Our Icons are Falling

First it was Johnnie Cochran, then it was John Johnson. Now it's Rosa Parks. Many notable people in our society and in the Black community are leaving this world and there is no one to take their place. Not that people should need a spokesperson or leader for their community. But, sometimes folks, regardless of who they are, need inspiration. Unfortunately, the only inspiration that anyone in today's society seems to have are those folks that have money. They can have absolutely no integrity or character. But, if they have a few million dollars to blow on cars, clothes, houses and whatever else today's celebrities spend money on, everyone wants to be like them. Now don't get me wrong, I would love to live the "fabulous life" and be able to spend like the best of them. However, I don't understand the getting married and divorced at the drop of a hat and then publicly hooking up with whomever, where ever and the like. I think that all of that behaviour is especially in poor taste when you know that young people in particular emulate what they see the celebs doing. Not that the likes of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lopez aren't human and that they can't make mistakes. But to publicly make a mockery of commitment and to seemingly discount the feelings of the people that they've left behind in a very public and in some cases cruel way is abhorent, regardless of who you are!!! I digress.

We need truly upstanding and solid people to be our leaders. We need people who have genuine moral values, and I don't mean the likes of George Bush and Dick Cheney who claim to be Christian, but don't seem to have a compassionate or remotely caring bone in their body for anything or anyone who isn't "one of them" or who doesn't have money to contribute to "their cause." The things that they have done are absolutely repugnant and to claim to be spiritual on top of all that and to use it to get people to follow them is an outrage! What's worse is that there are really people out there that see nothing wrong with our leadership and think that what they are doing is truly reflective of values and morals!!! We are a screwed up society, from our politics to our personal lives and it seems like things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better.