Carole Simpson

George Floyd did not Cause his own Death

Apr 14, 2021 | Black Lives Matter, Racism, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

George Floyd did not Cause his own Death

Hello Everybody:

I have something to say about the George Floyd murder trial. The prosecutors show again and again the awful images of Floyd’s face contorted in pain, the sound of his voice calling, “I can’t breathe.” The knee of a white cop cutting off his air supply. It is almost more than I can bear and I’m sure I’m not alone.  White cop kills black suspect is a recurrent theme in America.

I have covered police brutality ever since I started my news career in Chicago in 1965. One of the first stories I covered involved a black teenager, shot in the back and killed by a white police officer, who chased the boy because he had been throwing rocks. Chicago police were famous for using drop guns at crime scenes, just dropping a gun and telling the lie that the black guy was threatening him. He claims he had to shoot to protect himself. And the policeman got away with murder.

Over 50 years the problem has only gotten worse. More blacks killed by white cops. And many, many more police walked away from killing black people. Is it any wonder that the public has taken up the mantra—Black Lives Matter?

In the trial, the ex-policeman’s defense is that George Floyd’s death was his fault because he was on drugs. But George Floyd’s horrific death captured on a mobile phone galvanized the planet. The whole world is watching. If Derek  Chauvin goes free, there will be hell to pay.

Top 10 List of 2020’s Good Things

Dec 31, 2020 | 2020 Election, Black Lives Matter, Coronavirus, Family, Journalism, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Top 10 List of 2020’s Good Things

Hello Everybody. I have something to say about the demise of the year 2020. It was awful and you know what was awful about it. But I gave it another think and managed to eke out some positive results. So, without further ado, My Top Ten List of the good that came out of 2020.

BIDEN

  1. We elected Joe Biden as our new president. And Kamala Harris, a woman of color is going to be vice president.

 

TRUMP

  1. We won’t have to see Donald Trump’s orange face and crazy yellow hair. We won’t have to hear his narcissistic ravings or read his crazy tweets.

 

VACCINE

  1. We saw scientists and researchers spend only 9 months in their labs to invent several vaccines to prevent us from getting the Covid-19 coronavirus.

 

          FAMILY

  1. Because many of us were locked down, we spent more time with our families. Parents liked that. Kids liked that. They got to know each other better.

 

NEIGHBORLINESS

  1. And we saw selflessness. Neighbors helping neighbors. Young folks getting groceries for old folks. People cooking and delivering meals to families where the parents have lost their jobs.

 

PRESS

  1. We saw some of the best investigative journalism ever practiced at one time in our history. Reporters proved to many that they aren’t the enemy of the people, but the protectors of our democracy.

 

TECHNOLOGY

  1. With technology, we learned you can do a lot of things virtually. Doctors’ appointments, conferences, meetings. And that technology like Zoom is being used to teach our kids.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

  1. We didn’t go to movie theaters, so the movies came to us. Yes, we could watch big blockbuster films in our homes through streaming services.

 

COOKING

  1.   We re-discovered the joy of cooking. But now, with nothing to do, nowhere to go, we learned that it’s tough to beat a good home cooked meal.

 

         BODIES GOT A BREAK

  1. We gave our bodies a break by not wearing restricting ties, brassieres and Spanx in favor of sweatpants and lounging stuff.

 

It goes without saying that it was positive, what doctors and nurses and first responders did to help us during the pandemic. It’s good, that people now realize how much they do for us.

 

   Now we welcome 2021. As we do every year, we pray that the new year will make up for the year before. So, we’ll try this again. Happy New Year.

Time for a Black Female Veep

Jul 10, 2020 | 2020 Election, Being Black, Black Lives Matter, Elections, Feminism, Government, Politics, Something. To. Say.

Time for a Black Female Veep

Hello Everybody. I have something to say about vice presidential candidates. Is it time now for a black woman to be chosen to run? You’re damned right it is.

 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced that he will choose a woman as his running mate. But given today’s tense racial climate, many are urging Biden to make the woman he chooses, a black one. 

Lucky for Biden, he has a rich array of smart and experienced black women to choose from:  Look at them. Senator Kamala Harris, former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms, Stacy Abrams, who ran for governor of Georgia, and Val Demings, a former police chief and now Florida Congresswoman. Impressive women. No Sarah Palin in this group.

Senator Amy Klobuchar, who lost her bid for president and probably wanted that vice-presidential spot, has gone on record saying Biden should pick a woman of color. Black women voters have been among Biden’s strongest supporters and nothing would make them happier than to have one of their own on the presidential ballot in November.

 Biden’s decision will be made soon. Will he, or won’t he? More and more people say he should.

 Until next time.

And A Child Shall Lead Them

Jun 5, 2020 | Black Lives Matter, Racism, Something. To. Say.

And A Child Shall Lead Them

Hello Everybody, I have something to say about the healing power of children.

The awful events of the past week and a half left me in the dumps. My days were dark and my nights sleepless. Then I remembered some videos of children that gave me cheer and I watch them over and over. I’d like to share them with you.

First—and I’m sure you’ve seen it: the two toddlers who make black and white together look beautiful. Then a black teenager leading a protest march in Washington, DC. And finally, a 4-year-old’s song that always lifts me up:

[Video inserts]

That precious baby sings, “don’t worry,”  We may as well believe every little thing’s gonna be alright. To think otherwise is hazardous to our health.

Until next time?