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Muting R. Kelly Ain’t Easy
I just finished watching the Lifetime special Surviv- ing R. Kelly and I can sum up my reaction to the explo- sive documentary in one
word... Damn.
After three nights of seeing
and hearing numerous women give detailed ac- counts of the abuse they suf- fered at the hands of the self-proclaimed king-of-R&B (most when they were mi- nors) the first thought to cross my mind was "it's over for dude."
Between the airing of the program and the growing Mute R. Kelly Movement that has succeeded in having Kelly's musical catalogue removed from several major streaming services, it's hard to imagine a scenario where the raunchy pied-piper's ca- reer has a chance of surviv- ing.
For a person who, al- legedly, can't read, and whose entire livelihood is predicated towards him being able to sell songs and perform, this is a definitive death blow. But, as sad as that may be for him, it's dif- ficult to have much sympathy for the man, considering the number of victims who claim that he destroyed their inno- cence. Even if half of their stories are true, having his life turned upside down seems like a mild conse- quence for his deplorable be- havior.
The other day, someone asked me what I felt about the idea of boycotting Kelly's music in light of the revelation that he's a serial pedophile? I told them that for me the situation was complicated.
Even though R. Kelly appears to be a sick bastard who needs his ass kicked up and down Chicago's Magnif- icent Mile, it's impossible for me to escape the fact that R. Kelly's music has had a pro- found impact on my entire adulthood. From the time I turned 21 I can only recall a few romantic encounters when Kelly's signature sound wasn't somewhere in the mix.
Like most people back
then, I assume, I had no idea that the man was a super creep. I just knew that, when it was time to set the mood, the best aphrodisiac a young brother could have was an R. Kelly C.D. The most reliable being his iconic 12-Play album.
Now, after 25 years of having R. Kelly provide the perfect soundtrack for the most memorable moments in our lives, including gradu- ations, wedding ceremonies, unforgettable baby-making sessions, etc., we're expected to automatically turn our backs on all of those precious memories and the music that reminds us of the great times we had because the man singing in the background has a fetish for underage girls? If that's the case then we might as well stop listen- ing to Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Fred- die Jackson, Rick James, James Brown and a host of other popular singers be- cause of their alleged degen- erate sexual tendencies and the way they mistreated women, as well.
The thing I can't under- stand is why this wasn't done more than two decades ago
when we were first made aware of his problem? When he married a 15-year-old Aaliyah everybody thought it was wrong, but no one wanted to stop bumping and grinding to his beat. And, 7 years later when his sex tape with another 15-year-old was leaked, it still didn't stop any- one from stepping in the name of love or jamming to his ignition remix.
Maybe if there was a col- lective feeling of outrage dur- ing those episodes, this debate about whether or not R. Kelly should be erased from history wouldn't be an issue today.
But, since there wasn't and he was allowed to con- tinue to inspire and entertain us, removing him from our playlists at this point would also amount to us losing a lit- tle piece of ourselves as well.
With all of that being said, I fully understand and sup- port those who feel the need to shun "The Kells" and everything he contributed to the world of music. What he did was completely unac- ceptable and, going forward, I'm all for not supporting any of his future endeavors.
But, when it comes to let- ting go of the songs he made in the past that left such an indelible mark on our hearts and souls, I have to be hon- est, I don't think I'll ever be ready.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Company. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbarronice@gmail. com.
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Employers, Provide Sick Time
he first days of 2019 haven’t only brought in the
beginning of a new year. They’ve also continued one of the most contagious seasons of influenza epi- demic to befall America in years. One aspect of the re- sponse, unfortunately, is predictable. A growing number of people are going to work sick.
Though no statistics as yet are available, conserva- tive guesses include the probability that more Ameri- can workers are punching the clock with sniffles than in years past . . . which leads to the question, in a soci- ety that is no doubt, more health-conscious than ever before, why are people showing up at the workplace with flu and cold symptoms that are not only person- ally dangerous, but could become infectious for the en- tire workforce? The answer would seem to point to employer-management.
So goes the argument, if employers were of a mind to convince their co-workers that health-consciousness was indeed job-consciousness and underlined such be- lief by making certain everyone was aware of job sick- ness policies everyone concerned would benefit. An employee with the flu who is at work is a greater risk to the overall work productivity than anything else in the workplace.
Moreover, every employer should grant their em- ployees at least three to five sick days with pay. Having a sick leave policy is advantageous to any business’s bottom line, considering that one employee could start a chain of employee sickness.
We advise, therefore, that employees who are ill, after contacting their employers, remain at home, and that employers who are truly supportive of their work environment allow workers who are ill to recuperate and come back to work in good and non-contagious health.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5-A