THE ACCIDENTAL DIET

By Toney Atkins

    It's amazing how a little ingenuity (or, in my case, some unexplored common sense) can help one deal with life's crises when we happen to get hit by a financial curve ball that somehow empties our pockets.

    Now, I'm far from being the smartest person in the world and it took some help from my late Dad who, before his passing on his birthday last August, had stocked his cabinets with canned pears, corn, green peas, green beans and even turnip greens. In his refrigerator was some frozen butter (supposedly with zero cholesterol) and a few spices. In recent months, I had already devoured all the soups and chili and pretty much ate out for burgers, fish, meat loaf and vegetables.

    That was all well and good until April came along and I was slammed with a temporary (I hope and pray) financial crisis which forced an immediate change in lifestyle. While my brain and stomach demanded the delights of Golden Corral or the Country Cafe, I dined on bologna sandwiches during the afternoon and evening and oatmeal for breakfast and a midnight snack.

    After the bologna and oatmeal were gone, I found myself one evening, sitting in an easy chair and morbidly and figuratively bathing myself in a sea of self-pity, listening to my stomach whine for a big meal at the Golden Corral buffet. Suddenly, it was a though Dad's spirit entered the room, slapped me across the head and yelled, "Open your eyes and think, stupid!"

    I remembered the massive number of cans of pears in the cabinets, but I wasn't sure what else was there. First was a can of potatoes and then some tomato sauce. A few cans back were a couple filled with gravy. Then there were canned vegetables and the other previously mentioned individual canned items. The last job anyone would ever give me would be in a kitchen, but my mind went to work. I could combine some of these things and make a soup, but knowing me, I'd have that eaten in one day.

    My dining habits have baffled people for years. I have a tendency of eating all of one item on my plate before I go to the next. I decided to try something. I opened a can of corn -- the average can, not the family size, put a little butter, light salt and pepper in the bowl. Three minutes in the microwave and viola! I had my supper. After relishing it along with a cup of coffee, I found that my hunger was satisfied. Later, I indulged in a can of green beans and a can of sliced pears before bed.

    It became a routine of pears upon waking, a can of the vegetable of my choice for lunch and a different choice for dinner. Naturally, to support decent health, I took a multivitamin (with cholesterol-fighting ingredients) during the day.  I was certainly eating better than the poor homeless folks who walk the streets who have to depend on churches and shelters, and I hadn't had to spend a penny for the food, thanks to Dad, who always worried about whether I was eating right.

    For exercise, I've boogied down nightly to at least half an hour to my stash of disco music, shaking my groove thang and ample rump to hopefully improve my sexy, masculine image.

    A physician would lash me 20 times at least for suggesting such a diet, but here is a definitely positive result: In less than two weeks, I lost at least 10 pounds. If that rate continues until payday in two more weeks. I will at least double that and start getting closer to the weight at which I'll be satisfied.

    What my physician would not be happy about was that I was even able to have a smoke after my midnight snack -- after I rummaged through a bag that I had brought to Georgia last June. Admittedly, I don't know how long the three broken Parliaments had been in the bag before that, and they did give that rush of aged tobacco, but what can I say? Life is good.

    Needless to say, when the check finally comes in the mail, the cabinets will be restocked for the next literal or figurative storm that comes along -- and for the interim as well.

    Stay healthy, and spread love and peace!

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DOING WHAT I DO

    Some people have understandably asked why I include links on www.toneyatkins.com/ to fund-raising organizations and if I get compensation for doing so.

    The answer to the second question is no, I receive no compensation for the links to organizations that benefit wounded troops, the families of our troops, victims of natural disasters, the homeless and needy, animals and the latest, a memorial for the heroes of the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001, potentially saving lives in Washington, DC.

    I seek no personal compensation or even praise for including these worthwhile organizations in links that are separate from the Google ads that I do permit on my site. The way I see it, these organizations are helping people (and yes, even pets) that need assistance in one form or another. It's up to the individual who goes to any site on my web page to decide if they want to or can afford to give $5 or more to help fellow human beings in these troubled times. Those of us who have not been directly impacted by any of these issues can thank the God to whom we pray and realize that the unpredictable can happen and someday we may be affected and may need some kind of help, no matter how rich or poor we may be.

    If you're like me and sometimes have to use every penny you have to support yourself and your family, the least we can do is pray for the success of all genuine humanitarian groups in the efforts to help others.

    Our prayers WILL be answered, and who knows? Our other prayers may be answered as well, simply because of an act of unselfishness.

    SPREAD LOVE AND PEACE! Tell someone you love them. They'll feel good, and you will, too! -- Toney Atkins

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TONEY ATKINS' RANDOM THOUGHTS

    One way American citizens can show that they can show that they have more economic power than illegal aliens would be to postpone their weekend shopping -- even filling their tanks with overpriced gas -- until Monday, May 1, the day of the protest by illegal Mexican immigrants, and buy their groceries, clothing, fuel and other needs only at stores operated or even owned by Americans or immigrants who are legitimately earning their citizenship.

***

    Isn't it a shame that more people probably vote for singers on "American Idol" or "Nashville Star" than go to the polls to vote for lawmakers who definitely have a greater impact on their futures?

***

    A new ad promoting a possible million dollar prize for someone who sends money via Western Union has inspired me to urge distant friends and acquaintances to wire some money to a needy writer -- ahem, guess who? -- and potentially become a millionaire for their generosity.

***

    Attention, gossip mongers: Say what you want about those loonies Paris Hilton, Michael Jackson and Tom Cruise, but leave my favorite beauty, the "pillow-lipped" actress-humanitarian Angelina Joli, alone! So there!

***

    What better author for a book dealing with the new "sex for votes" scandal in Washington than someone named A.M. Cox?

***

P.S. See, Cousin Linda, I haven't totally lost my sense of humor!

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YOU KNOW IT'S AN ELECTION YEAR

By Toney Atkins

    You know it's election year when all the issues facing Americans suddenly start to get the attention of election officials -- whoop-de-damn-do -- whether or not anything will actually be done to benefit the citizens. But I have to admit that there's some almost award-winning pretense of concern on the part of some perspiring politicos who are very aware that voters will be going to the polls in November 2006.

    Nearly five years after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, politicians finally have noticed that the security of our borders -- particularly with Mexico -- is lousy. Illegal is illegal -- unlawful, yet some of our lawmakers would go along with giving amnesty and citizenship to those Hispanics, illegally here or not, while immigrants from other countries who want legitimate citizenship work for years to achieve it. Except for CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight," nothing much was being said about this problem until political incumbents woke up one morning, gasped and said, "Something needs to be done about this!" But what to do? They want Latino votes, but they also need the votes of angry American citizens who are tired of job outsourcing and illegals who are taking jobs that can't even support a decent standard of living. (When's the last time you actually heard an American, English-speaking voice on the other end of the line when you called for Internet support or to inquire about a cable TV outage or cell phone problems? But I digress.)

    Also suddenly, the public reaction to the rapid rise of gasoline prices at the pump has tapped our lawmakers on the shoulder. Where were they more than a year ago when we knew there were problems between the pumps and our pocketbooks and discovered that as fuel costs rose, the price of nearly everything else did, too. Our nation's leadership has two oil men at the top, so at least a few people have to worry about their financial situation.

    Everybody is talking about the rising costs of health care, but nobody seems to do anything about it. We keep hearing all kinds of rhetoric, but no one does anything. Why? Fingers are pointed at the drug companies, just as many point at the profit-making oil companies for what some see as price gouging at the pumps.

    And look at the billions of dollars that are still going into the Iraq War three years after "mission accomplished" was declared. If the mission was accomplished, why are our brave troops still there, with the death count still rising? Is one soldier's death worth the cost of a war that was based on information that was not credible?

    These issues and others are causing incumbent lawmakers to scurry around, acting as though they're truly concerned about and working for their constituents.

    When I was working at a Daytona Beach newspaper, blacks seemed to be more vocal about their distaste of politicians. One quote I recently dug from some notes from a year or so ago echoed the feelings of many blacks: "Politicians don't come into the black community and visit our churches or attend our social events unless it's an election year and they want our votes. After the voting is done, they're like snakes. They look at us with a grin and beady eyes and end up biting us in the (rump). I vote, but I don't trust any of them because they don't care about anybody but themselves."

    A friend in Daytona used to disturb me with his tirades against politicians and about how the media never seems to ask the essential, heavy-duty questions about the issues that need answers. However, even as a member of the news media, I reluctantly (at first) had to agree with him. Truth has become so twisted in city, state and federal governments that it has become unclear as to what is reality and what is not.

    I do know that changes need to be made somewhere. When I can't afford to go to neighborhood stores or restaurants to shop or eat, when I find myself restricted to bologna sandwiches and a bowl of oatmeal because I've had to pay a chunk of change for medications to treat high blood pressure and other ailments, I get mad -- and even madder when I think of the poor folks who in worse shape than I am.

    Personally, I will not vote for any incumbent politician. Instead, I'll pick the best of the worst who has some grasp on the problems and preferably that rare politician who be willing to show his or her devotion to the job and to the common man by being willing to work for minimum wage. I'll vote for the person who seems to be telling the fewest lies to his or her constituents.

    We're at a time in our history that our future literally depends on it, so I urge everyone to register and vote and see if we can't change the course of that future and make it better.

(c) 2006

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WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR YOUTH?

By Toney Atkins

Just when many folks seem to be feeling the whole world has gone nuts, kids at three different schools in the U.S. have threatened terrorist acts against fellow students.

Fortunately, the incidents were halted before the actual crimes could be committed, but one can't help but wonder: What's happening here? Why are some of our young people striving to be domestic terrorists of sorts, with heroes such as Germany's evil dictator Hitler, who was brought down in World War II.

It's easy to blame the ease of communicating and exchanging ideas and plans on the Internet. It's easy to blame the violence and sexuality in the movies and on television. It's easy to blame parents who don't know -- and often don't care -- what their kids are really doing and who, in many cases, turn over control of the household to the children rather than taking personal responsibility.

I certainly don't have an answer to these chilling developments in our society. Many youngsters have always felt like outcasts and alone, either ignored or made fun of by their peers, but in older days, it rarely crossed their minds to resort to taking weapons to school and plowing down teachers, administrators and classmates. There used to be an innate sense of morality in most kids, but that seems to be another vanishing thing of the past.

There are many fine young people who will grow up to be great adults despite problems with parents, friends, romance and all the issues that are encountered in the growing-up process. No one is perfect, but these young people don't sink into mindless evil, choosing instead to fight to overcome all obstacles. They, too, have had frustrations, unhappy homes and friends who often didn't turn out to be true, but they rise above that and move forward, knowing that at some point in their struggles they will experience the good things of life, love and success. They don't give up because others seem to have low expectations because they set their own. They overcome the past.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, a fear has been in the back of the minds of many that foreign terrorists will invade our land again. We need to awaken to the fact that domestic terrorists are already among us, and it appears that many of them are children.

As I wrote earlier, I have no answers, just a lot of questions. What if parents went back to parenting, loving and truly caring for their young but not letting the kids rule the roost? They have to learn the hard facts of life, but not before they've known what it's like to experience the wonderful innocence of youth. They need good role models, not role models who don't give a damn.

Let us pray for this generation, because the shocking things we're seeing today may only be terrible signals of things to come.

WHAT THE MAN AND WOMAN ON AND OFF THE STREET ARE SAYING

WHAT THE AVERAGE MAN THINKS AND SAYS
Mood: a-ok
Topic: MANY THOUGHTS
A FEW FAVORITE QUOTES FROM THE SO-CALLED AVERAGE MAN

Some folks among us can remind us of some of life's important things in their conversations with us -- if we just listen. And other folks just say funny things I like to share. Some of the outstanding things said to me (or that I overheard while unintentionally eavesdropping) include:

--- "Life's too short. Enjoy it. ... I don't understand how people get depressed. You can find the good in any situation. (When there's a problem) get off your butt and do something about it. ... Life's too easy. People just try to screw it up." -- Name withheld by request. (Smart thinking from a sharp Southern 19-year-old working man who also attends college and serves his country.)

--- "The Garden of Eden had no condos." -- A Navy veteran, who is concerned about man's destruction of the environment and the selling of national park land to developers. He added something about how the "beautiful world of the creation of whatever God you believe in is being paved over with concrete."

--- "Politicians only come to the black community and our churches when they're looking for our votes to be elected or re-elected. They smile and shake our hands and make all kinds of promises, but then we never see them again until the next election, and they usually don't keep their promises." -- A black resident of Daytona Beach, FL.

--- "Foreigners are taking over the United States because they're willing to do the jobs that Americans think they're too good to do." -- Overheard at the Country Cafe, Rossville, GA.

--- "Americans will do any job, even some that don't pay a living wage." -- A neighbor who wishes to remain anonymous because of fears that his phone, and I quote, "might be tapped" because he disagrees with the president and his administration.

--- A woman had to have emergency surgery at the hospital. To her horror, she found herself moving through the darkness toward a bright light. Suddenly, she heard God say, "Go back. You have 40 more years." Recovering from the operation and excited and happy that she had so many years left, she went to a plastic surgeon and spent thousands on having a complete makeover. Pleased with her new look, she left the surgeon's facility, walked in front of a speeding tractor-trailer rig and was splattered all over the highway. Once she got inside the Pearly Gates, she confronted God and said angrily, "You told me I had 40 years left! -- to which God answered, "Sorry, I didn't recognize you." -- An obvious bit of humor overheard at the Country Cafe.

--- "If a politician comes up to me, says he's honest and wants me to vote for him, I'll tell him no, because I don't want to make a dishonest lawmaker out of him." -- J.S., Chattanooga, TN

--- "Don't fergit to stop and git summa that I Cain't Believe It Ain't Butter." -- An elderly man to the lady with him. (This one made soup spew from my nose at a favorite restaurant.)

--- "In 2000 and 2004, I voted for the other guy. This year, I'd just like to see every congressman and senator up for election replaced by somebody else, and in 2008, we'd better concentrate on the person addressing the real issues affecting us instead of paying attention to political ads." -- An acquaintance who says he doesn't trust any politician.

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THE UNITED STATES OF ... WHAT?

By Toney Atkins

I knew from all the years I spent in Daytona Beach who read newspapers and watched TV news. You could sit in a barroom and argue the issues of the day, and at least a few of those present knew what you were talking about. You could ride the Votran bus service and see those who were glued to cell phones or iPods and those who were reading the newspaper or talking about current events, and you had a good idea who knew at least a little of what was going on in our ever more turbulent world.

I'm not opposed to all of these amazing electronic devices that envelop us in our own private world of music or the small DVD players that put a recent smash box office hit into our laptops. Our cell phones keep us from communicating with our neighbor on the bus or train because we can chatter away with some invisible person that we'll see in person within minutes anyway.

All of these marvels are wonderful, but they've managed to consume the lives of many who have no idea what's going on in the world beyond their sphere of existence. They'll say they don't watch the news because it's "boring" or "depressing." They have their own problems -- romantic, financial, etc. Why be concerned about politics and what's going on in the world?

They laugh when you say that China is close -- if not already there -- to being more powerful than the United States. That communist nation sells far more goods to the U.S. than we do to them. We're in debt to China, as a matter of fact -- not just a few dollars, but billions. While we haven't been paying attention, China, India and even Iran, a member of the so-called "Axis of Evil," have representatives in this country, buying properties and making business investments. While we fear a nuclear threat from Iran, what can we really do about it, because China has business dealings there -- particularly with its increasing demand for oil? China's military is strengthening, so the U.S. now must very carefully consider whether or not to go after one of its friends, lest we start World War III.

All of a sudden, illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border is getting attention. Why didn't someone in Homeland Security think of that after Sept. 11, 2001? If refugees, drug smugglers and such have gotten across in large numbers without being caught, who's to say that a potential terrorist or two hasn't gained entry into the U.S. in the same way? Border security presently is a joke that's not funny, but we Americans are "suddenly" shocked into the realization that Mexicans believe they have the right to come into the U.S. illegally, get health and educational benefits that some citizens can't get, fly their flags and tell us what we should do.

U.S. senators and representatives are getting a bit nervous because this is an election year and many people are putting down their iPods, cell phones and DVD players and asking hard questions about what they're doing for the good of the legitimate citizens of the U.S. of A. There will be a lot of double-talk and evasive answers between now and the congressional elections, but we need to wake up and demand positive change in our government. After all, those eyes from around the world who would like to see us knocked from our perch are watching.

Postscript: One of my best sources of legitimate news impacting the middle class of America is "Lou Dobbs Tonight," which can be seen on CNN at 6 p.m. and repeated at 4 a.m. for night owls or early birds. Be informed, if only for an hour.

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LOVE AND PEACE

SPREAD LOVE AND PEACE! TELL SOMEONE YOU LOVE THEM! THEY'LL FEEL GOOD AND YOU WILL, TOO! Please visit my web site at http://www.toneyatkins.com/ .

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HELP SAVE OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT!

Our natural environment is disappearing rapidly and even moreso with the U.S. Forestry Service announcing the potential sale of national forest lands to developers and others. I urge you to read the Forestry Service press release and my accompanying commentary and give your opinions on the subject at the specified email or "snail mail" addresses (or the fax number) by April 24. Click on http://www.toneyatkins.com/id62.html . -- Toney Atkins

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THE DARK EASTER SUNRISE By Toney Atkins

The air was cold and damp, with threatening black clouds above seemingly trying to decide between dumping a chilly drizzle or a pouring rain. The dismal setting at the standpipe above a mountain spring's opening, which constantly and silently pumped crystal clear ground water into a wider lake east of the old water tower, did not stop several hundred residents from gathering for the annual Easter sunrise service.

Most were not wearing the special finery that would adorn them when they later went to traditional Easter morning services at the several churches in the small North Georgia town. Fathers and mothers alike held young children close for warmth as an interdenominational choir began to sing. Some of the attendees didn't know whether to be happy or sad at the celebration of Jesus Christ's resurrection more than 2,000 years ago. Each denominational minister who spoke was inspiring, and all glanced eastward at least once, possibly hoping that the power of their words would break the clouds and let some rays of sun shine through on that early Sunday morning.

My eyes couldn't help but follow the clear waters that had traveled a dark course from somewhere in the mountains as it flowed beneath the nearby wooden railroad trestle and into the colorfully putrid lake, made so in those days of the 1960s by regurgitations from the textile plant which was the town's major industry. There, the pure waters relentlessly fought a losing battle with dyes and other chemicals.

The inclement conditions didn't seem to bother the worshippers as they ignored the almost contradictory view and tried to respond to the spirit of love, peace and joy within them, particularly tuning in to the constant flowing spirit of the Almighty that was available to those who could be moved enough to feel the love waves connecting with welcoming hearts.

When the service ended, everyone, including myself, seemed happier than when we arrived, despite the still gloomy skies above.

While eating breakfast alone before Sunday school and the morning church service would start at the Pentecostal church that I had started attending on a regular basis earlier during the winter, I thought about the short trip I had already taken in my love for the Lord.

I first attended the church at the request of a girlfriend who was a member there. After overcoming an initial feeling of discomfort and my not-so-religious reasons for being there, I sat back and soaked in the beautiful and joyful music being sung by the choir, which basically was comprised of anyone in the congregation who wanted to go to the choir loft to sing. I listened to the pastor's fiery sermon, and his message struck some chords.

By the second Sunday of attending the medium-sized, country-style rock church, members of the congregation of about 100 were welcoming and genuinely seemed glad to see me. During the services, I would look around at the faces. The expressions ranged from a quiet celebration in communing with God in prayer, tears rolling down faces, to those whose faces were sad yet committed to praising the Lord and asking Him to answer their prayers. Some simply raised their hands skyward and offered quiet praises.

As the weeks progressed, I looked forward to those Sunday morning services. The people were so down to earth, unpretentious and apparently experienced in feeling and rejoicing in the Holy Spirit. I found myself wanting what they had.

Several, including the minister and his wife, had quoted the scriptures to me about the road to soul salvation. Something inside me kept fighting it. I was still young. I wasn't sure that I was ready to give up anything that might commit me to some restrictive rules of practicing Christianity. Unknown to me, the people of the church were praying for me as they shared their loving welcome.

The hole in my soul was growing intensely. I wanted and needed much more. I needed that positive fellowship within the church building, but foremost, I needed to be able to fellowship with myself.

The frustrating battle grew to the point that I skipped my afternoon college classes and just started driving around, thinking. The pain of emptiness was such that I almost wondered if I needed medical attention. I was a nervous wreck. I drove by the pastor's house, but he and his wife had company -- probably the evangelist who was to start a revival in the church the following night.

My next stop was the white-stoned Civil War tower in the nearby national park. I walked up the dark circular staircase to get to the top, where I looked around, taking in the beauty of the park, even under the dismal clouds which matched my mood as dusk approached. I drove back by the pastor's house. The company was still there. I felt I needed to talk with them, but I didn't want to disturb them.

I finally drove to my home, where I lived with my mother and father, neither of whom were committed to any kind of religion. After doing some studying, which did no good because I couldn't think straight, I picked up the book, "World Aflame," by Billy Graham. All of a sudden, I started to understand. All of a sudden, I believed.

I knelt beside the bed and prayed, crying, repenting and ended up rejoicing because that hole in my soul seemed to be filling up. It was a wonderful and joyous experience. I slept better that night than I had in years, despite lighting, thunder and wind outside, which ordinarily would have kept me awake.

The church members rejoiced and praised God when I shared the news. I felt the spirit of God in a powerful, wonderful way, and they joined me in my celebration. They wanted to believe that I had found salvation on the first night of revival. I didn't have the heart to tell them that it had come quietly, bringing peace and joy to my bedside, alone in my room.

I had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus had died on a cross, assuming the sins of those who hated and reviled Him then and even of those who were to follow over the centuries. I asked His forgiveness, I had to forgive myself and move forward. I was at the happiest point of my life and I wanted everyone to feel what I felt.

So that first Easter sunrise service at the spring was far from depressing as I heard again about Christ's disappearing from the tomb, speaking with those disciples and others who loved him and then ascending into heaven. The dark, threatening clouds could not convince me that they would permanently cover the light, and sure enough, before the end of the day, the sun was shining its light and warmth upon us.

God and Jesus are very much alive, waiting for hurting souls to find them. They're right there, with us and behind the clouds, waiting patiently for the sun to cast its light upon us with a new brilliance.

If only the entire world could accept and enjoy that Easter light and its dramatic and life-changing capabilities! It's something to hold on to during the storms and on the clearest of days -- now and forever.

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THROWING STONES

THROWING STONES

(c) 2006 By TONEY ATKINS

    It intrigues me when readers accuse me of trying to shatter faith and of being a lover of "niggers" and "queers."

    In reality, I am a lover of all people who value life, who treat each other with mutual respect, who do not hate, murder, rob, maliciously gossip about or intentionally physically or emotionally hurt another person.

    As far as my personal faith is concerned, I am a believer that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

    If my thoughts that are  intended to make a reader think for himself or herself have the ability to "shatter faith," then there's not that much faith to shatter.

    Riding on the train of thought of some of these critics, I have to say that I have to laugh at the tired phrase, "If God had wanted homosexuals, He would have created Adam and Steve instead of Adam and Eve." What if He had created Adam and Steve? Since the biology wouldn't have allowed for procreation, there would not be overpopulation and hunger; there would still be a Garden of Eden; the earth of God's creation would likely still be beautifully green and the waters would be a sparkling blue, the air and drinking water would be clean, free of harmful chemicals and other contaminants; there would be not hatred and discrimination, and therefore, no wars -- it would be a great place in which to live in peace and freedom.

    And since we all know that God created everything, including the serpent or snake or whatever it was that tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden and got them thrown out, perhaps there would be no reason to fear the seen and unseen slithering and crawling things -- spiders and snakes, bacteria and viruses or anything else that is invisible to the naked eye.

    Forget Adam and Steve. Being human, they could have made a mess of things, too. Adam and Eve obviously weren't happy with what they had and were ripe for temptation, and look at what has happened since -- hate, discrimination, war, fear, disease, pestilence, hunger, too many "marriages" that end in divorce, leaving children to suffer the worst of the consequences, too many religious beliefs and denominations that cause far too much confusion, disrespect for others, too much self-indulgence -- I believe you get the message without painting a montage.

    Too many of us are eager to throw stones at the sins of others when we won't even acknowledge our own sins. We want laws, but then we abuse them or simply don't obey them. We don't think beyond what those of propagandize religions and politics want us to think, and that in itself is sinful. We hate and fear what we don't even try to understand.

    No one is perfect on God's still partly green earth, not me, not you. I wouldn't even try to tell you what to think or what to believe, because that's not my place. I would like to see people of all races, colors and creeds to think about what could make us, as individuals, better residents of this God-given planet and about what we all could do to make the world a better place instead of destroying it a little more each and every day.

    Meanwhile, I can only wish you love, peace and a body-and-soul-healing faith. Go with God. He's pretty great. (And maybe you'll even learn to like your neighbor instead of being afraid of him or her.)

(Please visit my web site at www.toneyatkins.com/ .)

    

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HOW THE ORDINARY CITIZEN IS GETTING THE SHAFT FROM GOVERNMENT

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE IMPACT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, THE IRAQ WAR AND CORPORATION RULE IN THE U.S. ON THE COMMON MAN

If you missed "Lou Dobbs Tonight" at 6 p.m. EDT and 4 a.m. EDT, read the transcripts of the most honest TV news reports on issues affecting the common man and woman at http://www.cnn.com/loudobbs/ .

Click on http://www.cnn.com/loudobbs/

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KUDOS TO WALMART

MAJOR CHAIN STORE REFUSES TO TAKE MOVIE OFF THE SHELVES

By Toney Atkins

Hats off to Walmart for refusing to bow to pressure from a conservative Christian group to remove the DVD "Brokeback Mountain" from its shelves.

The group claimed something to the effect that the movie promotes homosexuality, so obviously none of the members actually saw the film.

How Christian is it to want this one particular DVD to be unavailable to the public when the Academy Award-winning "Crash" is full of violence, profanity, and explicit sexual situations? And that's not the only title that has more than a share of sexuality, bad language, criminal actions and violence -- and the good guys don't always win. Why aren't the Christian groups clamoring to get all of those -- and there are many -- out of the stores?

Perhaps they want only Disney titles available for the public -- but then again: Listen closely and adults and the modern generation of savvy kids will catch some suggestive dialogue in some of the newer animated as well as live-action films.

"Brokeback Mountain" has fewer sex scenes than the average PG-13 rated movie, and the most sizzling one has to do with one of the cowboys and a "lady" who comes on to him in a bar. The men aren't really gay in the story. They're two men who have a sexual encounter (not even graphically shown) and develop a deep, loving friendship. Yes, two men can love one another -- it's a fact of life -- and these men love their wives and children as well. I saw nothing in the movie that would promote homosexuality as a lifestyle of choice, but neither does it denounce it. It's an unusual and dramatic love story, and the only major violence in the entire movie is a brief glimpse of a hate crime, which anyone, especially Christians, should denounce.

I would hope that groups proclaiming the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and God the Father would at least see and tell their congregations the truth about both films and books before denouncing them. Either that or make us a "1984" society in which everything of which the church doesn't approve is banned or burned, no matter what the content. Anyone can find something offensive in anything, and I'm offended by those who are so quick to condemn without knowing what they're talking about.

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QUOTES FROM THE "AVERAGE" MAN

A FEW FAVORITE QUOTES FROM THE SO-CALLED "AVERAGE" MAN (Updated April 7, 2006)


Some folks among us can remind us of some important things in what they say -- if we just listen. Some of the memorable comments that have been made in interviews or simply overheard recently:


--- "Life's too short. Enjoy it. ... I don't understand how people get depressed. You can find the good in any situation. (When there's a problem) get off your butt and do something about it. ... Life's too easy. People just try to screw it up." -- Name withheld by request (smart thinking from a fine and sharp 19-year-old Southern working man who also attends college and serves his country).


--- "The Garden of Eden had no condos." -- A Navy veteran, who is concerned about man's destruction of the environment and the selling of national park land to developers. He added something about how the "beautiful world of the creation of whatever God you believe in is being paved over with concrete."


--- "Foreigners are taking over the United States because they're willing to do the jobs that Americans think they're too good to do." -- Overheard at the Country Cafe.

--- "I mistakenly used a tube of hemorrhoidal ointment instead of Poligrip to hold in my false teeth, and now my gums have shrunk." -- Overheard at a favorite restaurant.

--- "Religious organizations are exempt from paying taxes, so they should stay out of politics. If they preach politics, they should pay taxes." -- Name withheld by request.

--- "Where do these illegal aliens get off waving the Mexican flag in the United States? If they want to be American citizens, they should be waving the American flag!" -- Name withheld by request.

--- "We aren't serving that right now. It's bug night." -- A new waitress at a chain restaurant in Florida in response to my request for a menu item and a query as to why part of the establishment was roped off. The manager quickly rushed over to explain that the place was closing early for routine monthly insect spraying. He then suggested to the blushing girl that there might be a better way of explaining the situation to any other customers (including bugs) who might come in.

--- "The argument that Americans won't do the jobs that illegal aliens will do is based on the simple fact that employers don't want to pay living wages, and they know that Mexican immigrants will work for practically nothing. The government is just offering excuses for giving American jobs to other countries and to avoid having to deal with the hassles of trying to handle border security." -- Quote from an email, author wants to remain anonymous.

--- "If my nose was running money, I'd blow it all on you. ... I wish my nose was running money, but my friend, it's not." -- Say that fast. Lines from a song heard in a recorded comedy routine played on an AM radio station in Georgia, artist unknown.

--- --- A woman had to have emergency surgery at the hospital. To her horror, she found herself moving through the darkness toward a bright light. Suddenly, she heard God say, "Go back. You have 40 more years." Recovering from the operation and excited and happy that she had so many years left, she went to a plastic surgeon and spent thousands on having a complete makeover. Pleased with her new look, she left the surgeon's facility, walked in front of a speeding tractor-trailer rig and was splattered all over the highway. Once she got inside the Pearly Gates, she confronted God and said angrily, "You told me I had 40 years left!" -- to which God answered, "Sorry, I didn't recognize you." -- Overheard at the Country Cafe.


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MOTHER'S DAY

Don't forget your mother on Mother's Day in May!VISIONS Column

REMEMBERING MOTHER

By TONEY ATKINS

In past years, I have received a number of wonderful and inspiring phone calls and letters about what has become my annual tribute in the Daytona Times to my beautiful mother, who passed from this world on April 17, 1994.

There have been requests to repeat that tribute, at least in part, to share with those who know what it means to have lost a mother and with those who are fortunate enough to still be able to look their mothers in the eyes on Mother's Day and say, "I love you."

This year marks the 11th anniversary of my mother's death and the 11th year that I still get choked up when I pass a counter in a store stocked with Mother's Day cards - especially the giant ones, which would truly have impressed my mom.

I recently traveled back to the town in which I was born to be with my dad, who currently is going through several different health crises which threaten to take him from me, too.

During the last few months of her life, my mother pleaded with me to get closer to my earthly father and to take care of him. He and I, indeed, have bridged a terrible gap that always seemed to be between us for far too many years, so the prayers of a loving mother were answered - and I am grateful. My dad, who took tender care of Mother during her final months, and I both still miss the woman who had a tremendous impact on both our lives.

My mother is eternal now, but in a spiritual sphere where I can't pick up the telephone and call her and tell her how concerned I am about my father and to hear her words of comfort and advice. Oh, how I miss her! Oh, how I realize how much I took her for granted! Time has increased my appreciation and love for her, but she's not here for me to tell her so.

Somewhere in my belongings is the Mother's Day card I had bought ahead of time in 1994 - the first time I had gotten one in years to send early so she would get it on or before Mother's Day, not several days or a week afterwards. "Better late than never," I always said with a laugh as I excused myself and apologized when she inevitably received it late, and she always said she forgave and thanked me profusely.

I still vividly remember the night that I walked into a dimly lit room in a Georgia hospital and looked down at the shell of my mother on the bed. She appeared to be so at peace and looked so much younger than her 74 years.

An hour earlier, she had been struggling for breath as she lay in a coma on a bed in another room in the hospital, with tubes running into her nose and into her arms that seemed brutally bruised by too many intravenous needles. There were fewer of them than there had been before, because they were relatively useless now. The doctors and nurses had told my dad and me that her body was shutting down, its parts failing rapidly, and that soon the few breaths we heard rattling through the room would be silent.

They were right. Her battle with cancer, congestive heart failure and other ailments - especially the stroke that sent her to the hospital for the last time - would be over that Sunday night - three weeks to the day before Mother's Day that year.

The card she never got to see was still in Daytona Beach.

The blessing was that, at least by appearances, she died without apparent agony from the horrible pain she could have been feeling. She had suffered very much. After her last breath, even with the hospital paraphernalia still attached to her, her years of struggle melted away. As her spirit entered a realm free of suffering, her face expressed its relief.

My mother loved me - sometimes, I thought, too much. She never liked my living 550 miles away. I lived under the "curse" of being an only child and being "smothered with love."

She was an outspoken woman, even moreso with age. You could always depend on her speaking her mind to anyone and everyone. If you didn't like it - tough! But most people, young and old, including the minister who preached at her funeral, loved her for her simplistic, down-to-earth qualities. They saw her goodness as well as her human frailties, and the minister made special note that she indeed was one of a kind.

My mother was proud of me. It wasn't that I could do no wrong, because she would always be the first to let me know that I often did. But whether she approved or disapproved, she tried to act as though she respected my feelings and decisions.

I was required to send her copies of the Daytona Times (and the Daytona Beach News-Journal, when I was a writer and editor there) so she could proudly show off my writings to her friends and neighbors.

Oh, the many things I miss about Mother! She was always there when I needed someone to talk to. In our long distance telephone conversations, she worried about me, concerned about whether I was eating right, whether I was staying out of trouble and always wanting to know when I was going to get married and give her a grandchild to dote over. Even though I had crossed the threshold of 50 at the time of her passing, I was always her "little boy."

Eleven years later, I still sometimes find it hard to accept that my mother and my best friend is gone and I can't tell her how I feel about her and let her know that she did a wonderful job in trying to raise a good son. (None of my character defects can be blamed on her.)

How I wish I could hug her tightly and talk to her now!

The purpose of this writing is simple. It's not just therapeutic. I hope it prompts each and every reader whose mother is still alive to stop and think about that special woman, to remember her and treasure her while she's here, especially on the upcoming Mother's Day.

Pay her a visit. Send a card. Send flowers. Give her a telephone call. Buy a gift. Make her feel special, because after all, she brought someone special into the world - you.

Most important, tell her you love her while she can still hear your voice. She'll feel good, and you will, too.
-- This tribute by former Daytona Times Assistant Editor Toney Atkins is dedicated to all mothers everywhere and to the children who love them.
(c) 2005, Toney Atkins / Daytona Times

WHO WILL TAKE OVER AMERICA NEXT?

It's On My Mind

THIS IMMIGRATION THING (Posted April 2, 2006)

I find myself disturbed about my own initial gut reactions to the current argument about illegal immigration, and I honestly do not know if my depressed state of mind may not be reacting properly -- and then I wonder if my brain cells aren't already overloaded with too much information and propaganda.

Looking at history, we all are illegal immigrants. This land belonged to the native American Indians when our forefathers came to these shores. The forefathers connived, cheated and killed the natives in order to claim this land for their own. This process continued as the forefathers moved westward, portraying the Indians as villains and devils, and the forefathers did not hesitate to fight them, capture them and eventually segregate them on reservations. We raised the American flag over territories from east to west and north to south. This land was our land, we proclaimed -- but was it really?
Blacks may be the only legitimate aliens in this country. Most of their ancestors were brought to this land against their will to serve as slaves to the white man. When slavery was abolished, they still had to fight the white man for more than a hundred years to achieve equal rights, and in some respects, that battle continues. They, too, had been segregated from the whites, many of whom believed that Caucasions were superior. Hate and distrust proliferated on both sides. A funny hypocrisy to the discrimination that still exists to a certain extent can be found in today's white society. Our young and middle-aged people make their auto and truck speakers and i-Pods shake with the sounds of black rap, and many whites use black lingo. But some of these same people will still say they hate blacks. Many will say blacks still want to take over, to steal our homes from us, to rape our women. Huh?
The illegal exodus of many Mexicans across the border into the United States has been going on for years, but suddenly, it is being noticed. Many have gone the proper route to gain legal citizenship to have the rights and services offered to American citizens. Many more have taken the illegal route, secretly crossing the U.S.-Mexico borders by the thousands. They are given jobs by businessmen who do not want to pay the living wage sought by Americans, and those businessmen choose to look the other way when it comes to whether these Latino workers are here legally or illegally.
Now, the legals and the illegals want to fly the Mexican flag on U.S. soil. They demand equality. They demand health and educational services. They don't necessarily want to learn our language, possibly because deep down they know that their language will someday become the prominent one here.
(By the way, "illegal" does still mean "unlawful," doesn't it?)
Even after foreign terrorists staged their spectacular and life-changing attack on New York City and Washington, DC, in 2001, nothing much was done to heighten security at our northern or southern borders. Essentially, anyone can get across if they really want to and if they try hard enough. How many sleeper terrorist cells are already here? God only knows. How many domestic terrorists -- citizens of the U.S. -- are awaiting their opportunity to attempt dominance? Only God knows that, too.
Let's face it. The 21st century is a mess. How long will it be before we destroy ourselves with our own apathy and false beliefs about the innate power of the United States?
Since 1492, we have been the illegals who made ourselves legal. Now other illegals want to come in and make themselves the legal proprietors of this land. China, Saudi Arabia, India and other countries -- some of them so-called "enemies" -- get our outsourced jobs and resources. They even run businesses or have ownership in corportations here. When will Americans wake up to the truth that goes far beyond the illegal activity coming into the U.S. from the south? Perhaps we don't want to wake up to it, because it might just scare us to death.
It's a small, small world and getting smaller. Please, God. Please bless it with love and peace and take away the dark clouds that are growing on every horizon. Please, God, tell us what to do before it's too late.

MORE BLACK COLLEGE REUNION INJUSTICE?

-- Thanks to Christopher King (comment at bottom of series of various stories) for bringing this to my attention. Black College Reunion is Daytona Beach's most controversial special event, and over the years has prompted complaints of discrimination, racial hatred and the like. While the BCR revelers are generally no more disruptive as Spring Breakers, the city has been known to overpopulate the streets with law enforcement officers for this event only, with lawmen coming from all over the state and, in the past, from throughout the Southeast. Daytona Beach-Volusia County NAACP Branch President Cynthia Slater has always been a major presence on the streets during the event to monitor the activities for discriminatory practices that are not seen during the city's other special events. The following story appeared in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

April 02, 2006

NAACP president arrested

By SETH ROBBINS
Staff Writer
DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- The local NAACP president was arrested Saturday afternoon on misdemeanor charges after an altercation with deputies after she attempted to hand a flier to the driver of a car involved in a Black College Reunion traffic stop.

Cynthia Slater, president of the Volusia County-Daytona Beach Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for the past six years, was charged with two counts of resisting an officer without violence, disorderly conduct and obstruction of a street. But Slater and the Volusia County Sheriff's Office have very different views on what occurred on North Atlantic Avenue during the second day of the annual gathering of black young adults.

Deputies acted appropriately under the circumstances, said Gary Davidson, Sheriff's Office spokesman.

"Miss Slater is entitled to her opinions, but she is not entitled to obstruct deputies when they are doing their job," Davidson said.

Slater, who was released without having to post bail, said she never obstructed the deputies from doing their job and plans to fight the charges with the help of the NAACP.

"If they can do it to me," she said by phone Saturday night, "they can do it to any one of these young kids."

Slater walked across the two southbound lanes of traffic on the 500 block of North Atlantic Avenue toward deputies conducting a traffic stop in the center turning lane about 2:30 p.m., according to a police report. The passenger was in custody, and the driver was to be in taken into custody as well when he began to back his vehicle up to move it out of the northbound traffic lane.

That is when Slater reached the center turning lane and handed the driver a flier with information on how to contact the NAACP if someone feels he or she has been the victim of discrimination. It is here that the stories diverge.

According to the police report, Slater yelled and flailed her arms, inciting a crowd that had gathered. Slater said she never said a word to deputies when she went to give the flier to the driver of the vehicle and only became irate after a deputy grabbed her.

According to the report, the deputy repeatedly told Slater to walk away from the traffic stop, but she refused. Fearing for his own safety because he had only one subject in custody, the deputy attempted to grab Slater's left arm. When he did this, she pulled away and walked away back across the two southbound lanes.

Deputies who observed the scene then took Slater into custody across the street. According to the report, Slater continued to yell, scream and resist the application of the handcuffs.

Slater said when she turned to walk back across the street after handing the driver the flier, the deputy pushed her out of the way.

"I told him to keep his hands off of me," she said, "but there was nothing said before he put his hands on me. I didn't open my mouth. I did not say a word."

Davidson said deputies did the right thing.

"The crowd formed on the sidewalk became inflamed by her actions as she was yelling and flailing her arms, and the deputies had to gain control of the situation," he said.

Slater said she at no point impeded traffic and the only time she became angry was when the deputy tried to grab her. She said, after that, she complied with deputies, even walking back to the center turning lane when asked to by one of the deputies.

"Injustice to one," she said, "is an injustice to every visitor at BCR."

seth.robbins@news-jrnl.com

(C) 2006 by The Daytona Beach News-Journal