By Cliff Dunn

I think it is important for a people, or a nation, to acknowledge its mistakes, and where mere acknowledgement is not enough, to offer deeds and actions by way of redress and restitution. This is why most civilized people can accept the payment of reparations to World War II-era Japanese-Americans who were detained without legal basis as just.

(It is also why many Americans feel the need to make personal restitution for 19th Century wrongs perpetrated by white settlers upon indigenous Native Americans by tithing a substantial proportion of their weekly earnings at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, and other like-minded entrepreneurial manifestations of their descendants— and quite possibly the Great Ghost Spirit, who may have a sense of humor, after all.)

It explains, also, the “two minds” of many Americans (myself among them) when the subject of reparations for slavery to African-Americans is addressed. Most people recognize the horror and injustice of the institution of slavery, but learned scholars on all sides of the issue (including the eminent African-American Harvard professor, Henry Louis Gates, who in a 2010 New York Times editorial advised reparations activists to consider the African role in the slave trade in regards to who should shoulder the cost for reparations) are hard-pressed to find definitive “accountability” for the Middle Passage which brought Africans to the Western Hemisphere in chains, and kept their descendants in bondage, between 1619 and 1865.

This sense of justice can also manifest in the reverse, where the actions of one’s forebears are so repugnant and shameful that the psyche rebels at accepting responsibility for something so foul. (We feel a large measure of this in our nation’s internal debate on slavery reparations, as above.) The historic Nanking Massacre (or Rape of Nanking)—a mass murder and war rape during the six-weeks beginning in December 1937, following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanking— resulted in such rape, looting, and murder on a widespread scale (an estimated 300,000 people were butchered by soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army), that an honest dialog remains impossible to this day among the Japanese themselves, so great is the guilt and horror of acknowledging it among the descendants of the perpetrators.

The decision this week by the platform conference of the Democratic National Committee to call for a measure supporting same-sex marriage at this summer’s national party convention is historic and overdue. Admittedly, the first is obvious and the second arguable, as LGBT rights seem to have hit their stride with breakneck speed in just a few short years, including the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the passage of gay marriage laws in six states and the District of Columbia, expansion of federal partner benefits, and a judicial assault (but, you know, in a good way) on the indefensible Defense of Marriage Act—or, at least the parts of it that the U.S. Constitution finds objectionable.

There was some misgiving expressed with the DNC “coming out” in support of same-sex marriage at its 2012 summer convention, which will be held next month in Charlotte, North Carolina—a state where marriage equality was defeated by voter referendum. Many persons of goodwill—some liberals and progressives, but by no means all of them—think that a plank supporting gay marriage that is announced in Charlotte will cast the Dems as outof- touch with many Americans (thank God, since those are just the sort of Americans I don’t want in-touch with me). I don’t see it that way. I see Charlotte as an opportunity that the Democrats have courageously chosen not to miss, an opportunity to advocate inclusion and righting a wrong that many people didn’t even know existed until a few years ago.

That’s fine. Even a lapsed-Catholic like me has enough Latin in him to recall that the back of the dollar bill depicts an unfinished pyramid with the Latin date 1776, and proclaims the motto Annuit Coeptis: “He”— God—“favors our undertaking.” That unfinished pyramid is us—the United States—and He—God (whatever that means to you or me as individuals, Roman Catholics, Jews, Protestants, and what have you)—wants us to finish the pyramid, as the work requires.

Proclaiming that a right includes all Americans is an acknowledgment that we are all accountable to one another as countrymen, and that we have nothing for which to apologize as equal Americans under one law and one nature. It also says that while I may not “like” what you do (or even much like you), I grant that those same rights and responsibilities accrue to all of us—one nation, under God.

By Tom Bonati

Every time I hit the gym, I see certain things that really bug me. I’m basically a patient guy, but a few of these items need to be mentioned from time to time because they are mistakes that could affect you and your workouts.

Don’t ditch free weights for machines. Sure, there are pros and cons for each. Machines are easy to adjust, you can’t drop them and, for the most part, you can zip from station to station quickly. But free weights give you more freedom and versatility. You can work more muscle groups, burn more calories and increase flexibility with free weights more than with variable resistance machines. Make free weights the center of your workouts and add machines to isolate those areas which need a little extra attention. Free weights require more exertion and planning, but isn’t that why it’s called ‘working out’?

Don’t jerk the weights. Using proper form for each rep of each set is much more important than trying to break weight lifting records every time you lift. If you increase your weights by 3 to 5 percent every two to three months or so, you are doing fine and making progress.

Don’t hurry through your sets, and take your time and make each rep count. Paying attention to good form allows you to feel your muscle fibers contracting and stretching as they work. Jerking weights and hurrying through sets is a recipe for injury and injuries mean set backs and unwanted time off.

Don’t gobble protein bars and guzzle sports drinks during your workouts. Most guys aren’t running a marathon or working out intensely for more than two hours. These are the situations where you need some extra calories during exercise. Save your bars for before – or especially after – workouts. As a rule, sports drinks contain far more sugar than you need; water is your best bet before, during and after gym time.

Don’t put off your workouts. Your sessions – which should include cardiovascular training, weights and stretching – are important preventative measures you are taking today to avoid health problems and expensive health care costs in the future. Be consistent with your work- outs and you will see and feel results as quickly as today! Don’t cancel workouts because you are too busy, too tired or lack motivation. The old saying, “I’ll think about it tomorrow!” may have suited lovely Scarlett O’Hara, but it won’t work for a big strong girl like you! Get your ass into the gym.

No excuses. Don’t multi-task at the gym. When you work out, make sure to give it your all. Know what you intend to accomplish before you go through the front door. Keep track of your progress in a notebook. Pay attention to the tasks at hand – doing your cardio, lifting weights and stretching. Texting, talking on the phone and cruising all have their place, but when you’re at the gym, workout! Remember also that the gym is a public place – you don’t own it, so be considerate and don’t hog up machines or hover at stations just so that you can text or take a call. Your workouts are an important investment in yourself. Make each moment productive. Here’s to a happier, healthier, hunkier you!

Tom Bonanti, is a certified personal trainer and owner of Pump’n Inc gym at 1271 NE 9th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, Facebook: TrainerTomB. www.pumpnincgym.com