Posted on 12/02/2004 10:13:43 PM PST by hipaatwo
They had come to praise Cosby, not to bury him.
But the Cos had a few words to the wise for state legislators gathered in Philadelphia yesterday - and they weren't all words of praise.
Bill Cosby - TV star, comedian, educator and native Philadelphian was back on home turf bringing his "tough-love" talk to the the National Caucus of Black Legislators.
He told them to get their act together and start fixing some of the problems afflicting black communities around the country.
"There are too many young men killing each other over irresponsibility," Cosby said at the opening session of the group's convention at the Wyndham Philadelphia at Franklin Plaza yesterday.
"You men, you African-American males, you've got to reach down and grab these boys - and some of these boys are 50 years old - standing on the corner. You need to go out on the streets and face these boys....
"Our children are confused, they're not listening. They're mad and they're angry and they don't care. They're fighting and even the sight of that person's blood doesn't stop them. Please, make our children understand the beauty" of their lives.
Cosby also said he was tired of people complaining about a justice system that gives "more time to the black man selling crack than to the white man selling cocaine."
"Tell the boy not to sell drugs! That ought to take care of it right then and there."
He told the politicians they were elected to make waves, not complain, and used a sports analogy to illustrate.
He told of a boxer fighting for a title who had won eight rounds, but then stopped following his trainer's advice and simply slugged it out with his opponent.
The other guy caught the boxer off-guard and "knocked him dizzy. He spent the rest of the round running backwards, trying not to get knocked out."
Finally, Cosby said, the manager told the fighter:
"It's not what he's doing to you. It's what you're NOT doing!"
Cosby also lashed out at state officials about cuts in spending for education and other programs.
"How is it that we voted you into office, and you let the man cut the money?...
"If our schools don't have all the pages in the books, we've got to put the money out there. That's your job, isn't it?"
He also handed out a harsh dish of reality for women in the audience.
"Don't let these men push you in the background for nothing," he said, noting how African-American women represent 70 percent of blacks graduating from college and 90 percent of black people graduating from high school and going on to college.
But he added how black women are also "in the number one position for single-parent households and you women happen to be number one in persons being killed by HIV. And who's giving it to you?"
He cautioned women to be careful about the men in their lives and chastised men who put women's lives in danger.
He also touched on the forthcoming movie based on the 1970s cartoon he created.
Cosby said he and his wife, Camille, told the makers of "Fat Albert" not to turn the film into a sleazy story.
"It's about love," he said. "It's not about a boy trying to get into some girl's pants. He may be trying to get into her mind."
And he said his wife led the charge in making sure that lyrics in the film's soundtracks weren't full of profanity.
In introducing Cosby, State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams commended the actor, who has been criticized this year for being too harsh on poor, urban communities, "for saying what a lot of others have been thinking."
I'm gobsmacked. BTW, I will be seeing Fat Albert. The trailers look real good so far.
Go Cosby Go!
The voice of one crying in the wilderness.......
Note to Bill: Become a Republican like Jackie Robinson did. The Dems are the ones who have done this to blacks.
I wish Bill had started speaking out like this 2-3 decades ago.
He could have made a difference in the black community before things really got out of hand.
As it is, he's fighting an uphill battle.
Three decades ago it wasn't the same issues as today. Very different time. Besides better late than never.
Chances are not good that Bill Cosby will be getting holiday cards of the Christmas and Kwanzaa variety from the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus, that's to be sure.
Right on, Mr. Cosby!
Granted.
In the 70's it was educational opportunities and equity in employment, etc. However, the seeds of todays issues were there: drugs, gang violence, dropouts, teen pregnancies, irresposiblility by fathers.....
That is the real reason I dislike Sharkton and Jackasson; they had the ear of the black community and they squandered that influence on the alter of personal gain. The were the diciples of MLK Jr., and they peed on his grave.
No doubt about it, black citizens have had a tough row to hoe in American society; but no other group has collectively squandered so many opportunities.
Agreed... well those who want to listen will listen, and those who don't well they have no one else to blame but themselves.
"Tell the boy not to sell drugs! That ought to take care of it right then and there."
I'd be hard put to come up with a reply to that one...
The voice of one crying in the wilderness.......
This is a message that needs to get out. Is the education position still open?
LOL
you are right. They are totally in bed with the dems - to keep the blacks down - as a captive constituency...the better to line their pockets and keep them in power
Bingo. Bears repeating.
They have to. That's how they make money and stay employed. I really feel sorry for black kids in public school in this country. There are people who expect them to fail because they're black and then there are black people who have an interest in keeping them stupid.
Cosby grew up in the projects here in Philly and where he grew up is worse now than it ever could be. There was a murder of a 9th grade black student right outside a school here last week. It was a revenge shooting for non payment of a bet. The student was 16 and had a child. There were other students injured in the shooting. I wish Cosby would run for Mayor of this city, I bet he would help straigthen it out.
Just proof that, "One man with courage is a majority."
Bring back Joe Clark.
If he keeps this up, I'm going to have to change my opinion of the man.
I love this guy. He's got guts! Jesse and Al could learn A LOT from this man!
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