ABM

Troy,

Things won't improve for Black men until their prospective fathers and all other Black men - elders and peers alike - fundamentally CHANGE their view of what being a father IS and how it is valued amongst US...as MEN.

Well after rubbing her "chunk of funk" like it's Aladin's lamp...just how good of luck do you think you would get?

Well, if I were able to rub on Erykah bubblicious bootay, you gottah figure I probably already have most of the good luck a brotha needs.

Bookfan you obviously read.

ABM I guess the booty is not enough to get you to buy the CD, huh?

Naw, Kemosabee. But I will be sure to catch her next video, eventhough I will likely turn the sound down...Hahahahahaha!!!

Never cared much for Erykah's music. There's an ANNOYING a$s nasal tone to her voice I just can't get with. But to be a sista who got to be well into her 30's, Erykah's got a nice chuck of funk crawling up behind her. Make a brotha wanna rub on dat for good luck or something.

I wish some dumba$s White person would TRY to run his-her hand through my hair. Because that sure as hell would be one foolish act that he-she wouldn't (and couldn't) do again!

For Chris Sake, Serena. Run get you a White man, some White dykk and just STFU already!

I think this is the one I find most frightening...

I find your "citizen of the world" view to be dangerously Pollyanna. All of what you enjoy and appreciate about being an American is a product of people who resided within the geographical boundaries of this country agreeing to abide certain laws and social morals and ethics. You CANNOT maintain such sans controlling who is permitted into this country, especially since many of those who seek to come here not only do NOT necessarily share your altruistic view but might even KILL you for disagreeing with them.

In addition, do not tell me an unemployed American husband and father should NOT be bothered about people who are NOT legal citizens and residents taking jobs that he previously held and/or would work.

There is much more freedom of personal and religious expression in this country than you appear to refer to. I defy you to describe a place you can more freely express yourself. Then I defy to declare whether you would tender your American citizenship and abscond to THAT particular place.

No one is stopping US Black foks from commemorating our enslaved ancestors. WE can created “ribbons” to honor our ancestors. WE can lobby for monuments that honor them OR build them OURSELVES and place them where have the right and power to

I agree we should allow homosexuals to live however they want provided such does not intrude upon others. We are, perhaps, more slowly than you prefer getting there. However, we ARE getting there.

Whether those who oppose abortion would or would not do anything to cane for someone else’s baby does not have a dayam thing to do with whether abortion is murder and whether it should be legal. Just because one does not believe others should be allowed to kill their own children does NOT mean that one should be required to take care of other foks kids.

There never would have been Jazz, Blues and Spirituals sans slavery and all the oppression born of such. They (and myriad other wondrous aspects of our history) are the babes born of a very painful and bloody childbirth.

The ONLY unconditional love there is is between that of a parent and a child. All OTHER forms of love, including that between a citizen and a country, will and should be laced with conditions and complexity.

Troy,

I have on several occasions attempted to Google references to Withers (alleged) abuse of Nicholas. And I have found NO detail of what actually happened between them. All I see is Withers being “rumored” to have abused his ex-wife.

You made the comparison with O.J. But the circumstances are totally DIFFERENT. There’s Nicole’s 911 phone call we all WITNESSED. We all WITNESSED the presentation of LOTS of hard and circumstantial evidence presented in court that supports the likelihood O.J. were directly involved in Nicole’s MURDER.

Likewise, with MJ you had a trial, witness testimony, prior settlement(s), etc. that support the likelihood that something that passes the threshold of criminality could have gone down.

But all I have seen in of Withers/Nicholas is he supposedly abused her. I am not aware of any arrest or convictions related to such. I don’t even recall witnessing Nicholas – who is still alive – attesting to the (alleged) abuse.

Moreover, I understand that Withers has been married to his second wife for about THIRTY FIVE years. Has he abused HER? Has she ever declared such? Has his second wife ever had him arrested and charged with spousal abuse?

Did Withers troubles with Nicholas somehow permanent “cure” him of the desire to abuse other women?

Or is it POSSIBLE that what went down between Withers and Nicholas is more COMPLEX than and UNIQUE to THAT particular relationship and situation than it would be to just simply characterize Withers as an abuser?

I have NO problem calling things as they are. But I generally prefer to have SOME support for the existence of a phenomenon BEFORE I am inclined to declare emphatically that it exists.

Troy,

I recall hearing about Withers committing spousal abuse around the time it was ALLEGED to have occurred. But I am unaware of his ever being tried and convicted of any crimes related to such. So, to ME, WHATEVER happens remains just ALLEGATIONS.

Because UNLIKE with O.J., none of us have witnessed testimony of unexplained injuries, bloody gloves and Italian shoes that link Withers to any crime.

And although I understand and accept the rationale of the social policy and law enforcement related to villainizing ANY instance a man strikes a woman, I disagree that every man who has ever struck a woman in anger is and must be a serial abuser.

Lastly, although I hope that Nicholas has never injured by Withers, I have ZERO interest in the details of what ALLEGEDLY occurred between them. My only interest in ANY documentary of Bill Withers is limited to how he made such wondrous MUSIC.

Troy,

To what extent is Withers ALLEGED to have abused his ex-wife? Are we talking about a one or two instances? A few? Or was he kicking her tail for years on a daily or weekly basis?

TROY: "...the film makers did not even mention the "high profile" marriage in the "documentary" of Bill life. That by itself is a glaring ommission. After learning about the abuse in the Denise Nicholas marriage I felt like I was lied to in the documentary.

The issue should have been addressed leaving it out was a mistake in my opinion..."

I disagree.

Bill Withers is one of this country's greatest living songwriters. So I would watch a documentary on him SOLELY for the purposes of observing how he evolved into such a wondrous artist.

I neither know nor even care to know what allegedly went down between him and his current and/or former wives...