Cosby Brings 'Blunt' Message to Leaders

[WhisperWisdom]

Cosby Brings 'Blunt' Message to Leaders
CBNNews.com
May 2, 2008


CBNNews.com - Actor Bill Cosby told several hundred people Thursday that African Americans need to take responsibility for their own problems.

Speaking at a conference of community associations in Newark, N.J., he told the audience that black Americans need to "stop looking for someone to blame."

Cosby has a long track record of angering black leaders with his criticisms. He said he was being "blunt, but not harsh," and called his critics "intellectual panhandlers" who are part of the problem because they enable destructive behavior by blaming racism.

"You've got these idiots who've got these degrees and some of them are ordained ministers and they say, `Bill, you're picking on the poor,"' he said.

"Well, so did Jesus then," he said. "Jesus was always telling someone, `Go ye.' Jesus was always telling people to go somewhere. And 'don't do this again or don't do that again."'

Cosby also criticized radio stations that play music he called "pro-murder and anti-women." He said adults are equally responsible for speaking out.

"I haven't seen the demonstrations saying, 'I'm not allowing my children to listen to this," he said. "It's killing us. We're not talking about it, and we're not beating it down."

Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker called Cosby "a critical voice right now in the American context." He praised his willingness to speak out on issues without bowing to political correctness.

"This is a time for candor - we can't beat around the bush," Booker said. "We've got large percentages of our population that are underachieving. He's speaking to the heart of the matter, and he speaks to the realities of what a lot of folks are experiencing."

I agree 100% with Cosby on this....

[Ort]

I agree with him too. I'm tired of people always trying to find somebody to blame, when all they have to do is look in the mirror.
If you didn't bother to go to school (education provided by our tax dollars), then who is to blame? If you don't do your homework and get failing marks, who is to blame? If you think working at McDonald's is "beneath you" and you choose to sell drugs, get caught, go to jail.......who is to blame? If you choose to have babies out of wedlock with multiple partners thereby causing you to live in less than ideal conditions, who is to blame?

Time to stop this "victim" mentality, and pull yourself up by your bootstraps and make something of yourself. Be a productive member of society. It's not that difficult to do. Nobody handed me anything. My first car was a $700 rusty thing, but I loved it. It meant freedom. I worked at the local grocery store AND was a sorter for UPS. Yep, 2 jobs. I went to a community college, and paid for it from what I earned. When I started the job I am still working at 20 years later, I made $6.72 an hour. I was making $5.30 an hour at the grocery store and you didn't need an education for that.

I know that some people's circumstances are way more harsh. I'm not living in a fantasy world. But when I read stories of girls who lived in shelters, and went on to Harvard, I can't help but think there's no excuse for attaining anything less than those girls. They didn't even have a home, and they succeeded. They did so, because they wanted to do so. Whether you make it or not, I firmly believe it's all in the attitude. If you keep thinking you'll never make it, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. I know I don't have many or all of the answers, but this is how I see it.

[readytogo]

I agree with him too. I'm tired of people always trying to find somebody to blame, when all they have to do is look in the mirror.

:iagree

[sandy]

the man has insight and its obvious he loves his people.

but most wont listen to him.

[kenny1659]

the man has insight and its obvious he loves his people.

but most wont listen to him.

There are too many people that are making money and have gained power by keeping racism alive, and keeping it available as a crutch for those who will not take responsibility for their own actions.

[Ort]

There are too many people that are making money and have gained power by keeping racism alive, and keeping it available as a crutch for those who will not take responsibility for their own actions.

:iagree:iagree:iagree:iagree Do Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton come to mind?

[mikalikat]

Last I heard, it was over 200 year ago that people were in chains in this country and apologies are long since over. I'm sick and tired of the people he's talking about acting like animals, breeding like rabbits but not sticking around to raise their progeny, shooting one another over $300 sneakers, singing disgusting songs about raping women, and then whining when society treats them like animals. Act like an animal, you get treated like one.

[Ort]

Unfortunately, the same is also true of the white trash I see on "Cops". Not married, 4 kids with 4 different sperm donors, permanent cigarette dangling from tobacco stained fingers, looking 25 years older than their actual age from the smoking and drinking, dressed in dirty clothes, kids dirty, skinny, underfed dogs tied up barking and barking, etc. The "mothers" with all those kids are more than likely on welfare, as the "fathers" have no money.

I guess I'd just like to say, that while I agree with you, things like this are all over the ethnic spectrum, it seems. Human kind's state seems to be sinking deeper and deeper into depravity. IMHO.

[mikalikat]

Agreed, but we're talking about the community that Bill Cosby was addressing, the black community. And I will make the caveat, lest I stir up trouble as I'm known to inadvertently do from time to time, I'm NOT saying they are the only ones with this mindset. However, Dr. Cosby was addressing this particular area of society as it is one he is tied to ethnically. White trash is prevalent for us, too, and there's no excuse for it. As my grandmother used to say, anyone can afford a bar of soap and find a garden hose somewhere.

[Ort]

[QUOTE=mikalikat;80294]Agreed, but we're talking about the community that Bill Cosby was addressing, the black community. And I will make the caveat, lest I stir up trouble as I'm known to inadvertently do from time to time, I'm NOT saying they are the only ones with this mindset. However, Dr. Cosby was addressing this particular area of society as it is one he is tied to ethnically. White trash is prevalent for us, too, and there's no excuse for it. As my grandmother used to say, anyone can afford a bar of soap and find a garden hose somewhere.[/QUOTE]

[MaryAnneDerEsel]

Do Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton come to mind?

They're EXACTLY who I was thinking of. They live to spread racism!

[Ort]

They're EXACTLY who I was thinking of. They live to spread racism!

Of course! I mean, how else would they make a living? If Jesse couldn't blackmail/strongarm/sheist people to hand over money, he'd starve. He bilked NASCAR out of $250,000 supposedly to train black race car drivers. Well, he got the money but has anybody seen any of these inner city drivers???? I guess all the money went to his mistress, and illegitimate child.

Tawana Brawley, who made up the disgusting attack that was supposedly perpetrated against her by violent whites, was defended by Sharpton and even today he doesn't apologize for any of it. She retracted her story, got a slap on the wrist, and ol' Al rode off in the sunset. How about an apology, Al??

Both "reverends" will have to stand before our Creator some day. "Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord, and I will repay."

[WhisperWisdom]

Makes you wonder though if Martin Luther King, had he lived, would've eventually resorted to this? After all, Jesse Jackson was with him at the time, so you could say he's a progeny.

[Ort]

Makes you wonder though if Martin Luther King, had he lived, would've eventually resorted to this? After all, Jesse Jackson was with him at the time, so you could say he's a progeny.

I would say absolutely not. Because MLK is gone, Jesse has reverted to neanderthal status. I always wondered how different things would be if MLK had lived. Even Malcolm X. Yes, I know he was a muslim, but after he had gone to Mecca he came to the conclusion that people shouldn't hate each other because of their skin color. This was a radical departure from how he thought before he went over there. Now, do I know for certain he would have stayed true to form? There's no way of knowing. I think he would have been tainted by the radical muslims in the end. IMHO.

[WhisperWisdom]

Good point. In the end, I think Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are only in it for the money and fame. While there is no doubt that some form of racism does still exist, I don't believe it's on the scale these two keep saying it is. In fact, every time they are on the news, I usually change the channel. LOL....

[Ort]

Me too. They nauseate me. What makes me more mad is their use of "reverend". They are no reverends! They are wolves in sheep's clothing who hoodwink the weakminded.