Essay 175

Clueless on Columbus Day…

• Former Education Secretary William Bennett continues to argue he was misunderstood and misrepresented by the media for his statements regarding aborting Black babies to reduce crime rates. Seems Bennett may be the only one who doesn’t understand.

• The lawyer for the Cleveland couple accused of keeping their kids in cages presented pictures of the children happily enjoying toys and gifts during the holidays. Probably eagerly opening their shiny new padlocks.

• Madonna managed to piss off rabbis for a song on her upcoming album dedicated to Kabbalist rabbi Yitzhak Luria. “Jewish law forbids the use of the name of the holy rabbi for profit. Her act is just simply unacceptable and I can only sympathize for her because of the punishment that she is going to receive from the heavens,” said Rabbi Rafael Cohen. Just add it to the long list of punishments awaiting the Material Girl at the Pearly Gates. Plus, wait till they see the music video.

• The Partnership For A Drug-Free America has been busy positioning parents as The Anti-Drug, but it appears the organization needs to target adults in a different way — particularly in California. A state survey shows people 40 and older are dying of overdoses at double the rate in the 1990s, surpassing firearms, homicides and AIDS as causes of deaths. Kids, talk to your parents about drugs. Provided they’re not high.