Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Steve Harvey: Should a Person's Past Disqualify them from their present work?

This past Monday morning I was driving my son to school when I turned on the radio to listen to the Tom Joyner Morning Show. Tom was interviewing Mary Harvey, the ex wife of comedian and relationship expert Steve Harvey. Mary shared with Tom the circumstances of her life since she and Steve divorced and the current trauma that she was now facing as a result of her keeping silent about her life with Steve and what had occurred since their divorce.
Mary Harvey's conversation with Tom Joyner caused me to think should a person's past failures and mistakes disqualify them from their present occupation? Should Steve's past marriage failures hinder him from being a voice of counsel to the millions of women who purchase his books and listen to him on his radio show?
Steve Harvey has risen to great levels of fame since I first saw him on the Steve Harvey Show in the mid 1990's on the WB network. Today he is a best selling author of "Act like a Lady, Think like a Man." His radio show is heard on radio stations all over the country and on the internet. And his radio show is seen on the Centric Cable Show. Steve's exposure on radio and television has created an audience that listens and follows his advice on relationships that is derived from his point of view.
Mary Harvey alleges that Steve's past infidelities while they were married disqualifies him as a man of integrity whose opinions cannot be taken seriously.
Hearing Mary on Tom Joyner was not the first time I had heard her disturbing allegations against Steve. Last week I saw Mary on You Tube where on one of the videos she accused Steve of having an affair during their marriage with his present wife Marjorie.
Although Mary's allegations and accusations may be new to us Steve has not shied away from talking about his past struggles and mistakes. On one occasion Steve said. "It took me two marriages to really get it in my head, 'Steve you're messing up because you're getting ticked at these woman who want all this stuff from you, and you're saying, Hey this is enough. I'm doing this. What do you want?"

So what really qualifies Steve to be a relationship expert? Should his past disqualify him? Or does his past experiences give him the qualification needed to be an expert in matters of the heart?
Please share your comments on this blog and everyone who leaves their comments will be placed in a drawing for the prize of a FREE COPY of HOME AGAIN: Stories of Restored Relationship. In this anthology of short stories I have written a story titled JAKE AND ERIC. One of the scenes in my story was inspired by Steve Harvey's interview on TBN's program PRAISE THE LORD, with Pastor Donnie McClurkin. I will select the winner of the FREE COPY of HOME AGAIN on February 14.
PEACE, PURPOSE, PROSPERITY