Washington Informer

Charles Ramsey insists that he is not a hero.

The Cleveland dishwasher, who reportedly knocked down the door to the house that served as a torture chamber for three young women missing for more than 10 years and helped to rescue them, is indeed a hero in the eyes of many. And so were the participants who ran to the aid of the 144 runners injured by an explosion during the Boston Marathon that killed three others. Cameras caught them giving aid to the injured before the first responders arrived and risking their own lives while attempting to save others. We may not know their names, but they are heroes, too.

And so were the thousands of men and women in white T-shirts who ran and walked in the rain in last weekend's Susan Komen Race for the Cure, who demonstrated their willingness to give their time and money to support others whose shirts were pink – the breast cancer survivors – and believing by doing so that a cure will be found to end the deadly disease.

And what about the hundreds of men who sacrifice their own precious time to spend hours with fatherless boys in hopes of stemming the tide of drug abuse and violence and with only the hope of encouraging them to be good students and good citizens. And the volunteers who ride day and night in vans delivering food and blankets to homeless people and provide toiletries to homeless families because they believe, "but for the grace of God, there go I," they're heroes, too.

Some may consider Ramsey an exceptional hero, which is why they don't understand how a man of meager means could turn down a cash reward for his heroism. But Ramsey apparently subscribes to the same school of thought that so many other heroes subscribe to and which drives them every day. When asked about his heroism, Ramsey said, "You do what you gotta do." It's just that plain and simple.

CHEVERLY, MD— Fusing modern dance with ancient traditions, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company and the Ahn Trio perform the DC-area premiere of "Temptation of the Muses" at the Prince George's Publick Playhouse for the Performing Arts at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 18.

Created and choreographed by Nai-Ni Chen as a collaborative effort with hot composer Kenji Bunch and the stunning young Ahn Trio, the work was inspired by Latif Nazemi's poem that begins, "Let's kiss water, the root of civilization, a word for freedom."

"Temptation" is an electric ballet of contemporary artistry, where the dancers and musicians interact onstage throughout the performance. Brunch describes it as a "struggle for the existence of fluidity and natural beauty in an urban, industrial context."

Nai-Ni Chen is an innovative choreographer and artistic director who uses dance to "find ways to express the dynamic spirit of our changing world." Originally from China, she was a renowned traditional dancer with the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre in Taiwan, from which she also served as a touring cultural ambassador for China. She came to America to seek her own voice in contemporary dance, and her award-winning company based in suburban New York is in its 25th season and has earned global acclaim.

The Ahn Trio is standing chamber music on its head and earning worldwide praise for performances of commissioned works by cutting-edge composers. Comprised of Lucia on piano, Angella on violin, and Maria on cello, The New York Times said the three sisters "have evidently decided to give their aged medium, the piano trio, a kick into the [21st] century". Born in Seoul, Korea, the Ahns were raised in New York and educated at Juilliard.

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company with the Ahn Trio

"Temptation of the Muses" area premiere

Saturday, May 18, 8 pm

Tickets: $20 - $25

Nai-Ni Chen Lecture/Demo

Friday, May 17, 10:15am and 12 noon

Tickets: $5

Nai-Ni Chen Master Class

Saturday, May 18, 10 am

For teachers and advanced students

Class fee: $15

Prince George's Publick Playhouse for the Performing Arts is located at 5445 Landover Road in Cheverly

Box office: 301-277-1710; 301-277-0312 tty

Arts.pgparks.com

For more information contact Playhouse Assistant Director Jenna Ward, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text52065 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 301-277-1711

 On May 9 human rights activist and public affairs expert Lamell McMorris was appointed Chairman of the National Diversity Advisory Council (NDAC) of the American Red Cross.

Recommended by NDAC Sr. Vice President Floyd W. Pitts, McMoriss was selected for a one-year term.

McMorris is founder and CEO of Perennial Strategy Group, an advisory firm providing government relations and public affairs services to Fortune 500 companies, national non-profits, trade associations, and public-sector clients on a wide range of public-policy issues and corporate matters.

“We are fortunate to have someone of Lamell’s caliber appointed as our new Council Chairperson because he brings to our efforts substantial expertise in working with non-profits and a history of forward thinking,” said Pitts.

McMorris, enthusiastic about his new role said, “My task is to serve as a bridge, to help Pitts in his efforts to connect principles of diversity and inclusion to the mission and business objectives of the American Red Cross.”

Thanks for the Positive Coverage!

As a resident of Prince George's County I would like to thank The Washington Informer Newspaper for the coverage of events in and around our county. For years, I've read about the positive events taking place in the District of Columbia in The Informer, and now you are bringing residents of Prince George's County some of that same positive and inspiring news, as well.

I know there's a lot of work to be done in our county, but there are also a lot of good things taking place and they are things we can feel good about. Our county has made great strides over the past few years and if we continue to work hard and keep a positive attitude about ourselves, I think Prince George's County can be the best county in the state of Maryland.

Samuel K. McKnight

Fort Washington, Md.

A Simple Solution to the Redskins Controversy

I loved the photograph of RG III on the front-page of the May 2, 2013 edition. I'm a lifelong Washington Redskins fan and I can't wait for the season to begin. With that having been said, I'd like to add my two cents regarding the ongoing controversy about changing the name of the team.

When I attended the last Super Bowl the Skins were in, 1991, Skins versus the Bills in Minnesota, I noticed a group of Native Americans protesting the name of the team outside the stadium. At first, I didn't see anything wrong, but now I completely understand the Native Americans' objection.

So here is my solution: change the name to the "Washington Warriors" that way we can keep the native American symbols and the fight song, and of course, the burgundy and gold. During the football season if you made a chart of my blood pumping through my body, instead of the colors red and blue, mine would be burgundy and gold!

Johnny Walton

Oxon Hill, Md.

On Sunday, May 12, mothers will be celebrated for their hard work spent raising their children – and some who are not their own – as well as for the sacrifices they have made on behalf of their families. Motherhood is often considered a thankless job, but on Mother's Day, the cards and flowers, and kisses and hugs will contain heartfelt expressions of appreciation for what mothers have done for the ones they love.

Mother's Day is nearly a 100-year-old tradition in the U.S., and it is also celebrated in other parts of the world.

The concept of Mother's Day in the U.S. is said to have been initiated by the author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, Julia Ward Howe, who wanted mothers to come together to protest the killing of their sons who were engaged in the Civil War, and to call for peace.

Over the years, other women adopted Mother's Day-style celebrations, but it wasn't until 1914 when Woodrow Wilson signed into law the national observance, that the second Sunday in May was officially declared Mother's Day.

We want to take time to honor mothers and to express a special word of encouragement to those whose children were lost to senseless violence on our streets, in their schools and in their homes. Bringing a child into the world is most often a joyous occasion, but a mother's job of raising, caring and worrying about her children never ends -- it lasts a lifetime.

Like every U.S. holiday, the economic factors end up making them highly commercialized events. Mother's Day is one of those holidays that reap big bucks for retailers. Gifts are great and many mothers deserve the world if it could be given to them.

But what most mothers' want is quality time and words that simply say "Thank you for being my Mom." That means a whole lot.

Happy Mother's Day.

The nine-story Rana Plaza factory building in Bangladesh that housed nearly 3,000 garment workers collapsed last week making it the worst industrial accident to occur in the South Asian country ever. Over 500 workers are dead and the death toll continues to climb as rescuers work feverishly to aid the hundreds of injured and remove the bodies of others buried beneath the concrete rubbish.

There seems to be enough blame to go around in what has become the country's third garment district tragedy in the last six months. Just five months ago, 112 workers were killed in a garment factory fire. The incident led to more promises that improved safety standards would be followed or licenses would be pulled from factory owners who failed to comply.

Yet, in this most recent tragedy, there seems to be enough blame to go around to those who were clearly more concerned about financial gain over the loss of human capital. Fingers are being pointed at the building's owner and engineers who reportedly were aware of the dangerous structural conditions existing in the factory but failed to act. The mayor, who gave short shrift to the severity of the accident, was suspended while the government seeks to fend off accusations that its failure to enforce stricter safety standards played a part in the recent accident

None of the punitive actions, however, will replace the lives of mothers, fathers and possibly children who worked under these unsafe and onerous conditions just to eke out a living in a country where wages are the lowest in the world. And who's benefitting from their labor? Consumers in Europe and the U.S. who purchase clothing from retailers that produce their products in Bangladesh factories.

An article in The Guardian reported: "About 3.6 million people work in Bangladesh's garment industry, making it the world's second-largest clothing exporter after China. Some earn just $38 a month, conditions Pope Francis on Wednesday likened to slave labour."

This is yet another case that calls for greater action among U.S. workers to demand equitable pay and safety protections for all low-wage workers around the world. And, U.S. companies that manufacture products in Bangladesh, as well as other small countries, must stop giving lip service but push government to apply sanctions to those persons and countries that continue to exploit their workers.