"What's Going On?" - Marvin Gaye

Good morning all. When I woke up this morning (TYL), I was all set to write about relationships between young men and older women. However, as I listened to the news (a daily ritual; first thing I turn on), the conversation was about skin lightening!!! It seems that there is a renewed interest in this topic, due to the recent appearance of baseball player Sammy Sosa's skin. Sammy Sosa is a brown skinned Latino brother that I considered handsome, who has become almost unrecognizable! His skin looks stripped of all it's chocolate-ness and his eyes appear green (contacts). According to what I've read, he claims to be using a "skin softening" product...wanna buy the Brooklyn Bridge? Anyway, there seems to be a phenomenon sweeping through Asia, Africa and I suppose, North America too...skin lightening! I don't get it, but to each his own...bleach that skin with that hydroquinone...lol! The Temptations said, "Beauty's Only Skin Deep, yeah, yeah, yeah!" Micheal Jackson said, "It Don't Matter if You're Black or White" (yeah, right), James Brown said, "Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" and we  sported afros and embraced the beauty of our blackness ( well, some of us did) and Marvin Gaye queried, "What's Going On?"...I am with you Marvin.