Closing In On Cosby

The accusations keep coming fast and furious. And, with each one comes a little bit more reality, an acceptance that he may be guilty. Bill Cosby is in trouble...... That an entertainer is unfaithful is as old as the beard on Moses's face. And, a public person, who bases his whole persona on being wholesome is also not new [ think Kevin Costner, Cal Ripkin Jr., Garth Brooks]. So, why do we care? Well, for the simple fact that his alleged womanizing---- which has dogged him for his whole career--- now is about unconsented sex. According to many of the victims, Cosby regularly had the M.O. of drugging a pretty woman's drink with some kind of sleep inducing pill, undressing her, and while she was in a state less than coherent, he would have his way with her. For Cosby, it seemed to be a fairly regular procedure. Sex with a weak woman. We have a name for this. It is called rape....... What really happened, who did what to whom, is only known between the two parties. More and more women are coming forward as the days go on. Now, some might be lying. It is not unusual for some sick individuals to jump on the bandwagon of someone's suffering [ think Ferguson, Missouri] and try to scam a couple of bucks off the charges. So, some can and will be discounted. But, what about the rest? There are some of these women who are firm in the position: he drugged and raped them........ For now, that is all we have on this story. As of this writing, no official charges have been filed. I'm sure Cosby's lawyers are pressuring to have some of these women go away, either through money transactions, or good, old strong-armed tactics. Whatever will happen, Bill Cosby will never be clean again...... Which, in a way, is good. I have always believed that a public person, especially, a celebrity in the unreal world of Hollywood, should never be thought of as a role model. That position of influence should be for parents, teachers, successful family people, the famous who have changed history for the better. Not some goof who opens a film at $200 million at the box office, or, someone who can hit a basket at fifty feet. Admire and be inspired by the everyday person who goes to work and slugs it out with the often cruel world and achieves a noble dignity. Not someone who sells jello pudding....... But, there is a bit of heavy heart in the seedy fall of Bill Cosby. He was a comfortable presence in our lives for many years. A gentle commentator of our times. He spoke of the family unit and the foibles that greet us in our everyday lives. His early comedy records were pure genius, mixing comedy routines with human observations. He had a string of successful TV series, with his ultimate achievement being ''The Cosby Show'', which was required viewing every Thursday night. He has the imp smile of a cuddly father, the loyalty of a personal friend, and the persona of a good guy. And, in recent years, he has taken a courageous stand speaking of the problems and dangers in the black community. Bill Cosby has faced heavy criticism from the community for being out of touch and a sell-out for daring to speak the truth of the collapse of the home life for black people and for not advancing as much in the world as they should be. These words, which are the truth, branded him a traitor, someone who was bitter and an ''Uncle Tom''. Of course, his critics did not hear the real words, as most critics do not. Between his often harsh words of criticism was the painful feeling of someone who took pride in being black and working damn hard to achieve that success in life. Success was not handed to Bill Cosby, he went after it, true ambition. Cosby preached the talk of family union and surviving the obstacles to advance in life. For this, he was shamed......... And, now, we have the charges that are growing louder. First and foremost, let us hope that they are false. Not necessary for Cosby but lets hope that no women were ever raped. But, if they are true, he should be prosecuted, despite his position in life and powerful lawyers who find the easy plea bargain. However, we should hear the full story without the all-too-familiar human deficiency of judging someone as guilty before they have been proven to be guilty. Much more of this case must be viewed. I will leave this blog entry incomplete until we hear this evidence.........