By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
I recently saw a video that made my blood boil. Denasia Lawrence knelt while singing the national anthem prior to a Miami Heat preseason basketball game.
Lawrence said she was protesting the number of blacks that she feels have been “unjustly killed and overly criminalized.” That’s her opinion and that’s what makes this country so great. She can express it.
I just wish that she and all these professional athletes and entertainers would find another way to do so. Despite what they say, they are disrespecting the flag of this great country and those men and women who fought and gave their lives in order that we can be free.
Lonnie Wilkey
Some people call entertainers and athletes today “heroes.” Sadly, so did I when I was a teenager. I had sports heroes. I know now they weren’t really heroes. They were just men who God blessed with tremendous physical talents and abilities.
On Nov. 11 Americans will have the opportunity to honor a special brand of hero — our veterans — as we celebrate Veterans Day.
All of us have relatives or close friends who have served in the military. Many of us have relatives who have lost their lives during wars. I encourage every Tennessee Baptist to remember that special veteran in your life, especially those who are still with us.
I have two men who come to my mind right away. One is my uncle — Bill Wilkey. Bill served in the United States Air Force for 20 years, much of it during the Vietnam War. He truly is one of my heroes. He is one of the most solid men I have ever known. He is quiet and unassuming (and he will not like that I wrote about him), but in this case, I would rather ask his forgiveness rather than his permission.
Bill is the kind of man who prefers to remain in the background. He has never sought the limelight. While in the Air Force he was a ground maintenance mechanic. Though he never piloted a plane, he did things behind the scenes that had to be done.
Over the years I have learned a lot from my uncle just by watching and observing. He is one of the hardest workers I have ever known. After his Air Force career, he worked for many years on third shift in a textile mill. He would come home and work around his house and garden (during the summer), then sleep some, and begin the process again at midnight. I never saw him show disrespect for anyone, especially women and older adults. “Yes sir or no sir” was not an option for him. It was a way of life and it still comes naturally. He loves his family but he knows how to discipline when necessary (and that extended at times to his nephew who needed it). Hopefully, I have learned from him and those characteristics are engrained in me as well.
The other “hero” I want to mention is Jerry Currey, a church member and dear friend I have written about over the years. In 1966 Jerry graduated high school and went off to serve his country in Vietnam. Two weeks prior to returning home Jerry was seriously wounded in an air attack. He ended up losing his sight, a leg, and had numerous other injuries. His body was shredded with shrapnel, some of which remains in his body, nearly 50 years later.
Jerry survived and with the help of his wonderful wife, Dot, he has thrived. Life has not been easy for Jerry, but he has an incredible Christian witness that has touched the lives of countless people over the years.
My uncle and Jerry Currey are just two examples of American heroes. I could name others and so can every Tennessee Baptist.
The next time you see an athlete or professional entertainer disrespecting our flag, use that as a time to remind you to pray for our veterans – our real heroes. Without them, we would not enjoy the freedoms we have.
Also, one last reminder — our veterans fought to give us the right to vote. Don’t neglect that right and privilege. Our national election is Nov. 8. Go to the polling booths, bathed in prayer, and vote your conscience. May God keep His hand upon our country.
