Keeping the faith..in a lie!

I cannot believe that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s legal saga is playing out the way it is and many people still believe that the only crime he may have committed is perjury when he lied under oath about his adulterous relationship with his former chief of staff, Christine Beatty.

That is such a ridiculous notion that I can hardly bring myself to discuss it.

Nevertheless, it’s clearly a testament to the influence of the mayor’s spin-doctors, who seem to have more vested in perpetuating that lie than telling truths that could help set Detroit free.

So, let’s try setting the record straight and keeping it that way: Mayor Kilpatrick is up to this trimmed beard in felony charges because he allegedly defrauded city tax payers out of millions of dollars which he used as hush money in a whistleblower lawsuit settlement last year.

Indeed, there are ample reasons to believe that the illegal get-someone-else-rich scheme was devised because the plaintiffs’ counsel, Michael Stephani, had gotten hold of text messages which indicated that the mayor and his paramour lied under oath, not only about their love affair, but also about the nefarious roles they played in the wrongful termination of law enforcement officers, including former Detroit police chief Gary Brown, who would not tow the party line.

This is why during the comments she made the day she charged the mayor with multiples felonies, Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy stated,

“Let me be very clear. This was not an investigation focused on lying about sex. Gary Brown’s, Harold Nelthorpe’s and Walter Harris’s lives and careers were forever changed. They were ruined financially and their reputations were completely destroyed because they chose to be dutiful police officers. The public trust was violated. This investigation is about whether public dollars were used unlawfully – and more.”

Only a few minutes later in her comments, she added,

“Our investigation has clearly shown that public dollars were used, people’s lives were ruined, the justice system was severely mocked, and the public trust trampled on. This case is about as far from being a private matter as one can get.”

Of course, you can't tell that to the mayor’s “supporters,” who keep repeating the lie regarding the basis for the perjury charges as though the fabrication is some magical incantation that will eventually make the whole “mayoral mess” simply go away.

iAMrj * richard jones

What about Kwame?

I live in the Detroit area and, as soon as people learn this, they press me for my opinion of the city's "mayoral mess."

Very likely, you've already heard that City of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is facing 10 felony charges, including perjury, obstruction of justice, misconduct in office, and assault on a police officer.

Well, since I'm constantly giving my two cents on the matter, I thought I'd also share it here.

Therefore, starting today I'll be blogging about Detroit's mayoral crisis and other pertinent matters.

I'll start with a blog titled "Keeping the Faith...In A Lie!"

Men seeking life-changing friendships

After church one Sunday morning, I met with several men to discuss the idea of starting a men's ministry. One of the questions I asked the group is, "What would you like our first topic of discussion to be?" I was pleasantly surprised by their answer: One brother said it should be friendship and, without pause, all the other men agreed.

Here were adult men tired of passing each other at church, and even working together on church projects, and yet not knowing how to be real friends. They wanted to be there for one another and not just around each other.

At our next exploratory meeting, I suggested that they begin thinking deeply about their concepts of friendship and, for those who enjoy studying the Bible, see what the Scriptures might have to say about the matter. I hope that they come to the realization that to become true friends is one of the highest honors they can bestow on each other.

I also hope that all of them will come to understand that true friendship is a unique, close, comforting, and encouraging relationship in which we are to be mutually accountable and not just mutually fulfilled. Genuine friendship, that is, makes us our "brother's keeper" in the best sense of the term and thereby holds us to such high moral and ethical standards that it can positively impact the course of our entire lives.

Such a deep level of friendship can help transform "hangin' buddies" into heroes in their own family and communities. It is the kind of male bonding that reinforces good values and helps strengthen the moral fabric of whole nations. It is the kind of thing that is needed to make boys into real men for whom giving the best of themselves comes as natural as breathing.

iAMrj * richard jones

Real men live blessed lives

A pastor of a non-denominational church recently asked me to help launch its men's ministry. I accepted the invitation, not only because I'm a changed man with firsthand knowledge of some of the greatest challenges and sins that so easily beset young and old(er) men, but also because I see a need to share my understanding of what it might mean to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Especially because I'm a man still under construction, my daughters' blessing and encouragement really moved and motivated me, as well.

At the pastor's request, I made a short presentation about the men's ministry while attending a church meeting last Wednesday night. While speaking, I used Psalm 112 to introduce the powerful idea that a "real" man is a "blessed" man who wholeheartedly aspires (and perspires in a noble and sustained effort) to live a deeply meaningful and magnificent life that is attractive, appealing, craved, and coveted for all the right reasons. Thus, for example, we noted that a man's life is blessed when...

1. he takes delight in right and not might (Psalm 112:1)
2. he is a home builder rather than a home wrecker (Psalm 112:2)
3. he knows how to prosper and profit without losing his soul (Psalm 112:3)
4. he is a light in dark places – part of the solution rather than the problem (Psalm 112:4)
5. he gives the best of himself and good comes back to him (Psalm 112:5)
6. he is stable, not only because of his finances, but because of his moral and spiritual focus (Psalm 112:6)
7. through it all, he has learned how to trust in God (Psalm 112:7)
8. his self-assurance comes from the blessed assurance that he is more than a conqueror (Psalm 112:8)
9. he is known more for how much he cares about those in need than the status he has achieved or the wealth he has accumulated (Psalm 112:9)
10. he is envied for all the right reasons (Psalm 112:10)

Of course, this outline only touches on the subject matter the men's ministry will cover. I assure you that no relevant stone will be left unturned. We will address everything from misogyny and misguided notions of manhood to how men can express their inner passions in healthy and constructive ways and perhaps drastically improve their parenting skills along the way.

If I have any say in the matter -- and, at this point, I do -- then we will not merely reinforce patriarchy by limiting discussions to shallow exchanges about money, muscles, and the women and children in our lives, but also do the much more important and intense work of learning to truly view and do unto all other human beings just as we would have them do unto us.

As saints of ol' would say, "Pray our strength in the Lord" and feel free to make suggestions or comments regarding these matters because we'll definitely need all the insight, help, and support we can get. ;-)

iAMrj * richard jones

'Our Black Fathers: Brave, Bold and Beautiful'

5 Sisters Publishing out of Sacramento, CA, just published a celebratory and soul-moving anthology titled Our Black Fathers: Brave, Bold, and Beautiful!

In a day when "Black males" are so maligned that the epithet has become "the police-speak of perpetual criminalization," this new collection of writings by good Black men and their children and admirers is a heartening reminder that there are many Black fathers who still know best.

Earlier this year, U.S. presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama, himself a good Black father, scarcely recognized such men during his platitudinous Father's Day speech when he stated, "Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are reminded today that family is the most important. And we are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation. They are teachers and coaches. They are mentors and role models. They are examples of success and the men who constantly push us toward it."

It is a great thing, indeed, that great Black men like those honored in Our Black Fathers press on despite the mostly negative press that Black men receive.

I contributed this article to the book, but this is not the reason you should purchase it. Rather, you should click here to buy a copy because, if there is any book that deserves to become a bestseller, it is one that encourages good Black fathers to "go 'head" and helps equip them mentally and spiritually to do so.


iAMrj * richard jones