Barrett Rainey's Second Thoughts

As we age, many situations and things that were “certainties” of yesteryear are the “uncertainties” of our later times. Early black and whites nearly always are seen through much older eyes in muted shades of gray. Rocks of principle and learned things are – in some cases – no longer firm and unyielding – often a bit skittish and harder to nail down.

Thus it is I’m faced with a story of our recent days – a story of possible multiple cases of sexual abuse and forced submission of women – in which I’m having a hard time applying a lifetime of certainties. And I am, in fact, dealing with five decades of empathy for the accused. Not the accusers.

The accused is Dr. William Henry Cosby Jr. He’s a dozen months younger than me so interest in his career has been a part of my own life 50 years or so. Because his is a type of humor that is a favorite, I’ve followed him from his earliest days in coffeehouses, college campuses and small clubs.

With no sincere apology to media kids who ignorantly label him a “comedian,” he’s not. Nor has he ever been. Cosby is – like Mark Twain or Mort Sahl or Mark Russell or Garrison Keillor – a humorist. He doesn’t tell jokes as comedians do. He’s made a highly successful career of just finding humor in the daily events we all live with. Humor we don’t see.

One of my favorites of this “humor where there is no humor” is a Cosby routine about going to the dentist. “You spend your whole life being told to keep sharp objects out of your mouth,” he says, “And the first thing this guy does is stick a pointy steel spike in there and starts poking things.” Humor where you don’t expect it.

Or, when arguing with a teenage child – definitely no humor there. Right? Except when Cosby says “I brought you into this world and I can take you out!” What exasperated parent wouldn’t chuckle? Finding simple humor.

But there’s nothing funny about Cosby’s life and career now. Now, he stands accused of rape and other sexual charges proffered by a growing list of women he’s alleged to have had contact with over the last 30 or so years. Cosby faces what likely will be career-ending accusations that could – if pursued – become criminal charges meaning jail for the rest of his life.

What the hell happened?

Cosby’s name has been linked to similar situations in the past. Once, he even reportedly paid a cash settlement to someone who had claimed sexual mistreatment at his hands. But now, the list of women coming forward to point to him for alleged past crimes grows weekly.

If you look at the totality of his life, Cos has been nothing if not a voice of reason and accomplishment in a world of racial discord. He developed a love of education and learning mid-life and even got a doctorate in elementary education from the University of Massachusetts.

He undertook hundreds of private efforts to improve classrooms and schools in the Black community. He donated millions and raised millions more to build schools. He criticized and often lectured Black men on their responsibilities to be part of their kid’s lives. He was vilified by some for using his wealth and fame gained in a largely white world for being critical and seemingly judgmental of those in the Black world. He kept it up.

He’s received hundreds of awards and been loudly acclaimed for doing what he’s done – for standing for the family issues he has – for using his own wealth and fame to help millions of others – for “walking the walk.”

But here we are. All he’s done and all he’s stood for could be reduced to ashes blowing in some wind. Good works and leadership in difficult roles mean nothing now. His huge contributions of humor and joy in people’s lives must be put aside. Whether these charges have merit and what to do about them are the only issues to be considered. Must be considered.

Media kids – still trying to learn how to use a toilet without getting their hands wet – are falsely “reporting” no other public performer has ever faced such charges. Of course, they don’t know who Fatty Arbuckle, Errol Flynn, Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, Clark Gable, or Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. were, either. Sexual accusations against public figures are nothing new.

But, for me, the Cosby story IS something new. The charges that keep mounting say there is some fire under the smoke here. The willingness of so many to put themselves and their families under public and official scrutiny do deserve our attention. Cosby’s refusal to confront any of the stories simply amplifies issues being brought up without rebuttal.

The “newness” is, deep inside, I continue to admire the performer I’ve known for 50 years. I continue to chuckle at issues of daily life only Cosby found and shared. Whether Fat Albert or the Huxtable clan or the solitary person in the spotlight in a 50,000 seat arena – Cos has been a favorite.

So now comes the issue. Now I – and millions of others like me – have to separate all of that from the real person that may well become a criminal defendant charged with crimes we all hate.

Damn it, Cos!! DAMN IT!!!

Posted in Column | | Comments Off on Say it aint so, Bill

Here on the central Oregon coast, we seldom make headlines. Most of us like it that way. That’s one of the reasons we live here. Usually peaceful, quiet sort of place – except for tourist season. But, even then, people come and go and life still runs at an acceptably normal pace for most of us.

When we do make the national news, it’s almost always because something bad has happened. Something very abnormal – usually dealing with death and/or destruction. The news kids from Portland and Eugene run over to take notice, shoot some pictures and spread whatever the details may be of our latest anomaly. Like – well – like a mother leading her six-year-old boy by the hand out a quarter mile to the middle of a very high bridge, throwing him 133 feet to his death – then calling the cops. Things like that.

The 3,260 foot long Yaquina Bay Bridge at Newport is a major icon on the Oregon coast – one of 11 bridges designed in the 1930’s and ‘40’s by engineer Conde McCullough. All his work has a sort of art deco flavor with large curved arches at the center. Nearly all are on the National Historic Register and, when repairs have been required because of age and wear and tear, the structures have been faithfully kept true to the original designs. We who traverse them regularly don’t give them much thought. Not much, that is, until someone uses one as a murder weapon.

The self-confessed killer is Jillian McCabe. The victim was her autistic son, London. That evening, immediately after throwing London to his death, she called 9-1-1, confessed, then waited on the sidewalk of the center span we locals have traveled over so many times without thinking of it as a possible crime scene. She just waited as cops, EMT’s and onlookers arrived in ever-increasing numbers. In about two hours later, everyone was gone and Jillian McCabe was on a suicide watch in the Lincoln County jail.

Four hours later, some folks walking on a dock at an upscale condominium complex a couple of miles East of the bridge saw the small, broken body floating a few feet out.

About the only other factual details available at this point are these: Jillian’s husband had been recently diagnosed with MS and lost his job – London was autistic and required special expensive care he wouldn’t be able to get – his mother had no special employment skills and her family said she had mental problems for a long time.

So, now you know the facts. Such as they are.

Oh, one more thing. A couple of hundred adults and children – most of whom had heard of London McCabe – descended on Newport to hold a couple of vigils in his memory and to tell local media “we’ll never forget.”

The problem is, they will forget. In a way, they already have. They’ll go home, get involved with their normal lives and an Oregon mother’s murder of her child will soon be just another distant memory. If that.

Jillian McCabe will be arraigned eventually. She’ll be shuttled off to a state institution for mental evaluation – one that should’ve been done years ago when her family watched a person they knew had problems get married and have a child. Jillian will come back and, given the facts and that taxpayer-funded exam, be judged on her proven incompetence, be assigned to a state institution and become just another closed case in the files of the Lincoln County Prosecutor. In a year – maybe two – most of us will forget.

But there are others – many others who should remember. Others who include politicians who fail to adequately fund society’s responsibilities to care for those with mental defect or injury. Like the hundreds of thousands of young people sent off to war with no damned thought about their medical- AND psychiatric – needs after multiple trips to the battlefields. We paid to train ‘em and send ‘em out to kill. But we never thought about ‘em coming home with unseen mental injuries caused by the killing and now so many are killing themselves at home we don’t even report the statistics any more. There are Jillian McCabes in their numbers.

How about the millions of mentally disaffected now roaming our streets? We call them “homeless” as if they were out there as the result of financial problems instead of the basic need for mental and physical health care that should be afforded all who live in this country. What of our responsibility for them? Are there more Jillian McCabes we drive past on our streets?

When loving, caring people want to adopt a child in this county, we’ve put so damned many hoops and bear traps in our systems that many give up. But nearly anyone with diminished mental capacity can have kids by the litter – some of whom are guaranteed to require the kind of expensive care London McCabe couldn’t have. What about our responsibilities to them? To the unborn? What about the treatment and habilitation they need?

Mental illness treatment – whether inherited or conditioned by war or other mind-bending experiences – has never – never – had full support of society. We’ve banished millions to institutions. We’ve closed institutions when politicians needed to show the folks at home they could “reduce the size of government” or avoid a tax increase. The vastly overly esteemed Ronald Reagan did that in the ‘80’s – shuttering thousands of mental health facilities – saying churches and others “could pick up the slack. Oh, Hell yes!!! Can your church substitute for a mental health clinic?

We’ve underfunded and understaffed our public education system’s ability do deal with kids with mental problems because such care “ain’t readin’, writin’ and ‘rithmatic.” How many Jillian or London McCabes have flunked out or wound up in jails – or killed someone – because we couldn’t “see” their injuries – couldn’t “see” their hurt and their lifesaving needs?

Jillian McCabe will likely spend the rest of her life in one taxpayer-supported jail or hospital or other institution. If she lives to 80 or so, we’ll pay a million-dollars or more to see to her needs. What would it have cost society to guarantee she had the care she needed BEFORE had kids – BEFORE she led her son out on that Newport bridge to his death? How many thousands of dollars up front would have saved millions at the other end? And maybe London McCabe’s life? Just in this one case?

Yeah, there are folks now who believe they “won’t forget.” There are many who say they’ll never figure out how a mother could kill her own child. The little memorial sites will continue to collect stuffed animals and loving notes and candles in memory of London until a county employee eventually sweeps them all into a trash bag for the garbage heap. There won’t be anymore.

Remembering is one thing. Working for – and bringing about – change in how we treat mental illnesses is a whole different and much more difficult deal than just not forgetting some kid somewhere. There are a lot of Jillian and London McCabes in this world. And so far, we haven’t done a helluva lot for them.

Posted in Column | | Comments Off on London who?

If you think national government has been unresponsive to our national needs for the last several years, get used to it. ‘Cause you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet! Unresponsiveness is about to hit a new, record low.

“Whoa, there Rainey,” you say. “Yeah, that was pretty much a Republican sweep of Congress. And things have moved to the right of center quite a bit. I’ll give you that. But a ‘new low’ in conducting the affairs of the nation? C’mon, now. It’s not that bad.”

“It is,” sez I. And here’s the big reason why. The Cruz ‘missile.”

Yes, Sir. Theodore Cruz – late of Canada by way of Texas. See, Teddy has already loudly voiced his opposition to Mitch McConnell being named majority leader. (Note how the vote to do so was by voice only?) Yes, Sir. And he’s not going to stop running across the Capitol building to work his crazy mischief in the House of Representatives ‘cause now he’s got new help over there. Yes, Sir. And Ol’ Teddy says he’s going to hold up just about anything that comes to the Senate that doesn’t meet his “high standards” for American freedom and democracy! We’re talking legislation, appointments, debt ceiling, budgets – anything that runs counter to his “thinking.” Anything! And, under the rules, he can do that.

Though I’ve never cared much for Mitch – along, it seems, with just about everyone with whom he’s ever come in contact – I’ll give him this. He’s among the best in the politics of the Senate, winning many a battle with deep knowledge of not just the rules of the place but also reading people and knowing how to move them like so many chess pieces. You don’t survive in leadership as long as he has without such tools.

But Mitch is about to face something that’s going to test his legendary skills. To say nothing of his Kentucky patience. Cruz and a rump Republican caucus of crazies. ‘Cause “the Missile” has been talking to some of the old – and all the new – kindred spirits about his plans. And some of that talk has leaked, as it always does in Washington.

For all its high-flown reputation as “the world’s greatest deliberative body,” the Senate no longer represents the true meaning of those words. In the face of the new confrontational style politics – and the “you’re-with-me-or-against-me” philosophy that’s become so commonplace – senatorial decorum on the floor or in committee has become as theatrical as the World Wrestling Federation. Fits and spats – name calling – back stabbing – undercutting one another just for spite.

There’s no more perfect breeding laboratory for the kind of divisive, in-your-face politics that typifies Ted Cruz. You add to him (current or incoming members of his political void) Mike Lee, Cory Gardner, Thom Tillis, Dan Sullivan, Tim Scott. Tom Cotton, Joni Ernst, and likely Ron Johnson among others, and you’ve got a little rump caucus that can tie knots in the best laid legislative procedural plans. Each of them -without reason or question – can deep-six nominations for the cabinet or courts, keep any bill off the floor with a single anonymous whisper or stop movement of any critical legislation such as debt ceilings.

Now, consider McConnell and the Republicans have a majority of half-a -dozen seats or so, and if Cruz – alone or in concert with five or six naysayers – decides to hold up the proceedings, who’s to stop him? What sorts of demands can Cruz and his loony cadre make to get what they want in exchange for supporting ol’ Mitch each day? Or, does Mitch violate the Hastert rule by going to the Democrats to keep things moving? Is McConnell going to have to operate with a coalition of loyal Republicans and a few willing Democrats to conduct the Senate’s business?

One thing we know about Cruz. His brutish style is “my-way-or-the-highway” in all he does. He believes he – and he alone – has the clearest vision of things political and that only he sees the “correct” path. No one yet – no one – has been able to shut him down or keep him out of the limelight. Even John Boehner hasn’t been able to stop ol’ Teddy from trotting across the rotunda to stir things up in the House where he has no standing, doesn’t belong and has clearly undercut Boehner’s leadership. He’s already been “advising” a rump caucus there. Now, the 2014 election outcome has given him a few more malcontent voices.

Throw in the media, too. Though Cruz is a political heavyweight only to himself, the media will put him on more Sunday talk shows than current record holder Johnny McCain. Faux Neus will put a bureau in Cruze’s Senate office so his latest attack philosophy can immediately be broadcast as “Breaking Cruz News.”

We’re going to be seeing more of Cruz on your hi-definition than the linguistically dysfunctional Wolf Blitzer. Bet on it!

Posted in Column | | Comments Off on Careful what you wish for

Well, we had an election. Some of us are pleased with the outcome – some of us are renewing passports and searching the I-net for details of New Zealand’s immigration laws.

Speaking strictly of candidates and not political parties, I’ve never seen a slate of more unqualified, unknowing and woefully unskilled winners. Consider. One governor returned to office owned a company found guilty of numerous counts of Medicaid fraud. That may’ve been how he could afford to throw more than $24-million into his race. Two new members of Congress have felony convictions while a third was re-elected while still under indictment on multiple criminal charges yet to be tried.

There’s the new senator who authored – authored – a bill in both the Colorado legislature and the U.S. House to not just outlaw abortion but also essentially criminalize any form of birth control. Then he claimed he didn’t know that would be the result of his labors – then repeatedly denied any connection with either bill though both still carry his name.

Idaho voters elected a Supt. of Public Instruction who lied about her educational achievements, couldn’t remember when she was divorced or remarried, hadn’t voted in a dozen or so elections and said she had no knowledge of the state’s educational budget but would “study it” if she were successful.

Idaho also elected a new Secretary of State whose honesty and integrity have been repeatedly and publically criticized by his own party and who says he wants to enact new voting laws that would discriminate against and/or disenfranchise some of Idaho’s citizens. And Idaho voters re-elected a State Treasurer who ignored Idaho’s investment statutes while losing more than $10-million in the markets and whose practices were soundly criticized in an official audit.

Idaho’s governor was re-elected, too. Not content with just thanking voters, his acceptance speech included a promise to waste even more tax dollars in repeated attempts to override the federal court decision to allow same sex marriages in the state. He’s already failed twice.

The hog castration lady from Iowa will be a U.S. Senator though she showed repeatedly during the campaign she has limited knowledge of both the job and the role of government in general. And after a campaign in which she admitted always having an automatic pistol on her person – not only for personal protection but also for use at that moment when “government rights” interfere with her “rights.”

There’ll be far too many members of Congress with questionable backgrounds for moral or ethical reasons, criminal convictions, limited knowledge of the offices to which they’ve been elected, positions on issues that would discriminate against certain categories of citizens. Far too many conducted campaigns showing little knowledge of American government – which they will now represent.

But – we’ll survive. We always have. That survival, however, will likely come after a couple of years of deadlock, bad decisions, heated political and economic battles and some very real pain being inflicted on too many Americans. Especially minorities and the poor. Those factors are guaranteed. They were assured by those who voted – and those who didn’t.

The outcome seems to say a majority was disappointed with the direction of things and wanted to go in another direction. That’s as it should be in our Republic. However, the inherent problem with our system is that it doesn’t choose the new direction. Just stop going this way and – in the future – go that way. Seems a lot of winners weren’t chosen so much for what they said or promised but because they weren’t the guy in office. Voters said “No, we don’t want you anymore. We want him or her.” Not so much a choice of candidate as a choice of “something else.”

Aside from the skewed balance of Congress, the other factor that’ll likely make all this happen is President Obama’s seeming lack of skill at brass-knuckle politics. Where Bill Clinton made progress “wheeling and dealing” with a Republican Congress, Obama’s background is as a negotiator – a conciliator. He has shown neither ability nor willingness to do the “horse-trading” it takes to accomplish anything when faced with such resistance.

It’s gonna be a rough couple of years. Maybe more. Despite Democrats believing Hillary Clinton is almost unbeatable in 2016, this week’s results show we out here in the boondocks have our own ideas. We may not have the political “knowledge” of the talking heads nor their “inside-the-beltway” understanding of the political process.

But we have marker pens and voting machines we’ve learned how to use. We’ve proven we’ve got some ideas that might not square with the “experts.” We’ve shown even the pollster guru’s don’t know us as well as they claim. We’ve got some things we want done.

It’s up to Republicans now. We gave ‘em the keys to government and told ‘em we want to “get on with it.” If they get the message and satisfactory progress is made in the next 24 months, great. If it’s acceptable change, that’s great, too. But if they run Congress the way they have the last four years, we’ve shown we can take those keys away and give ‘em to the donkeys. The ball’s in their court. And we can “take ‘em out.”

Posted in Column | | Comments Off on What the hell just happened?