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Editorial/Column
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henIwasakidIre-
member one of the things that always cracked me up was the sight of car- toon characters taking on the heads of jackasses whenever they did something stupid. The funniest part would be when they looked into the camera after their transition and began to HEE and HAW
like a braying donkey.
That is what I'm re-
minded of every time I watch the news and see footage of former Empire star Jussie Smollett leaving the Cook County jail in Chicago. His arrest stemming from the charges he obtained after, al- legedly, filing a false police report claiming that he was assaulted outside of his hotel while walking to get a sand- wich. Though his features haven't quite taken on the appearance of a farm animal, I can't help but recognize the same deer-in-the-headlights look in his eyes that screams, "I've just exposed myself as a complete idiot."
Of course, the difference between Smollett and the cartoon is that the character in the animation, at least,
had enough self-awareness to acknowledge that his ac- tions weren't smart. Smol- lett, on the other hand, seems determined to con- tinue playing the rest of us like suckers by maintaining his victimhood in spite of all the evidence, including the men who helped orchestrate the fake attack coming for- ward, the discovery of a check that he paid to the men. And, the fact that he initially described his as- sailants (who turned out to be two dark-skinned Niger- ian brothers) as "white MAGA hat-wearers," that says otherwise.
The really sad part of this ordeal, besides the fact that he actually thought he could get this nonsense off, is that he used a noose as one of his props. What kind of Black man, with knowledge of the brutal history of lynching in this country, would play with something that brings so much pain to so many peo- ple, for personal gain?
For that reason alone Smollett is deserving of every mocking meme and clowning that has come into
his direction. I mean, how can you feel sympathy for someone who went out of his way to court unrelenting backlash while flushing his reputation, and everything else he had going on, down the toilet?
As it stands now, I think it's safe to say that, Smol- lett's career is pretty much a wrap. Instead of allowing his family name to continue being drug through the mud, and making himself look even worse in the process, he would probably be better off trying to salvage what little dignity he has left by coming clean and making a public statement like: "I did this dumb a-- s--- because I'm an attention-starved thirst box. I'm sorry for all of the incon- venience I've caused for the city of Chicago, my friends and family. I promise to not be such a d--- going forward. My bad."
At least, by displaying a level of contrition, he'll be able to move on with his life (maybe getting a job at Dis- ney World where he could sing while wearing a cos- tume). And he could take some comfort in the fact that, as bad as he's been made out to be, he's still nowhere near as screwed up as R. Kelly.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbarronice@- gmail.com.
Pity A Fool
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Colin Kaepernick Comes Home
umor has it former San Francisco 49ers’ quar-
terback Colin Kaepernick settled with the NFL for between $60 to $80 million . . . a whopping sever- ance payment if we do say so ourselves. If it is true, then one chapter of the story of a young, talented ath- lete who started to play professional football, but ended up becoming an international symbol of protests and a hero will have come to a close . . . or will it?
America, of course, is used to sagas like the story of Colin Kaepernick. Take for instance, the tale of heavy- weight boxing champion Jack Johnson, who was stripped of his title, hounded to prison by the American government and only recently received a posthumous pardon by President Donald Trump.
Then there’s the story of another, more modern ath- lete . . . Muhammad Ali, heavyweight boxer extraordi- naire, who was stripped of his title, threatened by the State Department with jail time for not answering his call to go into the military, and was saved narrowly from it all.
However, Ali was not saved from the clock of time that saw his best years wasted by non-activity and po- litical punches. In his later years, Ali was the victim of Parkinson’s disease, though he kept his dignity until the end.
And now, we behold Kaepernick. Yes, he has re- ceived an apology from the NFL in a hefty sum. But will he ever play football again? It’s doubtful.
Will Donald Trump and others ever recant the vi- cious things they said about him because he bent a knee during the Pledge of Allegiance? Such is also doubtful. But what the heck!
Colin Kaepernick, “Native Son,” is coming home . . . but like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Colin may find that home has changed.
Be More To Have More
"To have more than you've got, become more
than you are."
Jim Rohn
mpowered Greetings.
To become more than you are requires you to con- tinually develop yourself. Taking actions to improve various aspects of yourself and your life can sometimes be challenging. However, the end result will be rewarding.
This year, I want to en- courage you to get in position to make money moves and improve your life by improv- ing yourself through personal development.
In 2009, I read a Hillsbor- ough Community College bill- board that said, something to the effect of, ‘Invest in a sure thing... YOU!’ Investing in yourself through personal de-
velopment allows you to stretch your mind, thoughts, perceptions and outlook about yourself and your life.
Personal development gives you the tools you need to maximize your potential. It builds confidence in you to achieve success in identified areas of your life. No matter where you are, be it in your car, place of employment or in your home, you should have at your fingertips an ed- ucational or empowering book, CD, DVD, article or mo- tivational quote that inspires you and challenges you to take action.
Personal Development is when you make a conscious decision to pursue personal growth by expanding your self-awareness and knowl- edge and improving personal skills. By advancing your
mind, your body, your spirit, as well as establishing a process to achieve growth and success will be beneficial in all areas of your life.
Thus, leading to the no- tion that when you become more than you are, you have more than you've got.
About Selphenia Selphenia Nichols Simmons is hailed as “The Queen of Success.” As a Life and Business Success Coach, she inspires Christian women and entrepreneurs to go from being a mess to making mas- sive profits. Selphenia’s no- nonsense business strategies take individuals and organi- zations from scratch, or any- where in between, to Success. To request Selphenia to speak or train at your upcom- ing event call (813) 603-
0088.
Get connected. Join
Selphenia on social media for some daily motivation. Facebook: Selphenia Nichols Success Coach To Women; Instagram: Selphenia; and Twitter: queenodsuccess1.
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