Bill Cosby "Family Values" Flap. Good for Cosby! He is turning this

[KoKo]

around on the Repugs, but at the same time focusing attention back on America's Problems. Some may hate him for what he said, but what is his "ulterior motive?"

Anyone think he's "up to something" that sounds terrible like he's trashing his own, or is he speaking to a larger issue in America that transcends the Black Family/White Family issue?

Is he talking about "ALL OF US?" :shrug:

[sandnsea]

1. Ignorance isn't cool or macho

"Is he talking about "ALL OF US?"

If his message is stupidity will be the death of the country, bravo to him. About damn time somebody said it and laid it right at the foot of the Republican Party that we all know loves for the people to be stupid.

[patrice]

2. Definitely, remove the color issue, this should be about all of us. - eom

[sandnsea]

10. I live in small town America

One of the richest families in our town, and I mean mega-stinking-filty-rich, let their kid drop out of high school in the 11th grade. He's gonna' go be a logger for daddy's logging/trucking/whoknowswhatelse company. Does it not occur to these dimwits that if these kids are to ever run the family business, they might need some education? (There's more than one) Unbelievable. Probably afraid their kids might actually learn something about the environment and the damage the business is actually doing and want to make changes for the benefit of everyone. Can't have that. Better to keep 'em stupid I guess. Until there's no trees left for them to log.

[SemperEadem]

8. I've always said "stupidity will get you killed"

nature proves that to us every day.

[Moderator]

3. This appears to be more of a General Discussion topic

moving...

[AP]

4. I think I heard on Tavis Smiley today that Cosby has donated over $40 mil

to helping people lift themselves up.

Cornel West had an interesting commentary on this today.

[tishaLA]

5. What did Prof. West say?

[AP]

6. The real audio is here:

http://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.php?prgDate=26-May-2004&prgId=14

[tishaLA]

7. D'uh. Thanks

I didn't realize Prof. West was on Tavis' show...I though he just TALKED about it today. LOL.

Gracias.

[SoCalDem]

9. I think Bill is right..and it IS about all of us..

Desegregation was not the bonanza that the left thought it would be, and I think the evilbastards sabotaged the whole program from the start..

If you go back to the days when black children were taught in black schools by black teachers, they were not perveived as anything but students.. They lived in communities that were poor, but the businesses were owned and operated by black families, so there was an abundance of role models available every day..

After the "legal" desegregation, as lots of people in their tight communities started to move away to "bigger and better" opportunities, those communities left behind, crumbled..

The places that the people moved to, "accepted" them grudgingly, and never let them forget that they were "outsiders", and "less thans"..

When a kid sees his former shopkeeper Dad, relegated to sweeping floors in a white owned business, and he is relegated to a classroom as the "token" , it's obvious that resentments fester..

If de-segregation would have been coupled with MONEY to re establish themselves in their "new life", things might have been different..

Being "free" to work at shitty jobs, for long hours and low pay, and being ostracized 24/7, is not smoething that motivates the youngsters..

There are the ones who "escape" regardless of how hard they had it, but until real change happens, things will never change..

It's not so much about color , as it is about economic level..

[KoKo]

11. You say it well, making points on this. It's a great read...

interesting...

[KoKo]

12. I'm thinking about what "motivates" Cosby...but you know..I give him a

pass for whatever he says..because I think he DOES care about America! and I think..given the times we live in...he tries to get his message across by other means..even if offends his fellow African-Americans, and the rest of us "left of Center Liberals" when he speaks out. :shrug:

[Deja Q]

13. The Cos is right! And why should the Dems cower on the defensive?

The repukes in power continue to cut budgets for education and look the other way. That is the problem...

[bpilgrim]

14. i think i hear what he's try'n to say

but i wouldn't hold the poor accountable as he comes off as in this peice to me.

i love bill and give him all the props he rightly deserves for all his genious but he needs to aim his fire at the ROOTS and not just the 'symptoms'.

but i do agree that american society as a MF WHOLE is AFU.

peace

[Pobeka]

15. Can someone fill me in on what this is all about?

What did Cosby say?

[Classical_Liberal]

16. I don't trust the Washington Posts reporting on this

If it is true, it sounds like he has become a republican. Why attack people who work at Walmart, and attack people on Welfare? Also women on welfare even before welfare reform didn't have more kids on average than the rest of the population.

I think the black family suffered because of the loss of good paying union jobs in the rust belt. I don't expect things will improve for them until wages rise again. I also don't expect they'll organize anything. His critics are right this is going to be used by right wingers to slash social programs and education some more. Was that his intention?

This message has been around since the 80s and it hasn't helped matters one bit. The trouble is the only time you get documentaries on the topic even from pbs it is from the American Enterprise Institute or some other neglect the poor, and feed the military budget thunk tank. If those women married they would just be poor and married. Good jobs reduce poverty, and increase marriage chances.