The Royster Chronicle

  "In a profit-driven society, you'd be foolish to think people will adhere to an honor system."  Dr. BLR   When I was growing up, my mother always told me to be respectful. I thought this meant that when you step in front of someone, you say "pardon me" or "excuse me." Either would suffice to show respect. However, the phrase "pardon me" has taken on a very different meaning. The practice of granting pardons is rooted in the Constitution, specifically in Article II, Section 2, which states, “the President has the authority to ‘grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.’” These same powers were recognized at the state level during the 19 th  and early 20 th  centuries.  I didn’t pay attention to any of this political rambling because I’m just one person with the right to vote for a politician, but I understand they’ll do whatever they want anyway. They all lie. So why am I writing about...

  “Acknowledging the suffering of others positions your heart to never petrify.” Dr. BLR   If you’ve ever just sat with your thoughts, you’d be surprised by what you’d come up with. I just gave my students an assignment on the First and Second Amendments in light of the recent shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As I sat back and thought about what they would say, my mind took me back to 1999. I was a detective in the Central Security Unit of the New Jersey State Police when the world was shocked by the events at the New York City Police Department. While searching for a rape suspect, four plainclothes detectives accosted an unarmed 23-year-old Guinean student, Amadou Diallo, standing in front of his building. The detectives believed Diallo fit the description, drove up to him, and demanded that he show his hands. For an unknown reason, Diallo ran into his building, and when asked to show his hands, he reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. At that moment, the de...

  “When human rights for some become debatable, we’ve lost as a civil society.” Dr. BLR   A month or so ago, I had a conversation with my niece about the state of this country. She has a little daughter and was concerned about specific books about Black Americans and other non-white groups being pulled from the shelves in libraries and bookstores. As a collector of several books on Black history, I assured her I had plenty to pass on to my children. She then asked me if I had a copy of the U.S. Constitution, which has seven articles and 27 amendments. I was baffled by why she asked me this question, because this is not something I thought she would be concerned with, given her age. As this was a FaceTime call, I told her to hold on while I retrieved my school bag. I went to my office, grabbed my bag, and returned. I then pulled out a pocket-sized copy of the Constitution that I keep with me.  Over the years, I’ve become more attuned to the ins and outs of politics. While ...

  "How much longer must we wait until your conscience bothers you before you start to change?" Dr. BLR   Several years ago, a colleague and I accompanied about 30 students on an overseas trip to Germany, Amsterdam, and Brussels. It was a great experience for all of us as we visited several police departments, courthouses, museums, and  Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam.  You may ask yourself who lived at that address in Amsterdam. That was the first thing I thought when the tour guide led us there and said it was where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary. If you don’t know who she is, you will need to do a Google search or read a book to find out, because this isn’t what this essay is about. As many of you may know, the city of Minnesota has been inundated with a few thousand ICE agents, who are allegedly looking to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants. If this were the case, there would be no need for me to share my thoughts, but this is the furthest thing from the ...

  “Your arrogance makes you think that everyone sees the American dream the way you do.” Dr. BLR   As the United States is about to embark on a monumental celebration, I had to ask myself whether I wanted to partake. There is no doubt this country is a wonderful place to live, particularly if you can afford the rising prices. That said, this country also has a history that often gives me pause.  My entry into this country began in 1964, when I technically didn’t have all the rights afforded to white Americans. My freedom from this discrimination began eleven days after my birth on July 2. To add insult to injury, if I had been of voting age, I still wouldn’t have been able to vote without discrimination until August 1965. Looking at it from a numbers game, minorities have only been legally free from discrimination for approximately 62 years. Let me park that for a moment. According to Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of the 1619 Project,  slavery is the foundation of...

  "Let your life depict your evolution as you present yourself to the world." Dr. BLR     It’s not every day you revisit your past and feel good about what you’ve discovered. I was feeling nostalgic about my military days while looking at an old photo of me, selected as a squad leader in my platoon. I searched the internet for a site where military personnel could reconnect. I found a Facebook group linked to Fort Dix Army Base, where I completed basic training in 1981. I posted a picture of my battalion, C-2-5, in the chat group and asked if anyone there was with me. It was a long shot, but I tried.    Six months later, I received a response from someone claiming to have been there and to have trained with me. Of course, I was skeptical and didn’t reply until he sent a black-and-white copy of my photo from the graduation book. I was astonished to see the photo for the first time and shocked to see myself at seventeen. I didn’t know what to say or think, bu...