I agree with adroomi's assesment on Cosby overall.

The man had a lot of nonsense to spew against the "man" and this country when he was WHOLEHEARTEDLY backing Jesse Jackson's failed Presidential campaigns.

However, he may be onto something when he tells the African-American community to get off their collective asses and stop pointing the finger for their shortcomings.

Will Smith, pretty much said the same thing, empower yourself through education and FORGET about slavery and other ills of the PAST! Take responsibility for your actions and be a MAN! Stay with your children, be a good father and role model.

No more excuses!

tey wrote: "I firmly believe that the answer to our inner city problems can only be solved thru the combined efforts of the people and the govt. but I don't think that will happen because most of them want to keep us there. As can be evidenced in the crap they teach us in school."

No tey, inner city problems can only be solved by people accepting responsibility for their personal actions. The fact that you believe that there is a concerted effort to keep people socioeconomically disenfranchised becomes self-fulfilling.

All Cosby is saying is that opportunities exist and African American kids have to accept the fact that they have the intelligence and talent to succeed at anything they attempt, but it takes initiative and effort.

Cosby is critical of a culture that has evolved that glorifies bling, children raised without fathers, and blaming "the man" for all of life's inequities.

I think most here find considerable agreement with his argument. Cosby, a racist? Only if accepting personal responsibility for success or failure in life is racism.

While I agree that all of your points are valid I also agree that they lose some validity if youv'e never lived in the ghetto. And I when I say lived I mean youv'e spent years and grown up in the hood for so long that you can say it's not as simple as just taking responsibilty. In my neighborhood I would wake up to kids that I grew up with carrying shotguns in broad daylight ready to die for a block that they don't own. East La is no fu--ing joke and you learn to get tough or die. Now that in itself should be enough responsibilty to take on.

tey: The city leveled my childhood home for urban development. I'm quite familiar with poverty, but I refused to accept it, and moved on with education and hard work.

Both my parents were dead by my 19th birthday. I spent one college semester living in my 10 year old VW minibus, sleeping in warmth by the grace of a friend who was the night attendant in a hospital parking garage that was heated. I got a B.A. in four years, magna **** laude, while working 33 hours a week selling shoes on a commissioned sales floor. Vietnam's G.I.Bill made graduate school a breeze compared to what I'd been through.

Believe me, I know what it's like to slip into a restaurant buffet, nonchalantly slide into a booth with dirty dishes, take one to the buffet line and get a "salad refill."

There are no excuses I accept for lack of personal responsibility and lack of effort.

Steve*R

Well said!

Charlie

Minorities are victims. They are not responsible for their actions. If you do not agree, you are a racist.

That makes sense. Next explanation?

Look Tey, we know that it's not easy living in some of those urban toilets, but the good people have to band together & rise up against that element.

Despite the fact that alcoholism & drug addiction is somewhat understandable, considering the feeling of hopelessness and violence, you can't seek permanent solace in these false gods. You also can't excuse the high eligitimacy and dropout rates.

Many of us in this forum have had it rough growing up. Some of us are self-made men thanks to our sweat and desire to educate ourselves and work hard. Others are still struggling. The ghetto tends to look down on us a chumps- fools for doing it the "hard" way. That's why they will never get ahead- unless they try it our way.

It may not give you that immediate gratification but, brother, it's the only way out of your cesspool and into a system full of opportunities and some frustration, but MOSTLY rewarding opportunities if you

work hard.

^illegitimacy for "eligitimacy" (I think)

Wow, I'm getting good at ebonics.