Cease Fire Parade
During the week the commander of the Southeastern District, Baltimore Police Department, Major George Clinedinst, called me and asked me to participate in the Cease Fire Parade on Saturday.I am honored that he invited me. It was a good experience and I did meet some new people and saw people whom I knew in the past.
I am somewhat disappointed that I did not see other chaplains in the parade. I concluded that they probably did not know about the parade. It would had been great to have more stake holders involved. Where were the activists and black churches and politicians?
Althoug many white liberals and black activitists are quick to make charges of racial discrimination,I am absolutely convinced that black people have as many opportunities, if not more, than other people. The problem is that we often do not know about them.
Many of our black leaders and white liberal friends are keeping black people on the Plantation. When you keep telling somebody that he can't do something, in times he will probably start to believe it. When I was the only black male student at Merrimack College in 1963, nobody there told me that I did not belong or that I won't make it. Everybody treated me as another student. Dyanne and Frieda are still friends of mine.
It was no secret that in my first year I liked Winnie Roulier and in my second year Joyce and I were an item.There was only one negative racial incident and his friends handled it so well that it became a positive incident. And they did it without a word being said to me about it.
Here in Baltimore a neighbor of mine told me that I was not accepted in my church because I was the only black member there. About two months later I was elected secretary of the Parish Council and shortly thereafter secretary of the social club. Right now I'm on the Bishop's Council of the Russian Orthodox Church for the whole country.
Our churches need to preach Jesus Christ crucified and spend less time demanding money. We need to have images of the saints who lived holy lives instead of images of politicians and current pastors.
Many people in Baltimore have lost hope because we keep emphasize the negative. If I can be where I am, so can others. St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Washington DC paid $1,000 a semester for my seminary education and I graduated with a MDiv degree in 1992 as a result. Help is there if you want it. You just have to find it. "Ask and you shall receive!"
Commissioner Gary Tuggle chats with a woman.
Two members of the Guardian Angels.
police commanders
Commander of the Northwestern District Major Dion Hatchett, City Councilman Robert Stokes Sr., and Commander of the Souteastern District Major George Clinedinst
We walked pass these houses on our parade route on Park Heights Avenue.
Commissioner Gary Tuggle and Mayor Catherine Pugh
Mayor Catherine Pugh joins in on a dance. I commented to some people that this reminds me of square dancing and they agree.
When I arrived home, Ms. Betsy was outside and going into her house and Major Clinedinst wanted to meet her.
