The PA Debate

4/14/2008

It’s official, moderators have run out of things to ask the Democratic presidential hopefuls. I spent Wednesday night – like a number of other Americans – watching the Democratic debate on ABC.

And like most people, I was annoyed – at best – by the downright asinine questions. I feel sorry for those in Pennsylvania who thought the debate would help them make a final decision on the candidate they’d support.

But I suppose the event wasn’t a total waste. I do know that Rev. Jeremiah Wright was a Marine and that Sen. Barack Obama does care about America and Americans even if he doesn’t wear a flag lapel pin.

I also learned that Sen. Clinton believes that you can select your pastor and remove this person from your life when he does or says something maybe questionable; but somehow you don’t have those same rights when it comes to your spouse.

I learned that you should know the biographies of your fellow board members – I’m in trouble – and that anyone you meet with is a reflection of who you’ve been, who you are and who you’re going to be.

George Stephanopoulos informed us that about 60% of voters in a recent poll believe that Sen. Clinton is not honest and trustworthy.

That reminds me of one of the biggest, most valuable lessons I learned – if ever caught in a lie, just say you were sleepy. No matter how many times you told that lie, blame it on a lack of sleep. But that’s only after you’re called out and you have no more options. I wonder if that means she may not be the best person to answer the phone at 3 A.M.

Needless to say, I didn’t learn much about things that really mattered. I heard them say something about gun control but based on the caliber of previous questions; I just assumed they meant the number of water guns that a 5^th grader could hold at once.

Asking questions “just because” can be fun, I do it from time to time, but when it comes to selecting the person who has one of the most important jobs in the world, let’s ask questions about the things that truly matter.

For example, are the Saints going to make it to the playoffs this year?

Katrina L. Rogers: Sun's news editor made lasting impact

Published April 16, 2008

Once a legislator told me that because I write, I'd never die. I understand his point, but I don't especially agree. Anyone can write. In fact, writing is something most people have to do on most days. So being able to write doesn't make you immortal; it's what you do with those words that can make you everlasting.

This is why I can never call Andrew Harris, the former news editor of The Shreveport Sun, simply a writer. Yes, it's true, writing is what he did — incredibly well — but he was much more than a writer.

His words — and actions — will forever have a lasting impact on us. Mr. Harris died recently. And although he won't be around to tell me that he paved the way for me to write columns in The Times, it's only fitting that I take advantage of one of the opportunities he left for me to sing his praise.

Mr. Harris wasn't perfect and though not everyone loved him, I did. As my editor, he taught me a number of things; as my friend and mentor, he taught me so much more. He'd tell me things about himself; some of those things were flattering, others not so much. But at the end of every story, I learned even more about the power and value of will and determination.

Of course, unless he was telling me how he was such a wonderful singer, he taught me about delusion of grandeur too.

To say that he'll be missed is a gross understatement. To say that he left us with a void isn't correct either. It is my belief that it is impossible to leave a void when you've left his kind of legacy. He made a difference, a positive difference, in the lives of countless people.

Because of him, the world is a better place.

He left us with treasures of life lessons, endearing stories, opened doors, inside jokes and memories of his infectious body-shaking laugh.

He left us with enough to fill any void, eventually.

Katrina L. Rogers: Dare to be G.R.E.A.T.

Published April 10, 2008

About two months ago, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of elementary school children during their Black History Month program.

The program's theme was "Making the Dream a Reality" and I wanted the children to know that despite the contributions people throughout history have made, we all have the capabilities to achieve greatness.

Below is an abridged version of my speech, I hope it can be used as a reminder to us all that all of us are able to be agents of positive change:

Every February, we celebrate Black History Month. We learn about Martin Luther King Jr. and his "I Have a Dream" speech and the March on Washington.

We learn about Rosa Parks, the Montgomery bus boycott and civil rights leaders like Medgar Evers and Fannie Lou Hamer.

Then there are people you may not hear as much about like: P.B.S. Pinchback, the first black governor of any state. Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman to serve in Congress. In 1950, Ralph Bunche was the first African-American to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Charles Drew invented the blood bank and because of him, we all have a better chance of surviving operations or car accidents.

We learn about important events like Brown v. Board of Education or the signing of the Civil Rights Act. We also learn about people behind those movements and organizations like NAACP, SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and NCNW (National Council of Negro Women) to name a few. Throughout the year, we are taught about leaders like former Presidents George Washington, Abe Lincoln, FDR and JFK.

We learn about all of these important people I've mentioned and all of the significant things they've accomplished. But, sometimes, we forget that once upon a time they were regular people like you and me.

Life gives us, every one of us, the opportunity to be great. But before you can become great, you must know what it means. Greatness is being the absolute best that you can at all times.

There are five factors to being G. R. E. A. T.:

G — Give back and give thanks: Never forget who you are or the people who are important to you. Say thank you and don't take people for granted. Participate in community service; you can do that by raising money for a cause dear to you, making donations or offering a neighbor a helping hand.

R — Respect: Have respect for yourself, meaning don't do things you know are wrong, obey your parents and don't let people make you feel badly about yourself. Respect others by not doing things you know are wrong; respecting your parents, teachers, classmates and siblings; and don't try to make people feel badly about themselves.

E — Education: Learn as much as you possibly can. Pay attention in class, ask questions when you don't understand.

Read lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of books. Never stop learning; knowledge is power and the more you know, the stronger you become. Stay in school; graduate from high school and go on to college. If you don't want to attend college, learn a trade. Remember, the more education you have, the easier it will be for you to accomplish your goals.

A — Ambition: According to the dictionary, ambition means the desire to accomplish something. So in order to be great, you must want it and be willing to work hard toward it.

T — Think: Whatever it is you want to achieve you have to think, or believe, you can do it. There always will be people who will try to tell you what you cannot do. Don't listen to them. Instead, always remember the great things you CAN do.

Life won't always be easy; it won't always be perfect or fair. Believe in yourself and don't get discouraged because life will not always be hard either. There will be roadblocks but you can get through all of them. Remember that there are people in your life who love and care about you. They support you and want to see you happy and successful.

Katrina L. Rogers: Work toward accomplishing King's goal

Published April 4, 2008

As we observe the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, we acknowledge how his legacy and impact will continuously play a part in American advancement.

To see the type of progress he played a part in, all you need do is go to The New York Times' Web site and search the 1851-1980 archives for "Shreveport."

"2 Negro leaders seized in South; Held at Shreveport voter rally for mental study" is the first result you will see.The headline is for a June 10, 1962, story about two Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) officials who were arrested during a "Negro voter-registration" event here in Shreveport.

Within the past five years, I have registered a number of voters in Shreveport and never has the thought of being arrested because of it crossed my mind.

That's progress.In 1964, The Voting Rights Act was signed, ensuring African-Americans — and other minorities — the same rights as any other citizen to vote.

Today, Barack Obama — a person who would not have been able to vote in this country 50 years ago — leads the Democratic presidential nominee race.

Again, progress.

The problem with progress is, at times, we spend most of our energy celebrating what has been accomplished — while spending less energy on the things we need to do to continue making progress.

We — especially women and minorities — so easily forget the effort that went into having the right to vote. We'll decide we won't go out and vote because it's raining or the lines will be long while ignoring the memories of those people who were "greeted" by water hoses and forced to walk miles upon miles in order to vote.

That is an example of stalled progress. Though having the right to decide if you want to vote or not is progress itself; not taking advantage of being able to vote — and making a difference — make the progress quite limited.

During King's lifetime, he was able to witness the end of the Jim Crow era and the disenfranchisement of blacks. But one issue he never saw resolved, and one we're still working on addressing, is closing the significant economic gap and lack of balance in this country.

Before King was assassinated, he worked on the Poor People's Campaign, a combined effort with the SCLC that was to demand economic security for people of all races and backgrounds.

This included more economic development, a livable minimum wage and educational opportunities for the poor — all methods of giving poor people the opportunity to make financial advancements.

Though the campaign continued after the assassination of King, and Robert Kennedy, it did not foster the same kind of results as previous similar efforts. Maybe, after 40 years, it's time to revisit formally those issues.

As we celebrate the accomplished life of Martin Luther King Jr. — and the countless, faceless people who worked with him — let us all work toward accomplishing his goal and creating a more economically and socially balanced America.