March 25th. 2014
In Orlando at the NFL Players Conference -- which marks the beginning of the 2014 season strategic planning. ![]() This is the most important meeting when the active players connect with the former players after the SUPERBOWL XVLIII. The talks were about player safety, health, career planning; however this year the focus shifted to the urgent cyber security and cyber threats, to player’s, their families, and protecting their homes from invasion and Flash Rave/Rape parties. ![]() You can’t get past the massive security without your personal credentials, security clearance and cyber security check. Trust me they monitor your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, of anyone and everyone that may have any access to the NFL Players and their families. I’ve never seen security so tight; everything has changed with the cyber access. Some players won’t even carry phones because they can be tracked through reverse GPSing. ![]() This is a joint session where the entire NFL Player Family get’s together, active players, retired players, wives and significant others. It’s wild, a 22 year old player sitting next to an 90 year old player, although 68 years apart, everyone shares the same bond. We are all one family. The wives usually have to tend to the children which is a big, big job because you always have to worry about kidnapping and stalkers. You live everyday with dangers and threats of intrusion. ![]() Anquan Boldin was awarded the prestigious Byron “Whizzer” White trophy for his non-stop work with his foundation serving youth-at-risk across the country. The NFL Player’s Association awarded him A $100,000 contribution, everyone was was cheering and celebrating a true Champion. ![]() The main speaker was Robert Mueller the current head of the FBI. This was an extremely important and eye-opening session that centered on cyber crime and cyber terrorist. This is now the #1 priority of the FBI and the White House. The threats are not only over seas, but the threat can come from anywhere particularly because so much information is publically posted in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, by everyone, including teens, middle school children. ![]() This is the first gala evening event that’s super casual, the festive atmosphere encourages families to connect, talk, share and support one another. The life of a professional athlete and their family is exciting, I’m not going to lie, but it’s also a roller-coaster because of the dangers and threats are always present. Anyway, the evenings after meetings are important, it’s a way to stand shoulder to shoulder together and get close. ![]() I thought I had seen it all with super cool food presentation but the Waldorf Astoria went up and over the top with this one. It was like George Jetson Meets the Matrix meets Gravity. As a parent all I could see was one of the younger Kids come running through and…well…you could pretty much finish the story… ![]() More relaxing and just talking among trusted friends and teammates. It’s a time check up on each other; find out how they are doing health-wise. For the first time everyone is opening up about the head trauma and post concussion syndrome. In the past, players never talked; it was embarrassing and to some, very shameful watching their body and brain breakdown. It puts a heavy responsibility on the wives who have to manage the emotional ups and downs, memory loss and rapidly declining health; while balancing the rest of the family demands. It’s not an easy job.
January 26th. 2014
Catching up: If you’ve watched The Butler, you have journeyed though some of our families, courageous and difficult journey to dignity and respect. It’s taken a long time and there’s more to go. Our home in Stephentown was part of that journey, and we enjoyed sharing it with families and teens for over 30 years. And now we are working on moving forward after what happened. So, let’s get 2014 off to a much better start… and reconcile this thing. So… If… you send me a 60 seconds video; apologizing and share what you’ve learned after making a very big mistake; be real, come clean. Then…I will not press charges and you will not be arrested. (this does not include those that have already been arrested) Your video will be uploaded to this site. Here’s why… You will help save lives, you will help prevent young girls from being raped and you will help stop the violence that erupts; and you will help prevent the massive destruction of private homes that damage families forever. ![]() Joining Lee Baca, Sheriff of LA County Sheriffs Department to meet with his Team of IT specialist in the cyber-crime tracking unit. Stay tuned for the ground breaking demonstration so all law enforcement can see and share. ![]() The cyber team is tracking and stopping Rave/Flash parties, preventing crimes, rapes and homicides; Each homicide prevented saves the city $1,000,000. ![]() These are some of the 1000’s of emails from people from all over the world offering legal, operational and forensic IT support. They have already uncovered more tweets that will be posted from the party. ![]() I traveled to Stanford to meet with Alumni who want to know how they could help. I will be meeting with more in NYC at SUPERBOWL. ![]() I had several meetings on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park to meet with financial leaders who help launch great ideas, companies and movements. ![]() The New Look: Jordan & Taylor will be taking the lead in creating the new look and vision – insuring HMS300 will be a great resource of support, information, and help to teenagers, parents and care providers. Kayla Joe Wright & Darnell Diggs have already aggregated all the information and data that got us where we are today. Thanks! You Rock! TAKE A STAND FOR YOUR GREATNESS It’s the holiday season, there’s so much to be thankful for. I’m so glad you are alive reading this or maybe ignoring this, but either way, I am so incredibly thankful. Please forgive the time away from HMS300; I really needed time with my family. Frankly I was exhausted, and Dad needed to be home. Also, I’ve gone back to work. I’m resuming the launching of www.HerLeague.net, which is basically a super network, social media platform for women to connect, share, hang out, talk, and shop online. This fall the focus was on women & football, Love It, Hate It, Fake It, Don’t Get It, Bake It, Done With It; and also for Football Mom’s and Football Widows. However we are three months behind. The beta testing that was scheduled for September will be happening in January. Unfortunately, my shoulder surgeries will now have to wait till after the SUPERBOWL. I probably did too much in Stephentown, but I really didn’t have much choice. It had to get done, and somebody had to do it. Like I have previously mentioned, I was raised by a military officer and a no-nonsense real world mother, mentor, educator and strict disciplinarian. As in, if I ever did anything like this, my father would knock me into the middle of next week, and then take me over to the house I trashed so they could knock me into the middle of the week after that, and then I would be left to scrub that entire place with a tooth brush, and when I was done, both my parents would have marched me down to the sheriff’s office and the last words I would hear….”Arrest this child!” HelpMeSave300: HMS300 will continue. Actually I’ve been doing this a long time. Losing my college teammate, Kevin McMillan, at Stanford to drunk driving changed me forever. I became even more concerned, as an inner city Young Life leader, when I saw young teens dealing with so much and facing an overwhelming amount of adversity, peer pressure, drugs, alcohol abuse, guns and violence in East Palo Alto. 1986, with Boston Governor Mike Dukakis This continued during my playing days with the New England Patriots and L.A. Raiders. We even established mentoring programs at schools all across New England. There were so many athlete’s willing to jump in and make a difference. Anyway, I came across this picture online yesterday. Again, like you, any picture ever taken and any conversation ever documented is now available to the public because of social media. Everyone must live with this new reality. In this case, however, it was great to recover a picture that I did not even know existed. This program grew from SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving) to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). We were able to reach hundreds of school and thousands of students! A common thread among all the leaders was this passionate resolve to make a difference after burying too many, too young, too soon. And 30 years later, it’s still the worst thing ever and so preventable if we all are willing to do a little more. So, the responsibility is back on all of us. HelpMeSave300 is collectively our responsibility and we need to act with urgency. I gave it my best shot. My goals were to confront them, help them, and hold them accountable. They didn’t come. My next goal was the parents, they never showed. My next strategy for HelpMeSave300 was the school; the schools did not permit me to come. Now HelpMeSave300 is all of ours. Everyone must play a part, it’s our burden. Everyone can and should make a difference. Ok, let me get through this next part. It’s the hard stuff. Yesterday we spread the ashes of one our family’s dearest friends, Kevin “CatDaddy” Harding-Jensen. He was a master craftsman, a gifted tile master, an amazing cook and over the last 8 years, he would stay with us as he was working his way to sobriety. We enjoyed years of laugher, fun, his persistent blaring Reggae and his wild story telling that included his certainty that he was Bob Marley’s forgotten love child. Kevin had amazing moments and he had some epic fails. Last year while he was working on the house in Stephentown, he was in a really good place personally and emotionally. I called him to thank him for his great work and invited him to come join me at the SUPER BOWL XLVII in New Orleans. Sadly he was killed in a head on collision right in Stephentown near Gardner’s Ice Cream. Yesterday we spread his ashes at his favorite beach in the west coast of Florida where he felt most free and understood. His mother asked me to share that video with you. Barbara wants to help save lives too. I live today, still haunted by the same question I have over Michael Demicks and many of my friends that died too young; “…what could I have said, what could I have done to help save their life…” "It seems
to me that many of these kids were "raised by wolves". Your
actions send the right message; we shouldn't throw away the children simply
because they had inadequate parenting. Your mission is best, we must
do all that we can to set these three hundred pairs of feet onto the right
path."
STOLEN PROPERTY: I would really appreciate it if the other property that was stolen could be returned. These were family keepsake items and I would rather they just be returned rather than disclose what was stolen; that would bring all the media back in our lives. It’s too private and you know exactly what I’m talking about -- they have great meaning to our family and to me personally, and it would be great if some of the sports memorabilia could be returned. These are not as valuable as the family items, but it would be nice to have them back. The picture with OJ & Nicole Simpson taken in Hawaii in 1986 at the PRO BOWL, you can keep or throw away. TO ALL PARENTS: CYBER PREDATORS, CONS, BULLIES & SOCIAL MEDIA 1.) We are truly in different times with children having unlimited access to social media. As a parent, let me encourage you to step up before it’s too late and gain access to all the social media communications that your children are exposed to. The average twelve year old girl has over 5000 conversations per week! That’s literally over 700 exposures per day, where they are being influenced, pressured, bullied, provoked, teased, encouraged, ridiculed, tempted, tested, seduced and the list goes on and on.
2.) SOLUTION: One of the parents that responded to HMS300 suggested an APP called Momma Bear; you should check it out. I’m not endorsing it, I’m not attached to it in any way and I have no benefit in its sales. All I’m saying is; I would definitely have something like this for my teens. And if you get push back, take the door off their room and remind them, you’re the adult, they are children. They don’t have privacy. End of story. Protecting your kids just got easier.
THIS BEHAVIOR ALWAYS ENDS BADLY. 3.) THE TEENAGERS: Say what you want, but the teenage years are turbulent. Besides all the peer pressure in school, the violence/sex they are exposed to in gaming, and the unlimited access to hidden conversations all day long via Facebook, Twitter, Emails, Pinterest, you may think they are simply headed off to school, but I assure you there’s more that’s happening. Teenagers experiment, they challenge authority, they gain some independence, and they rebel. The fact of the matter is -- they are facing a high speed turn in life; and although it’s normal, it can also be dangerous and deadly. Parents you’ve got to raise your game. Everyone does. We haven’t seen anything like this before; and it’s only getting bigger and more dangerous.
"I have been following you on the media. Please...I know
that the media is "being the media". But don't let the media
dictate your goals or divert you from what you want to accomplish. They
are there to sensationalize what happened to you. For better ratings. You
are so right about getting these 300 back on track."
4.) THE SHOCKING TRUTH: If we don’t take a stand for their greatness, and we don’t turn the volume up on these out of control situations, it will only get bigger and even more unmanageable. More teens with die. More innocent people will die. If I offended you by those strong words, you might need two glasses of water to get this down; all of us need not only to hear this important message but also respond. All of us.
"I read
about your story and I would like to help you with this matter. I am a
Florida Attorney and I practice Digital Media / Internet Law. I would be
happy to assist you in gathering more information from the Social Media
networks for your website and defense"
IN MEMORY It’s time. I really didn’t feel like talking about this -- until now. I will be posting a memorial on the website of friends and loved ones that I miss. I miss my mom, and my brother, and my grandson Dyanni. There have also been many other young lives that were gone too soon. That’s really all I’ve got to say about that. Not all of them died to partying or drugs. It doesn’t really matter. To the 300: Please promise me and your parents that we will not – be burying you in the next 10 years. YOUR MOMENT OF TRUTH: For those of you that have turned your life around – congratulations, you’ve learned an important lesson for 2013; and you’ve lived to see another day. But don’t let it end there. We need you. YOU really can help save more lives. You really can. Other students, teens, young adults that are swept up in the partying craze will die and kill others, if someone does not reach them. For some, they are so far beyond the parents reach it seems as if there’s no hope; and they definitely don’t give a rip about what I’m saying; but they might, at least some of them, listen to YOU. You can help save 300, yourself. These are your classmates, your friends and your generation. It’s no joke.
"First of
all I would like to say thank you for giving these kids and the rest of the
kids in this community an opportunity to see redemption and grace displayed in
real life. This situation has reached past the 300 and have affected
other kids in the community as well."
DROPPING THE CHARGES: I’m going to be offering the last opportunity of redemption for each of the 300 (with the exception of the 8 that have already been arrested), to leave the past mistake in the past, 2013. You will have an opportunity to come clean, take a stand for your future, take responsibility and begin the New Year 2014 with a clean slate. I will tell you more about what I will require to drop the charges; but the choice will entirely be up to you. 2013 is closing. It’s been quite a year. And for those that think you’ve gotten away with this criminal act, it doesn’t actually work that way. Regardless of the ongoing Sheriff investigation; the social media trail evidence is still there. If anyone wanted to put this into high speed, all that is required is putting some pretty good attorney’s on the job and gaining full access to all the social media tweets, Instagrams, videos, etc. Again, when you post on social media; it’s basically public domain; so If you posted anything even once, that evidence trail remains FOREVER and you’re caught, guilty; it’s just a matter of time. And you know the deal, I mean I removed names from THE LIST when you asked, even when I had the evidence right in front of me that you were there. So yeah, you lied and some of the parents lied. I get that. Again, because social media is public domain and remains forever, this is one lie that will catch you. Not that you would even consider listening to me; but for those few that might be willing to consider a small bit of parenting wisdom -- you may be able to lie, but you were also lying to yourself, and that creates all sorts of problems down the road. So really give some thought about coming clean because this lie will catch you. Social media is forever.
"Brian, my
father would have hacked/ripped off my arm and beat me to death with it had I
done anything close to this when I was growing up. Something is really
wrong with today's society since some of the parents have threatened to sue you
over your putting THEIR OWN CHILDREN'S TWEETS AND FACEBOOK PICTURES for
all to see."
MOVING FORWARD: Dropping The Charges. As I mentioned before, I will lay everything out for you. And in doing so, you will not only release yourself from everything including the guilt, lies, upset and distress; but you will also help save the lives of young teens across the country who need a “wake up call”. Your voice may be the only voice they listen too. The first requirement is that you must watch the movie, "The Butler"; I know it seems random but it’s not.
It’s particularly relevant to understanding the connection to accountability, taking a stand for the future and altering the course of your history. This moving documentary chronicles the history of our collective past; and the courageous journey African American’s & Native American’s endured; (including rape, murder, whippings, hangings, violence and crimes committed against them) in their ultimate pursuit of freedom, dignity, human rights and owning property. It’s not just history of days long ago, these things happened; my great grandparents were slaves even the Cherokee’s.
And from that difficult journey, some of us survived and worked, and started to run businesses and actually own property even with the threat of being killed, beaten or violated. So please watch "The Butler." One of my grandfathers was a butler to President Hoover, (John Holloway) he had several college degrees including a law degree, but there were no black lawyers being hired. His job was to escort President Hoover in his private White House elevator. Grandpa hated wearing his butler uniform and kept it bundled up in a brown paper back when he rode the bus to the White House and he had to dress privately in the Colored bathroom. His White House name was James Holloway. My other grandfather, (Dr. William J. Trent) served on President Roosevelt’s and President Kennedy’s Black Kitchen Cabinet. I will send you a picture. In the movie you will see President Kennedy’s famous speech about giving blacks the same human rights as whites. Grandpa was part of Kennedy’s trusted advisors; the black leaders were dressed as butlers, as in kitchen staff, so the press and America would not know.
Besides being an Officer in the Air Force, my father has had national security clearance at the White House and would advise presidents on national affairs.
By the way, I know many of you probably don’t know about Strategic Air Command (SAC). But let’s put it this way, this was the highest level of national security, as in, (SAC) was the strength and power that kept the Russians from launching nuclear strikes against America. Their motto was world Peace through absolute strength. They kept an arsenal of 10,000 nuclear weapons ready to strike Russia in retaliation, which made them the largest most dangerous fighting force the world has ever known. My father’s greatest fear was actually carrying out the duties he was trained for -- that meant the Russians bombed the Air Force Base killing everyone and all the families. That’s some extremely serious stuff, and the world is still a very dangerous place. That’s all I can really say about that at this time. But like so many, they did what they had to do to keep America safe and protect our freedom, liberty and our resources.
"I'm not licensed to practice in NY, but I will be
glad to help your legal team free of charge in any way I can. Email, text
or call me if I can help."
More History… If you are really into stepping deeper into our experience (it won’t hurt you to read a book) and the history behind the property, pick up this newly released book, (Yale Calhoun Master, Dr. Jonathan Holloway) titled Jim Crow Wisdom. It is essentially about what we had to do; the wisdom, the strength and humility we had endure to survive and build hope in a better future for the children during a very difficult, bloody and dangerous time. Needless to say, I am who I am today because of their sacrifice, suffering, courage and death. Besides Dr. Holloway being a beloved and revered Calhoun Master & Professor of African American Studies at Yale University; he also happens to be my little brother; and he’s a lot smarter than I am, but I’m sure you have figured that out already.
CONNECTING THE DOTS: THE PATHWAY TO FREEDOM The Stephentown property had great meaning as it was part of the Underground Railroad that protected slaves as they escaped North to Canada for freedom. There are many properties in the area that were also part of the Underground Railroad. America’s journey is a journey that we are all a part of. Everyone needs to come together and unite to make our country stronger. That’s why we enjoyed having so many families, children, picnics, and celebrations at our home for over 30 years. Some of your parents have even enjoyed some of these parties when they were in high school years ago. We had a great time, no beer, no drugs, no alcohol, just people getting together. This was something that was part of what we did as military families when our parents were off at war. The community would come together; and yes, I still burn the hamburgers, and the hot-dogs get charred; but the sloppy-joes were always legendary, the SECRET ground turkey, brown sugar, honey, lemon. What I’m saying is, it’s the simple things like this that makes America stronger.
"I'm from Phoenix,Arizona and have been following
this story. Just wanted to tell you I have so much respect for you and what
your doing with the save 300. It's an important lesson for these kids to see
the consequences of their actions. Its also good for them to see what kind of
trouble following the crowd can get them into! As a Sundevil student watching
the game right now I still got love for you after the beat down your Cardinals
have put on us so far."
It’s a celebration of our freedom and the future we still must build together. Like it or not, we are in turbulent times as a country and the world is becoming more unstable; our economy is still on shaky ground; and there are people from all over the world that want to take America from us. We can’t afford to be doing dumb stuff. Trashing someone’s property is stupid, rude and wrong. I’m just keeping it real. We have so many natural resources as well as the lifestyle and opportunities that are the envy of the world. We have that because we have men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to protect us – everyday; young men and women not much older than you. I will never forget 911 and neither will Tammy. I was on one of the 28 planes targeted by the terrorist they tell me; I don’t know if that’s entirely true, but I was flying over the Pentagon when it was hit. The President forced all planes out of the air. When I landed, the world was a different place. A fleet of stealth bombers screamed over our tree tops within minutes; Tammy watched as the second plane crashed into the tower. My mother called to ask her if I was in the air. She made Tammy promise to call her with any information good or bad. It was another wake up call to the brutal truth. And the next attack is being planned right now; and if you don’t have any military experience; or if you’ve never been talked to this way; let me give it to you straight – it’s not a matter of “IF” we get attacked again; it’s a matter of “WHEN”. This is not a time to be reckless and random, students and parents included. Partying comes at a great cost. Zero responsibility and zero accountability has made us weak and vulnerable.
"I saw your story on Huckabee a few minutes ago,
and I went to your website and read the entire thing. Kudos to you for
being a good parent and a good role model and trying to save these kids.
I have a brother who started down this dangerous road when we were kids (he's
now 39), and he is still attempting to recover from the path of destruction he
chose for many years. It is literally a miracle that he is still
alive."
TO THE MILITARY, VETERANS & THEIR FAMILIES:
Again I want to thank you for your ultimate sacrifice and putting your lives in harm’s way to protect us, our freedom and our human rights. I’m no hero. You are the heroes. You are our important treasures, our very best. As for Tammy she still loves her M-16. I don’t get it, she reminds me that I can’t because I’m a civilian.
HOW WE GOT OUR FREEDOM And let’s go back to the world I lived in and how I was raised to be grateful, appreciative and accountable. If it were not for the young men and women who were focused, committed, intelligent and vigilant, bringing their very best to serve and protect us, they would have never discovered that the sand and gravel that the Soviets gave us to build the American Embassy in Russia in the 60’s on was filled with micro-transmitters. These are basically high-tech electronic bugging devices that could transmit intelligence even when poured into the concrete walls. This saved our lives, and they were not much older than the kids that trashed our house. We’ve got to get back on track is what I’m trying to say.
"I want to
tell you that I appreciate everything you have done. From working with veterans
and military (I am an honorably discharged wounded Army vet myself), to wanting
to help the children who did such a horrible thing to your home. I read through
some of the disgusting things people have written you, and it just saddens me."
Greatness is in all of us.
And yeah I do remember seeing that special car that drove to people’s houses when another neighbor was killed in the line of duty. Trust me, you don’t forget this image as a young child. At least I didn’t. So thank you again. I’ve since visited over 50 military bases and installations in the last 30 years; including West Point, Air Force Academy, Special Forces, Nuclear Transportation Authority, Intelsat and The White House. I will continue to serve at your request. It’s the least I can do. My home is your home forever. Thank you. I’m not important. You are. I take my national security clearance very seriously and I will continue to serve the young men and women of America at your request. TO BEATING BREAST CANCER: Unfortunately, when our house got trashed and the media caught wind, everything changed. All I wanted was everyone to step up, stand up, clean up and fix what was broken. As for everything else, I figured it was the parent’s responsibility to get things right with their child. But that didn’t happen. That became BIG NEWS, but for me, it was not as BIG as the NEWS of October, which is Breast Cancer awareness month. That’s what I wanted to be spending my time and energy focusing on.
I have mentioned before that it has enormous meaning to me after losing my mother to breast cancer and watching other family members battle bravely through the years of treatment. I had planned to join my daughter’s Yvette, Kerry & Caitlyn in the Cancer Walk in North Carolina, but that was not possible because of all the damage and repairs that had to be done. So in the last minute, we planned the picnic in Stephentown. So for those that did come and those that could not, again I want to thank you and say God Bless you; your courage is our inspiration. I would have worn pink when I played with the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS or the LOS ANGELES RAIDERS, but they didn’t do that back in the olden days; I mean I would have felt a little funny, but I would definitely do it. I’m old school. All the donations were processed on the Breast Cancer link to their site. THE PRESS
THE MEDIA: I want to thank the media for covering the breaking news and urgent alarm of what’s happening across America with teenagers out of control. The media coverage exploded around the world and was seen by millions. HMS300 had over 50,000,000 unique visits alone for a reason – it was important new information that everyone needed to see, experience and understand – so we can prepare, respond and save lives. I will be sharing more of the alarming reaction people had all over the world. With this sort of coverage, everyone can rethink what they need to do to protect their children from the harm, exposure, and predators and peer influence of social media. So thank you so very much for your immediate interest and diligence to report this to the world. And to those of you who’ve been following HMS300 and are grounded in the fundamentals of what’s right, being accountable, helping others, and making a difference, let’s stay the course. This is important. This moment has become a movement because of you. Let’s take what’s important about this and drive it to 2014 and beyond, and the rest we can leave in 2013; how does that sound?
"I grew up in nearby CT and
have a younger sister who has become a drug and alcohol addict in recent
years (shes 21). I am sure that her attendance to parties such as the one that
destroyed your home, shaped the person she has become today."
YEAH, DON’T HATE. Some media folks are always going to create stuff, trying to stir up controversy; a reminder that I share with every NFL Rookie. Sometimes I look at the media this way; it’s like a mother walking into a room full of infants at the daycare; you can smell the dirty diaper but you can’t quite put your finger on which child pooped their pants. It’s not a bad thing. It’s what they do. What I’m saying is, there’s always one that’s walking around with a smile on their face even though their britches are loaded. They just need their diaper changed; most are great people doing important work and making a difference in the world. Like I said, I will do more postings now that I’ve had some time to rest and devote more time in www.BrianHolloway.com and www.HerLeague.net WHO WE ARE: The America I believe in is about being a giver, not a taker. We are accountable for our action. We own them. We don’t run and hide. We don’t shrink from responsibility. And I know there’s plenty to be skeptical, cynical and even frustrated about but we are strong when we come together.
As Americans, we give away some of the very things we need to help other families. We take in someone’s child who is having a bad time and open our home to help stabilize young people. There are a lot of people who wouldn’t understand giving all your Christmas presents away to the person who just stole all of them from your car but there are some folks in America that understand the power of forgiveness and the strength gained by blessing others.
There are some that would be astonished what we do as a community when a terrorist bomb planted on a plane kills hundreds of people over Lockerby Scotland and we raise the money, to get the bus, to take all the families of to the White House to meet with the President, to make America stronger and hold terrorist accountable. Wendy Lincoln was one of those neighbors. Some say we’ve become too negative, self-centered and are all about ourselves. However, there are also those that watched as Hurricane Charlie ripped through Ponta Gorda and Port Charlotte, leveling both communities, leaving thousands without homes, food, shelter and water. And then there are good people that make the call and write the check to Larry Jones of Feed the Children to have 2 tractor trailers filled with food and water to be emergency delivered the next day even before FEMA arrived. That’s the best of America. There are so many good people doing amazing things, important things, things that really make a difference. They don’t trash houses. They don’t risk lives and they don’t run from responsibilities. Some sit around and watch hard times during the blistering freezing winter, disconnected and absorbed only in their world without considering other hardships. People suffer. Some need help. Winters are brutal. There are plenty of people that jump on the phone, call all the sporting apparel companies in the country and have them emergency ship all their over-runs in socks to all the homeless shelters in Boston, New York, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. They bring food. They serve food. They come to help. That’s the best of who we are as Americans.
You see, that’s who we are. That’s what we do. We make our community stronger. Who we are and who we must be, (including this next generation even those who are in this partying phase), can learn from the 75 year old African American grandmother that drove up from Harlem just to feed us dinner, give us a hug, share a laugh and inspire us with her grace. She even refused to tell me until I hugged the truth out of her, that she did not have enough gas money to get back. Givers understand that. She is now part of our family.
"I hope you
know that there are tens of thousands of people in this country who support you
and what you were doing. You have every right to post those pictures."
America is who showed up when others didn’t to help out and encourage each other and supported each other when 300 kids trashed their future. My family is forever grateful for literally the thousands of emails of support that came from parents, military personnel, veterans, school teachers, grandmothers, the disabled, lawyers, sales professionals, NFL ball player’s, NFL Coaches, teammates, friends, and neighbors all over the world who still believe in who we can be and must be as a community, a country, and a nation.
"Mr. Holloway;
Servant leaders understand. And we will continue doing what we do, as givers and helpers and servant leaders, despite those that don’t understand or those that don’t get it. When someone has wronged you, of course they should take responsibility. They should be accountable, and there should be consequences. I may never meet up with some of these rascals...I don’t have to run them down, their lies will run them down and their lies will run down their parents. Social media is forever. No one can unlock that jail cell they created for themselves. If by chance I do get the opportunity to meet up with some of them -- I would settle things once and for all – by confronting them, holding them accountable, washing their feet, and having that conversation I so wanted to have the day after the house got trashed. I just don’t get it. I don’t get why you didn’t come to help. To the parents. I just don’t get it. Why didn’t you come to help? Where did we get so lost…and…? How do we find our way back?
Goodbye to 2013… To The 300 2013 is wrapping up. 2014 is a brand new year. Step into your greatness. It’s right there. It’s on you: the future and your generation. It’s your classmate, it’s your friend who is hanging out with the wrong crowd, it’s the random tweet that’s gaining momentum to do something dangerous, it’s you taking away the key and not letting your friend drive who’s had too much to drink, it’s you discovering new and better outlets to enjoy, celebrate, and have a good time without drugs and alcohol. It’s you coming into the realization that you do must play a part in making America great, strong and safe.
"I am a
Cubmaster for a pack of Cub Scouts in south Texas. I try to teach
boys to do the right thing and make good decisions. I will use this
story, (and your quote about not being able to change the past, learn from
it to change the future) as a Cubmaster minute and the end of our meeting on
responsibility."
WAIT FOR NOTHING Brian, (Semi-Famous football player, Semi-Famous Dad) PS. The big partying, the stupid stories, the “Epic” experiences are not “Epic.” They are dangerous. Don’t follow that crowd now, or in college, or out of college. I know it seems like everyone is doing it but that’s not true. On Friday nights, Saturday nights, there are many kids who are studying, learning, working, preparing, improving – dedicated to building a bigger, stronger future. It takes sacrifice for sure, but it’s so worth it. And they don’t do stupid things; they know that everything they have ever posted online will be looked at by schools, colleges, employers, the military, the IT community, banking and investment community, real estate community, hospitals, healthcare, police, and the medical community, forever. It’s up to you. It’s your America.
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During the Party
Damage Pics
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© 2013