To: Roy Malonson,
You opined “some of the biggest problems with black folks, is black folks” i.e. Dwight Boykins intentionally “tagging” almost all of the items of the city council’s agenda because of “Mayor Turner’s refusal to swear-in 68 graduated cadets”. Are you beyond senility to the point that you cannot understand Councilman Boykins is merely trying to implement the will of the majority of the voters? I guess you have been spending too much “personal” time at the mayor’s mansion. I actually took this “so called” newspaper to a relative’s home I was on my way to visit today. I shared this nonsense with family, only to be told this opinion piece was on par for the typical nonsense written each week since your inception. Do you think I will make the mistake of picking up this “fishwrap” again? N*** please!
-James Smith
The editorial for the March 10-16, 2019 African-American News & Issues was on target. It is so disturbing to turn on the media, listen to the radio or pick up a newspaper or another news organ and listen, read, see and hear us tearing each other apart, especially if we have someone in a leadership position. We have not learned how to disagree without turning each other into public enemy number one.
There can only be one person at a time in a position. Learn how to discuss your differences in private. Learn how to work with others in a leadership role and maybe they will accept your ideas and put them into their program. You would not want someone to destroy the program or project you are trying to put in place just because they want to do something different. If you respect the leadership in charge and try to work cooperatively you may someday have the opportunity to be the one in charge and them your ideas become the ones enacted.
As a people we must learn to work together with respect and dignity. As you see and hopefully are beginning to understand because we choose too often to undercut each other, not cooperate with each other, and try to destroy each other. We are finding ourselves back where we were prior to 1964. We had limited opportunities, both educationally and economically. Our boys and men were being lynched just because some woman said they looked at them or they raped them. Today it is being done electronically. For today if a woman says the man did something to them, again not proven, they may go to jail or be ruined through the media. We have not learned anything.
We are our brother’s keeper according to our Christian teachings. But our actions do not show that we believe that, or we would act, assist and support each other as if we cared about each other. We were able to come out of slavery and live as a free people because we were our brother’s keeper. Yes, I know there have always been those who did not understand and were willing to do master’s bidding.
They did not prevail and those of us who cared for each other, helped each other, worked together and built and served this country as productive citizens have truly been their brother’s keeper. We do a disservice to ourselves, our families and our communities when we are not respectful of the person that has been elected or appointed to be in charge. If they are doing something criminal, then that should be addressed through the correct process. If they are doing their job as the leader, you think you have a better way, then you need to discuss that with them in private. They may or may not accept your idea but that is their choice. They may have knowledge and facts that you don’t have and that would make your idea unworkable at that time.
Learn to listen, be respectful and you will be respected.
-T.R. Holcombe, Sunnyside
After reading the article penned by Roy D. Malonson, Publisher of African-American News and Issues, I was in total agreement of the assessment of the political tantrum displayed by District D. Councilmember Dwight Boykins against Mayor Sylvester Turner. It is truly amazing how certain Black elected officials tend to act up when they are surrounded by White elected officials in order to score reality points in an attempt to denigrate their own people.
How can Boykins explain his disdain of Mayor Turner’s handling of the implementation of the firefighters pay raise which resulted from the passage of Prop. B? He claimed that Turner was playing favorites between HPD versus HFD and simply being vindictive by not following the will of the voters who passed the measure demanding parity of pay between the two groups.
Stay in your lane Mr. Boykins. I suggest that you channel your energy in the direction of improving the troubled District D. You should not be obsessed with gaining oneself regular media attention simply for ratings on the evening news. It is one thing to be able to agree to disagree; however, it is always important to remain professional.
The voters will still determine whether Turner deserves another term in office.
-Floyd Andrews, Houston
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