The May 23rd edition of THE NEW YORK TIMES carried a front page story of the conviction of a killer as if it had been a great act to be proud of. Only if you were familiar with the story, and/or read the story carefully, would you recognize that the conviction came 38 years late, and therefore, fulfilled the oft-repeated warning that "Justice delayed is justice denied." This 71-year-old murderer has lived his life, and he was not given the death penalty, so what is his punishment? Another one of the mob was convicted last year; one was convicted in 1977 and died in prison. This latest one, Bobby Frank Cherry, was described and photographed by various media as arrogant and hostile.

The crime in question here is the bombing of a Black church� 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Three of the girls killed were 14 years old and one, Denise McNair, was 11. Although all of the perpetrators became known, none of them ever received the punishment they deserved. The legal process dragged along so slowly that, according to the news media, many of them died natural deaths. In fact, news reports state that one of them was a member of a family which ran a barbecue restaurant that served as an unofficial headquarters for the Klan. News reports indicate that the only reason any of the perpetrators were arrested was that they insisted on bragging continually about what they had done.

Meanwhile, Black people, by and large, are still trying to nurse the stupid "love everybody" disease, which is proving more fatal with each passing day. I am so thankful that I am not afflicted with that fault, though I have many others. Shortly after the heartless murder of these beautiful young girls, the parents of Denise McNair were invited to be guests at one of the largest Black churches in Los Angeles. The pastor invited me to be one of the speakers. He was well aware of what he was doing, and was very pleased by the results. Of course, there was the usual whining about "loving everybody" and "forgiving them, for they know not what they do." My position, to no one�s surprise, was if you don�t know what you are doing, then you have no business doing it.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the McNairs by-passed all of the "love everybody" proponents and the "forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do" crowd, and headed straight for me. Tears running down their cheeks, they embraced me and said they thanked God for me.

We have got to be for our own �nobody else is! The authorities in this case were not half trying, taking 38 years to finally "solve" the case, and none of the guilty parties ever really paid for their part in the crime.

We will never receive justice from the brother of our murderers. If we ever realize this, we will begin taking the steps necessary to achieve freedom, justice and equality!