4 BOCNEWS.com SEPTEMBER 2017 Politics and Racism Ihave to say Amen to Rev. Patrick Demmer of Graham Memorial Church of God and Christ and other ministers for speaking out. But let me remind many that what happened in the 2016 Presidential election was a backlash against Hillary Clinton. I don’t think Black Americans need to be further educated on the voting process. We first exercised that right with “The Voting Rights Act” in 1965 signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. Don’t forget the Democratic Party was known as “the party of the Civil Rights” with President Johnson receiving 94 percent of the African American vote. We rallied around President Bill Clinton because of the horrible Reagan and “Daddy” George Bush years. He connected with us and we joked about how he was our “black” president. Overall, Americans found Al Gore too boring. But he visited black pulpits across the nation and appealed to majority of minorities in this country. Yet, during a scandalous election he still lost to George W. Bush - 267 electoral votes for Gore to 271 for Bush. There was a 48 percent racial gap of black votes for Gore compared to support for Bush. John Kerry also dominated the black vote. The key was the South. As it was put, black voters are not monolithic but about who will support us the most. Kerry seemed to be that choice at the time. Kerry, unfortunately, was too weak to go up against incumbent President George W. Bush. Even the majority of liberal white voters thought so. But after eight years of Bush, we were given signs of hope after a little-known senator from Illinois announced his candidacy. I was living in Illinois at the time when Barrack Obama first ran for president. I was so excited. That voice kept ringing in my ear, “Yes we can” helped refresh and reunite America. And he turned out not to be a one- term president as many predicted. He made history. He was our man. White Americans could not stand the fact President Obama was re-elected and racial hatred plunged out of the darkness. I distinctly remember how as a for- mer journalist at a daily newspaper in Decatur, Illinois, the newspaper refused to put Barrack Obama’s picture on the front cover when he won the first time. Those running the paper chose to put a picture of people celebrating in Central Park downtown Chicago with only headlines saying Barrack Obama was the country’s next president. During his term, President Obama faced many obstacles working with a Congress that did support him. We went through a recession where people lost their jobs and homes. Police were shooting innocent black people on the streets. And then the health care reform controversy plagued President Obama until he finally got it signed into law. Hillary Clinton trashed President Obama when she first ran against him for the highest office in our nation. I attended a journalist of color convention in Chicago back in 2008 where she spoke while cam- paigning. She never directly answered questions about prison reform that is consuming our black men and side-stepped questions regarding what she planned to do for Black Americans. Many of my fellow journalists walked out. Yet, President Obama comes to Hillary Clinton’s rescue and gives her a job as secretary of state. She did a pitiful job doing that. Hillary Clinton didn’t give up and comes back to run against Donald Trump. She wanted to make history as the first female president of the United States. Well that didn’t happen Hillary. I personally did not support her. I found myself in a dilemma like so many others on who do you vote for or do you just not vote? Now, everyone is saying enough is enough with Donald Trump and his chaotic admin- istration. Again I applaud black pastors, NACCP Interim president, Derek Johnson, and others for speaking out against President Trump emboldening bigotry, racism and not helping unite this country. I like what Lieutenant Gov. Justin Fairfax of Virginia said about how we must rise above those “hate mongers.” Trump needs to be impeached and our black lead- ers need to step to the forefront to help make that happen. There is no need to continue shedding light and talking about racist situations. Instead, let’s work harder to dim so God can shine a brighter and more beautiful light for us to live in harmony. OPINION Sheila Smith By Sheila Smith Biblical Expose’on the Solar Eclipse As we observed the world’s attention on the eclipse, August 21, 2017, we have not had a full eclipse of this magnitude in almost 100 years. The world is in awe as to the align- ment of the sun, moon and the earth, as to how God has set His glory in the heavenlies and man can only wonder at God’s purpose. With such an awesome revelation, is there not a spiritual message that is being announced to us here in the Americas, as we view this spectacular and Godly event? Only God could bring about this alignment of the planetaries. In the Book of Daniel the 5th chapter begin- ning at the first verse: Daniel 5:1-4 (KJV) 5 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink there- in. 3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. Belshazzar was not the king’s name, but was the title bestowed upon him – meaning “Baal Protect the King”. He was the son of Nabonidus, and he was made co-regent while Nabonidus went to meet Cyrus. Daniel 5:5-7 (KJV) 5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's coun- tenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpreta- tion thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. The king called for the astrolo- gers: Daniel 2:10, Daniel 4:7, Daniel 5:7, and Daniel 5:11. The earliest Babylonian discovery of the constel- lations in the solar planetary regions of the sky was interpreted by these southern Babylonian tribesmen who were priests and astrologers, interpret- ing events and signs which pertaineth to God’s people and His purpose. Astrology is synonymous with the study and positions of the heavenly bodies, while astronomy is the study of the universe beyond earth’s obser- vance, calculating positioning and inclusive of the Zodiac symbols. Twelve symbols, 30 degrees apart which are included in the study of astronomy. The earliest Zodiac horoscope dates back to 400 B.C. What makes our study interesting is the fact that the Chaldeans interpreted a solar eclipse in the time of Xerxes, the king of the Persians, while he was enroute for an invasion of Greece. This solar eclipse also was an announce- ment of the change of power and of war. For in Daniel 5, all that participat- ed in the defilement of the holy vessels saw the hand appear out of nowhere and scratched a writing in the plaster of the great hall. The hall has been excavated and was found to be 60 feet wide and 172 feet long. The writing of the hand – MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. Daniel 5:26-28 (KJV) 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. The war that happened with this announcement, coupled with the eclipse interpreted by the Chaldeans, also the interpretation of a spontane- ous fire in the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, pointed to great calamities and war coming with the new king out of Greece – Alexander the Great. We ask ourselves in our modernistic world of technology, what announce- ment is God giving us? What is the spiritual significance of this eclipse August 21, 2017? We know that 2018 is a time of new beginnings for the Western hemisphere and for Zion. We must give heed and pay atten- tion to the signs of the times in which we are living, for God’s judgment is at hand. In 3,974 years, 6 months, 10 days of Old Testament history, coupled with 2,017 years, 8 months and 21 days of New Testament historical chronology, we must speak TRUTH to POWER!! IT’S OUR TIME! Let us not sleep as others sleep, but awake to righteousness and sin not: for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. (I Corinthians 15:34) We are in the last days, and we must prepare and be prepared to give answers to men who know not God. The eclipse is wholly in God’s hands and man had no counsel in its plan- ning and where God has set it in time. Is God telling us what is about to take place in the earth in 2018, just as he warned a people through Daniel? The United States of America has been judged; we have been weighed in the balance and have been found wanting. Our sins have ascended into heaven and our dominion is finished. Let us pray that God’s mercy be upon all who trust Him and will love His appearing. Ralph Beechum By Apostle Ralph E. Beechum SCRIPTURE Astrology is synonymous with the study and positions of the heavenly bodies.