Manns Medium

There are misconceptions and then there are plain bonehead assumptions, when it comes to the recent rash of officer involved shootings and it appears that many are guilty of the later. A misconception is the assuming that someone is a bad person long before ever really getting to know or even taking the time to get somewhat acquainted with that person and defined as “.a view or opinion that is incorrect because it is based on faulty thinking or understanding.”  This happens a lot in life especially when we generalize about a certain segment of society based squarely upon the actions or perceived actions of some within that segment of the population.  If you consistently see a certain group of people committing crime over and over again, then one tends to assume and build a misconception that all people of that same particular group must also commit crimes on a regular basis.  This misconception leads us to assuming the worst or the best of a section of society even thoug...

In an article titled “Texas rally by Muslims seeking tolerance disrupted by protesters” written by Jon Herskovitz for Reuters, it is reported that “ Protesters hold signs and yell to disrupt and heckle a group gathered for a Texas Muslim Capitol Day rally, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015, in Austin, Texas. Hundreds of Muslims gathered for the rally as part of their biennial Texas Capitol lobbying day. Hundreds of Muslims gathered for the rally as part of their biennial Texas… A rally at the Texas Capitol on Thursday by Muslims seeking religious tolerance was repeatedly disrupted by a small group of protesters who said the state belonged to followers of Jesus Christ and that Muslims should go back to the Middle East.  During opening remarks at the Texas Muslim Capitol Day event, a Christian activist from Michigan grabbed the microphone from the speaker and said: "I proclaim the name of the Lord Jesus Christ over the capitol of Texas. I stand against Islam."  A group of people who des...

Many questions surrounds why a politician like Tomas Allen Coburn would use his final act as a U.S. Senator to block a bill designed to help ease and/or eliminate the suicides of veterans.  A man who, at many times, have called himself a champion of veterans and large supporter of our troops. This same question is asked in an article titled “Tom Coburn Blocks Bill On Veterans' Suicide Prevention” by Matthew Daly for the Associated Press.  Mr. Daily reports that “Veterans groups blasted Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn Monday for blocking a bill intended to reduce a suicide epidemic that claims the lives of 22 military veterans every day.  "This is why people hate Washington," said Paul Rieckhoff, CEO and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, an advocacy group. Rieckhoff accused Coburn of single-handedly blocking a bill that could save the lives of thousands of veterans. Coburn, a Republican, is retiring after 10 years in the Senate. In a floor speech Monday ni...

My heart goes out to the families of all victims whether it’s in Boston, Texas or Oklahoma, but it’s particularly distressing when it involves the lives of children.  The massive media coverage of the tornado that touched down in Moore, Oklahoma keeps me glued to the screen and praying out loud, hearing about the heroic actions of those teachers who shielded those kids with their bodies and the quick response of the first responders, American Red Cross, FEMA, state and local agencies, and the millions of volunteers all over this country makes me proud to live in such a country that quickly forget our differences to come together as one family.  God must be so proud of us when we put others above ourselves and pity differences to the side for the common good.  Having said that and meaning every word, there is another truth that is being ignored and avoided which must also be spoken and since no one else seems to want to say it out loud, I will. If what I am hearing i...

When asked why tempers are so high in Sanford Florida, many people just can’t seem to answer that question.   I, myself, have had a hard time attempting to explain why so many are marching for justice and often I use the analogy of people turning out to comb the countryside when The Anderson child was lost or the enormous outcry when Natalie Holloway came up missing.   While many have tuned in to the Trayvon Martin story, they have also been exposed to similar events which have happened and no one seemed to have really paid attention to them.   This has left some furious and others unaffected but what it should have done to all of us is show us that coming together as Americans is the only true way to end this senseless violence upon any community and upon our nation. Take for example an article written by Olivia Katrandjian of ABC News titled Two Men Arrested, Facebook Clues in Tulsa Shooting Spree .   This article along with the one from Holbrook Mohr of th...