Absinthe & Cookies (a bit bitter, a bit sweet)

OH WOW!!! I didn't think Cosby would ever lean that way, although I should have known better!!! Fabulous to hear. I do seem to remember a ceremony where he recieved some type of award where President (W) Bush (43) was trying to fasten it on and it wouldnt fasten, and Bill Cosby just brushed him off and sat down. It was an amazingly rude thing for a man who seemed to be such a gentleman about everything else.

But I may be remembering wrong...

Although I say it still doesn't make up for Leonard Part 6.

Just sayin...

What can I say? I was in a generous mood...

Good job Cosby wish we had more like you

Good job Cosby wish we had more like you

And what was wrong with what he said? Did he say all people on welfare are African americans? No he said that by their actions, some parents today are not doing what needs to be done to raise their children. Working with the school system and parents, many of them are the children that we failed before. The Question is what is the next step. Blame the victim? or create a better future.

Bill Cosby said what most WHITE people would like to say...but can't because of the African-Americans, Negroes, Blacks, Uhrus, whatever, claiming racism. God bless Bill Cosby!

I learned of this activity from the "Wendy Williams Experience" radio show yesterday afternoon in Philadelphia (I was raised not too far from where Mr. Cosby went to elementary school in Germantown). Given the target audience for her program, nearly all who called to comment were very upset with Mr. Cosby's statements. They made it known (as we already know) that racism and other such obstacles make for a less than seamless climb in the pursuit of progress. At no point did they make an attempt to directly refute the truths Dr. Cosby put forward.

The overriding factors of Mr. Cosby's comments were that of personal responsibility and decision making. Anyone can go into an urban center and see first-hand what Mr. Cosby has spoken about. It is not a matter of saying that other races are doing the same thing. The question is "What the hell do YOU intend to do to upright your situation?!" As a collective body of people, we do not make sound decisions in reference to our finances, health, sexuality and other areas of importance. A glance in the ghettos (calling them what they are) tell an extremely disturbing picture. What's more, anyone with any means AND have a sense of appreciation and DESIRE to see more than what is in front of them will do WHATEVER is neccessary to correct what is wrong in their particular environment, and will help others do the same. This is what Mr. Cosby embodies. Too many rappers that came into instant success did so at the expense of their own and others souls, dreams, desires, heartaches and other life's calamities. No appreciation of what they acclaimed is present. They have either been killed or placed under a degree of control by the penal system. Those that have the means to obtain a quality education CHOSE not to! As such, those coming from the same environments will emulate what they see and hear! No surprise here, so why the opposition?!

As a 30 year old, I am very grateful for the contributions that Dr. Cosby has made for the last three generations of people in this country. In his particular case, he is more than entitiled to speak as he did, because it is the truth and he has made more significant, meaningful contributions to society than nearly all of these airhead thug rappers/ singers combined. As such, to see his efforts neglected by the present day population perhaps set him off as it did.

Definitely heads up for Dr. Cosby. When I grow up, I want to be just like him! :o)

NCB, thank you for your thoughtful comments. Well said.

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Bill Cosby is right. He said what most Black people are saying behind closed doors.

Cosby is not poor or black. So his opinion means little to nothing.

Cosby is not poor or black. So his opinion means little to nothing.

The reason why some Black people are mad is because Bill made these comments in mixed company. Period. My family and I, and almost every other black person I know have made the same comments in private. It is a double-edged sword however, since everyone now fills justified in making comments on the "plight of Black America", regardless of thier actual knowledge of the situation.

To have any type of open dialogue certain things have to be accepted as fact by both Blacks and Whites.

1. Almost all stereotypes are based on some hint of truth. What makes some of them funny(if at all) is the degree of exaggeration.

2. Personal responsibility is almost never brought up by white people for fear of being called a bigot.

3. Most white people only give token acceptance to the fact that racism is alive and well in America.

4. Racism is not the biggest problem facing poor Black people today. Education and lack of family structure, and general apathy towards "White America" is.

5. Most problems society places with blacks and latinos are not ethnic but economic problems faced equally in America. The typical welfare recepient is white. 70% Having said that 25% are black when we are only 12% of the population. There is definitely something wrong with that picture.(Lack of personal responsibility)

6. Affirmative Action is unfortunate but needed at this point in our nation's history. It is a great idea that has been put into flawed service. But the fact this discussion is still being held 100+ years after slavery has ended and 30 years after the end of segregation underscores its need, however flawed its practice.

I am a 27yr old black man, by the way.

Regardless of the comments made by Bill Cosby, the facts remains, that you are a product of your environment. The only problem I have with the comments he made is that he talked in general when he should have been specific about who he was speaking of. I wonder if he personally knows any lower economic people on a personal level. With that being said, Either your a part of the problem or a part of the solution. How is his comments going to make the situation better? That's what we as Black people should be asking ourselves. With the struggles facing Blacks today it's a wonder he can even sleep at night if that's all that bothers him about our community. What about the penal system and the fact that most inmates happen to be minority. What about the lack of great teachers in poorly run down schools. What about the fact that most single parent homes worry about keeping food on the table and utilities paid. What about that Mr. Cosby? Can the underpriviliged straight out the hood everyday black person come to your home and live for free while you teach us how to talk?

Bill Cosby is a good man and his heart was in the right place. Problem is there aren't enough that will pat him on the back and look at these situations with a critical eye to try and construct reasonable solutions to the problems. Far too many react negatively, a knee jerk response that we've been programmed with all our life and start heading right back to "naw, they ain't no problems." There is a problem and you can be part of the solution or part of the problem. Which one will you choose?

Yes, you are a product of your environment. That is the problem in and of itself. So fix your environment. Hold people responsible for what they are rightly responsible for and stop making excuses for where you are in life. It ain't all whities fault damn it!! Wake up and smell the coffee. Read Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson's books and listen to what he says without that "knee-jerk" response. It will do everyone some good.

The first step in the right direction is EDUCATION and I don't mean just the three R's. Add History and Science and whatever else you can. What do all the noteworthy African Americans have in common? They are educated. For God's sake you can't even join the service unless you have a high school diploma.

The right time to start solving these problems is now.

Bill Cosby was absolutely, 100% correct. We have to stop blaming Whites for the deeply dysfunctional behavior of the Black underclass. We have huge problems facing that part of the Black community - drugs, crime, Black-on-Black violence, the huge numbers of Black men in the criminal justice system, AIDS and "down low" bisexuality, gangs, Black disdain for education as "acting White", fatherless families, rampant teen pregnancy and a 73% illegitimacy rate, lack of respect for the larger society, and a subculture that glorifies "thug life". But the biggest problem is that we still are unwilling to face these problems head-on and at least admit that virtually all of them are self-inflicted. "We" have to fix "us". Thanks, Bill Cosby, and Amen! I appreciate you speaking truth to ignorance. We need to stop blaming Whites for our own self-inflicted problems, we need to get over this "cult of victimhood" mentality (nod to Professor John McWhorter), and we have to admit that the Black underclass bears almost all the responsibility for its current sorry condition. It's just that simple. One final point - I think we should nominate Bill Cosby to be the next president of the NAACP. I'm serious. Cosby just did more to help Black America in one 30 minute speech than Kwesei Mfume has done in the last five years.

Mr. Cosby's comments are long overdue by African American celebrities. Chris Rock is also known to be politically incorrect when it comes to what is truly happening in the African American community. I want to hear many, many more celebrities speak out the way Mr. Cosby and Chris has/does. I myself have these very same discussions with family members, whites and honest, enlightened Afican Americans. I have told my family members that we do not help each other or our race about supporting each others bad behavior. We get very angry, beligerent when others outside our race point out the negative truths about us Afican American, so it becomes our responsibility to do so and to police ourselves since racism does still exist. However, I believe the degree to which it exists is our doing. If other races see a track record of thuggish behavior, why should we be suprised when they prejudge us--and not take the time to look beyond the surface. As for Mr. Cosby's blackness, we are confusing race with class. Mr. Cosby is very much black, that cannot be washed off. He is a black man of a higher economic and social class than most of us. Let's not get angry for him speaking the truth about our bad behavior; let's instead find ways to improve first us as an individual, us as a family and this will improve us as a race.

Every once in a while some idiot like Bill Cosby comes out with this "oh, we blacks are so awful" comments and the black intellectuals and white racists in America go crazy with glee.
"Oh, what courage" they shout! "Oh, how true" say others.

What absolute crap! Let Mr. Bill offer any criticisim of the white community or the world wide system of white supremacy and he would be crushed! It takes no courage to offer up the weakest and most disenfranchised people in the country for abuse. That's an American tradition.

What about white "crank" addicts in Iowa? White polygamists in Utah clogging the welfare rolls?
White corporate executives polluting the environment, shipping jobs overseas and stealing billions of dollars in pension funds?
Are these whites the product of inferior white family structures and dysfunctional white attitudes?

After almost 400 years of slavery, lynchings, overt governmental discrimination and another
40 years of relentless abuse and racist attacks by the white majority in America it's a miracle that African Americans are not all crazy.

The achievements and contributions of African American in the face of some of the worst treatment ever experienced in the history of the planet is an example to the world of the triumph of the human spirit over oppression.
People overthrowing dictators all over the world now sing the old Negro anthem "We Shall Overcome" when tearing down walls and statues of oppressors.

Even the weakest and most downtrodden black criminal often shows more strength of character and love of family than the most powerful and affluent white politician or business person.

You don't help a person who has been beaten down by beating them down even more.
Bill Cosby's broad brush attacks on poor black people are just as much of a slur and a lie as they would have been if vomited up by a member of the Aryan Nations or the Ku Klux Klan.

All of you "high falutin'" and "professional Negroes" who parrot Cosby's nonsense are nothing but a bunch of fools who are playing right into the hands of the worst white racists who make no distinction between the so-called "good black" and the "bad Negro".

You and Mr. Bill need to have a Coke and a smile and just shut the hell up!

very inspirational

While Bill may have been unnessarily abrasive to those who perpitrate the acts that help keep us down, we do need to address from within the Black community.

Don't wait for some great movement to cause improvement. Go out of your way to personally help individuals and small groups school themselves on how to create generation-to- generation improvement in the lots of their families.

Naturely ignorance begats ignorance, we have to break the lines of continuation by meeting the problem head on.

Posted by: W L Kennedy