Bernie Mac was a sad loss
Sometimes, a clown just hits the right note of humor and intelligence to pass through the television screen and feel like a real human being. There’s an archness about their performance. Bernie Mac was a rare talent. So often actors and comedians are trying too hard. Although the official cause of death this August was pneumonia, he had been fighting sarcoidosis for many years. This is an autoimmune disease that, somewhat unfairly, operates along racial lines. Black Americans are sixteen times more likely to die than white Americans. There is no cure for this disease.
Although there are some side effects if you take a steroid like Prednisone over longer periods of time, e.g. an increase in body weight, fluid retention, etc. these are prices worth paying for those with this disease. Often affecting the lungs and leaving you breathless, people are left without energy. That Bernie Mac kept going and entertained so many for so long is a testament to the kind of man he was and the therapeutic quality of cheap Prednisone.