Page 2 The Skanner Portland & Seattle December 12, 2018
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January 21
2019
Opinion
In Memoriam: George H. W. Bush – American Hero
Written by Harry C. Alford &
Kay DeBow
P
resident George H.W.
Bush has died after 94
years of a vibrant life.
There is one thing that
we must all admit: He served
this country every second of
his long life.
President George H.W.
Bush has died after 94 years
of a vibrant life. There is one
thing that we must all admit:
He served this country every
second of his long life. When
World War II began with the
attack on Pearl Harbor, he
immediately responded by
enlisting as a naval aviator on
his 18thbirthday. He became
the second youngest pilot in
World War II. He served with
great honor and was decorat-
ed accordingly.
His father, Prescott Bush,
was his role model. As a sen-
ator representing the state of
Connecticut, Prescott Bush
authored the Civil Rights Act
of 1957. That took a mountain
of courage back in those days
and it also set a lasting im-
pression on his son George.
After his service in the war,
young George moved to Tex-
as to establish a career in the
oil business. With seed mon-
ey from his father, he settled
in Midland, Texas and soon
built an empire. It would not
be long before his leadership
skills took over and he got
into politics — like his father.
He also kept an affinity for
civil rights.
During his long tenure for
Thomas has proven
to be one of the most
prolific
Supreme
Court Justices in our
history.
It was his presiden-
cy that brought on
the end of the Cold
War. This peaceful
success was very
historical and, at the
time thought to be
Presi-
Mr. Alford is the Co-Founder, President/CEO impossible.
of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®. dent Bush made this
Ms. DeBow is the Co-Founder, Executive Vice world a better and
safer place and we
President of the NBCC.
all owe him for that
service he served as our UN admirable service and leader-
Ambassador, Congressman, ship.
Senator and even ran the
His appreciation of diver-
Central Intelligence Agency sity also entered the Space
(CIA). When President Ron- Race. Through his efforts
our first Black astronaut, Gu-
ion Bluford, was promoted
to Colonel. During this pro-
cess, his activity got a little
personal for our family. Our
father, Charles H. DeBow Jr.,
became part of the original
class of Tuskegee Airmen
during World War II. To our
ald Reagan chose him to be his surprise Vice President Bush
Vice President, he was more invited our father to join oth-
than ready. While being one er graduates of the first Tus-
of the top leaders of our gov- kegee class of pilots to a cer-
ernment, he made a lasting emony celebrating the initial
friendship with Martin Lu- launch of Astronaut Bluford.
ther King Sr. He even partici- He flew the families of the
pated in his eulogy. He always survivors to Cape Canaveral,
showed empathy for Black Florida. He wined and dined
leadership. He appointed Col- the families and toasted, “We
in Powell as commander of are here to celebrate the in-
our military during Opera- augural launch of Astronaut
tion Desert Storm (Iraq War). Bluford. It is because of what
He appointed Clarence Thom- you did in World War II that
as to the Supreme Court. Af- led to this moment. It is like
ter 27 years of service, Justice Jackie Robinson in baseball,
“
It was his
presidency
that brought
on the end of
the Cold War
you have led the way for Black
aviation in our great nation.”
The above event was one of
the happiest moments of our
father’s life. Such a touch-
ing tribute for his bravery
and service. His service was
honored by the White House
— what an honor! Vice Pres-
ident Bush performed this
tribute with no publicity or
fanfare. It was an important
event that needed recogni-
tion and he did it. Such is the
ilk of George H.W. Bush, His-
tory will show him as one of
the greatest leaders our na-
tion ever had. Despite all the
undeserved criticism of the
press and political rivals, he
is without a doubt the epit-
ome of what America is all
about. May history correct
the criticism that was thrown
upon him and his family.
His legacy will certainly live
on. The Bush family are natu-
ral leaders and we will enjoy
their participation for de-
cades to come. There are few
American families that have
contributed so much to the
service of our nation. Fewer
who see the need for diver-
sity and civil rights for all.
From now on let us show the
respect and appreciation they
deserve. President George
H.W. Bush was made of the
“Right Stuff ”. He was a perfect
example of what is right with
America.
Let us thank our Lord for
sending George H.W. Bush
our way. Our future is now se-
cure. May God bless the Bush
family.
Don’t Let Small-Dollar Loans Ruin Your Holidays
I
n this wonderful time of
the year when family and
friends gather in good
cheer to celebrate the hol-
idays, nearly everyone has a
number of lists. From greet-
ing cards to shopping for
gifts, decorations and more,
lists are made and reviewed
to keep pace with the barrage
of seasonal activities.
But if holiday lists seem big-
ger than budgets, turning to a
high-interest, “small dollar”
loan can turn joy and merri-
ment into a financial quag-
mire. The good news is that
holiday financial hangovers
that predatory lenders give,
do not need to be a part of
your celebrations.
Just keep walking or driv-
ing past the brightly-colored
signs advertising high-inter-
est, small dollar loans. Both
payday and car title loans
can provide quick cash; but
the harms these loans create
will likely linger well past the
winter’s cold. In truth, these
predatory loans often lead to
consumers paying more in
interest and fees than for the
money borrowed.
Research by the Center for
Responsible Lending (CRL)
Charlene
Crowell
NNPA
Columnist
has found that predatory pay-
day loans drain $4.1 billion in
fees from consumers annual-
ly — borrowers who typically
are unable to fully repay the
“
car title loan of about $1,000
can only be secured by sign-
ing a personally-owned car
as collateral. Further, the loan
may only be a fraction of the
marketable value of the vehi-
cle. While the lender holds on
to a car title, the borrower is
faced with triple-digit inter-
est and, in one of five cases, a
whopping 20 percent, the loss
of personal transportation.
As harmful as payday and
car title loans are, other seem-
The good news is that holiday fi-
nancial hangovers that predatory
lenders give, do not need to be a
part of your celebrations
original loan, usually in two
weeks’ time. With average an-
nual interest rates averaging
391 percent, 75 percent of all
payday loans go to borrow-
ers with more than 10 loans a
year.
Like payday loans, car title
loans are often marketed as
an easy way to get cash with-
out a credit check — but with
interest rates that tend to be
20-30 times higher than that
of credit cards. The average
ingly harmless small-dollar
transactions can also cause
financial havoc.
If you believe pre-paid cards
will always avoid financial
ripoffs, think again.
Before paying cash for this
convenient form of plastic,
read all of the fine print that
explains the terms and fees
that come with its usage.
Terms and options can and
do vary significantly. Many
include a range of fees from
activation, to learning your
current balances, reloading
monies and in some cases fees
for inactivity. By the time all
applicable fees are assessed,
the amount of money actually
available on that prepaid card
can shrink and shortchange
how far it can help on pur-
chases.
Similarly, the convenience
of debit cards can easily trig-
ger overdraft charges for
consumers with slim or no
checking account cushions.
CRL research has shown that
although overdraft fees vary
by institution, the average
$35 overdraft fee on a debit
card is double the amount of
the overdraft itself. Banks en-
gage in a range of unfair and
deceptive tactics to maximize
these fees, which can amount
to hundreds of dollars over
the course of just a day or two
— talk about a holiday damp-
er. Too many overdrafts can
lead to involuntary account
closures.
This holiday season try add-
ing a full measure of practi-
cal sense to help your dollars
preserve the spirit and joy of
the season — it only comes
once a year!
