As was the case when I attended the first Essence Music Festival in 2002, I was advised to pace myself. Even though I tried—skipping some events and sleeping late after going to bed some mornings at 4:30 a.m.—I still couldn’t wait to crash once I got back home. Don’t go on the cruise thinking you’re going to rest.

The U.S. Supreme Court, which has in recent years been overwhelming conservative in its decisions, showed signs of humanity when it ruled that juvenile offenders under 17 could no longer be sentenced to life without parole for crimes that didn’t result in a death.

Calling such sentences cruel and unusual punishment, and in violation of the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment, the justices ruled 6-3 in favor of putting an end to judicial punishments that give offenders no hope of a life after prison. Even Chief Justice John Roberts, a notorious conservative appointed by President George W. Bush, ruled on the side of what’s fair and decent.

(NNPA)—I couldn’t believe the headlines in a recent issue of the Los Angeles Times which asked whether President Obama had responsibility for the oil spill on the Louisiana-Mississippi coastline.

Of course, as president, he has a responsibility to see that it is cleaned up, first by the resources of BP, the company that made the mess, but ultimately by the U.S. government.

But at this stage of the crisis, the article felt decidedly like there was some culpability of Obama for not having had his Minerals Management Service regulate oil drilling more vigorously. This doesn’t wash, because it’s like blaming the Obama administration for not being able to see into the future, but it is consistent with the way in which he has been viewed increasingly.

I am really getting fed up with my liberal friends saying that because I am against amnesty for illegals, I am nasty! Unfortunately, our society has devolved into a mindset where if you disagree with someone, you must have bad motives.

The pro-amnesty crowd is up in arms over the recently passed Arizona bill that takes a very tough line on illegals. Their contention is that it will lead to racial profiling. I challenge anyone with a brain to actually read the law and come to that conclusion. But, they assert that if a person is “legitimately” stopped by law enforcement and is then found to be illegal, they would not have an issue with the person being brought before an immigration court.