The Cosby Show is a childhood pastime for many in the United States.

Growing up in the 80’s, we fantasized about being the honorary member of the Huxtable clan.  I dreamed of one day marrying a woman who was on the level of the lovely and intelligent Claire Hanks Huxtable - which I did.

I envisioned living in the plush Brooklyn brownstone and having parents with prestigious careers. The Cosby Show was my escape from a childhood that didn’t afford many amenities available in the Huxtable household.  Growing up in the hood, this show along with its spin-off Different World, gave me something big to hope for.  

Recently, allegations of William Cosby being a connoisseur of more than forty innocent women have surfaced. The word about Mr. Cosby pails in comparison to the lovable television personality we’ve come to know.

In a 2005 legal deposition Mr. Cosby stated that he gave Quaaludes to several women he wanted to have sex with.  In fact, according to the document, Cosby pretty much planned on using the Quaaludes to make the job easier.

When I first heard the news, I defended my childhood hero (months ago before evidence released) with all of my being. There’s no way you could convince me that my “play father” was capable of such activities, but it so happens to be true.

I believe that this may tarnish his image in the eyes of many and although I do no support what he has done by any means, I am thankful for his contribution to positive entertainment.

It’s rare today to find quality shows that can not only entertain but also inform and educate the audience in the process.  

Eighty-seven people shot in twenty-four hours.

Over this past July 4th weekend Eighty-seven people suffered gunshot wounds during the Independence weekend. Seven of those victims did not survive; one being a seven-year old male.

Chicago seems like a thing of tall tales; a third-world country in the middle of the best nation on Earth. High death and crime counts aren’t foreign to the area (guns are banned in Chicago by the way). Whenever we hear the name uttered across newscast it’s almost always connected a recent tragedy or the fight over guns to remedy these travesties.

What blows my mind is that this is a daily occurrence. Parents don’t let their children play outside and going to the playground is out of the question.

There have been talks of rebuilding these neighborhoods. Talks of tearing down the crime-ridden buildings and replacing them with abodes fit for doctors and lawyers.  Naturally this would result in property values increasing and the residents having to disperse and construct another high-poverty high-crime area. Because high poverty rates tend to be associated with high crime.

The cycle of the innocent dying seems like a saga that’s never-ending.  

Turn to any news channel or purchase any editorial and you are likely to view a topic that is causing major controversy and seems to threaten the ethnic fabric of this country.

No – not recent incidents of reported law enforcement interactions with African-American citizens gone wrong. Not the eight churches that have caught aflame since the shooting in Charleston transpired.  I’m alluding to what seems to be a heated issue for many in the southern region of our great country.

The Confederate flag.

In the wake of the recent mass killing at the AME church in Charleston, SC many state officials and politicians called for the removal of the Confederate flag from government buildings throughout the region.  It was put to a vote and decided that the flag be removed from the South Carolina Statehouse. However, it didn’t stop there.

Amazon removed the item from their inventory, resulting in an 8,000% percent increase in sales over a twenty-four hour period.  Wal-Mart removed all items that displayed the banner from their shelves causing in a massive buy of goods soon to be discontinued.  The popular television show Dukes of Hazzard has been removed from TV syndication (don’t be surprised if DVD sales of the ‘Dukes’ increases dramatically) and Nascar has asked its fans not to fly the flag. Apple computer has also removed their Civil War games.

The reactions to these rapid changes have been intense. Fights have broken out between those who describe the banner as a symbol of hate and racism and those who don the flag as a symbol of pride for their southern heritage. There seems to be constant bickering from both sides and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to cease.

As previously stated, the flag has been touted as a symbol of hate for some and for others an ode to a southern heritage that is long gone.  That heritage happens to include slavery and a time when African-Americans were treated as chattel to be used, sold, abused, raped and discarded at will.

It’s history and a reminder of a painful chapter in this country that we hate to hear about. Lest we forget that  (if we’re focusing on the flag) several atrocities have been committed under the name of the magnificent red, white and blue.  America in all of its greatness has an ugly past.  That cannot be denied and if real healing is to occur, shouldn’t be denied.

However, I feel that there are many pertinent issues that have been forgotten in the wake of this politically- correct era. What happened to the fight against police brutality – those who abuse their authority? Did this suddenly vanish?

 What about the EIGHT predominately African-American churches that have been set ablaze in less than three weeks time since the wake of Charleston?

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision for equal marriage rights a few public schools are forming curriculums to educate youth on sexual activities and information that would normally be left in the hands of the guardians (meanwhile African-American history is STILL not taught in schools).  

These are issues that we all should be bothered by whether you believe its hate or heritage.  We should all be bothered when our countrymen are murdered senselessly. We should be bothered by those living in squalor and military veterans who gave their all in combat and have become homeless. 

We should address the EIGHTY-TWO people shot in Chicago this past July 4th weekend.  EIGHT-TWO…or does that even faze us anymore…are we numb? A seven-year old boy was amongst the dead count.

As long as we continue to bicker over a piece of cloth we will miss the big fish. Does the person who thinks it’s hate beat the one who thinks it’s heritage into a bloody pulp until they change their mind? Should the heritage group insult and act foul?  Do we fight each other or fight the things that should touch us all despite our ethnic makeup?

We should ALL be bothered by the travesty of Charleston. God be with the families of those executed by a vicious coward in their place of worship.