OPINION: Do Something

While doing my early morning prayers, I was guided to share a few thoughts about what I see as a reality that exist in the world and community we are currently living in. 

I truly believe that there are many more great people in this nation and in this community than we are aware of. Unfortunately, too many of us are silent and inactive when it comes to recognizing and acting to change wrongs that are observed in our daily lives. 

So many people are reluctant to get involved in anything that doesn’t affect them personally. There is an attitude of letting someone else do something.

Our Nation is being torn apart with so much hatred and division by nearly every factor that we can imagine. 

Too many of those elected officials, elected by us, are the primary participants in this hateful exchange of rhetoric that is establishing the, ”Us against them,” mentality based upon politics, race , gender, personal interest and so many more factors.

This situation has established an environment of distrust for the rule of law and has weakened the national security and democracy in the once, Greatest Nation on Earth. All of the out right lies about nearly every topic being discussed in much of the media, has weakened our Nation and put us in a position to be conquered by ourselves,  giving authority to a tenth rate county like Russia. In my wildest imagination, I could have never believed that, My County, the Country that I fought for and bled for, would have ever had a president to support a communist coward and evil president like Putin, over Our On National Security Specialist. What has our Nation come to?

Jesus tells us in the Book of Matthew 12:25 that “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” In this passage of Scripture Jesus is speaking on behalf of God’s Chosen Servant as described by God in Verse 18, “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.”

There are some wonderful and courageous people in our community of whom I believe fall into the category of God’s Chosen Servants. I will not identify them for fear they will be condemned for being my friends. They have existed in Walker County throughout my entire lifetime. Some of them have transitioned on to their Heavenly Rewards by there are others who are here, still living an example of Faith and Courage. 

In recent years, there has been an emphasis on, “If you see something then say something.” I believe that this effort sends the wrong message. In my opinion, I think that it infers that you should leave it up to someone else to get involved when you see something that is not right. This is fine when it comes to our children. It is also fine when it comes to dealing with a hostile and dangerous situations that requires appropriate law enforcement actions to resolve. 

There should be no reluctance for full grown adults to take appropriate actions to deal with situations that are unfair, inappropriate or just not right. 

There is an old quote that is extremely appropriate and that describes where we are in our nation today, “Evil can only prevail  when good people do nothing.”

My father-in-law had a description for his opinions during the course of our many discussions; he would say, “I might be as wrong as two left shoes.” This might be the case with my opinions, but I don’t think so. Those opinions I have shared in this article is based upon many of my life’s experiences. I know that there are many more good people than evil people in this world. 

One of my favorite cousins had a belief that she would always express this way, ”One showing beats a whole lots of tellings.” I have recognized this to mean that what we do is always much more significant than anything that we might ever say. 

Back in my olden days of taking vocational agriculture in high school, in additions to the many vocational skills we were taught, we were also taught many life’s skills. The most pronounced and critical life’s philosophy that I learned, that has help to guide me in all of my life’s efforts is, “A Life Of Service Is The Only Life That Counts.”

Also in the Book of Matthew, when Christ was giving the Parable of the Talents, He showed how rewards were given to the servants who achieved the greatest results from their use of the talents given them by saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

When I make my transition I am looking forward to hearing those words. How about you?

Dr  Richard K. Watkins is a Huntsville, Texas native who graduated from Sam Houston High in 1961. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Prairie View A&M University,  MBA Degree from Texas Southern University and Doctor’s of Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. He is a Vietnam Veteran who served as a Combat Helicopter Pilot with subsequent military service as Chief of the Faculty Development Division at the Primary Helicopter School in Fort Wolters, Texas. Watkins is co-founder of the Veterans Ministry at Windsor Village in Houston, Texas and currently serve as Criminal Justice Chair and Executive Board Member of the Texas State Conference of NAACP. He is a retired Texas Prison Senior Warden and has been co-owner of Watkins Consulting for 42 years.