OPINION

My formative years were spent under the tutelage of my father while he was still in the U.S. Army. He left for Viet Nam a Sergeant First Class and returned a First Sergeant, having been promoted on the battlefield and I will attest to the fact that he took his job and responsibility very seriously.

During those early years of my life, he constantly endeavored to teach me lessons that would prepare me for the often harsh reality of being Black in America. The lessons were those that any father, worth his salt, would hope to impart to his son as I hope I have passed along most of those same lessons to my two sons, but there was always that bit of extra emotion assigned to those lessons on those occasions when they were followed by the statement, "because you are Black, you must be extra diligent".

I can, vividly remember when he would whip me for lying, he'd whip me for cheating, he'd whip me for stealing, he'd whip me for being disobedient, he'd whip me for being disrespectful! Hell, he would whip me extra for asking him why he was always whipping me. After all of those whippings, he would let me know that I would understand his behavior, in the by and by. The by and by came and I understood why he had done so much whipping when I was young.

In America of today, there has come to be more of a balanced arena in which to compete but my father was and still is a product of America past and during his time of productivity, the arena was not balanced. Even during the early time of my life, the arena was not balanced and my father knew that.

He knew that all that I would have to assist me in making my way was my wits, his wisdom, my honor and integrity and his good name; his father had instilled in him the need to be above reproach. Having been raised on military bases and overseas, I did not know that I was not liked, accepted or respected simply because of the color of my skin and it was a shock to learn as much after my father retired from the Army. I was exposed to the civilian not so United States during the most incendiary time of our country's existence (the 60's) and I was in a shock that took some time to overcome. Thankfully, I had my father's protection and my father's lessons to gird me.

In the big Jamboree that is America, there are camps where you will be celebrated, and there are camps where you will be accepted. There are camps where you will be marginalized and there are camps where you will be downright vilified. There will be instances when you will be powerful and there will be instances when you are powerless. There will be occasions when you can cheat and win or be cheated and lose; be cheated and still win or cheat and lose it all.

My father's lesson to me has always been to maintain my honor and integrity; be wise and keep my wits about me and never sully my family's name. Not easy lessons but better learned early by love than late by the judicial system!