Last week, I wrote about Bohemian Rhapsody, one of my favorite songs. I happened to be listening to some of my songs that had lyrics. I can’t write essays unless they are instrumental because I can concentrate while hearing a melody rather than singing. I was trimming Ginger’s nails and fur. The next day, Ginger had an appointment at Purdue Veterinary Hospital. I heard Karma Chameleon in the background. Boy George co-wrote that song and was Culture Club’s lead singer.

Interestingly, Karma Chameleon’s message paralleled Bohemian Rhapsody, which predated it by a decade. Freddie Mercury and Boy George both address the issue of their sexual orientation and fear of alienation as a result. However, in the time between my two articles, other social issues arose which need to be addressed in America and the rest of the world.

US Airman Roger Fortson was shot as he answered the door of his apartment. A local police officer shot him six times at point-blank range. Someone called the police and said there was some disturbance in the apartment building. After shooting Fortson, the police officers found no one in Fortson’s apartment.

I have a question: what color was the police officer and the victim? In 2023, police killed 1,247 people. Blacks were killed 27% of the time, and they make up 13% of the population.

Beyond the racial issue, women face discrimination. The glass ceiling is present in government, corporations, and education. Even in businesses with many women employed, men usually run the businesses. Female veterinarians make up 70% of vets, but only 40% of the clinics are owned by women.

The storyline of the song is on the Mississippi River in the 1870s. Watch Karma Chameleon, which reflects a time of the past and the present. Who is in charge of life, according to Boy George?

Boy George sums up his Weltanschauung with this stanza. White males are pickpockets and cheaters at poker. However, he is telling us that life isn’t easy. We are all trying to cope and survive in this world.

Boy George’s suggestion is to have each of us be able to tell others that we aren’t their rivals. He believes that that mindset would resolve issues like racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. The alternative hasn’t worked except for some white males. Trump is a great example. He has messed with women, blacks, and others that he deems below him. He has been successful in the past. Methinks that things are closing in upon him.