shirt punches a man wearing a ski mask in the face and knocks him to the ground.
Students scramble and scream as the man falls and lies motionless.
The video was filmed at Long Reach High School, according to school officials.
It was posted on March 21 to worldstarhiphop.com with the description: “Girl send’s [sic] father to fight a boy for throwing a French fry… But gets knocked out by a 17-year-old!”
As of 1:50 p.m. on March 22, it has been viewed more than 540,000 times. “Long Reach” was trending on Twitter in the Baltimore region last night.
Patti Caplan, spokesperson for the Howard County Public School System, said an adult who was a non-student came on campus at about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday wearing a ski mask. She said the man confronted one of the Long Reach students, threw a punch at him and missed. The student, a junior who is on the football team, then swung back and landed a knockout blow.
“The individual that was hit was unconscious,” said Caplan. “[He] did gain consciousness but refused help and walked off campus.”
Caplan said the man wasn’t arrested and the student wasn’t disciplined because it was determined he acted in self-defense. She said the incident is under investigation by the school resource officer and officials haven’t determined if the man was, in fact, a student’s father.
Howard County Police Department spokesperson Sherry Llewellyn said two people are being investigated in relation to the incident.
"At this point, the school resource officer has charged the female juvenile with assault," said Llewellyn. "She's 15 and from Columbia. We anticipate filing charges with the male adult who was involved. He will likely be charged with assault as well as disorderly conduct."
Llewellyn did not elaborate on how the female was involved with the assault. She said the man was from Baltimore, but did not release his name or relation to the female.
Police placed additional officers on duty for dismissal time at the school and at the village center on Thursday afternoon, according to Llewellyn.
Principal David P. Burton sent out an email notifying parents and the community about the incident on Thursday afternoon.
“We are aware that the incident was taped and that the video has gone viral on the Internet," he wrote. "As always, precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of all students and staff.”
Stefani Rodriguez, a parent of a Long Reach student, said fights and bullying are common at Long Reach.
“My daughter said this kind of thing happens all the time at the school,” said Rodriguez. “It’s unfortunate that it has escalated to this. Someone is going to get hurt at this school.”
Rodriguez said her daughter has been bullied frequently by students at Long Reach and that the school has pushed problems like fights and bullying “under the rug.”
“It’s just relentless,” said Rodriguez. “When I have a child that begs me not to go to school because it’s upsetting her and she doesn’t feel safe, then there’s a real problem.”
Caplan said that bullying and fights are problems at all Howard County schools, but that there are programs and policies in place to address them.
“I have no evidence that [fights and bullying] are any more prevalent at Long Reach High,” said Caplan.
Caplan said there was an incident involving French fries being thrown in the cafeteria either earlier that day or earlier in the week that may have been related to the fight. She said there was some antagonism between the football player and the girl before the incident occurred.
This article was updated at 3:28 p.m. on March 22.
source: http://elkridge.patch.com/articles/school-says-intruder-in-long-reach-viral-fight-video
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Daily Bible Verse 3-28-12
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
1 Thessalonians 5:15 (Read all of 1 Thessalonians 5)
New International Version
New International Version
Chemistry Or Compatability? What Matters More?
Chemistry Or Compatability? What Matters More?
In any relationship, whether romantic or platonic, chemistry plays a role. It can make a “bad” relationship seem better than it is, and an already good relationship seem euphoric. But how important is it really?
How does it compare to compatibility? Ultimately where we rank chemistry and compatibility are personal choices, but either way, their importance is inescapable.
Check out some more of my thoughts in the video below and let me know where you fall.
[Written by Stuart McDonald for Elev8.com. For more from Stuart, check out his personal blog, follow him on Twitter, and connect with him on Facebook.]
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
President Obama: “If I Had A Son, He’d Look Like Trayvon” [VIDEO]
Via MajicAtl.com
President Barack Obama has broken his silence over the Trayvon Martin killing, calling the case a “tragedy” and saying that “every aspect” of Martin’s death must be investigated.
“My main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin: If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon,” Obama said. “I think they are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves, and we’re going to get to the bottom of what happened.”
The president spoke Friday in the White House’s Rose Garden where he announced his nomination of Dartmouth president Jim Yong Kim for president of the World Bank.
Martin, 17, was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman on Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman has yet to be arrested for Martin’s murder, which has led to outrage and protests around the world.
“Obviously, this is a tragedy,” President Obama added. “I can only imagine what these parents are going through. And when I think about this boy, I think about my own kids.”
He added, “I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this and that everybody pulls together – federal, state, and local - to figure out exactly how this tragedy happened.”
Students at several South Florida high schools staged walkouts Friday morning in a protest against the lack of an arrest in the shooting. Martin was a junior at a Miami high school and was unarmed when he was killed.
SOURCE
President Barack Obama has broken his silence over the Trayvon Martin killing, calling the case a “tragedy” and saying that “every aspect” of Martin’s death must be investigated.
“My main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin: If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon,” Obama said. “I think they are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves, and we’re going to get to the bottom of what happened.”
The president spoke Friday in the White House’s Rose Garden where he announced his nomination of Dartmouth president Jim Yong Kim for president of the World Bank.
Martin, 17, was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman on Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman has yet to be arrested for Martin’s murder, which has led to outrage and protests around the world.
“Obviously, this is a tragedy,” President Obama added. “I can only imagine what these parents are going through. And when I think about this boy, I think about my own kids.”
He added, “I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this and that everybody pulls together – federal, state, and local - to figure out exactly how this tragedy happened.”
Students at several South Florida high schools staged walkouts Friday morning in a protest against the lack of an arrest in the shooting. Martin was a junior at a Miami high school and was unarmed when he was killed.
SOURCE
Daily Bread: The Real Thing
Posted by Marvin Williams on odb.org
A church in Naperville, Illinois, is basking in excitement about its brand-new bells in the belfry above its sanctuary. When the church was built many years ago, they didn’t have the money to purchase bells. However, for its 25th anniversary they were able to raise the funds to hang three bells in the vacant space. Even though they are stunning, there is one problem: the congregation will never hear the bells ring. Although they look real, they are artificial.
The apostle John wrote his first epistle to encourage believers not to just look like real Christians, but to prove they are genuine by how they live. The evidence that a person’s faith is real is not found in some mystical experience with God. The proof that people truly know and love God is found in submitting to His authority and to His Word. John writes, “But whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:5-6).
If we claim that we have been transformed by the gospel and intimately know and love God, we should validate it by our obedience to His Word.
Don’t listen to the Word of GodAnd then ignore what you have heard;Instead obey God’s will for you—Be doers of the Word. —SperObedience to God is an expression of our love for God.
A church in Naperville, Illinois, is basking in excitement about its brand-new bells in the belfry above its sanctuary. When the church was built many years ago, they didn’t have the money to purchase bells. However, for its 25th anniversary they were able to raise the funds to hang three bells in the vacant space. Even though they are stunning, there is one problem: the congregation will never hear the bells ring. Although they look real, they are artificial.
The apostle John wrote his first epistle to encourage believers not to just look like real Christians, but to prove they are genuine by how they live. The evidence that a person’s faith is real is not found in some mystical experience with God. The proof that people truly know and love God is found in submitting to His authority and to His Word. John writes, “But whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:5-6).
If we claim that we have been transformed by the gospel and intimately know and love God, we should validate it by our obedience to His Word.
Don’t listen to the Word of GodAnd then ignore what you have heard;Instead obey God’s will for you—Be doers of the Word. —SperObedience to God is an expression of our love for God.
Will Ray J Become A Preacher?
posted by elev8.com
Reports on various sites are stating that Ray J has been so divinely inspired that he may become a preacher.
Could Ray J be contemplating a career shift that leads to the pulpit?
In the weeks following Whitney Houston’s sudden, tragic passing, sources close to Ray J told BlackMediaScoop.com that he’s given his life to God more completely.
But that’s not all! There are whispers that his new redemption has also triggered a desire to preach. While Ray has not spoken on the rumors just yet, he did hint that Whitney’s passing has had a profound affect on his soul.
Anything is possible right? He wouldn’t be the first to find God and want to serve. MTV is reporting that his sister Brandy has suggested that he start counseling, so that he may begin dealing with his grief over the loss of Whitney Houston. Grief moves people in different ways. Often grief allows people to open themselves to things that they never thought of. Sometimes things spiral out of control. Sometimes they may decide that the life they were leading no longer has meaning. They set the course right.
It definitely is something that happens to people when they have have a great loss. The voice of God becomes clearer and redirection of energy happens.
Reports on various sites are stating that Ray J has been so divinely inspired that he may become a preacher.
Could Ray J be contemplating a career shift that leads to the pulpit?
In the weeks following Whitney Houston’s sudden, tragic passing, sources close to Ray J told BlackMediaScoop.com that he’s given his life to God more completely.
But that’s not all! There are whispers that his new redemption has also triggered a desire to preach. While Ray has not spoken on the rumors just yet, he did hint that Whitney’s passing has had a profound affect on his soul.
Anything is possible right? He wouldn’t be the first to find God and want to serve. MTV is reporting that his sister Brandy has suggested that he start counseling, so that he may begin dealing with his grief over the loss of Whitney Houston. Grief moves people in different ways. Often grief allows people to open themselves to things that they never thought of. Sometimes things spiral out of control. Sometimes they may decide that the life they were leading no longer has meaning. They set the course right.
It definitely is something that happens to people when they have have a great loss. The voice of God becomes clearer and redirection of energy happens.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Black Baltimore Pastors Support Gov. O'malley's Same Sex Marriage
By Tom McParland
— 15 February 2012
— 15 February 2012Delmon Coates and Donte’ L. Hickman Sr., both black pastors, flanked Gov. Martin O’Malley recently as they argued that allowing same-sex marriage would extend equal rights to citizens, while not impinging on the theology of churches.
“For me, this is a question of public policy, not theology, and as such, we should not ask, ‘What are my personal beliefs and biblical understandings about marriage and homosexuality, and how, then, can I impose those beliefs on society,’” Coates told two House committees.
For O’Malley, who has spent substantial political energy this year pushing same-sex marriage, Coates and Hickman personify one of the most complex storylines in the contentious debate.
While O’Malley and bill proponents have found public support from leading voices in the black community, including prominent civil rights leaders and clergy, same-sex marriage legislation faces considerable opposition from both voters and groups of legislators from predominantly black districts, where religious influence is strong.
The conflict is likely to play out this week in the full House of Delegates as lawmakers debate the same-sex marriage bill in the chamber where similar legislation died last year.
A January Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies Inc. poll, which included 194 blacks across the state, found that only 33 percent of them favored the legalization of same-sex marriage, an 8 percentage point decrease from a similar poll last year.
Some say the numbers are reflective of attitudes toward homosexuality from some in the black community.
Bill co-sponsor Delegate Shawn Z. Tarrant, D-Baltimore, said gay blacks have traditionally not identified themselves as homosexual or part of a larger gay community.
“That, to me, is the real issue, that you have same-sex couples and people who identify themselves as gay in the black community that don’t share that, their families don’t embrace it, and that they don’t push to be embraced,” Tarrant said.
In a city lacking strong organization on either side of the issue, many of his constituents are indifferent toward same-sex marriage, he said.
Prince George’s County, on the other hand, is home to one of Maryland’s largest blocs of black voters and a very active circuit of faith communities that oppose the legislation.
“We’ve got a huge faith-based community,” said Delegate Jay Walker, D-Prince George’s, and a bill opponent.
“They haven’t asked for much during the six years I’ve been here. They haven’t asked for many things at all, and this one, they are clearly asking, ‘Protect our values in regard to same-sex marriage,’” Walker said.
Predominantly black churches, Tarrant said, have become a major political force in the same-sex marriage conversation, particularly in Prince George’s, because they offer Democratic politicians a venue to reach large numbers of black voters from varying economic backgrounds.
“It can’t be a situation where you tell the black churches when they can or cannot get involved in the issue,” Tarrant said. “You forced them into getting involved when you made it an issue for the legislature, because any time the governor’s running for office, he’s going through black churches.”
Delegate Dereck E. Davis, D-Prince George’s, while acknowledging the “overwhelming majority” of his constituents oppose the bill, was quick to deflect blame from Prince George’s delegates, saying the vote last year would have split the county’s delegation down the middle.
“It was pretty close to 50-50,” said Davis, an opponent of the bill. “So you’re probably talking, I don’t know, in the area of seven or eight, probably eight African-American delegates who were going to vote against it. There’s no way eight delegates can kill a bill.”
While some advocates have used civil rights rhetoric in promoting same-sex marriage, lawmakers and advocates on both sides are wary of that language being taken too far.
“There are different definitions of civil rights. I’m saying that. I agree with that, but thinking that these are African-Americans’ civil rights, comparing them to the civil rights that we had as a race, I don’t think that’s in the same ballpark as us,” Walker said.
A key difference, some say, is that gay people are able to hide their sexual orientation, an opportunity not afforded to blacks.
“We are concerned that people don’t confuse the difference,” Tarrant said.
“The difference is when you’re African-American, there’s nothing you can do to prevent somebody from knowing that you’re African-American,” he said.
There are, however, many similarities between the two groups that, some leaders say, unite them.
Wade Henderson, president and chief executive officer of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, wrote an opinion piece earlier this month in an attempt to “lay the foundation” for the same-sex marriage bill, in which he said blacks and the gay and lesbian community share the goals of civil rights and equality.
“I want to challenge the assumption that somehow African-Americans are not supportive of marriage equality,” Henderson said in a phone interview.
He stressed a widespread acceptance of the gay community by blacks, who share a history of struggling to achieve their own civil rights.
“African-Americans are for equal rights for everyone, and that includes the LGBT community,” Henderson said.
Ben Jealous, president and chief executive officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and an active proponent of same-sex marriage, gave the keynote speech at last month’s Lesbian and Gay Rights Task Force conference in Baltimore in which he called for unity of leaders across the lines of race, gender and sexual orientation.
The NAACP’s position has rankled some in the black community.
“I think people feel that (the organization has) lost touch with their roots, and this seems to be proof positive of that,” Walker said.
Attitudes of blacks in Maryland are consistent with statistics from other states where support for same-sex marriage bills has lagged.
For example, when California passed Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage, Associated Press exit polls showed that seven out of 10 black voters favored the ban. The California ban has been overturned in federal court.
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