The random thoughts of Urban Sista

“If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit” - RIP Johnnie Cochran
Since Johnnie got OJ off, I always said if I got in trouble with the law, I wanted Johnnie Cochran to be my lawyer. For real, because people were ready to crucify OJ and Johnnie got him off, playing what some people call the ‘race’ card. But, Johnnie knew that race always played a part in North American criminal justice.

Johnnie used the common sense card with ‘if it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.’ If the glove couldn’t get on OJ’s hand, no matter what Marcia Clark or Christopher Darden said or did, the fact remained, the glove didn’t fit. And as a critical piece of evidence, the prosecution was done.

Johnnie defended a lot of celebs – Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs, Todd Bridges and Michael Jackson – but he also defended the everyman, Abner Louima, Geronimo Pratt and Reginald Denny. And if Urban Sista was ever locked up, I was going to call on Johnnie. Now, me and all the rappers, gotta stay out of trouble ‘cause Johnnie’s not here to defend us.

Johnnie Cochran was one of the most feared Black men in America – not because he could beat you, but because he could and would beat you up in the courtroom to defend his client.

R.I.P. Johnnie, you will be missed. You can read the obituary, here.

What’s best for Terri?
This past weekend, I’ve talked and listened non-stop about the Terri Schiavo case. I pray that I’m never in a situation like the one that Terri’s parents and husband are in. It’s easy for people who aren’t involved to think this is a black and white decision – let her live or keep her alive.

It’s more than that.

The media is obviously siding with the parents of the brain-damaged woman and I see their point. She is their daughter and they want to keep her with them for as long as possible. Really, who wants to put their child in the ground and bury her – they prefer have some semblance of Terri than nothing at all. At least in this state, they can hold her and feel something… even if Terri doesn’t. Maybe that is selfish, but who can’t sympathize?

I’ve heard that the husband’s a scoundrel for getting involved with another woman or that he just wants the money. People, it’s been 15 years. Fifteen years of seeing his wife wither into a shell of herself. That’s hard. If it had been 15 days and he said, ‘remove the tube,’ I would have said that’s kinda cruel and quick. But 15 years? I guess he doesn’t see her getting any better and he thinks he’s doing what’s in her best interest – just like her parents think they are doing what’s in Terri’s best interest.

It’s very ironic that the very thing – starvation that made Terri’s body shut down 15 years ago – is what they are using to end to her life.

I don’t know if there is a positive outcome for this.

Why does the sister even bother?
I watched The Bachelor on Monday night and the sister was voted off. That’s not a reason to blog because I don’t know why a Black woman would go on these romantic reality TV shows because we don’t get that far. And that isn’t a bad things, ‘cause those relationships don’t work anyway.

But the reason for this blog isn’t that the sister was sent home on Monday night. I was at the ABC Bachelor forums and I read the reason the Black woman was sent home was that sisters are [INSERT EVERY VILE STEREOTYPE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN]. You can read some of the foolishness here and here (The one I really wanted to share I can't find and I can't be bothered to look any further, 'cause really, the show is ignorant and the bachelor is busted and smarmy.)

A Black person has a better chance being in the top two on The Apprentice or America’s Next Top Model, than hooking up with an all-American guy or girl – although it happens in every big North American city.

It’s one thing for interracial dating to happen in private, quite another for it to be on your TV screen each week. Could you imagine the uproar if Jen had been taped tonguing down a Black man in the limousine? Or if Andrew Firestone (white and with some dough) had proposed to a Black woman? As the boyfriend said, people were ready to riot when Terrell Owens and Nicollette Sheridan were pretending to have a tryst in a locker room.

Our society can’t handle the intermingling of races in their face in real life – or as real life as reality TV is. That’s why the brother or sister gets sent home early on in the show – not because they aren’t attractive or intelligent, but the networks know they’re will be hell to pay if that gets too far. Yes, it is about personal choice -- maybe the Bachelor or Bachelorette isn't down for interracial dating, but then, don't put the Black people on the show.

Meh. I'm putting too much thought into ol' dried up Charlie O'Connell and The Bachelor and their stupid rose ceremonies. FYI that boy is lying to us if he expects us to believe he's 29.

That's a hard looking 29, guy.