The True Aim of the Criminal Justice System: Rehabilitating the Criminal

Working class people are more prone to violence because of continuous acts of workplace bullying, social bullying, and domestic bullying, causing violence to spill over to jobs like policing, colleges, and social events; where these acts of intimidation are brought to a head in the form of some violent outburst or action.  “In the 1980s the manifest functions of government were to maintain order in society, but its distinct function produced a hard lesson learned by the individual who broke the law.  James Flynn, “observed in the 80s that IQ scores had consistently increased in the past decades”… “3 IQ points per decade and thought that intelligence itself had not increased, but abstract problem-solving ability had, making people more intellectually capable”… “Factors that may have played a role are computers, long-schooling, media stimulation, better health and nutrition, and more parental attention.”  Consequently, from 1991 to 1999, according to A-infos website there was one incident of unjustified police brutality every year for nine years.  Even closer to 2015 you have similar events:  Timothy Russell and Melissa Williams, who were unarmed and shot more than 137 times by Cleveland Police; South Carolina Officer Micheal Slager, who shot and killed unarmed Walter Scott.  This type of injustice has sparked the Justice or Else movement that focused on the injustice of police who are committing murder and felony assault, and falsifying reports. 

The Cleveland abduction showed just how monstrous working class people have become to enrich their lives socially and personally.  When Ariel Castro abducted and tortured those girls for 10 years in a residential home in Cleveland right under the noses of the surrounding neighbors in the community, this showed the lengths everyday working class citizens will go to attain and maintain a certain status quo in the community they live.  Ariel Castro was not considered to be mentally disturbed until it was discovered what he had done; neither were the other shooters who committed the mass killings mentioned in this paper. Ariel Castro is not alone in this crime of kidnap and sensory deprivation; cases in Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and many other states as you read this passage.  They all fitted a profile; they were ordinary working class people who were not ill-spoken of until these atrocities were discovered to be committed by them.    

“According to data compiled by Mother Jones magazine, which looked at mass shootings in the United States since 1982, white people -- almost exclusively white men -- committed some 64% of the shootings.    "What made Dylann Roof do what he did? You know, I mean, that's the question, isn't it? I don't know," Jeffrey Swanson, professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University, told CNN's Don Lemon.  "There are pieces of the puzzle, and you put them all on the jigsaw board, and you're still going to have a big hole there. What I do know is that violent behavior -- whether it's serious violence or minor violence in populations -- is never just one thing. It's not a one thing problem. It's going to be an accumulation of things, kind of a whole cocktail of factors," he said.

Mass shootings date back as far as 1984 that have its origins in “Workplace Violence.”  The shooters in the majority of recent mass shootings all had no criminal record, college students, working class citizens who collapsed under the “cocktail of factors” from home, work, and school.  The shooters felt that they had been the target of “acts or verbal comments, negative physical contact, repeated incidents or patterns, asserted power through aggression, the object of a person’s need to control someone, a set of acts of commission or omission, undermine legitimate business interests, escalates to involve others, and requires consequences for the targeted.”  These are the characteristics of workplace bullying; elements that spawned most of the mass shootings in recent times.  While race, gender, and mental health all played a factor in the execution of these crimes, the commonality here is that all the shooters felt that they had been unjustly done.  “The fugitive Edward Snowden, convicted spy Chelsea Manning, and mass murderer Aaron Alexis all had one thing in common, U.S. government security clearances which they turned into weapons.” This quote by Scott Pelley is a perfect example of seeking justice as an encouragement.  “Some believe that Snowden and Manning were right to expose what they saw as government abuses like the NSA's domestic surveillance program, but few believe that all of America's secrets should be not at risk to spies, criminals or the mentally ill.” 

Since the 1980s, rehabilitating the criminal has been a priority of the criminal justice system.  Crime has become an integral part of hip-hop culture, so connected, that the style of dress, slang, and habits of the double failure have made their way to the forefront of several minority cultures as fashionable trends.  With the popularity of the life of the double failure as a popular trend, now there is what I term the “triple failure,” because the standard for success has become tough in the life of the double failure, unlike it once was 30 – 40 years ago. Criminals who have committed the crimes of murder, robbery, burglary, drug selling, and assault all have found themselves on the inside faced with wanting to get out of prison and stay out.  A perfect example of this philosophy is Shari L. Thomas.

 “Shari L. Thomas went to prison more than 25 years ago for killing the man who she said had abused her as a child.  She used her time there to remake herself, becoming the first woman in Virginia to obtain a college degree behind bars. [Shari] earned a master’s degree in biotechnology after her release. She has kept her record clean since, managing research laboratories for major hospitals and pharmaceutical companies.  And yet even now, her criminal record has the power to reach through time, upending her life.” 

This philosophy only works when the individual wants it to work, can keep pace in this fast-moving, high-tech advanced society, and the community is proponents of the person and their efforts. 

The majority of mass shootings start out as some form of workplace violence; where a disgruntled employee or student with no known criminal history or known mental history has busted under the pressures of work, home, and their social life.   My personal experience has led me to know that about 90% of the present day workforce is composed of ex-convicts, probationers, and parolees.  Most are still working because they are tired of going back and forth to prison, being on probation or parole, and want something different than the “thug life’ that led them to jail.  “Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslim men to carry out lone-wolf attacks in Western countries, according to a video circulating on the intern[e]t in recent days, suggesting Muslim youth follow the example set by the Tsarnaev brothers.  When terrorist goes from attacking corporations and organizations literally to your front door, then we must take a look at the rehabilitation of the criminal, and where this is truly leading.  Full of drugs, guns, murder, and a lot of times, no promise for tomorrow for young African-American children who are caught up in this culture of dope houses and gangs, this is an upside to the downside of African-American culture. 

Soundtrack to My Life

12 feet of snow buries the mid-north all the way to the

Atlantic-Canadian states of the U.S.  It gives me the chills

when I take into consideration all the time I did,

the unqualified amounts of work I put in; still shivering from

the unimpaired strange, heinous, and callous things in this cold

world;

Cold as a naked person walking across the South Pole.

Gargantuan ass cold!  You can feel it to the bone.  I don’t

dance to an e-beat or perform in a red zone anymore, I just monkey

around like a g-man to my own beat;

Yes sir! That is dope!

I didn’t return to the streets, so I don’t get a pistol or a hoe,

because muthaphuckas know I’m a let it go! Not the hardest d-boy with

rocks, and I don’t want to go back; but it is part of my contract.

Females have visions of my dickhead in their head, just give it a million

dollars and watch it step!

No evidence to all I say I did, so I’m packing a pen like Wyatt Earp

packed a gun.  Because my fight is not with my neighbor, but those heads

of City and State who want to take my weight.  Told that gopher, “I’ll dig off

in they shit to hold they weight;

Now that is the way!

Knuckle game like Jumbo!  Play like Recibo!  Get treated like Dumbo! 

The soundtrack to my life, every great failure has one. 

The Legend Of BlindMaster...continues

Adil is a former combat, weapons, and military police, who works as a uniformed guard for High Threat Protection security services; while Adila is a former field surgeon and medic for the Unites States Army, and currently a research scientist for Restorative Technology.  High Threat is a very productive security agency with clients in Russia, England, Spain, France, Italy, and Greece.  Undoubtedly, HTP is working closely with Restorative Technology to develop an exoskeleton for combat troops as well as an armour for field medics that is powered by a special femto-chip.  As a result of this collaboration, the scientist at Restorative Technology create an integrated circuit that surpasses the nano technology, called the femto-chip.  It replicates like hundreds of DNA cells in femto-seconds by analyzing and combining molecularly with the wearer of the exoskeleton.  Allowing only that wearer to ever wear it, give it commands, and control the exoskeleton.  In addition to developing combat technology, Restorative Technology has developed highly advanced medical devices for combat, military, and commercial use that has revolutionized medicine.  Unbeknownst to Adil and Adila, they are being used as sacrificial pieces in HTP’s move to manipulate economies and governments in the Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan.  While Adila is ironing out the wrinkles in Restorative’s femto-chip, Adil is searching HTP’s databases for a mystery person, BlindMaster, whose thoughts continue to invade their conscious.  Malik Muhammad, a.k.a. BlindMaster, knows what is happening to Adil and Adila; he also knows that they are two good friends that he has not yet met.  When BlindMaster hears about the dinner at HTP headquarters, his mind’s eye tells him that Adil and Adila might lose their lives because the exoskeletons are still questionable, so he takes to the L.A. night to assist his future best friends who don’t know that all their thoughts and actions are being viewed by his mind’s eye.  Consequently, Restorative and HTP are only a strong deposit, with no inclusion, in an international fill of corporate executives that leads BlindMaster and the Twins to the cause of corrupt corporations, demons, and deadly situations that brings out of hiding lame white-collar deadbeats, old street hustlers, and retired demons who see opportunities to settle old beef from times when they did not want to or were forced to retire or lay low.       

Why You Should Zip-Line

The newest addition to the Chattahoochee Valley is a zip line that spans from Columbus,
Georgia to Phenix City, Alabama, symbolizing the relationship that not only
these two cities have had throughout history, but the connection between the
state of Georgia and Alabama.  “Take flight on the Blue Heron Adventure in Columbus, Georgia!
Crossing the Chattahoochee River, experience the only dual-zip line that
connects two states reaching speeds up to 40mph. The fun doesn’t end there! The
Blue Heron Aerial Course, a treetop experience will meet you in Phenix City,
Alabama with a total of 10 obstacles. The adventure continues as you cruise in
the motorized Canyon Raft back to Georgia.”
Ascending the 100 foot tower I could feel the jitters coming on,
and those jitters brought doubt, second thoughts, and worries of going splat on
something down below.  As I stood at the
top of the tower being fastened and secured to the cable my knees started to
buckle, but I was not going to chicken out.
Being afraid of heights and the exhilarating rush of adrenaline, is the
reason zip lining 100 feet above the Chattahoochee River, across 1200 feet of
cable, at 40 mph, is an experience that I will never forget.  Fear and adrenaline are the reasons for
choosing this topic. 

With the zip-line
being a new addition to Columbus, Georgia and Phenix City, Alabama most of the
locals are not aware of the zip-line or the fun one can experience while
zipping across the Chattahoochee. 

Also,
Citizens of Columbus and Phenix City frequent both sides of

the river to enjoy
the scenery, see the newly built wooden structures

that comprise the zip-line,
but never actually go on the zip-line because they don’t feel the narcotic
euphoria that zipping 100 feet high, 1200 feet across, at 40 mph
instantaneously brings. In addition, zip lines are non-existent in most
communities, and for a family or couple living in one of these non-existent
communities planning a vacation; zip-lining would be a fun option to consider
for the itinerary.  In addition to these
non-existent communities and locals, I also plan on using this as a blog post
for people who want to face their fears as I did, adrenaline junkies, and
persons who want to do something different but fun.

The first
paragraph tells of my experience on the zip-line, this is why I include the
video so the reader can actually see what I was experiencing from start to
finish.  Also, I speak of not only the
fear I experienced as I stood at the top of the 100 foot tower being securely
fastened to the cable, but the reader can see the excitement I felt after I
finished the first zip across the Chattahoochee River.  As a result of the excitement from the first
zip, I was extra excited to do the final zip

There are always
questions about events like the zip-line concerning safety, stability of
structure, what additions or optional features do they have with the zip-line,
how often or how many times can this exhilarating feat be performed a day, and
are the controllers experienced enough to make everyone feel safe and secure.  I felt that this was one of the safest
structures, the equipment is 100%, and the controllers are very well
experienced to assure your safety.  Only
one way to really research this topic, go book a zip for yourself, check the
website of White Water Express, and ask the people who run this establishment
all the questions you have, like I did with Lucas Brown.

The Garden of Riki Tiki Tavi

The Garden of Riki Tiki Tavi 

During the 2013-2014 season, Columbus State University was hosting several theatrical performances at its River Theater.  Located in the Corn Center on the banks of the scenic Chattahoochee River, in Downtown Columbus, Georgia, the Riverside Theater hosted an adaptation by Y. York from the book by Rudyard Kipling:  The Garden of Riki Tiki Tavi.  I attended this event Friday, January 17, 2014 at 7:30 pm.  Upon my arrival in the lobby of the theater, I was taken aback by the display that showcased pictures and names of the actors who would be performing that night.  As I stood out in the lobby waiting for show time, I spoke briefly with two of the ushers and some of the people who were a part of the staff and faculty.  Excited to be there, all those in attendance were the cast, technical staff, staff and faculty of CSUs College of the Arts, members of the CSU student activities center, and other families with friends who came to see this magnificent performance.  Out of the eight plays that was presented during the 2013 – 2014 season (York, 2014); I chose to see The Garden of Riki Tiki Tavi for two reasons:  1) Because I have liked Riki Tiki Tavi since I was a child, and 2) because I wanted to see how they would portray this delicate blend of reptiles, outdoors, digging, flying, and confrontations on stage.  But most importantly, I wanted to see what kind of costumes, color schemes, props, dialogue, and how each scene would play out what I had seen on television as a child in the 80s.   

 

The green color of the props used to represent the bushes, trees, burrowed holes or tunnels, and branches, reminded me of the buon frescos originally employed by the Minoan artist.  This technique was used by Renaissance artist nearly 3,000 years later.  The basket that Naag’s eggs were nestled in made it simple for the actors to carry and audience to see the eggs.  Also, the way they had them nestled in the basket gave an indication of how they looked on the actual ground.  “…as he watched RIKI TIKI the mongoose protect his human caretakers from snakes, but mostly the evil cobras Na[a]g and Na[a]gaina, whose nest was in the garden of the human home.”    The play was in the style of a children’s play, but one could identify the characters through the costumes.  In addition, the dialogue was brought to life by the wits and creative acting of its cast.  This satirical comedy was “an amusing [and] lighthearted play designed to make its audience laugh” (Sayre, 2011, p. 152). 

The actors who played Riki Tiki, Darzee, ChuChu, and Nag all displayed Komos as they phallically frolicked around stage.  The dialogue expressed the conflict well in this play, reminding me of the clashes between Romeo and Tybalt, as ChuChu, Darzee, and Riki Tiki scuttle, push, and fly for dominance in the garden of the human’s run by Nag.  The conflict is similar to that between Antigone and Creon.  Nag is the fierce cobra who has dominated the garden for years by keeping its inhabitants, ChuChu, and Darzee, in fear.  Along comes young and hurt Riki Tiki the mongoose, whom is taken in by Teddy, the human boy. 

 Riki Tiki falls in love with his new human caretaker, makes friends with ChuChu and Darzee, and plays with them in the garden.  When Darzee tells how she killed Nag’s wife, Nagaina, and how Nag wants to kill Teddy.  Riki Tiki becomes Nag’s mortal enemy as he protects Teddy, but Nag’s love for his eggs (unborn offspring), mixed with his evil intentions allows Riki Tiki to place himself in a very advantageous position as the snake and the mongoose square off in a battle for the garden.  “…as he watched RIKI TIKI the mongoose protect his human caretakers from snakes, but mostly the evil cobras, Na[a]g and Na[a]gaina, whose nest was in the garden of the human home… 

As I sat out in the audience I thought of the “plays [that] were performed [on] an open area of the agora [Greek Theaters] called the orchestra, or ‘dancing space.’  The Riverside Theater reminded me of the “Epidaurus Theater, built in the early third century BCE.”  The atmosphere was one that I could have set in for another two or three hours through another play; even an encore performance.  I was disappointed in the actor who played ChuChu, who just did not want to talk to me after the play.  I wanted to express my thanks to her, and tell her how good I thought her performance was; but she was too busy hugging her friends and fellow thespians to give me a minute of her time..

 

An Explanation of BlindMaster

I wrote a screenplay entitled, The Legend of BlindMaster.  The protagonist is a superhero created out of the natural.  I forged this character out of the confines of what the spirit of Elijah Muhammad revealed to Malcolm X while he was sitting in his jail cell in a Massachusetts state prison.   In the How to Eat to Live books, volume 1 and 2, written by Elijah Muhammad, are the complete dietary laws prescribed to members of the Nation of Islam.  These two books speak of foods that are good biologically for human consumption, those foods that are physiologically designed to build/destroy the body, and those foods that destroy the soul and inhibit the brain power of a Muslim.  Elijah Muhammad even gives scientific proof of how the wrong and right foods affect us biologically and physiologically.  I created BlindMaster or Mālik Muhammad as an influential role model for young millennials who learn delinquent behavior from “face-to-face interaction or by observing others in person or symbolically in literature, films, television, music, and video games.” I wanted to keep his powers within reach of human potential, inspiring viewers to strive for his level of achievement.  Jesus Christ came to us representing the perfection of human potential, showing us that if we lived by every word of God that we could become Christ-like or perfect examples of human potential, just as Jesus.  BlindMaster’s powers are not the result of a serum, not accidental exposure to a machine or experiment, not from an animal or insect bite, and he is not from Asgard, Mars, or Krypton.  Blindmaster utilizes his inner ear, third eye, possesses the strength of 10 men, and has the Magical Saber of Light that enhances his natural abilites.  BlindMaster’s powers can be attained by any human being, but only if the right conditions are consistently present; tapping into the conscious that we hear when we place a cup to our ear.  In How to Eat to Live, books 1 and 2, Master Fard Muhammad told the Honorable Elijah Muhammad that if a Muslim ate one meal every 72 hours and no meat, that one could hear an ant crawling on the ground, and manipulate the molecules of the four different elements around them.  As a result of obeying these dietary laws, the following is evidence of what is stated in the previous sentence.  A sufite Master named Bawa Muhayadeen was able to levitate himself one to three feet off the ground.  The “Tiger Swami” or Soham Swami harnessed his energies into his fist, and was able to render Tigers unconscious with one blow.  Wallace Fard Muhammad, aka, Master Fard Muhammad was able to manipulate molecules and create images of men praying in glasses of water.  And finally, Jesus performed a host of miracles that are indicated in the New Testament of the Bible. On MSN’s website, Robert Shmerling of the Harvard Health Publication wrote in an article entitled, Healthy Living, “I’ve heard psychics and fortune tellers use this 10 percent myth to explain their “powers” to predict the future, read minds or bend spoons without touching them.”  Further in that same paragraph it says, “…I think this is just another of the many myths told as “facts everyone knows” to attract a bigger audience.”  In Robert A. Baron and Micheal J. Kalsher’s Introduction to Psychology, chapter 2, page 47-49 it states, “Computers can “crunch numbers” at amazing speeds, but they cannot do many things we take for granted:  recognize thousands of different faces, speak one and perhaps several languages fluently, add just the right amount of salt or pepper to a dish we are cooking.  [Neither] can they experience the emotions we label “love,” “hate,” “sorrow,” those emotions BlindMaster needs to activate and control what normal people call super powers.  “So clearly the human brain is truly a marvel.”  I watched a video posted on USA TODAY’s website on Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at 1:55 pm, EST, entitled, Do we really only use 10% of our brains?  “Most people have heard the myth, recently revived by the new movie, Lucy, played by Scarlett Johanssen that we only use 10% of our brains, but is it true?  Buzz60 takes a look at the myths and the science in this video.”  A brief synopsis of the main character in, The Legend of BlindMaster will help understand the science, and dispel the myth.

 

BlindMaster was born Mālik Muhammad in Los Angeles, California in 1975.  Blinded by an explosion at the age of one, his father and International Minister to the Nation of Islam, headed then by Elijah Muhammad, takes him to a Shaolin monastery in the hills of China where he is taken under the guidance of a blind monk named, Shadow Master Lin.  Shadow Master Lin teaches Mālik to adjust to his new found sight.  Mālik learns to read and write the language of Chinese by some of the Monks, and Arabic and braille by his father.  He learns to recite the Qur’ an, Hadiths, and the Bible.  He can naturally see thermal images, is an expert in hand-to-hand combat and close weapon combat, can naturally move with stealth, has vertical leaping ability comparable to that of a cat, and he can control his weight and energy standing still or in motion.  He learns all this in the first 22 years of his life, then he goes to Cairo, Egypt where he is trained by Sufi Master Yusuf Abdullah while attending the University of Al-Ahzar.

The magical saber of light is the symbol for justice in Islam, but it is a fictional sword created by the stories author.  The mystical energy of the saber only enhances BlindMaster’s natural agilities.  In addition, the mystical energy allows him to move vertically  along on buildings, protects him from high caliber weapons or explosions, high impacts, allows him to heal, manipulate the molecules of the four elements around him, just like in M. Knight Shyamalan’s, The Last Air Bender (2010), and it allows him to transmit instantly.

 

If you read the screenplay, you will see how BlindMaster acquired his natural abilities.  This story should educate you on “on the spot” cultural facts that would not be normally known.  Also, it should inspire you the viewer as a Christian to be more Christ-like; if you are a Muslim, to be more upright and one with Allah; if you are Buddhist, to better understand what the eight-fold path is.  Whatever your religion or path to God is, this story will inspire you to become more enlightened in not just the doctrine of your belief, but those universal aspects of it.

Plays of the Week

 The game of football takes on many different meanings for all who watch and participate in the sport.  Life lessons, morals and ethics, responsibility, balance, practical application, how to excel, how to fight, how to win and lose, and how to work well with others to achieve an end.  Football from the NFL down to area high school has been and will always be a tradition, a tradition that embodies “plays of the week,” “hometown spirit,” standings, and statistics that make not only players proud, but family and friends honored to attend games, tailgate, making sure players have water ready to drink, or just simply play the sideline. 

 

We have arrived at week 5 of area football here in the Chattahoochee Valley, and what some call rivalries or a “closer look at Friday night’s games,” I call “the fight schedule.”  Standings and statistics tell a tale of how these young men battle it out for supremacy in the area and their region.  Each player battles every week for omnipotence at their position and another win for their team, has a story to tell.  Looking at the “High School Roundup” in the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer those Carver Tigers (4-1) have monopolized the area since 2008 with defensive and offensive standouts that have gone onto college and eventually the NFL.  Followed by other area teams like Northside Highschool, Shaw Highschool, and Columbus Highschool.  Teams like the Spencer Greenwave (0-4), the Kendrick Cherokees (2-2), Jordan Red Jackets (1-3), and Hardaway Hawks (0-4) have not put up numbers as individuals that would place them in the “HighSchool Football Statistics”  section of the Columbus (Ga) Ledger-Enquirer as an offensive or defensive stand-out, but they have put up a different kind of ‘high numbers’ on overall team moral, that add up to everything that has truly allowed them to “move the chains,” converting those loses on the field into improvements as individuals and as a team.  These improvements will eventually lead to winning seasons, playoffs, and championships.  On a team level as a whole, Smiths Station Panthers of Smiths Station, Alabama are a leading example of this different kind of “high numbers” that is reflective in seasonal statistics of running back K. Johnson who had eight carries for 79 yards; averaging 9.9 yards a carry, and one touchdown; or Quarterback D. Sinquefeld who threw for 422 yards and four touchdowns to three of his top receivers, T. Trimble, M. Bowens, and 123 yards receiving A. Reedy.  Smith Station was one of the schools that did not submit player statistics to the Ledger-Enquirer this week, but I found their school stats on Maxpreps showing how each player has improved on the field.  On September 20, 2014, “Chattahoochee County’s Brandon Jones receives a hug from Gina Cox as she inducts his brother Quin Jones into the inaugural class of the Chattahoochee County football hall of fame during halftime [game against Crawford County] Friday.  Quin Jones graduated in 2008, and died in March 2011.”  This halftime induction/dedication showed the sensitive side of a hard-hitting and dangerous sport.  The Central Red Devils of Phenix City, Alabama defeated past playoff nemesis Prattville in regular season play.  David Mitchell, of the Ledger-Enquirer wrote, “Central, which had already faced a gauntlet of top-tier opponents in its first four games was still looking for that real signature victory that signaled its entrance into the Alabama Class 7A state championship race.  Friday’s win is a step in the right direction.”  Mitchell quoted top offensive running back Treveon Samuel, “It’s a big one,” an emotional Samuel said after the game.  When asked how big, he said it was the biggest of his life.  “I’ve never had a win like this.”  If you examine the game by quarters you can see that it was truly a slug fest, like Optimus Prime and Megatron, as the Red Devils walked away with the 42 to 34 victory over the team that always knocked them out the first round of playoffs in past years, under former head coach Woodrow Lowe.  Incidentally, this week’s passionate victory over Prattville came after one of Central’s seniors lost his life to gun violence.  Another team who deserves big props this year are Columbus, Georgia’s Division 1-AA’s Calvary Christian Knights.  This is a football team whom is only four years old, and are currently 5-0 “for the first time in” the teams short history.  With two top offensive players in running back Jacquez Green and Quarterback Anthony Santiago, and four top defensive players in Cranford Ledbetter, Taylor Faulk, Tim Thomas, and Steven Fowler, this is what staff reporters for the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer had to say about Calvary Christian in the “HighSchool Roundup,”  “Calvary Christian’s Anthony Santiago had 21 carries for 237 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Knights to a win over Covenant Christian.  Calvary Christian rushed for 311 yards.” 

 

When a water boy does not neglect his duties in anticipation of and at each week’s game, you know the spirit of the game is alive.  You can go to local TV station WTVM 9 website and vote for the best of three plays from the week’s games; it is called “play of the week.”  Raycom Network News has started airing weekly high school games in Alabama and Georgia on the Bounce network, station 9.2.  On Saturdays from 6 – 6:30, local NBC station WLTZ 38 has a show called Coach’s Corner where a coach from an east Alabama High School itemizes the week’s game.  When these games are itemized by quarterly statistics, you the fan catches a glimpse into the personality of each team, there individual personalities, how good is the offense, how good is the defense, how good is the special teams, what type of head coach, and what type of coaching staff.  “The fight schedule” implies how each team wages war on the opposing team, exchanging blows, scrapping to defend or “get it in” the end zone.  In fact, final scores and player statistics chronicle an account of four quarters of pulverizing play, pounding tackles, noisy snap counts, “plaguing turnovers,” breath taking interceptions, and relentless runs.  “The fight schedule” does not encourage violence, but encourages competition, constructive criticism, and moral and ethical engagements on and off the field. 

 

These Highs School teams run offenses like pro-set, wishbone, wing-t, I-formation, lone setbacks; defenses such as 4-6, 5-4, nickel packages,  and even 6-1.  When you watch them play, it is just as exciting as watching a Thursday or Sunday night NFL game.  The only thing missing are the pre and post-game shows.  Coincidentally, you can catch all the commentating and highlights of all the local games with Jonathan Husky of WRBL 3 with “In the Prep Zone” and Dave Platta on WTVM 9 with “Sports Overtime.”  Hearing or watching local high school stars like former Central Red Devil Deon Hill of Georgia Tech, whom was recently “nominated for the Orange Bowl-Football Writers Association of America’s Courage Award,” Jonathan Wallace or Gabe Wright of Auburn University, or Isiah Crowell of the Cleveland Browns, and Jarvais Jones of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday or Saturday, is prospect for all those top stars of Thursday or Friday night, who overcome those obstacles in their path as they play for the end zone.