To the Editor:

The national attention on Selma during the annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee should remind us all of Selma’s historical significance and its reflection of the human spirit. Although the entire event was very charismatic, I am one to focus on its substance.

I was inspired most of all by Barack Obama and specifically his message about personal accountability. This brings me to the following thoughts I want to share as it relates to the current ambience of Selma … Lord Selma.

The perpetuation of negativity, oppression and ignorance in Selma is prevalent. If a person can catch a virus from another person then we should know that negativity spreads, too. Unfortunately, the “illness” manifested by negativity is greater than a common cold. However, this “illness” is a power that only exists if we fuel it.

I am a firm believer in the philosophy that “With God on our side, no weapon formed against us shall prosper.” If we sincerely want this community to be prosperous, we all need to become accountable for our actions and/or inactions and break the yoke of pessimism that is holding us back.

The reality is that gross disparities do still exists within our community, as within any other. One bitter trust I have come to realize is that problems are often times beneficial to someone. What is even more discouraging is the fact that beneficiaries may include persons of any color, ethnicity or creed and they need to be held accountable. Nevertheless, at the end of the day the question must be – what are you accountable for?

We should consider Selma’s progress, its hope and envision its possibilities. Yes, there is room for improvement and there always will be. However, we must all take into account that the challenges we face as a community did not start overnight and they will not be resolved in a day. We must all do our part to help our community reach its potential and be willing to be accountable for the same.

We have to understand, if we dig a pit for anyone else, we will inevitably fall in it ourselves. I choose to stand for principles instead of going against people.

Nicole Reeves