Here’s What We Can Do With the Cosby Verdict Fallout…

If it broke the internet, we weren’t keeping watch! The news that Bill Cosby was convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault made all the rounds and was met with different waves of elation, shock and anger. For people like me, I had to quickly come to grips with what the verdict means for “America’s Dad“. For many others, they asked why Bill Cosby and not the countless other offenders in the #MeToo movement.

Bill Cosby: America’s Dad as an Absentee Father

This meme is circulating today on social media. To date, only Bill Cosby has been convicted, let’s make sure he’s not the only one!

Bill Cosby is guilty, as hard as it is for me to say that, it’s true! What is also true is that he should not be the only celebrity to face jail time for his transgressions! Harvey Weinstein‘s name is almost always brought up in the conversation, and rightfully so. His company fell swiftly from grace when he was named as one of the most vile perverts in Hollywood. Countless others have been named and rightfully shamed in the wake of not just accusations, but confessions. Women are breaking their silence and as Oprah Winfrey punctuated during her acceptance speech of this year’s Cecil B. Demille award at the Golden Globe Awards: “Time’s Up”!

So while our formerly beloved comedian and actor now faces his demons, we need to make sure that he is only the first! We need to make sure that the justice system pursues the much more recent transgressions of Hollywood elite and legendary and bring them to the same end as Bill Cosby. I grew up in the hood and one thing I never truly understood was the mantra: “snitches get stitches”. Sure, nobody appreciates the threat of bodily harm but what was more confusing was how far that went. A black man convicted of selling drugs would never flip on his much richer supplier. He certainly wouldn’t “snitch” on a white guy across town brought up on the same charges. For this reason, many in the criminal justice system have seen disproportionate sentences and time served. But, time’s up on that as well!

Who can forget now President Donald Trump’s off the record comments to Billy Bush about his rampant sexual assaults on women, most infamously gloating about being able to “grab them by the *****“. Not to be outdone by a hot mic on a tour bus, Trump remains embroiled in litigation with his former paramour, one Stormy Daniels. As with Daniels, the issue in some cases isn’t consent, but the aftermath of the interaction. For instance, actresses complied with Harvey Weinstein’s vile advances on the premise of future acclaim which he almost always delivered. Want that Oscar…? It was found somewhere between a sordid affair with Harvey Weinstein. Props to the actresses that rebuffed Weinstein like Lupita Nyong’o and Salma Hayek. Last week, the curtain finally fell as another allegation was levied against R-Kelly, this time from Dallas, Texas. Living up to his moniker of “Pied Piper of R&B”, he has found a way to keep the hits coming on pace to drown out earlier accusations, but it seems that his time too has run out!

Fly Jock Tom Joyner has vowed to pull R. Kelly’s music from his rotation

If a jury can convict Bill Cosby, they can convict everyone else…and we need to make it our business that they do- plain and simple! If you’re torn over the Cosby verdict, that’s fine. Do yourself a favor and look at the trial and evidence presented, then ask yourself if he was given a fair trial. Now, look at these other offenders and ask yourself if you think there’s a chance they are indicted? You’re probably saying to yourself, “probably not”, but why?

I’m not naive. I’m not out of touch with reality, I just want us to get in touch with it! Only sharing memes won’t get the job done! Sharing articles full of conjecture won’t get the job done, either! What can we do? Put pressure on the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement to get justice, you know the kind in the Bill Cosby case!

Can we do that?!? It remains to be seen, but Bill Cosby shouldn’t shoulder the weight of this movement alone! Time is not only up, it’s time for the women who have been victimized to see their offenders brought to justice!

‘Fred

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