Bill Cosby In The News

This is a very difficult topic to discuss. Let me start by saying that what Bill Cosby has been convicted of doing is horrible. On the off chance that a reader does not know, Mr. Cosby has been convicted of drugging women and taking advantage of them, sexually, while they were incapacitated. That is a very sick thing to do - those women deserve all of our prayers and concern.

Having said that, though, I cannot help but hurt at Mr. Cosby's conviction. I grew up listening to his comedy - he was/is an incredibly funny man, with an amazing amount of insight into human nature, particularly with regard to parenting. His humor was clean and based on insight, not vicious and bitter and vulgar, the way so much of today's comedy is. I still find myself tempted, two or three times each week, to throw out some crack drawn from a Bill Cosby routine - because his humor is so effective, so eloquent, at communicating his insights.

Again, though, that is painful - because what Mr. Cosby did to those women belies the insight he had to offer, spoils the image he held as "America's Dad".

I hope the depth of that conflict comes through - honestly, I don't have more words to describe it. I am entirely torn between my horror at Mr. Cosby's actions and my wish to evoke his wisdom and insight.

The question which defines my feelings, here, is this: "Is it really possible to separate an artist from his art?"

I think that in this case, we really have to try, because Mr. Cosby really had a lot of rich insight to offer to parents. We are diminished, as a culture, if we lose what he had to offer. On the other hand, it is virtually impossible to look past the devastating reality of what Mr. Cosby has done. As much as I value the insights, they will now be touched with sadness whenever I think of them, because of the pain of the women he has hurt.

About Charlie Collins

Dr. Collins received his Bachelor of Science in Physics from the College of William and Mary in 1989, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude. He went on to pursue a doctoral degree in Physics at MIT, with a focus on Theoretical Astrophysics, receiving his diploma in 1996.

To begin his professional career, Dr. Collins went to work for ACI Worldwide, a software company best known for its on-line transaction-processing products. There he performed a variety of technical and market research functions. Upon leaving ACI, he re-connected with the field of education, first spending a year at his high-school alma mater (Mt. Michael Benedictine in Elkhorn, Nebraska), then spending twelve years teaching information technology at a local college. Currently, Dr. Collins serves on the faculty at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, where he teaches Mathematics.

In addition to those endeavors, Dr. Collins spends as much time as he is able pursuing a variety of writing projects. Many of those are reflected in these pages: Take a look at the Books and Publishing page for information about the fantasy trilogy The Roc and the Griffon, as well as for work which is under development. In particular, please look for information about Reawakening Honor - not only is this book worth learning about in its own right, but Dr. Collins hopes to use it as a way to experiment with alternative approaches toward publishing.

About Creative Impulse

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