AC Phoenix, September 1989, Page 3
What or Who is STING?
By Diana Wllllams-Cotton
I can remember the
first time I heard the
word STING. It was back
in '57 I was a young girl
playing in my grand
mother's backyard, fas
cinated by the large
yellow and black bum
blebees that were flying
about her dahlias. I was
busy trying to catch one
in the palm of my hand.
(I've always wanted to
know what makes them
fly with such tiny wings.)
Mama told me that the
bee would sting me it I
continued to annoy it.
Since I wanted to know
what a sting felt like, I
continued about my re
search of "mother na
ture," and as you can
imagine, I soon was in
the house crying at the
top of my lungs.
As I grew older, the
word "sting" took on a
totally new meaning. I
guess it all began with
the movie. For years I
avoided that particular
movie. I just couldn't
bring myself to watch a
movie with a title that
reminded me of one of
the most painful mo
ments in my life. After fi
nally acquiring the nerve
to watch it, my whole
perception of the "S"
word changed. I
couldn't again under
stand why anyone
would call a good con-
game a "sting".
tion that will identify cor
ruption in public office is
all right. However, often
these probes are made
public prior to concrete
evidence. This causes
problems for those who
are being probed. In
communities where
most of us live, we are
quick to jump to conclu
sions if persons are be
ing investigafed. We of
ten try and convict them
before formal charges
are filed.
Across the country,
many black elected offi
cials have come under
the scrutiny of FBI
"Sting" operations. It is
up to us as Black citi
zens not to be quick to
believe what Is printed
or viewed in the media
as being fact. After all, in
most cases, we have
elected these people to
represent our
communities.
That "S" word that has
been giving me a prob
lem since '57 is now
giving a lot of people a
problem, because many
of us don't understand
just what a "STING" is.
Just for your informa
tion, a "STING" is a pain
from a bee bit, a pop
star, a pro-wrestler, and
an FBI investigation.
Well, just as I was get
ting comfortable with
knowing only crooks ran
"Sting operations,
guess who decided to
get in on the act? Yep,
you got it kid; none
other than our top law
enforcement agency-
the FBI. So I had to go
back into a mind that
had always known that
the "S" word was: 1. a
defense mechanism
used by some insects to
protect themselves; 2. a
term used to describe
the games of con men,
and now, 3. a good
congame used by the
FBI to catch bad public
officials that is just a hair
from being entrapment.
I think that any opera
FURNITURE
3431 N. PATTERSON AVE.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. 27115
PHONE (919) 744-0214
Winston-Salem Automobile Club, Inc.
611 Coliseum Drive
Winston-Salem. NC 27106
725-1921
DON’T GO TO STRANGERS,
COME TO AAA