Mike Ruffin: Friend issued a wake-up call

kAm(96? x H2D sFC92> 4@F?EJ >2?286C[ x 2CC:G65 2E >J @77:46 7@C 2?@E96C DEC6DD\7:==65 52J] pD E96 >@C?:?8 H@C6 @?[ x 3682? E@ 6IA6C:6?46 D9@CE?6DD @7 3C62E9 2?5 E:89E?6DD :? E96 496DE] xE ;FDE 4@F=5?’E 36 2 962CE 2EE24<[ 4@F=5 :Enk^Am

kAmx 3682? E@ E9:?< E9:?8D E9C@F89 2?5 7:?2==J 4@?4=F565 E92E 2== E96 D:8?D A@:?E65 E@ EC@F3=6] q6D:56D E96 724E E92E x H2D D9@CE @7 3C62E9 2?5 925 A2:? :? >J 496DE[ x 925 E96 72>:=J 9:DE@CJ E@ 8@ H:E9 :E] |J >@E96C 5:65 @7 2 962CE 2EE24< 2E cc 2?5 >J 72E96C DF776C65 7@C J62CD H:E9 962CE EC@F3=6] p55 E@ E96 >:I E92E x H2D 5:236E:4 2?5 @FE @7 D92A6[ :E 5:5?’E E2<6 2 A9JD:4:2? E@ 565F46 E92E x ?66565 E@ A2J 2EE6?E:@? E@ E96 DJ>AE@>D] x 564:565 E@ 42== >J 5@4E@C] w6 25G:D65 >6 E@ 86E E@ E96 6>6C86?4J C@@> 2D BF:4<=J 2D A@DD:3=6]k^Am

kAm(96? x 2CC:G65[ x H6?E E9C@F89 2== E96 ?@C>2= E6DE:?8 E92E 2 A@E6?E:2= 962CE 2EE24< G:4E:> H@F=5 6IA64E — tzv[ 3=@@5 H@C<[ 6E4] p== @7 E9@D6 4@?4=F565 E92E x 925 ?@E 6IA6C:6?465 2 962CE 2EE24<] %96 ?6IE 52J[ ;FDE E@ 36 @? E96 D276 D:56[ x 925 2?@E96C EC625 >:== E6DE] xE H2D >J E9:C5 @?6 :? E9C66 J62CD] qFE[ E92?<7F==J[ :E 2=D@ AC@G65 E@ 36 ?@C>2=]k^Am

kAmp 76H 52JD =2E6C[ x C6EFC?65 E@ H@C<] $9@CE=J 27E6C >J @77:46 @A6?65[ >J 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 2DD:DE2?E[ '6C2[ 5C@AA65 :? E@ 4964< @? >6] x 6IA64E65 E96 ?@C>2= 4@?G6CD2E:@?[ “v@@5 E@ D66 J@F 324< 369:?5 J@FC 56D<” @C “v=25 E@ 962C :E H2D?’E 2?JE9:?8 D6C:@FD]”k^Am

kAmx AC6EEJ >F49 962C5 E96 D2>6 E9:?8 7C@> 96C :?:E:2==J[ 3FE E96? D96 C62==J DE2CE=65 >6] $96 D2:5[ “*@F’G6 =@DE J@FC 7@4FD[ |:<6P |2J36 v@5 :D ECJ:?8 E@ 86E J@FC 2EE6?E:@?]”k^Am

kAm“(92E 5@ J@F >62? x’G6 =@DE >J 7@4FDn” x 2D<65] x 4@F=5?’E 36=:6G6 H92E D96 D2:5] $96 :D 2 D:DE6C :? r9C:DE 2?5 2 G6CJ >2EFC6 r9C:DE:2?] (6 925 E2=<65 7C@> E:>6 E@ E:>6[ 2?5 x 925 4@?76DD65 E@ 96C 9@H >F49 EC@F3=6 x 925 7:?5:?8 E:>6 E@ AC2J 2?5 C625 >J q:3=6] xE D66>65 E96 @?=J E:>6 x FDF2==J 925 E@ 56G@E6 E@ q:3=6 DEF5J H2D AC6A2C:?8 E9:D H66<=J 56G@E:@?]k^Am

kAm“*@F ?6G6C E2<6 2?J E:>6 7@C J@FCD6=7[” D96 E@=5 >6] “*@F’C6 2 H@C<29@=:4] *@F ?665 E@ E2<6 D@>6 E:>6 7@C |:<6 2?5 H@C< @? J@FC @H? C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 E96 {@C5] |2J36 E92E’D H9J v@5 AFE J@F @? J@FC 324< =:<6 w6 5:5 E@ 8:G6 J@F 2 =:EE=6 E:>6 E@ E9:?< 23@FE E9:?8D]”k^Am

kAm$96 H2D C:89EP x 925 364@>6 D@ :>>6CD65 :? >J @H? H@C=5 — >J @H? CFE — E92E x 4@>A=6E6=J 7@C8@E 23@FE E96 C@FE:?6 >2:?E6?2?46 r9C:DE:2?D ?665 E@ >2:?E2:? 2 4=@D6 H2=< H:E9 E96 {@C5] p7E6C E9:?<:?8 :E @G6C 7@C 2 76H 52JD[ x C62=:K65 E92E E96 492?86 x ?66565 E@ >2<6 H2D?’E 2== E92E 62DJ] p CFE 42? 86E AC6EEJ 4@>7@CE23=6] x? 724E[ 4=:>3:?8 @FE @7 :E :D ?@E 2D 62DJ 2D x E9@F89E :E H@F=5 36]k^Am

kAmpD x E9@F89E @FE >J A=2?[ x >256 >J >:?5 FA E92E x H2D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 8:G6 FA >J >:?:DECJ @7 HC:E:?8 2 H66<=J 4@=F>?] %92E’D ?@E H92E v@5 H2?E65 >6 E@ 5@] qFE >J 4@\H@C<6C H2D C:89E] x 925 E@ >2<6 E:>6 6249 52J 7@C AC2J6C[ q:3=6 DEF5J[ 2?5 ;FDE 7@C >6] $@ x 4@>>:EE65 E@ ECJ E@ AC2J >@C6 2?5 DA6?5 >@C6 E:>6 :? E96 (@C5 @7 v@5] xE D66>65 =:<6 D@ =:EE=6[ 3FE H:E9 E96 3FDJ D4965F=6 x 925 — 2?5 E96 923:ED x’5 56G6=@A65 @G6C E96 A2DE 76H J62CD — :E D66>65 :?DFC>@F?E23=6]k^Am

kAm!6C92AD J@F D66 J@FCD6=7 :? E9:D DE@CJ] w2G6 J@F =6E E96 H@C=5 DE62= 2H2J E96 E:>6 J@F D9@F=5 36 DA6?5:?8 DEC6?8E96?:?8 J@FC A6CD@?2= C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 r9C:DEnk^Am

kAmr2CG6 @FE 2 =:EE=6 E:>6 6249 52J 7@C y6DFD]k^Am

kAm#6>6>36C >J 562C 7C:6?5’D 25G:46] *@F’C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 86E G6CJ >F49 @FE @7 2 C6=2E:@?D9:A F?=6DD J@F :?G6DE D@>6 E:>6 :? :EPk^Am