LAST FRIDAY, IN FACT!
Bill Cosby and Michelle Benard of MSNBC made an appearance on the Today show. Michelle hosted a program shown Sunday night on her network 'About Our Children'. I watched it and it was very uneven and quite disappointing. That is for a future conversation. For now, their appearance on Today is what I want to reflect upon for now.
I don't care for Bill Cosby. I don't like his stance on issues in the black community. He is heavy handed and very much crudgemugeon-like. Since he was on the show to discuss education, health and family, and it promised to have a panel of experts to discussion the topics, I figured I would give it a shot.
Listening to Bill as he talked, he displayed all of the qualities that makes me think he is full of himself, despite his intentions. He talked about Michelle in an objectifying way, talking about how tall and beautiful she was. I then started to check her out, and she is a full, tall and beautiful woman.
As Cosby babbled on, with his 'shaggy dog' stories that were meant to be funny, but only took away from both his partner and the topic, it occured to me as I watched, that something was happening. From watching people talk about a subject that I have great interest in, I was also coping with the abrasive character of a person who took as much attention for himself as he shed light on a very serious subject. I was thinking about how he demeaned his co-host, showed how loutish he could be, and it all had me wondering what he would be able to add to the discussion (and he was pitable ... I wanted my time back and so did the SFC, who 'watched' it with me). While I thought that the major topics they set out to discuss were important, I had my doubts that any program that Bill Cosby were going to be a part of, would be slanted to reflect his perspective on 'what WE need'.
That is part of his problem. His perspective very heavy handed. As it applies to the Black community, he talks ABOUT people and not TO them. He spends too much energy blaming without offering solutions. Yeah, I would watch the show because Michelle Benard, who he had chauvinstically described IS very attractive and ...
WHAT WAS I TALKING ABOUT?
If no one knew it before, I guess I will tell it. I have suffered brain injury as a consequence of my boxing career, which began when I was 11 years old and did not end until I was 37 years old. What this has meant is that my brain has 'black spots' where there will never be any activity and on top of that, it has shrunk.
Que sera. The phrase 'cognitive dissonance' became a part of my personal lexicon a long time ago, but because I knew when I got my diagnosis, that it would play a HUGE factor in my 'new normal'. That is why I talk about 'the environment' the way that I do. I know how much of a role that is going to play in my mental and physical health. My thing is, what the hell is everyone ELSE'S problem?
I mean, I have my real reason ... but what about everyone else in the world?
But I have often wondered if there was a design, a purpose behind why people were the way that they are. There seems to be clear solutions to some problems, but there are such difference in how we achieve them. And at the same time we argue over what to do, the situation changes and metamorphs into something entirely different. What ever solution that we arrive at, is outdated as soon as it is enacted.
WHAT REALLY STARTED THIS
When Rep. Wilson, who make no mistake, has MAJOR issues in dealing with race and sensitivities in that area, yelled out at the joint session, an alarm went off in my head. I mean, the bigger topic about health care, kinda receeded into the background. I know that the President took a tour of the Sunday shows, but the drama over the outburst took attention from whatever else was REALLY going on.
And I mean 'whatever it is that we are not looking at'. There is so much going on in each one of our lives, that it is easy for details, IMPORTANT details to slide by.
Who really benefits from keeping the status quo? And how can it be justified that health care isn't provided for everyone, when there are examples of it being done all over the world? The important part of this, is who really benefits from things THE MOST.
Like war.
ACTUALLY, I AM GOOD
Haven't been reading as much as I usual ... environmental factors as well as preparation for getting my 'orders' cut for my next duty station has had me busy!
But that outburst in the President's address got me thinking. I don't think that race is the major problem, but the 'noise' that it created. I don't think that Rep. Wilson's disrespect for the office holder is unimportant. It isn't. But when I put it up against the health care issue, it isn't that he is a 'son of Dixie' and thought Strom Thurmond was 'right' (he even denied that Thurmond had a black love child, even AFTER it was admitted and PROVEN by the Thurmond family!!) as much as it took away from what is really important.
And who would benefit the most from things remaining the way they are? That is what I want to know, who benefits the most from things?
Like war.
3 comments:
Hmmm, it is interesting to ponder who benefits from the status quo on health care. The poor would gain, the insurance companies would most likely gain, the democrats would gain. So, it is the business world and the Republicans that gain by not seeing this happen. Of course, all acknowledge that there is a problem, but there is no real push for a solution. As a minimum, I hope we can open up existing coverage to cross-state borders and remove pre-existing conditions from the mix, that would provide incremental change.
I think the insurance companies would also benefit from keeping the status quo. Although a large new base might open up, they would no longer be able to deny treatments and coverage that they've been able to for so many years. It boggles my mind that anyone would think that things are just fine the way they are. I'm thinking that 40+ million people would beg to differ. Hugs, Beth
I don't like Bill Cosby either. I find him very annoying inhis dark sunglasses all the tiem...who does he think he is?
and I just have to say this about YOU...You, my friend, are a SWEETHEART! your woman is very lucky indeed. Let her know that, cuz I'm sure you'd get snatched up in a heartbeat out here if you were single!
XOXOX
Post a Comment