Ball of Confusion

 

 

"The Temptations" was an all male African American singing group that drove "Motown" in the 70's
and frankly Mad Man's favorite group of all time. These five very handsome and stylish African American men took the United States and Black men on a musical ride of positivity that cannot be denied.

The times back then were in some ways better than they are now due to the civility by which all Americans tried to coexist. The Temptation's song, "Ball of Confusion" although recorded in the 1970's is still relevant today which should cause concern for all people.

Nothing was more evident of the disconnect that is perpetrated on the American public by the Republican Party than the March on Selma last weekend to commemorate African American's march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in protest to gain the right to vote 50 years ago. This march turned into what is now infamously called "Bloody Sunday" as the nation and the world watched in horror while the racist American policemen beat and hosed men, women, and children like they were animals.

President Barrack Obama, former President George W. Bush, and Congressman John Lewis were a few of the very high profile political attendees at this event and of course President Obama was in his usual oratorical splendor while trying to get Americans to understand that voting is the most precious tool that they have and it was Black people who fought the hardest for it.

Mad Man wonders how many speeches must the President give to America about the inequities that they are facing on a regular basis. Sure it was Black people's day to commemorate one of the most important events in American history but more importantly that day on that bigot's bridge dug deeply into the souls of all Americans and caused them to openly exclaim..... "wow, do we really want to be that kind of a country?"

If you were to go back and read some of Mad Man's previous observations, you would find that there was no greater critic of George W. Bush, but he attended this event and although his tenure in the White House doesn't allow for a political shift in Mad Man's thinking about this former President, it does gain this man a tremendous amount of respect.

The Black cloud that hung over this resent march like George Wallace, the former governor of Alabama standing in the doorway at the Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama to prevent Vivian Malone and James Hood from entering the school, was that not one high profile Republican member of the House of Representatives was present. Again, this group has shown American and the world what they think of African Americans.

Although I believe that the Temptation's song "Ball of Confusion" might be a little trite when used to describe what is happening in today's America, it does highlight the very same inequities that are occurring in this country 45 years later. It is hard to believe that the amount of hate and vitriol that is so wide spread in America today is because of "confusion".

Watch and listen to the video and let Mad Man know what you think.