Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 7-9-21

Editorial/Column
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Look Who’s Back
ow that Bill Cosby is
out of prison I imag- ine it's only appropriate that everyone, who thought being behind bars was the best thing for him, offers him an apology. Even though he did get out on a technicality, based on a deal he brokered with the government on sim- ilar charges years earlier, it doesn't change the fact that he was right when he kept telling the world that he shouldn't have been locked up in the first place.
Of course, Cosby's exon- eration doesn't necessarily translate to him re-claiming his position as America's fa- vorite dad and husband. I mean, even if you didn't be- lieve the testimony of the nearly 100 individuals who came forward, I think it would be kind of hard to ever visualize him in that light again, especially after he ad-
BILL COSBY
mitted to having affairs with a majority of the women who accused him of drugging them while he was still mar- ried to his wife, Camille.
Personally, I'm glad that they set the old man free. Re- gardless of my feelings about some of the things Cosby has said and done in the past, I always had a problem with the idea of him possibly dying during his incarcera-
tion.
Guilty or otherwise, the
crimes he was accused of committing never should have resulted in him receiv- ing a life sentence. And that's pretty much what his convic- tion would have turned into had he not been released.
With his new found free- dom I just hope that he con- tinues to speak out on the serious dysfunction and dis- parity within the criminal justice system. As vocal as he was about that topic, during his time behind the fence, he needs to use an even larger bullhorn now that he's back in the free world.
They say that prison has a way of opening a person's eyes and changing his out- look on society. With "the Cos" allegedly preparing to return to the stage, by taking his show and message on the road, I guess only time will tell if he too was made better through his experience.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can email Mr. Barr at: cbscribe2@- gmail.com.
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A Community Response To Epic Weather
blazing summer is here! Beware! As carbon dioxide levels continue to rise and climate change progresses as frequent and extreme heatwaves become the norm. There is no doubt that the summer of 2021 will be a reck-
oning for Americans on global warming.
For the past two weeks, hundreds have died, and thou-
sands have sought emergency room care in at least 35 cities in response to record temperatures above 30-40 de- grees higher than average. For instance, Death Valley’s temperature reached 131 degrees, and holds the world’s record for the highest temperature recorded on the planet at 134 degrees in 1913, a Guinness World Record and the highest in 108 years.
Temperatures ranging from 113 degrees to 116 degrees were reached in Las Vegas, Portland, Oregon, and Canada. These temperatures could foreshadow “heat watches,” “heat warnings,” and heat records for July and August.
The extreme temperature in the Northwest, Northeast and Western states will most likely foment rolling black- outs, failed power grids, triple digit thermometer read- ings, buckled streets, forest fires, melting cable lines and altered work schedules.
Casualties will be people employed in outdoor jobs, the poor, the homeless and senior citizens. Thus, extreme weather conditions should be anticipated and planned for in order to protect the most vulnerable.
Emergency personnel, community and religious groups should be deployed for senior citizen welfare checks, distribution of water and fans, and establishing “cooling and warming centers” when temperatures rise above or below safe levels.
If necessary, people needing repairs of cooling and heating systems should receive assistance, and people liv- ing without heating and cooling systems should receive fans. Landlords should be required to provide operating heating and cooling systems.
Heat and cold extremes damage the heart, liver, kid- neys, brain and renders a person unconscious, and can re- sult in death when the body temperatures rise above 107 degrees or drop below 91 degrees.
Hot and cold weather conditions deserve the same pri-
ority and rescue as hurricanes. Shelters, water, and cooling should be available to those of us who cannot afford these safety necessities during the summer.
The time is now for community awareness and action. No one need die because of hot or cold temperatures.
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