The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-04-01
SENTENCED FOR LIFE
published by Request)

Who, in his or her right mind, does
not shudder to hear or to read the
words, Sentenced for Life?" It is
a sentence pronouncing fearful doom
to human being, one convicted of q
crime and about to be made to feel
the punishment which wrongdoing
carries with it.
Sentenced for life. It may be
brief period or for years and years,
of punishment for which there is no
escape save through death; to be shut
off from contact and free communica-
ton with fellow human beings, to be
denied the privilege of coming and
going at will; in a word, to be sen
fenced for life to endure the penalty
of the law, with all the hardships and
suffering that go with it.
So far, from what has been said the
inference is justifiable that sentenced
for life has to do with crime and its
punishment. But there is another and
more general application of punish
ment where sentenced for life is no
less horrifying, no less fearful to con-
template. It is the sentence for life
that is pronounced upon fellow human
beings who have done no wrong, who
are not guilty of any crime whatso-
ever. And yet there are those SEN
fenced for life, millions of them,
some from the day of their birth, and
from which they can never escape.
The sentence is pronounced by those
of whom it is written, ''the sins of the
fathers shall be visited upon the chill
dren even unto the third and fourth
generation"
Have you ever thought of passing
a life sentence, not upon criminal,
but upon one of your own flesh and
blood, one who has done no wrong?
Yet that is what is being done daily
by those parents who are unwindful
of their responsibility that rests upon
them in the matter of caring for their
offspring in such a manner that they
shall walk in the paths that are right,
that they may have good health, sound
minds in sound bodies. Those who
are unmindful or who neglect these
duties of parenthood are pronouncing
life sentences more horrible than
those placed upon the criminal, be-
cause they are unwarranted, and
would not be pronounced were there
proper regard for health, moral and
physical.
The medical fraternity, philanthro-
pists and all humanity inclined, are
waging a constant struggle to over
come, to set aside life sentences in
the form of sickness and disease, life
sentences pronounced by those who
are Indifferent or neglectful Of the
welfare of those for whose life and
health they are acknowledgements
failing to perform their duty and
thereby inficting lifetime punishment
on those who should be most dear to
them, on those who have a right TO
live and enjoy life, who would so live
and enjoy life but for the carelessness
and neglect of others.
Sentenced for life, 20 endure ills
from which there is no escape, ills for
which someone is responsible. Sem
fenced for life to endure suffering or
physical deformity what might have
been cured If attended TO In time.
Sentenced for life to bear the pain Of
a secret disease, and perhaps transmit
life to be handicapped with ignorance
when education would have enabled
the one so sentenced to become a sue
lcessful. happy member of society.
l W. Fl. Gillette, regional consultant
of the u. s. Public Health Service,
also representing the bureau of COM
municable diseases of the Florida
State Board of Health, win give two
lectures to the colored people at the
lcolored theater today on sex education
and the effects of venerea1 diseases
!. at $3.50 p. m. for women only and al
$50 p. m. for men only. These lee
Etures are free and all should attend.
Tomorrow these lectures win b.
given at the Temple theater for whit4
r people, at $3.50 p. m. for women onl,
2 and at 8 p. m. for men only. No chill
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