A bank can't be unrobbed.
A grifter can't get away with conning an old woman out of her life savings by claiming it was all a big misunderstanding.
Former Roanoke Councilman Alfred Dowe can't misuse public dollars, pay it back, wipe his hands and say, "All's well that ends well."
Despite Dowe's repayment of nearly $6,000 in restitution, we hold public officials to a higher standard of accountability and trust.
Dowe violated that trust.
No one ever mistook me for a fan of rap. Bad rap is even worse, and that's what rapper wanna-be and basketball has-been Shaquille O'Neal demonstrated the other night in his turn at free-styling at a mic.
Besides being a horrible rapper, O'Neal used crude language in his put-down of NBA brat, whiner, ball-hog and accused rapist Kobe Bryant. Whatever you think of Bryant (let's just say I was pulling for the Celtics), O'Neal showed absolutely no class (or talent) in his rap put-down of his former L.A. Laker teammate.
One of the guys in the sports department asked me, "Is this really that big of a deal? Wasn't he in a private club?" No and yes. But whether athletes want to accept it or not, they are under heavy scrutiny. Besides, this is Shaquille O'Neal, not some no-name bench scrub.
Additionally, this coming from a guy who wants to be a face of law enforcement? I applaud the Bedford County (Va.) and Maricopa (Ariz.) sheriff's office for stripping O'Neal of his honorary deputy status after his much-publicized stint at the mic. Whether Shaq or Dudley Doo-Right, the public has a reasonable expectation that its guys in uniform shy away from disparaging women, using racial slurs, boasting about their sexual prowess, shaking their butt, etc. under the guise of rap.
Shaq proved he spends about as much time practicing rap as he does his free-throw shooting. None.
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A quick primer on Detroit: It has the nation's largest concentration of Arab-Americans.
So Barry's campaign volunteers should have known they likely would encounter Muslims when the candidate spoke at a rally last week in Detroit.
You've probably heard the account by now. Two young Muslim women wearing Islamic head scarves were barred from sitting behind the senator. Seems the campaign volunteers thought the scarves would send a negative vibe to the television-viewing audience and feed rumors that Obama is Muslim.
After the incident made news, Obama called each woman to apologize, calling the incident "inexcusable."
Here's the problem with keeping the women from the seats: It fed into the hatred and intolerance of knuckleheads who a) don't like Muslims and b) don't like Obama because they believe he's Muslim. (From a purely political view, the vote-happy handlers should have thought that maybe the women could have attracted the attention of other potential Muslim voters in TV Land. Presumably, he could use the help.)
By dissin' these women, the volunteers let bigots call the shots. I have no problem with people who choose not to vote for Obama but don't cater to the (literal) "haters."
"We both immensely appreciate the senator's phone call and his commitment to remedy this issue," one of the women said. "We commend him for displaying qualities befitting an effective president."
At least somebody showed some dignity. In this case, it wasn't the Obama camp.
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Youngsters attending Damon and Ramon Williams' basketball camp this week at William Fleming High School will learn shooting, passing, rebounding, dribbling and defending.
But the camp put on by the twin brothers who starred at Fleming in the 1980s and who rank as the fourth and fifth all-time leading scorers at Virginia Military Institute also works to instill discipline, work ethic, punctuality and teamwork.
And yes, the Williamses, who each have a degree in economics from VMI, discuss academics with campers.
In its 12th year, the weeklong Twin Hoops Basketball Training & Development School is more than just a summer skills camp for young basketball enthusiasts.
It is an intersection of sports and life.
Every Sunday morning, I roll over, turn on my television at 8 a.m. to watch The Rev.Charles Stanley. Inevitably, I nod off during Stanley. But my body clock springs alert at 9 a.m. for "Meet the Press" and Tim Russert.
This Sunday won't be the same.
As you know, Russert, the dean of modern political journalists, died Friday afternoon doing the job he loved. Whether you liked Russert or not -- and I did -- you had to respect his fairness, his thoroughness and his tone. Sometimes, even I would cringe for guests when Russert reached into the archives and pulled one of his trademark moves, tripping up his subjects with their own words. Yet, Russert wasn't one of those screaming heads, but a calm, rational presence who sought to hold decisionmakers accountable. His "clear voice," as Tom Brokaw put it, will be particularly missed as the country braces for a pivotal and historical presidential election.
As an aside, Russert's death should be a wake-up call to employees and employers alike as workers put in longer and longer hours in today's more-with-less, profit-driven environment. Americans woke up with Tim Russert on the Today Show, and they went to bed with him on MSNBC, particularly after a major political event. A fellow journalist noted that Russert always answered the call when he was asked to share his political insights on one of NBC's many news outlets. I am not a physician, but that takes its tolll. We also have to pay attention to our bodies. You can work and work a machine, but eventually it wears down.
On Friday afternoon, Tim Russert wore down. Sunday morning won't be the same.
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If you're a bit confused over when Juneteenth will be celebrated in Roanoke, it's with good reason.
With the exception of a citywide Juneteenth picnic last year by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Roanoke has largely ignored a day that legislatures in 26 states (including Virginia) have recognized for formal observance.
But this year, there's almost a whole week's worth of Juneteenth events coming our way. Picnics, black-tie galas, dramatic readings, gospel singing.
For Roanoke City Councilwoman Gwen Mason, Salem High School senior Kim Foster and 18 million other Hillary Clinton supporters, their candidate's historic run for president was supposed to end differently.
But after a bruising battle of primaries, caucuses, spousal gaffes, errant preachers, debates, denouncements and rejections, Clinton stood before the world Saturday and acknowledged her loss and Barack Obama's victory.
Hillary Clinton hit a homerun with her speech Saturday afternoon! If she had used that tone and approach rather than her win-at-all costs tactics that divided the party and cost her support, we might be looking at a different nominee.
BRISTOL -- For the Rev. James Beatty of Roanoke, Thursday was a day he never thought he would live to see.
As a 70-year-old black man who grew up in the segregated South -- first North Carolina and then Virginia -- Beatty assumed there was no way he would ever witness a black man with an honest shot at the presidency. Just maybe his three grandchildren might.
But on Thursday morning, after climbing out of bed at 4:30, after taking his daily walk and after driving with a five-car caravan of Roanokers, Beatty sat quietly and dignified among the cheering throngs who piled into a gymnasium in far Southwest Virginia to see Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
"What you thought would never happen is happening," Beatty said. "I just could not contain myself. I want to be here. I had to be here."
He's baaaack!
Jim Gilmore -- the man, the purveyor of the no-car-tax myth, the inflexible state leader -- has his eye on Virginia's U.S. Senate seat.
But will Virginians vote again for the man who was elected governor on a fiscal stunt that sent the state's finances into a tailspin and put its credit rating in jeopardy?
Will they push the touch screen for the man who controlled a legislature of his own Republican Party and still managed to mangle the budget as well as some relationships within his own party?
When presented with the memory of Gilmore, one of my e-mail correspondents, a moderate Republican, essentially said: Don't remind me.
In her signature plainspoken style, Michigan native Shanna Flowers peels away the layers and gets to the heart of the issues. No pretense. Just straightforward perspective. Shanna writes about local people whose circumstances reflect decisions made as near as City Hall or as far away as the halls of Congress. Other times, she weighs in on a topic because it is incredibly ridiculous. Or heartening. Or fascinating. Read Shanna's column three days a week, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at roanoke.com
