Cosby: Brutally honest or elitist snob?

Earlier this month Bill Cosby took a segment of the black community to task on issues from their grammar to complaints about police brutality. Some people said he was being brutally honest, while others said his remarks were a classist, elitist attack on the poor. What do you think? Read the story: Some angry, some agree with Cosby criticisms Renee Graham commentary: This Cosby show is undeserved

Page 6

Bill Cosby has worked many years to get to where he is today. He is not speaking for the millions of black people who worked to make a better life for themselves and their families. He was addressing those who sit back and try to blame everyone else in the world for their shortcomings. This is not a black problem. This is a problem with every faction of humankind. There are those who work toward improvement every day - no matter what the struggle. We sometimes accomplish our goals, and we sometimes fail but we must persevere. We need to keep shooting for goals instead of shooting each other. The world is changing. The United States of America will lose it's strength if her people are weak. We all must learn to accept responsibility for the things we can control, and teach responsibility and respect to our children, or we lose everthing for which we have strived throughout the generations. I stand and cheer Bill Cosby for saying it like it is. Give Peace a chance.

Donna

I also agree with Mr Cosby. It's time the black community be held responsible for its actions and stop looking to point the blame somewhere else. Bill Cosby has been like a father figure to most black americans young and old and has done just as much for the black community as any of our other elite black entertainers. As the artical states it's OK as long as a comedian delivers the message in a funny way that way we can laughe if off and not take action. We have enjoyed and learned from Bill Cosby for so many yrs, why should this be any different? Mr Cosby is doing the black community a favor. I say that because he only did what so many of our so called black community leaders would not, ask those of us who can do better to try harder. Take advantage of the opportunities aroung you break the cycles that hold generation after generation down, think as individuals and overcome that pressure of fitting in with a certain crowd. Mr Cosby is not asking the poor and under privaledged to perform miracles but he asking those of us who can be held responsible for our own actions.

Kevin

How come when Malcolm X said essentially the same things, even more sharply, there was no uproar? Because he correctly identified racial oppression as the principle problem, not individual behavioral failings. Urban poverty, racist police, segregated schools, white indifference - these are the roots of the branchs Crosby criticizes. He should not inoke failure to live up to the Horatio Alger myth, even by inference, to explain the plight of African Americans. He has made a career out of "crossover" appeal, so typically doesn't discuss racism sharply in public. Ironically, however, self-determination for any oppressed people requires serious, disciplined housecleaning, but it has to come from within.

winston

I think Bill Cosby has a lot to say and is saying it very plainly. There are always going to be a lot of knuckleheads in any race and Cosby, naturally, is particularly concerned with black people. The behaviors that Cosby is talking about are off-putting and out of this Country's mainstream for every race. Maybe the police shoot more people who are black because they are more afraid of being shot ,or, being shot at, more, by black people than other races. Isn't it part of black youthful culture and folklore to carry a gun in case you get dissed? This is what Cosby is talking about. Stop being stupid and self-destructive. Assimilate. Take the challenge. If you are black, don't allow your life to be influenced by politicians and defense lawyers whose living depends on keeping you down and out in this society. The slavery and discrimination thing is getting old to all deep-thinking citizens of any color. Especially when you see beside you every day, and admire, the mainstream people who are black and achieving all different levels of success and integration -- in spite of the discrimination that exists today and the bad things that happened to them and their ancestors before and during the early years of civil rights. Bad behavior is bad behavior in any culture and shouldn't be named differently. I love Cosby for trying to make an real impact with very straight talk.

Carol

Cosby is right on the money.

Peter

Classist? Elitist? Attack on the poor? Are Cosby's critics saying it's OK to speak horrendous english and lack an education and act like animals because they are poor? Are they also saying anyone verbilizing what they experience and witness day after day has stepped out of the all too familiar political correctness our society is engulfed in and therefore should be considered racist? Anybody who's aware of their surroundings knows the people who Cosby is talking about and we've all seen them. There is no sugar coating it, there is no denying it, black or white. What I'd like to do now is describe five scenarios we have all encountered before -admit it or not- and give all you readers a test at the end. Scenerio 1: You are driving down a road when suddenly a guy comes walking extra slow and cool across the street with his pants around his ankles glaring at you in your car, seemingly daring you to hit him despite the fact you're driving a one ton vehicle. Scenerio 2: The loudest indivduals on a bus or subway. You know the ones we all hear cussing and yelling extra loud describing who and how they're going to whoop somebody. Scenerio 3: We are still on the bus or subway folks. You are crammed in with hundreds of other commuters heading to or from work when at the next stop someone gets on and starts playing their music super loud out of a stereo boom box. Scenerio 4: You are at home eating dinner or watching TV when suddenly the house begins to shake. Loud, incredibly annoying thumping comes creaping through the walls following the path of the street just outside. You look out your window in time to see the faint purple glow of running lights fade away into the distance. You could have sworn it was a "suped up" hyundai. Scenerio 5: You are waiting in a long line, any line, and it's taking forever. The reason for such a wait could be a legitimate one or not. You and probably everybody else in line wants to yell at the clerk to hurry up. Someone finally does and makes a completely inappropriate scene. Now here's the test: I want you all to close your eyes and review each scenario I just described. Now tell me what color are the characters you imagined in each one? Next time you encounter one of these scenarios (of course with the exception of 1) and you will, close your eyes before you look at the person or persons and imagine what they look like. Then look. Would you consider yourself a racist or observer? Cosby told it how it how he sees it day in and day out and so did I. Each race contributes to it's own chains whether you agree or not.

steve

Cosby is right on the money. There is a need in the young black community and it is priority re-organizing. $10000 tire rims on a $6000 truck $2500 gold platinum plates for teeth Not being able to read a job application. There is a problem !!!!

mike

Notice that they are not saying it's not true, just that Cosby is a racist. He wasn't being racist and he wasn't saying that all black people are like that, he's just trying to point out that there are some and they need to change.

Unnamed

I admire him for speaking candidly. It is easy to be a "yes man" but to speak the truth, and stand by what you said is more difficult than saying what people want to hear. He's frustrated, and he's not looking for excuses and doesn't want to hear the excuses. I used to coach youth and high school football. I could never get over the fact that parents were alwasy making excuses for, and defenbding their childs actions when their child behaved out of line. Cosby is calling the parents of these youth onto the mat and telling them to look in the mirror instead of playing the "poor me" hand that so many people like to play. You have to want to make a better life for yourself. You don't just have it handed to you.

Anonymous

Bill has hit a very big nail right on tbe head! Other minorities finish at the head of their classes, are successful in business and all because of solid family support, education and hard work. Too many of the African American folks are from broken families where many babies are born to uneducated teenagers, wellfare if a way of life and school attendance is nil.

AMB