Happy Hump Day, Y’all!
Well, I mean … one has to wonder what the Taliban was trying to do when scaling a wall for a military children’s school there in Pakistan … with guns and bombs strapped to their bodies!! The Taliban terrorists killed approximately 130 children!! This was after shooting the teacher dead … and burning her. The children are those of the Pakistani military … Peace be still!
Now, I had sent an e-mail identifying three holiday celebrations – Hanukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. You may have noticed, as I did last night, that I omitted the Islamic celebration of Ramadan and/or Eid ul Adha, as unclear to me as the dates and meanings. It was not intentional, though I didn’t remember to include it. As I work more on myself spiritually, learning when I am tempted to judge others, not to mention how to control my emotions (as I get very emotional each time I see the videotape of that band of NYC gang members (NYPD) forcing Eric Garner to the ground and treating him like an animal, choking him and pressing his bare head into the cement sidewalk of a New York City street … while he said 11 times … “I can’t breathe!”) and not to judge even though I see the wrong in their doings. I felt much the same, though not able to identify as much with Pakistani school kids as I do with Eric Garner … for obvious reasons … when I saw how the Taliban treated and killed those innocent children who were studying in school. The barbaric behavior is much the same, though on a different scale. I don’t know if you have heard of the young African American male in a city in North Carolina who was found “hanged” on a swing-less swing structure recently. The 18 year old’s new Air Jordan sneakers were taken and replaced with sneakers that were two sizes too small and non-Jordan brand sneakers … the medical examiner ruled his death a suicide though the lad’s brother and mother said he only spoke of going to college next year. The sneakers he left his home with to take a walk were never recovered!! It was also discovered that this 18 year old was dating a divorced white woman of 30 years old or more … in the same town he was found hanged!!!!
As Hanukah celebrations continue from last night, I caught hold of this quote (or it caught hold of me!) when the Sotloff family planned to publicly light a menorah in honor of their son, Steven, who was killed by being beheaded by an ISOL terrorist. The quote is the title of this piece: “a little bit of light expels a lot of darkness”! Does this motivate you at all … to seek the truth, honesty and justice?!? Does it motivate you to “be the best that you can be”?! I hope so!
While enjoying this Wednesday, remember those less fortunate, those who are being mistreated in our world society, and pray for peace.
Namaste,
John I. Cook
Educational Excellence 