On July 28th, 2021, Bill Cosby was released from prison after serving 2 years into a 3-10 year prison term. In April 2018, Cosby was found guilty on 3 counts of aggravated indecent assault. As soon as the news spread of Cosby’s release, the internet went crazy. There are so many opinions about the reason for his release, whether he has been appropriately punished, and/or if the community should still respect him for the things he has done prior to this conviction. No one will ever truly know the truth of what took place, but there are a few things that this case made me think about.
For instance, let’s assume Cosby did what he is accused of… It is hard to hold men accountable for behavior that the male patriarchy has allowed to exist all these years. Masters took slaves in the field and raped them. President Jefferson had multiple children with Sally Hemings. It’s hard to prosecute people/men that came up in a time when that certain behavior was acceptable. This does not justify it, but Bill Cosby is 73. He is, more than likely, not the same person he was 20 years ago. Who is? BUT, if he is 73 and still doing this mess, lock his ass up! Even if it is just for the drugs he admitted to having. What about the lady who lied about Emmitt Till? When are we going to lock her up? She cost him his life, but it happened at a time when it was acceptable to take the word of a white woman over a colored anybody. Again, I’m not saying this excuses it, but all men in a certain age group did those kinds of things.
Point 2: The assault happened to 50+ women. We can be honest and admit that if two women know a secret, it is not a secret. Not always, but 85% of the time. Monica Lewinsky gave the president fellatio, told one person, and the news went international. It’s hard to believe that all these women were affected, nobody’s lines crossed. For those women truly affected, I understand the trauma they are going through. As an abuse survivor myself, I have had many therapy sessions discussing the trauma. I learned a few key things; It was not my fault, I must forgive my abuser so I can move forward (Not for them, but for myself), and I also need to take a level of responsibility. At some point during the abuse, we thought “I shouldn’t be here” and asked “why am I in this situation?”. Deal with reality and stop being victims. Sounds harsh, but sometimes it is what we need to hear. We have to take some level of responsibility too. Most crimes are committed against you by people who are familiar. That is why this whole idea of black on black crime is silly. Everyone who commits crime does so in his/her own backyard. Except the government! That is another blog topic. My point is that we can find tons of data to suggest that women are often victims because (we) choose to ignore all of the “red” flags. We prefer to romanticize reality until it comes crashing down. Again. I am NOT removing responsibility from the criminal or perpetrator. I am saying we are responsible for our own self preservation and power above all else. “To thine ownself be true?”
Point 3: It’s ironic. Black people are quick to scream, “The system (judicial) doesn’t work for us.” Bill Cosby was able to use the system the way it is supposed to be used, the way every American should be able to use it. He had the means to afford the counsel that could find where the system messed up. The prosecutors made a deal with Cosby. They were so caught up in convicting him, they fabricated a deal and broke the law to lock him up. If they would have sifted through the women, found out which accusations were legitimate, prosecuted on those charges, and aligned the punishment with the law at the time it happened, they may have gotten a clean conviction. The prosecutors were so caught up in the noise that Cosby was released, they may get disbarred, and the state of PA is under investigation. You would think something would have been learned from the OJ Simpson trial.
Society’s opinions about Cosby’s release are diverse. The Bible calls it double-minded. Some are glad Cosby is free. Some want him locked up, barring it’s for the appropriate crime. They are mad the system broke the law & Cosby had to be let out. Bill Cosby has been spoken highly of and had his name dragged through the mud. A lot of people have spoken bad of him and spent money that he has donated to Spellman, Morehouse, and Howard. Everyone has an opinion, but my grandmother’s words ring loud and clear for me. In her words, “Let God do his job. The rest of us need to mind our own business.”
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