Things Better Left Unsaid...

My grandmother has a little saying, "If they never opened their mouth, no one would know they were a fool."

Now I'm not calling Ms. Shepherd a fool, but there are some things that you should just not say. When she was announced as one of the new co - hosts for The View, I was somewhat excited. I had found Ms. Shepherd entertaining in her movie roles and I thought that she would bring the same presence to the show. I also knew that she was a stand up comedian and had been in the entertainment industry for over ten years. I thought that she would bring a fresh perspective to the show. It would be representative of African - American women who were in the prime of their lives. They are married. They are divorced. They are mothers. They are educated. They are successful. To me, Sherri Shepherd represented bits and pieces of all these women. Just as Star Jones showed that black women could be classy and intelligent. I expected Ms. Shepherd to pick up the torch and carry it further. Maybe, I put her on a pedestal that she was destined to fall from. Maybe, some of her less than intelligent remarks on The View, have been for entertainment purposes only. Surely this woman knows that the world isn't flat. We covered that in basic geography in grade school!!!!

Then there was the most recent comment. She's never voted. Now, I know that there are individuals who do not vote. I know a few. They have their own personal , political, and ethical reasons. Others simply don't want to. Yet, if you find yourself on a popular culture show that discusses religion, politics, and life, why would you open your mouth and admit to not voting. Again, to each their own, but we all know Barbara Walters is only going to take so many of these less than intelligent outbursts. Ms. Shepherd admitted that she's never voted because she didn't know the dates or understand the registration process. At the age of 41 she's missed out on roughly five presidential elections and countless local elections. The comedian admitted that she nearly missed the registration deadline for November's election. So yes, this will be her first year casting a vote in an election. Her reasoning, for finally completing the registration process, "I guess I can't complain on the show if I didn't vote." I guess you can't. Voting is about more than having a right to complain if things are not going right in the country or your local city. I couldn't wait to vote in my first election at the age of eighteen. It was Bill Clinton's re - election campaign and I thought I was hot to trot. It was important to me. It had been instilled in me by my grandparents, who grew up during the time when Black America was still openly viewed and treated like second class citizens. How could I walk away from an opportunity at having my voice heard. I digress...that's another discussion.

Perception is sometimes greater than reality. It troubles me that more and more of those who tune into The View, may believe that many women in the Black community may share Ms. Shepherd's lackadaisical view, content with being the life of party.