#4 A year ago we had no idea where we’d be as far as the pandemic was concerned. Last year Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that possibly by the fall of 2021, we might be able to go back to normal. Illinois has now opened to full capacity (restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, churches etc.)
What are your thoughts? Will you still practice protocol if you go back to social events, etc.?
2020 has been an unprecedented year, to say the least. A memorable year, yet one we wouldn’t want to repeat. Despite COVID-19 and the tumultuous election, there was a real-life horror story that made headlines in (at least) Illinois and Kentucky this past fall.
A 31-year-old woman, Ladawndra Ellington, who was living in Louisville, Kentucky, with her boyfriend, 30-year-old Melvin Martin, Jr. Ellington had not been seen in several weeks.
Neighbors noticed Martin coming and going from their apartment. Martin was seen carrying large black garbage bags and at least one large suitcase to a garbage dumpster. At the time, no connection was made that Ellington’s body (part of) was in those bags. Who would suspect such a thing?
Martin had been having financial issues (including the IRS) and decided to come to south suburban Markham to stay with relatives. He arrived via a Greyhound bus with suitcases, which he was quite guarded about. Relatives had an inkling of suspicion about the suitcases when Martin asked them for clothing, yet never unpacked.
When Martin’s mother dropped him off at the local library, she went home and decided to see what was in the suitcases. To her shock, there were body parts including a head, lower torso, and organs. The mother called 911 and reported what she discovered. Markham Police went to the local library and arrested Martin.
Martin was on the IRS website at the library when police arrived and investigators found several letters from the IRS in Martin’s baggage. Markham Police Chief, Terry White, said “Martin cooperated with police and was remorseful.”
The woman was killed in a domestic assault in Louisville, following an argument this past summer. She had been dead for at least 30 days and was reported missing. Her torso was found in a park near Louisville, Kentucky.
Police said Martin had prior domestic arrests and court records show Martin has a history of domestic violence charges including protection orders requested by different women. Ellington filed an emergency order of protection against Martin in late May, 2020.
According to a Facebook posting by her church, Ellington belonged to Ekklesia Christian Life Ministries and was remembered as a kind, gentle soul “who helped deliver food and essentials to the homeless.”
It is not known whether Ellington was aware of the prior restraining orders other women had filed against Martin, or of his prior domestic arrests. Martin was extradited to Kentucky and is facing charges for murder, domestic violence, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse.
Martin pled not guilty and bond was originally set at $500,000. The county argued that Martin’s “extensive criminal history, including domestic violence, warrants a higher bond.” The judge agreed and increased bond to $1 million, considering Martin could also be a flight risk.
The whole scenario is like an episode of Dateline. The picture is noteworthy because Martin looks like an average black man. He doesn’t look “crazy.” Charles Manson is a good example of someone who looked crazy, but let’s face it. Most killers don’t look obviously dangerous. According to Chief White, Martin indicated that, “As grotesque as it might sound, that he still wanted to be with at least part of her.”
Other issues are worth pondering. The bus trip from Louisville to Chicago was reported as five hours long. Chief White stated, “There were some early reports of a foul odor coming from the bags,” but it is not clear who all noticed. Did anyone notice on the bus? Perhaps social distancing prevented that.
The fact that Martin’s mother turned her son in to authorities is also noteworthy. Obviously, her son would be arrested and likely charged with murder. This is quite controversial about whether to call the police on your child. Although Martin is a grown man, he will always be her son. How many times have we seen in the news, how a mother denies her son was involved in a shooting despite him being caught on surveillance camera showing otherwise?
The incident also reminded me of when the Unabomber’s brother reported him to authorities. A sibling connection can be rivalrous throughout a lifetime. However, the mother and son connection is umbilical. Realizing that your son is likely a killer and reporting him to authorities cuts the cord in a whole different way. It brings a whole new level to, “If you see something, say something.”
References: Chicago Tribune & WDRB Media, Louisville, KY.
(Update: Iversen’s Bakery closed its business on July 16, 2022.)
The small quaint bakery has been in business for 62 years at 12948 S. Western Avenue and advertising with the Blue Island Forum since 1998. When I initially called the bakery for this interview, Herta Iversen answered the phone and said her son, Chris, is in charge. She explained that her husband passed away a few years ago.
I was looking forward to this interview because it was a small family business that’s rolled with the changes and we could all learn something. While waiting and sniffing the scrumptious air, several customers came in. They knew exactly what they wanted, as if this was a morning ritual and the whole atmosphere was friendly and old-fashioned.
Chris Iversen was very busy and warned me that he will be doing things while talking to me, as he led me in back to the kitchen area. It was funny when I looked around for chairs but there really wasn’t anywhere to sit and chat. This was a stand-up interview. During the interview, someone walked in and handed him a gallon of milk, which he promptly refrigerated (noteworthy). There was quite a bit of noise from the clanging of large baking sheets, but we prevailed.
I asked early on about Mr. Iversen’s mother’s accent. She is from Germany and his father was from Denmark. They came over from Europe in the early 1950s, both children of farmers. Neither could speak English and they met at Fenger High School where they learned our native language. Mr. Iversen made sure that I noted his last name’s spelling “sen” to represent Danish heritage.
According to “A Handbook of Scandinavian Names,” the suffix “sen” differentiates Danish from Swedish. Swedes usually go by a “son” suffix in their surname. Additionally, when Scandinavians immigrated to the U.S., they often adopted the “son” version to Americanize themselves, regardless of their origin. I appreciate the Iversen’s honoring their heritage.
Iversen’s Bakery is literally a family business. Regarding standout memories of anything exciting or unusual, Mr. Iversen replied, “All memories revolve here. I was four or five-years-old when my dad brought me to the bakery around 1:00 in the morning on holidays. I brought my own daughters to the bakery with the baby carrier on the desk. That’s just what you do. When you have a family business, there’s no time off when you have a baby. The babies start acclimating to the business from the git-go.”
I asked about how the baking industry has changed over the years, which I found the most educational. Apparently, as arteries have gotten harder from too much cholesterol, regulations have also gotten harder. There are regulations regarding the kind of shortening (or oil) bakeries can use. I wondered if there were inspections, but Iversen explained that, “It’s our manufacturers that have to change, which in turn, affects the bakery having to change our formula to adapt.”
I remembered the time when I tried to bake healthier cookies. I substituted a fat-free spread for butter and the cookies literally spread across the baking sheet. Another time I used fat-free cream cheese, thinking I could have my cookie and eat it too. Well, they turned out awful.
As home bakers, we can choose what we want to use, but it never occurred to me that professional bakers actually had regulations. Another challenge is competing with grocery chains. This is completely understandable. Imagine Jeben’s Hardware versus Menards. We all like better prices but remember, we may very well be putting our favorite Mom-and-Pop stores out of business. Personally, I do not find a bakery or deli counter at a large chain store that can even compare to an old-fashioned family bakery such as Iversen’s.
There is good news regarding the bakery’s busiest time of year, which are holidays – Iversen related, “Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Light Parade, Valentine’s Day, Paczki Day or Fat Tuesday, St. Patrick’s Day, and the South Side Irish Parade. Halloween used to be better but it’s lost some of its luster. The Light Parade is a wonderful thing we do here in Blue Island.” I can attest to the wonderful seasonal celebration here. I saw big cookies shaped like turkeys. They had beautiful frosting with details in different colors.
Biggest sellers include the seasonal items, donuts, sweet rolls, and decorated cakes. Mr. Iversen emphasized that, “Decorated cakes are what we specialize in and we can do better than grocery stores.” Specials are offered regularly and you never know what sign may be displayed in their window. I couldn’t help but notice the sacred sign posted looking for part-time help upon my arrival. I asked if he only wanted people with experience and he said, “No, we’re really willing to teach and we’re always looking for good people. In back, yeah, I need some experience but even there, I’ve been willing to train.”
I was especially attracted to the yellow smiley-face cookies, which made me smile back. May I suggest that if someone you know needs cheering up, these cookies may help. I’m not sure if they are a regular feature but the care that goes into the decorating is certain to make someone’s day! With all the color, scrumptious scent, and friendly atmosphere, the bakery seems to be thriving. Iversen’s, plus thriving, equals Thriversen’s (you read it here first).
The most important part of the Business Spotlight is that we get a chance to hear a perspective from a longstanding business owner. We need to pay attention to them because they have wisdom to share and help make a better community. I asked if he wanted to share any dislikes or concerns?
Mr. Iversen raised an important issue regarding parking in front of businesses. He has lost customers because cars park in front and sit for hours. He tried to get a “15-Minute Parking” sign in front but to no avail. The police are not enforcing parking ordinances. I reassured Mr. Iversen that Blue Island is not the only suburb that isn’t enforcing parking ordinances. I could see the look of some reassurance in his eyes. Personally, I find it troubling that municipalities claim to be so strapped for money when they have an untapped source of revenue for blatant violations.
Upon arrival for this interview, I parked in the Moraine Valley lot behind the building. As a former student of this college, I know the lot can fill up quickly and a couple times I parked kitty-corner in the lot at the northeast corner of High St. & Western. Moraine’s website states “Free parking is available in the City of Blue Island parking lot, located immediately west of the building. Additional parking is available in the city lot one block southeast.” It would be helpful for faculty to mention this to students, so that customers (especially elderly) have access to our local businesses.
The bakery opens at 5:00 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m. (Monday – Saturday). See their ad in our paper. Keep Iversen’s Bakery in mind when buying a special gift for that someone special in your life and you will also support a great Blue Island business.
On Monday, November 16, the State is requesting that everyone follow another stay-at-home practice (30 days), as we are heading into a second surge of the coronavirus. Iversen’s Bakery intends to keep regular business hours at this time. They can be reached at 708-385-3410. This article was originally published in the November, 2019, issue of the Blue Island Forum newspaper and has been updated.
A recent report by CBS news showed a video of hundreds of people gathered outside of The Vault located at 13057 S. Western Avenue in Blue Island. Social distancing was obviously not in place, nor face coverings in use. When reporter Suzanne Le Mignot called The Vault for explanation, the owner hung up on her.
Le Mignot was able to get in touch with Mayor Vargas who stated that the Blue Island Police have gone to this venue three times since the start of Phase 4, which was just over a few weeks ago. Two of the visits found that The Vault was not in compliance with social distancing, mask wearing, and occupancy, whereupon the owner was given notice to comply.
The Vault is a game room, sports bar, and venue space. Their website shows many pictures of children. As expected, their faces express glee while playing the many games offered. Is it likely that they will be thinking about Personal Protection Equipment? It will be up to parents to ensure proper protection.
I spoke with a Vault rep regarding the CBS video and protocol followed, especially children’s parties. The rep explained that the CBS video was outside and did not reflect indoors. “The staff disinfects everything commonly handled every hour after a party has their scheduled time.”
Since The Vault offers entertainment for both children and adults, this establishment is not alone in the issue of safety concerns. Bar owners have bemoaned the problem of trying to control everyone from socializing with others at another table in such a venue. Some owners have been strapped with fines for breaking rules. The fines have further threatened businesses on the brink of closure from the stay-at-home order itself, while cities need businesses to stay open for the tax revenue.
Another obvious issue is the process of drinking. It’s one thing to wear a mask to a store where you would not engage in consuming drinks, but the whole purpose of the bar is to provide drinking. A mask would likely be in the way. I’ve imagined a mask with a slit that would allow access to a straw to ingest one’s beverage.
But then there is also the alcohol-induced camaraderie. Once the alcohol takes effect, the atmosphere can change with people getting louder and friendlier with each other. Let’s face(mask) it. Inhibitions are lowered, and people let their guards down, as well as their face coverings. As voices get louder, spit may go flying where you’d rather it not.
Are we literally dying to reopen too soon? The mystery remains. Reopening too soon can spread the virus and set all of us back to the previous phase. Business owners are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. However, just because some communities want to open venues and push business forward doesn’t mean you have to partake. It comes down to your own choice. Enter at your own risk.
Ronald Babb had a law office in Blue Island’s historical Masonic Temple from 1993 until 2018 when the Temple was sold. The thought of retirement crossed his mind and that was the one thing that two of his three daughters said to him, “Dad, wouldn’t this be a good time to retire?” He didn’t feel like he wanted to retire yet and had to relocate to Oak Forest (15601 S. Cicero Ave. #103).
Babb has lived in Blue Island since 1970 and served as an alderman from 1983 to 1990. He grew up in neighboring Calumet Park “from about the age of nine or ten years old until I got married at 21 or 22.” I was surprised to learn that he actually lived on the same block as me.
Since he still lives in Blue Island, I asked what he likes about it. “It’s interesting because as kids growing up in Calumet Park, most people then had a feeling that we weren’t as good as the people living in Blue Island.” I was again surprised because I personally have never experienced that feeling, yet, this is not the first time a Cal-Parker has mentioned this. He said, “I don’t think it’s true and I didn’t think it was true back then.”
Babb continued, “But you see, Blue Island was a hub back then. Back then was in the 50s and into the 60s because you had all the car dealers and Kline’s. At one point, we had a Montgomery Ward and a Sears store, two or three men’s and women’s clothing stores, two maybe even three jewelers. It was quite different. The businesses were quite different than the ones that are here now, but see, this was in the days before shopping malls, so Blue Island was in a really different position. They were a business hub.”
I told him of my mom and I taking a bus from Cal-Park to Blue Island and it was like a field trip. Babb reminisced about how, “You could also go the other way to Roseland. Roseland was a big place too. There was the Home Store, Gately’s People Store, which was big according to standards back then. And of course, a big thing that Blue Island and Roseland had back then was a movie theater. This was mostly when there were no TVs, or maybe TVs with four channels and that was it,” he chuckled.
I asked when he knew he wanted to go into law? Babb was married and working, so he went to college part-time. “I got interested in Liberal Arts but originally started as an engineer. Political science, psychology, and history are easier to do than math, science, and physics. For one thing, you can usually just read the material, then take a test. With math and science there are ongoing assignments every day. I wasn’t able to do that because I worked. With history, if I couldn’t get everything done each day, I could catch up on the weekend,” he said.
Oftentimes, teachers help us all along career paths and Babb had a teacher who said he should take the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test). He took the test and did very well. Another political science teacher suggested he apply for Northwestern. He thought, “Why would they want me? (chuckles) But they did. It’s a good school.”
While Babb was struggling to get through college, his wife was very supportive. She had a master’s degree in teaching, but he said, “You have to put in the time. I just worked, went to school and slept for a number of years. As a young man you don’t get into trouble doing that,” he again chuckled.
Babb went to law school at Northwestern with an undergrad at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “It was an interesting time. I started law school in the fall of ‘69. This was at the start of the Viet Nam war. This was after the 1968 Democratic Convention of Chicago where all these people were arrested, and the Chicago Seven trial was going on in my first year of law school. It was a turbulent time,” he said. Babb was admitted to the bar in 1973. “I enjoyed my time there. I learned a lot and met some really interesting and really smart people. I’m still in touch with a couple of the people I knew there.”
Upon asking of any standout memories, without hesitation, he answered, “Before the Bridgeview Courthouse was there, Oak Lawn used the council chamber as a courthouse. In my first month as a lawyer, I was with another lawyer with about seven months experience. The sheriff came in and said you need to talk to a guy. He was brought in wearing shackles and had shot and killed seven people − his parents, next-door neighbor, a little girl riding a tri-cycle … ”
“This was back before there were a lot of mass slayings. We had to stand before a judge for a bond hearing, which was denied and it was handled by the court at 26th and California.” (This was the first time that Babb’s name appeared in a newspaper and his wife said, “You’re in the paper for representing a crazed killer.”) “The defendant was ruled unfit to stand trial, and sent to downstate Chester, a (maximum security) mental health facility. He was rehabbed on meds, sent back to Chicago to spend a month or two in Cook County jail. This process was repeated for about 10 years until the defendant died in prison of a heart attack.”
Babb continued to work as public defender for 17-and-a-half years before going into private practice. He reflected, “It was interesting and sometimes a little depressing. I handled a number of murder trials over the years. Some lawyers are in a task force that only handles murders and I didn’t want to be in there.”
Currently, his practice is mostly real estate and evictions, not too much criminal law anymore. I asked if someone is considering going into law, what advice would you give? “Well, there are a lot of lawyers. I read that we now have 90,000-something lawyers in Illinois. If someone nowadays wants to go into law, I wouldn’t discourage them but I wouldn’t tell them that they’re really going to make a lot of money.” (According to 2Civility.org, as of 2016, there were 94,610 registered lawyers in Illinois.)
Regarding the best part of being an attorney, Babb answered, “A good part is being your own boss, but that would be the same for anyone with their own business. Helping people is another. Most lawyers fulfill a good service. I feel that most of the time. Sometimes it’s a drag but that is part of life. Young people today think everything should be easy, like we don’t need to work for it.”
In contrast, the hardest part of being an attorney or having a law office, Babb states, “Like any business, you have to deal with income versus expenses, you have to balance. If you increase fees you can drive away business.”
I wondered about when we hear about attorneys being charged with a crime and they’re disbarred. All the work to become licensed and they take a wrong turn. Babb explained, “They’re under the same kind of pressure as everyone else. There could be bad cases, some are prone to greed. I knew three or four like this. One or two that I used to work with went to prison for stealing funds from clients. One was a judge involved in briberies and went to prison for about ten years. But this is no worse than policemen and other professions.”
I expressed my joy of two old favorite law shows − The Practice and Boston Legal by David E. Kelley (also an attorney). Babb admitted he loved those shows. “In truth, I always liked Perry Mason because that’s going back years, but even with Perry Mason, they win too much. In reality, the criminal defense attorney, no matter how good or bad, you don’t win much. And as a citizen, I don’t think you want them to win much because there is a reason your client is there.”
I asked Babb what message he would like Blue Islanders to know? “I’m very sorry we couldn’t find an office in Blue Island. We had plenty of cooperation. Mark Miller from the city went with us and talked to people and actually showed us a few places but there was no place that would not have taken a lot of work and an extra investment on our part to make the space inhabitable,” Babb said.
When Babb said “us,” he’s referring to he and his longtime secretary, Dawn Tobin. She has been with him since 1993. Being the gentleman that he is, he wanted to make sure she got an honorable mention. I can attest to this from whenever I’ve called the office. She is very professional, nice, patient, efficient, and empathetic. These are all important traits when dealing with their main area of practice involving evictions.
In closing, Babb has the same clientele coming to him, many Blue Islanders, and many saw his ad in the Forum. He’s had good returns from advertising in the Forum, which he appreciates, and so do we.
This article was originally published in the December/2019 issue of the Blue Island Forum Newspaper. Attorney Babb is still seeing clients in a limited capacity throughout the current pandemic situation. Appointments can be scheduled at 708-388-7783.
#3 As Illinoisans know, Governor J.B. Pritzker extended the Stay-at-Home order until (at least) May 31. Groups are protesting and some businesses are reopening. According to NBCChicago.com, a total of 2,994 new cases of the virus were reported today, bringing the state’s total number of COVID-19 cases to 61,499. The statewide death toll is 2,618.
1) What do you think of this and will you follow the order?
2) How has this order affected your life and how are you coping?
February 25, 2020
Resident Kimberly Byrne brought up more concerns regarding recreational cannabis. As she listened to pros and cons at a recent meeting, the term “money” was loud and clear, namely, how much money will be made, how it will be made, how profits and taxes will be assigned and distributed, and how important this is to the city right now.
Byrne reminded us of four addiction centers in the city and close proximity of where dispensaries may be planned. She gave several examples of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and how it relates to the numerous vice businesses already here. There was also an issue of risk, the city’s bond rating and how the city caters to special interests.
Longtime resident and former Alderman Allan Stevo gave a searing commentary regarding several concerns. Stevo asked that the cannabis issue be tabled and allow the voters to decide. He expressed that there was an unfair bidding process involving the property at 2427 Burr Oak Ave. He knew of some people who wanted to bid on said property but it was already sold to Beggar’s Pizza. Former Alderman Cantelo (brother of current Ald. Cantelo-Zylman) was buying this property and felt this was an inside job. He requested that deal also be tabled and allow re-advertising to sell the property.
Stevo asked Ald. Bilotto why he led the charge to refuse $5 million from Quorum Health, owner of MetroSouth. He felt that the money could have purchased ambulances, fire trucks, EMT training, etc. Bilotto stated that he answered this already at a previous Community Development meeting. Stevo wanted an answer now and said the residents were holding him accountable and responsible for this. Bilotto thanked Stevo for his comments. The two sparred briefly over “petty politics,” as Stevo did not feel that $5 million was petty. In closing, Stevo asked when justice will ever be served for Robbie Silva and Carlos Salgado. Throughout the commentary, there was audible throat-clearing from the council and Vargas pounded his gavel.
Present were Mayor Domingo Vargas, Clerk Randy Heuser, Attorney Cary Horvath, Treasurer Carmine Bilotto, and Aldermen Annette Alexander, Fred Bilotto, Raeann Cantelo-Zylman, Candace Carr, William Cazares, Bill Fahrenwald, Tom Hawley, Johnny Hill, Dexter Johnson, James Klinker, and Nancy Rita. Aldermen Kevin Donahue, Mike Mech and Alecia Slattery were absent.
City Council, February 11, 2020
Longtime resident and activist Rachell Orozco addressed the board to honor fellow citizen Barbara Ennis who passed from this life on February 2nd. Ennis was the Executive Director of the Blue Island Women of Worship Outreach Ministry located at 12654 S. Maple Avenue. This ministry used to have a halfway house but could no longer keep it open because of funding issues.
However, the group continued to help the homeless and women in need. Orozco stated, “It’s our responsibility as citizens to help each other. Ennis and the Women of Worship did other volunteer work including serving food at Black Culture Nite.” Ennis’ final voluntary act was when she donated her body to science.
Ald. Cazares, 2nd Ward, brought up the issue of the recent exaggerated water bills. He wanted insight into what caused the problem and assurance that it wouldn’t happen again. Mayor Vargas said there was a meter issue, a glitch on some of the machines, and residents have come in and have been courteously dealt with on a one-on-one basis. Clerk Heuser conceded that the readers were old resulting in a reader error, and this would likely be brought to the Municipal Services Committee in the near future.
Cazares asked about residents who paid the mistaken higher amount? Heuser said the amount paid would be carried forward to the next bill. Ald. Johnson, 1st Ward, wanted to know if this was the same issue that occurred in his ward a couple years ago where there was no reconciliation. This was believed to be a computer issue. Vargas reaffirmed that new equipment is needed and the Finance Committee would address this. Anyone with water bill issues can call the Water Department at 597-8605.
Present were Mayor Domingo Vargas, Clerk Randy Heuser, Attorney Kelly Burke, Treasurer Carmine Bilotto, and Aldermen Annette Alexander, Raeann Cantelo-Zylman, Candace Carr, William Cazares, Kevin Donahue, Bill Fahrenwald, Tom Hawley, Johnny Hill, Dexter Johnson, James Klinker, Mike Mech and Nancy Rita. Aldermen Fred Bilotto and Alecia Slattery were absent.
City Council, January 28, 2020
An interesting issue that will get attention was presented by Ald. Bilotto regarding a sinking parking lot at 13101 S. Western Ave. (Dunkin Donuts). Resolution # 2020-006 authorizes and approves a geotechnical engineering service to drill in several places to find out the problem and how to remedy. A building sat on the property until the 80s and may have been improperly backfilled. The lot sinks a few inches every year and the City throws blacktop to the affected area every year, which is a band-aid solution.
Outside of the meeting, the subject matter of sinking parking lots led to a discussion prompting further research. Soil problems and moisture are indeed a cause. According to PavementSpecialties.com, “The soil under your parking lot needs to be properly compacted. If it isn’t, one bad freeze/thaw cycle could be enough to change the levels and balance, making your asphalt completely unstable.”
Furthermore, “Too much moisture, whether from weather or poor drainage, can cause soil erosion resulting in a sinking parking lot.” Our weather range of freezing cold to extreme heat further exasperates the situation. We will look forward to this unearthing discovery.
Present were Mayor Domingo Vargas, Clerk Randy Heuser, Attorney Cary Horvath, and Aldermen Annette Alexander, Fred Bilotto, Raeann Cantelo-Zylman, Candace Carr, William Cazares, Bill Fahrenwald, Tom Hawley, Dexter Johnson, James Klinker, and Mike Mech. Treasurer Carmine Bilotto, and Aldermen Kevin Donahue, Johnny Hill, Nancy Rita, and Alecia Slattery were absent.
Last winter, a friend told me that Jussie Smollett told his attorney that he actually felt bad about the mess he caused and the attorney told him not to beat himself up too badly about it. At the time it was slightly funny, and juss when I thought it was over, it never really was. January 29th, 2020, is the one-year anniversary of the fake attack.
I had never heard of Jussie Smollett before his false claim of a self-inflicted and staged attack. The whole thing seemed odd from the start and I couldn’t help but notice how the media kept saying “the alleged attack,” as if they never believed it either but were obligated to report news.
When I first saw Jussie Smollett on the news, I thought he was in his early 20s. I was surprised to learn that he was 36 at the time. That’s quite a difference. I would never expect a 36-year-old to pull a (publicity) stunt like that, however, it would not be surprising if this came from an early 20-year-old. Perhaps he thought his star should have risen earlier and he was getting too old to be noticed. Either way, he’s proven himself to be an idiot, because he was old enough to know better.
The aftermath of Smollett’s publicity stunt is appalling. He definitely owes the city of Chicago a public apology and pay back the money that was wasted on a fruitless investigation. The Chicago Police have serious issues to deal with and wasted a lot of time on this false claim. The community service Smollett performed at Operation Push (eight hours) was a joke that was not funny. He needs to give back to the community he exploited.
First, there is the gay community. Smollett is a spoiled brat who has no clue of the hardship and sacrifices endured by the gay community who could never “come out” because their lives would be at stake.
Second, he betrayed the black community, especially when he added the final touch of the noose around his neck. I wonder if he added the noose last, as if he was putting a tie around his neck before he stepped out that evening. A double whammy was when he lied to Robin Roberts (gay and black) in a TV interview complete with tears.
When Smollett’s charges were dropped, he strutted his pompous ass like a peacock with fanned feathers. (However, the peacock is innocent in its theatrical display.)
So, let’s say that JUSStice is never served in this case. We need to remember and reflect on something that will last. How many shooting stars rose to fame but fell? Everyone has their day. Think of some of your favorites that we no longer see nor hear about … or someone attempting a comeback.
A personal favorite is actor Tom Sizemore who starred in many movies including Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, and Heat. Sizemore spiraled out of control from a drug addiction (that plagued him since teenage years) and fell from grace HARD. Between him and Smollett, I can understand a drug addiction but I can’t understand this.
Imagine the legacies these two will leave behind. Although I had not heard of Jussie Smollett prior to his fake claim, I will certainly remember his legacy. To me, he is a disgrace. This may be the only justice to be served.