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Editorial/Columns
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Two Sides Of The Same Coin
I have a question. When did Bill Cosby become radi-
cal?
I ask because I can't recall,
at any point during his 82 years of existence before going to prison, Cosby EVER speak- ing out publicly against the es- tablishment on behalf of Black people. And I find it amusing that, now that he's incarcer- ated, he's suddenly found a de- sire to associate himself with respected Black historians, thinkers and activists like John Henry Clarke, Ken- neth Clarke and Dorothy Height, all while publicly ad- monishing Eddie Murphy for being a "Hollywood Slave."
The irony, of course, is that the criticism of Murphy (which sparked after Murphy took shots at Cosby's incar- ceration during his opening set on Saturday Night Live recently) is coming from the lips of a man who spent much of his career attempting to teach Black people how easily smiling and tap dancing can move them up social and eco- nomic ladders. If that's not a textbook example of a cue ball pointing out the whiteness of a golf ball, I don't know what is?
Even though I have my
own issues with Murphy, I can't help but take exception to the fact that Cosby, of all people, had the nerve to call Murphy out for his insistence on portraying the type of Black caricatures the entertainment industry loves showcasing. The truth that Cosby must have forgotten during his stint behind bars, is that he's just as bad.
Neither of these men can point the finger at the other because they both made for- tunes by presenting the kind of "acceptable Blackness" that al- ways makes Middle America comfortable. Though Mur- phy did it through his stereo- typical, fast talking, ghetto, minstrel persona and Cosby earned his success by being the goofy, obedient, non- threatening, negro white peo- ple would love to clone, they're, basically, two sides of the same step-n-fetchit coin.
With this being the case, I think it's needless to say, I don't have a dog in the fight. But, if I did, I would love for it to take a bite out of Cosby's fake backside.
At least with Murphy you always know what you're going to get. He has pretty
much perfected being the class clown who never ventures far from his comfort zone.
Cosby, on the other hand, comes off like he's trying to re- invent himself as a victim of a political conspiracy. As if the- powers-that-be needed to re- move him from society because they got tired of him chastising Black folks about how they live, like he did in his infamous Pound Cake speech back in 2004.
What I'm trying to figure out is where he contained all of this love for his people and consciousness when he was cheating on his Black wife with all of those white women? I mean, from the looks of his ac- cusers, if he was down for the cause back then, he and his pudding pop were definitely on two different pages.
The bottom line is that, like
O. J. Simpson, Omarosa Manigault, Antonio Brown and the countless oth- ers who like to pull the race card when it's convenient, Cosby is just the latest indi- vidual who only seems to re- member he's Black after those on the other side give him their asses to kiss.
It is a re-occurring theme that makes me think that maybe we should start turning around and doing the same the moment we see clowns like this running back in our direc- tion.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbar- ronice@gmail.com.
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New Year’s Resolutions For Elected Officials
e wish to extend our well-wishes to all of our support-
ers, advertisers, staff, and elected officials for the Year 2020. We appreciate your support in 2019 and look forward to continuing our legacy of sharing the news and truthful informa- tion that allows our readers to make informed decisions.
As we begin a New Year and a new decade, you, no doubt, have made resolutions to follow during the New Year. Because of the chaos, dysfunction, and scandals infecting our federal gov- ernment, we offer a number of resolutions for elected officials in the year 2020 for their consideration and your review.
First: Resolve to listen closely to what the majority of your individual constituency says.
Second: Act accordingly on behalf of your constituency in- stead of your own personal views and lobbyists.
Third: When you speak on an issue be sure you review copies of your previous statements so as not to show your bias. Remem- ber, the television stations keep a copy of everything you’ve ever said.
Fourth: Stop giving out false information, and check the facts before you quote information on subjects.
Fifth: When your fellow legislators make false, unethical, racist or bullying statements, you should call for accountability from the official, regardless if they are a member of your party or not.
Sixth: Stop protecting your fellow colleagues when they lie, commit unethical acts, or resorts to name-calling against their opponents.
Seventh: When you are caught saying or doing something wrong, own up to it, and apologize.
Eighth: Read the Constitution (state and federal) and follow it. It is dangerous and deadly to have an elected official who does not know what’s in the Constitution.
Ninth: When the governor or president defies the Constitu- tion of the state or the nation and refuses to cooperate with other departments and officials, your responsibility is to de- mand that they follow the Constitution, not to make excuses or remain silent.
Tenth: Stop criticizing the facial features, physical character- istics and disabilities of your fellow elected officials and con- stituency.
Eleventh: Stop blaming President (Barack) Obama whenever (D0nald) Trump makes a poor decision or blames him for some- thing that happened four years ago.
Finally, quit changing the subject of issues by casting asper- sion on the behavior of others. Own up to your own accountabil- ity for your behavior. Blaming the Ukraine bribery fiasco on trying to find corruption committed by Hunter and Joe Biden makes no sense.
Stop taking voters for fools. By following these resolutions you will make 2020 a happier year for us all.
W
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5