Carole Simpson

Kids Say The “Damndest” Things

Nov 21, 2019 | Racism, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Kids Say The “Damndest” Things

Hello Everybody.  I have something to say about kids and race.

         I love children. Lately, on Sunday nights after 60 Minutes, I watch “Kids Say the ‘Darndest ‘Things” hosted by Tiffany Haddish. It’s an update of the old  Art Linkletter show of the same name.  Cute precocious children are asked  questions and their answers can be sweet, hilarious and outrageous.

        Recently, Tiffany asked a nine-year-old boy what his ideal wife would be like.

Without hesitation, he said, “Maybe a white girl.”

        The audience gasped and then laughed. Tiffany pretended to cry and told the boy he hurt her feelings, because, as she put it, “I feel you’re telling me I don’t have a chance.”  The little boy seemed to realize that what he may have said the wrong thing, and he buried his head in his hands, while his parents cringed in the audience.

       I wondered why this little boy would specify the race of his ideal wife. He didn’t say she had to be pretty or smart or rich. She had to be white. Where did he get this? From his parents? Friends at school? The media?

       I only saw one boy on TV, but I thought about how many other young boys out there would give a similar answer? Hundreds of thousands? Probably.

       We know there is racial prejudice in America, but that today, it is still reaching down to our young children, is truly depressing. Many people like me dreamed that someday color would not matter. Unfortunately, it will always matter. Huh, I just said the damndest thing.

Until next time.

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Trumpers Are Scared People

Nov 8, 2019 | Bad Behavior, Something. To. Say., Trump | 0 comments

Trumpers Are Scared People

           Hello Everybody. I have something to say not about Trumpers but to Trumpers. And  Trumpers would be the almost 50 percent of Americans, who incredibly support Donald Trump no matter what he does. And it includes just about every Republican in Congress who do everything they can to protect Trump and keep him in office.

           What the hell is  wrong with you people? Do you read? Do you listen? Do you think, really think?  I truly don’t get it. How in the world can you support the president, who is crude, rude, corrupt, lying, vindictive, semi-literate and demented? What would he have to do to lose your loyalty?  Kill somebody? You’d probably say he or she had it coming. And Trump believes he could get away with murder. He said as much himself. Trump Is already trying to kill our democracy, and he’s killed America’s image around the world and killed whatever unity we may have had as a country.

         I’ve heard some of you interviewed. Oh, he’s improved the economy. He understands how I feel. He’s not an elite, professional politician. He’s keeping illegals out of the country. But I don’t hear any of you say you support him because he’s a racist, or because he’s a misogynist. You won’t say that. You’re scared. You don’t  want  white people over run by black and brown people and uppity women in charge. That’s why you support Trump.

         But tell me this. Is Donald Trump so great that you would want one of your children to grow up and be just like him? Think about it.  A child just like Donald Trump.

Until next time.

Too Old To Be President?

Oct 11, 2019 | 2020 Election, Ageism, Democrats, Elections, Politics, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Too Old To Be President?

 Hello Everybody. I have something to say about old presidential candidates.

     “Age ain’t nothing but a number,” is a song popularized by the late singer, Aaliyah.” The phrase has particular relevance today when voters are beginning to focus on the ages of the frontrunning candidates for President. It hadn’t been talked about too much, until Bernie Sanders suffered a heart attack on the campaign trail.  His image as a robust, energetic 78-year-old was shattered in 24 hours. He’s the oldest candidate. Joe Biden is 76, Elizabeth Warren is 70. And Donald Trump is 73. Never before have so many septuagenarians run for president.

        I think ageism is likely to become a factor for each of them, because we in America think old people aren’t physically or mentally capable of being president. But do you have any idea of how many sick younger men were president and had serious health problems? 

         Franklin Delano Roosevelt came down with polio at age 39 that left him paralyzed in both legs, but he hid his condition from the public.

       Dwight Eisenhower, while he was in office, suffered a heart attack, a stroke and Crohn’s Disease.

      John F. Kennedy was only 43, but he kept secret his Addison’s disease, chronic back pain and addiction to painkillers.

        (Photo) Nobody knew Ronald Reagan was unhealthy, but he had bad arthritis, and while occupying the White House he had surgery for skin cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer. And he was shot in the chest.  He also began showing signs of Alzheimer’s at the end of his second term.

      Young or old, people have health challenges, but should that rule them out for America’s top job? Don’t we care about intelligence, open-mindedness, compassion, and honesty in candidates? I think we do. Age ain’t nothing but a number.

Until next time.

Generation Z Needs to Get Woke

Oct 8, 2019 | Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Generation Z Needs to Get Woke

Hello Everybody.  I have something to say about Generation Z.

          On the first day of class last year, when I was still teaching college, I was shocked at how young my 60 freshmen journalism students looked. So I asked, “In what year were you all born?” One boy shouted out, “The year 2000.”   2000? I thought, oh my God. This is Generation Z, the vanguard of people born in the second millennium. They will be the largest generation in our history.

            I was thinking they don’t know anything know about American history, civics, and the economy…and the perilous times for our democracy. That’s why they were in my class. They had flunked the history and civics entrance exam which immigrants have to pass to become naturalized citizens. Our American kids failed and I had to teach them.

       Let me tell you about Generation Z. It is made up of entitled children, who grew up with time outs and iPhones, iPads, credit cards and Fortnite. They probably didn’t hear “no,” very often. And now this huge influx of young people comes barreling in, and I feel they aren’t prepared for the serious challenges the United States will face in the future.

      We older generations have a responsibility to help prepare these kids to take over the country someday. The schools can’t do it all. We need to teach them about what it takes to be a good citizen, a productive member of society, and  a good person.

              Generation Z is expected to be the smartest generation in history, but what good will that be if all they care about is me, myself and I.

Until next time.

Trump’s Gotta Go, Gotta Go

Oct 2, 2019 | Something. To. Say., Trump | 0 comments

Trump’s Gotta Go, Gotta Go

Hello Everybody. I have something to say about our impeachable President.

He’s gotta go, folks; he’s gotta go. For three years Trump has been traipsing around the United States and all over the world doing and saying what he damned well pleased. And he’s wandering around the White House watching TV and trying to govern by Twitter. I don’t need to go through the litany of things he has done wrong, like being crude, corrupt and nasty.

But now he’s been gotten. He’s been stopped in his tracks.  An intelligence official has blown the whistle, reporting to Congress that Trump abused his power as president and that there is proof. The House of Representatives is now moving full speed ahead and Donald Trump is on a fast track toward impeachment.

But I don’t think he should wait for impeachment. (I believe he will be impeached if it gets that far.)  I have another suggestion. Donald Trump should resign. 

If he just removed himself from office, it would save the government the money it will take for the House to investigate and for the Senate to put him on trial. It would save the public from going through the agony of having Washington focused on Trump instead of focused on “we the people.” Mr. Trump is a bad man. It’s time now for him to “Get Out.”

That’s it.

Children’s Climate Crusade

Sep 26, 2019 | Activism, Climate Change, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Children’s Climate Crusade

Hello Everybody.  I have something to say about climate change and our children.

      I don’t know about you, but I was thrilled to see kids all over the world united in a global protest of climate change.  Four million children from countries on every continent and from all 50 states in America, put aside their video games and smartphones and flooded the streets.

       The kids demanded that government leaders around the world do something to stop the warming of the planet because they fear it could be uninhabitable by the time they grow up.

        Then I realized, they probably marched for nothing. World leaders who could do something about climate change probably looked at the demonstrations and thought, “Oh, how sweet. The kids are worried about climate change.” And that’s about as far as their interest will probably go.

        Don’t you know the powers that be don’t listen to children?  They don’t vote. They don’t have big money to spread around to politicians. They don’t run big corporations. They don’t run anything. But on the issue of climate change, they look a lot smarter than many politicians.

    One of the signs the kids carried during their march read: “You know it’s time for change when the children act like leaders and the leaders act like children.”

That’s it for now.

Biden Bites Black Hands Feeding Him

Sep 17, 2019 | 2020 Election, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Biden Bites Black Hands Feeding Him

Hello, Everybody. I have something to say about Joe Biden.

Vice President Biden, in the last Democratic debate, made some more statements insulting African Americans. People may have missed them because of the attention paid to Biden’s use of the archaic term, “record player.” Here’s what got overlooked. Biden had been asked about the legacy of slavery on African Americans today.  

He proceeded to insinuate that black parents don’t know how to raise their kids, that they need help, like from social workers. This, after saying in a previous debate, that he was against busing for school desegregation.  And that after saying he worked well with southern Senators, who were staunch segregationists.

Biden’s string of insensitive remarks are deeply concerning to many black Americans, who make up a voting bloc which overwhelmingly supports him for President.

But he had better watch his words when he talks about Black Americans. Being Barack Obama’s vice president won’t be enough for them to forget his many racial slights this year, when it comes time to vote next year.