I didn’t say anyone should imitate anyone.
You stated in your original post that young Black kids might look up to and imitate Cosby, Obama, Barkley.
I say that I have never seen a young man of any race try to be like Cosby, Obama, or Barkley.
They do not dress like, speak like, nor act like these men. Right or wrong, and I will agree the president leaves a lot to be desired, he largely conducts himself in a professional manner (suits, proper speech, etc) as does Cosby and Barkley. I do not see any young people trying to behave as a professional politician, actor, or commentator. Most dress in a clownish style, speak something other than proper English, and act like professional buffoons as do most adults.
Most kids want to dress and behave like wannabe gangsters and are upset when they are accepted as such and are treated as those on the fringe of the law. The will never dress or speak like Obama, Cosby or Barkley.
I sort of like people dressing and behaving like clowns, self mutilating with tattoos and piercings and speaking poor English. Never before have questionable people been so clearly labeled and joy of joys it is a self imposed labeling. No scarlet “A”s or purple or yellow stars, or branding imposed either by law or society. People are reverting to a native/animalistic mentality and marking themselves. Sadly they seek to do the same to the environment and deface public and private property.
Rey, kids are often much more a product of their environment than we or even they want to be.
Witness the kid that grows up with what he knows are flawed parents, but he/she grows up none the less to do some of the very things they swore as kids they never would. I believe the reason is because the dynamics of the home they grew up in seems most comfortable to them. This is the only family dynamic they have witnessed. Some kids fall into this trap, but many don’t. It’s still a valid point.
Nancy Reagan suggested kids just say no. It was so powerful a message that drug abuse in the nation among high school kids dropped by a significant amount.
Now you state that you haven’t seen any kids trying to emulate Obama. Are you absolutely sure about that?
In the George Zimmerman vs Trayvon Martin situation, you had Obama opening his fat yap commenting about what should or shouldn’t take place. He also made comments about how it was reasoned for Black youth to think they were being treated unfairly.
Out comes the verdict, and the “get even” movement spread across the nation like wild-fire. In Chicago you had Black gangs accosting large numbers of White people in public settings. Do you think that just happened spontaneously, or do you think a number of contributing factors played in, including the unfortunate comments of Obama?
You are of course welcome to your opinion, but Obama, Jackson, Sharpton, the NAACP, the Black Caucus, and many others played into this mindset, that Blacks were treated unfairly, and had a right to act out because it was reasonable for them to.
No these kids don’t dress like Obama and the others. None the less they take some ill advised comments and incorporate them into a belief system that sees wide-spread violent retribution against innocents as reasoned.
The Knock-Out Game was part of this.
I think you have seen evidence of these kids being impacted by the President and others.
I do not include Barkley or Cosby in this thought though, although I do think bad role models impact society.