an interesting HOTBUTTON topic....

[Qdrop]

we should discuss this...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7681419/

Responding to a controversial debate about race in America
In 'Is Bill Cosby Right?' professor Michael Eric Dyson debates the comedian's criticism of low-income blacks made at last year's NAACP awards. Read an excerpt

Today show
Updated: 9:22 a.m. ET May 2, 2005

Last year, comedian Bill Cosby sparked a heated debate about low-income blacks in America after a speech he gave at the NAACP awards dinner. His words criticizing poor blacks for their spending habits, speech patterns and parenting were the topic of countless newspaper editorials and conversations on TV and radio talk shows. Professor Michael Eric Dyson recently published a written response to Cosby's remarks. He was invited on the "Today" show to discuss his new book, "Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?"....

[ASsman]

Idiots, he said it to blacks because he is black. Same could be said about trailer trash and how they waste their money on crytal meth.

The poor becoming ignorant, and simply do no move on since it is easier to continue in such a manner.

[Qdrop]

Idiots, he said it to blacks because he is black. Same could be said about trailer trash and how they waste their money on crytal meth.

The poor becoming ignorant, and simply do no move on since it is easier to continue in such a manner.

agreed, for the most part.

but i know there is ALOT of decenting opinion on this.....on this board especially.

[Qdrop]

oh come on....

is everyone afraid to talk about race now?

[D_Raay]

Personally, I think he's right... I'm one of the resident far lefties but when your right your right...

[Bob]

i think this is one of those things that middle class white people feel awkward talking about (i know i do), so i'm going to type with a sock puppet on my hand so i don't feel nervous:

[sock puppet]

yeah, i agree with him, mostly. he got a lot of criticism for "airing dirty laundry" or something like that, but all i can say to that is, "then wash your clothes". i'm no expert on race-relations, but my ignorant opinion is that there's a mentality (and a somewhat justified one) that it's the fault of rich white people that poor blacks are in the position that they're in. you can make that argument, you can show how conservative white interests have affected public policy to keep minorities down (and slavery, and all that), but bill's got a point, you can't just put the responsibility on white people completely. they've got to help themselves, too. or something.

like i said, i'm no expert, i'm just an average bob that gets his news from soundbites, but that's how i see it, more or less. i could be wildly uneducated on the matter, and that wouldn't surprise me.

[/sock puppet]

well, that wasn't so bad

[DroppinScience]

i think this is one of those things that middle class white people feel awkward talking about (i know i do), so i'm going to type with a sock puppet on my hand so i don't feel nervous:

[sock puppet]

yeah, i agree with him, mostly. he got a lot of criticism for "airing dirty laundry" or something like that, but all i can say to that is, "then wash your clothes". i'm no expert on race-relations, but my ignorant opinion is that there's a mentality (and a somewhat justified one) that it's the fault of rich white people that poor blacks are in the position that they're in. you can make that argument, you can show how conservative white interests have affected public policy to keep minorities down (and slavery, and all that), but bill's got a point, you can't just put the responsibility on white people completely. they've got to help themselves, too. or something.

like i said, i'm no expert, i'm just an average bob that gets his news from soundbites, but that's how i see it, more or less. i could be wildly uneducated on the matter, and that wouldn't surprise me.

[/sock puppet]

well, that wasn't so bad


I do think that sounds right. But honestly, I think this issue is more of an internal black matter and I think whites largely should stay out. I say this because we really don't know shit about this subject and any opinions on this really do require that African-American perspective that we're all lacking.

*waits for g-mile to add his 2 cents* ;)

[Qdrop]

interesting....
i agree with cosby as well....

for some reason, i figured there would be more disagreement on this board...

i think Bob summed it up quite nicely.

[ASsman]

Stigma.

[Hiebz]

I would mostly agree with bob (err... I mean my sock puppet hand agrees) and would also add another analogy - If I, being brought up as a christian and am of those beliefs for the most part, were to criticize the current actions done in the name of my religion and want "us" to shape up, I would think that would be appropriate and acceptable. Therefore, I feel a black man has the right to try and uplift his fellow blackman in an effort of camaraderie. I don't think I would be in the right to say the same things (being white); it's a bit of a commonality thing in the context of how Mr. Cosby was expressing himself - whether that commonality is just or unjust, it none-the-less exists.
I think it can be applied to your perspective group or community and then applied on a broader context - I see it working itself outwards to a broader incorporation in the ideal sense. Help "ourselves" out and work towards helping others out since we have overcome it, so to speak. that make any sense without being offensive?

break the stigma by self improvement