The number of people dying lately can make your head spin. Maybe it’s just we are being told about it more and more and inundated with those reports.

I was taught not to speak ill of the dead and I am not doing that, I just don’t understand how it’s okay for so many people to attend some funerals because someone served in congress but we can’t visit or have all family when someone dies. Just makes me even more convinced that we are in a video game and being played.

And the mayor of DC is not requiring anyone who attended the funeral of John Lewis to self quarantine but others do. There is such a double standard and the hypocrisy is deafening. 

Sadly, you can hardly get away from any of the nonsense either as someone, somewhere has to act crazy if they disagree with you. Hey, but that’s okay, God is still in control and I do believe more and more people are seeing the hypocrisy every day. 

One death, Herman Cain, won’t get as much air time as others but he is just as worthy.  He won’t get several funerals nor lie in state. He probably wouldn’t won’t it that way either. There won’t be former presidents giving an eulegy or military honor guards and has been very little media coverage. 

I’ve never quite understood putting people on a pedestal and acting as if they are more important than someone else just because of a job or career path they chose. They got paid to do it and as my Dad always told me everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time.

So many people say they met Herman Cain and I am in that group since he ran for President. That’s when I learned a lot about a humble man from Georgia who had made something of himself and never thought anything about his circumstances growing up.  I found him to be funny, caring and genuine just from a few minutes of conversation. 

His mother was a domestic worker (maid) and his father, who had grown up on a farm, was a barber and janitor. His father worked three jobs to build a house for his family. Cain described his life growing up once as “poor but happy”. 

Cain, who grew up in Georgia, graduated from Morehouse College with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He earned a master’s degree in computer science from Purdue University while working full time for the U. S. Department of the Navy.

In 1977, he joined the Pillsbury Company and later would become vice president. He was a successful business executive at Burger King in the 1980’s which prompted Pillsbury to appoint him as chair and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza. He served in that capacity from 1986 to 1996.

He was also chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kancas City, deputy chair until 1996. He was appointed to the Kemp Commission and served as senior economic adviser to Bob Dole’s presidential campaign. He served as president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association until 1999.

He announced he would be running in the 2012 presidential election and proposed a 9-9-9 tax plan (9% income tax; 9% corporate tax and 9% sales tax) and his performance in debates made him a serious contender for the Republican nomination. 

To me, Cain was a class act. No matter how much he was attacked or what anyone said about him, he smiled and kept on going forward. 

As his popularity with the people increased, claims arose about inappropriate behavior. People give Biden a pass even though the claims are substantiated, but people weren’t as forgiving with Cain. Rather than put his family through all of that, the gentleman that he was, he withdrew from the race and went back to broadcasting. His campaign was suspended in December of 2011.  Personally, I think he would of made a good President. He was interested in and wanting healthcare reform.

Herman Cain refused to be a victim and along with being conservative as well as a Trump supporter, others did not like him. They would rather he support BLM and other counterproductive efforts, but that was not who Cain was. In addition, he faced racism in his businesses but didn’t let that deter him one bit and he rose above it. 

He went on to host his own radio show and to write media columns for different organizations.  He was also a contributor to Fox News. He received many awards and honorary degrees over his lifetime. 

He was successful in practically everything he tried. He should be the role model put forth for black Americans to follow. Cain did not blame society for its ills and believed anything possible in America with the right attitude, work ethic and desire.

Yes, he did support Mitt Romney in his bid for the presidency but at that time Cain had stated the Republican party represented the conservatives and a legitimate third party was needed. Cain had been a Tea Party activist prior to running for president.

Cain and his wife, Gloria, had one daughter and one son and four grandchildren. He was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer which had mastecized to his liver. He was given a 30% chance of survival. After undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, the cancer was said to be in remission. He was diagnosed with Covid at the end of June and hospitalized for four weeks. Though people want to speculate or say he got it at the Tulsa rally, there is no way to know because Cain was constantly traveling and could have contacted it anywhere. For those who have said he deserved it because he did not always wear a mask, I say you need to have a come to Jesus meeting and check your heart. Decent and caring people do not say such things. 

The media will not recognize him as so, but Herman Cain was one of those rare national treasures, an American Patriot. He lived the American dream and got there will determination and hard work. Nothing had been given to him. May Herman Cain rest in peace.

VICTORIA SIMMONS Is a columnist, author, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com