Recommended: Whitlock on Cosby

Just my $0.02, but Star sports columnist Jason Whitlock had an outstanding column this morning on Bill Cosby's Call-Out here Tuesday, which drew about 2,000 persons to Penn Valley Community College:

Cosby gets his points across

• I wasn’t shocked at all by what I heard from Cosby on Wednesday. I’d heard it all before at the Million Man March. Cosby was plainspoken, direct and brutally honest.
• Cosby stated that too many black people have accepted the labels — “at-risk, disadvantaged and minority” — put on them by the mainstream media.
• “Harriet Tubman had to put a gun to some (slaves’) heads to get them off the plantation,” Cosby said, referring to the queen of the Underground Railroad. “You know why? Because some of us want to stay at-risk and disadvantaged.”

This blog is about crime, not race, but it's hard to ignore the intersection of the two in this country. Related topics have come up on this blog before and can be found in the One Kansas City? category.

As Jason says, Cosby's line has drawn much fire. Latest attack:

Standing up to Cosby's harsh attacks on poor blacks
Like the start of baseball season and the end of the school year, Bill Cosby's rants against the black poor are becoming a perennial feature of the impending summer. On the most recent stops along his 18-city "Call Out" tour, Mr. Cosby has reignited controversy by publicly attacking young black men.
While I don't question his love for black people, his recent actions have appeared more venomous than valuable, more condescending than caring and more hateful than helpful.
- Marc Lamont Hill, an assistant professor of urban education at Temple University, writing in the Baltimore Sun today.

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Thanks,
Greg Reeves

Comments

[Danny]

The words "outstanding" and "Whitlock" should never be in the same sentence.

[Nate]

I don't think of this as a Black problem. I think this is a poverty problem. Break down the numbers. There are more white people in this position then any minority.

The sense of entitlement and hopeless oppression helps EVERYONE justify waiting in line to pick up that welfare check.

It's not racism that has created the problem, but it is racism that has focused this problem as being a "Black People" problem...

[The Angry Conservative]

Taking a brutally (but fair) take on matters like this make you a lightning rod for criticism. The fact that race is involved and the person making the comments is himself black ignites it further.

There is no "public attacking" when you ask an adult to be an adult. New Orleans being hit by Hurricane Katrina should clue people in to the idea that being government-reliant (in any fashion), is a really bad idea. And despite a population that is more than 2/3rds black, whites made up almost half of the original death toll in that city (despite what you'll see and hear from liberal news outlets such as CBS, ABC, and (to a certain extent) NBC.)

[David]

Thank you Bill Cosby and Jason Whitlock for caring enough to call it like you see it on this important issue. We are made with the capacity to choose and made to take responsibility for ourselves. This is not to say that social injustice is not real. There is something wrong in that a black male is statistically more likely to go to jail than to college - that is a societal injustice. Nevertheless, ghetto-fabulousness has got to go. As somebody that works with youth, I have even seen little Johnson County white boys trying to act all ghetto. Be who you are, but don't wait for "the man" to look out for your interests.

[LJ]

I'm not sure what the racial break down of the death toll from Katrina has to do with anything.

[lr]

LJ, I think Conservative was merely showing the amount of government reliant folks in Nawlins did not fall strictly to one race and he prefaced the whole paragraph with the statement that adults need to be adults, regardless of color.

[The Angry Conservative]

LJ:

I made the comment mostly because the coverage of Katrina has a very "whites are oppressing blacks" edge to it. There are plenty of poor white people in this country...but as a matter of proportion, blacks are more likely to be poor.

Every time someone points out that there are many blacks making poor choices, there are one of two ideas thrown out there

1) The person saying that is racist (or, if the person happens to be black, they're called an "Uncle Tom") and

2) It's not their fault...America is institutionally racist.

There are plenty of people from all ethnicities and races that don't make the best choices....but more often than not, blacks are singled out because of the statistics behind it. You can debate the reasons why, but the unwed mother, incarceration, and poverty rates are disproportionately higher in blacks.

Cosby's argument is that things can be done about this, but it does not involve more entitlements or other government intervention...but rather that blacks should take control of their own life and choose to do well in life.

It's good advice for people of all races and backgrounds. If you work hard in this country, you will reap enormous benefits.

[David Gardner]

Quoting from the article by Marc Lamont Hill, Assistant Professor of Urban Education at Temple University:

During a recent speech at the commencement ceremony at the historically black Spelman College in Atlanta, Mr. Cosby further demonized black men by labeling them as people who "send their sperm" but run from being fathers. In a recent CNN interview, Mr. Cosby criticized black men who would rather "sell drugs than flip burgers."

Bill Cosby is not "deamonizing black men by labeling them." He is merely pointing out the truth. To be fair, it is a truth that extends across races, cultures and nationalities. It cannot be denied however, that the problem exists disporportionatly in the black community.

Mr. Hill goes on to crticize Cosby for "not being sufficiently nuanced." In other words, he's insensitive, intolerant and guilty of the worst sin one can commit in today's PC world - offensive.

No matter how you analyze it, it still comes down to people and the choices they make in life.

[Chris Thorman]

Cosby's comments are a breath of fresh air. And I do think that poverty has more to do with crime stats that race.

[G]

As a black man, it is not surprising, nor should it be offensive to anyone, that Mr. Cosby would be directing his criticisms at fellow african americans.

As for what actually saying, he's dead on accurate. People need to just forget the racial aspects of it. Everything he says pertaining to black people, pertains equally to white people.

It's the same message, and it's a great one if people would just quit being such PC morons and just listen to it: take responsibility for your life and your family.

That simple idea should be colorless.

[Jokie McJokemaker]

I do some volunteer work in the inner city here and it is very disheartening to see how many of these young boys are being raised with no male role model around them.

This is the problem! Boys need a strong male figure in their lives. This role model will help with choices that are made down the road. Everything from school, to hanging out with the wrong crowd. Not saying people with male role models in their lives always make the correct decision, but they the opportunity to learn how to stnad up and be a man in the decision making process and more importantly how to recover from a bad decision.

I want to encourage the people on this thread(not blog) to get involved! There are so many chances like Big Brothers and Sisters, Boys and girls clubs and the best www.hopecenterkc.org

Get off your butts and make the difference in a childs life!

[christina]

Young white men get into just as much trouble as young black men. The ONLY reason this country still has racism....Parents are still teaching it. Every person is genetically made the same way. The ONLY difference is or skin color. That should not matter. I am white and when i brought home my Ex-Boyfriend(who is black) my mom cried. Yet she didnt teach us to see color she still couldnt handle it. She now Loves him. The only way to change how people feel about different races it to teach our youth the right way.

[christina]

Boys dont always need a stong male role model. The just need the right role model whether male or female.

[t-bone]

i agree. cosbys comments should apply to everyone. im tired of white, black, mexican, or whatever complaining about their situation. my parents were poor and they worked hard for us and themselves and now they have a better life. also there is a direct link to fatherless homes and poverty and crime. if all people would take responsiblity for themselves, work hard, quit having multiple babies by multiple men, men taking responsibility for babies they father, things would change.

[lr]

My parents had nothing when they got married and had two kids immediately and had the extra responsibility of caring for two of my mom's sisters. Yet, they taught us all right--to not accept handouts, and to take personal responsibility. Hard work helped them greatly in later years and this mindset was imparted to the three of us (my siblings and I). As a result we are all living responsibly. So much boils down to personal responsibility. Goes to show not everyone who grew up poor initially has to live their whole life in that situation.

[Jokie McJokemaker]

Nope! Boys (studies have shown) need a strong Male role model. No PC BS here. Females do not understand what a male is going through and can not help him in the same way as another Male.

Sorry to burst the feminist bubble. Young men need a strong Male role model.(somewhere in their life, the closer the better)

[christina]

Well lets see there are pastors, coaches, Boyscout leaders....people of this nature that can be there to talk with a boy if needed. Not all boys who grow up with just moms turn out to be bad.

[christina]

I have studied nursing and people for years thats what i do, i would like to see the study as to which you are refering to.

[t-bone]

your right christina. not all of them do. but that usually because they had some sort of male influence and a mom that would whoop ass when they needed it.

[christina]

Thats all i was trying to get at t-bone thank you!

[t-bone]

the problem is we have a system that rewards people who stay at home and have more babies and dont want to work. while people who are working hard to just get by get nothing.

[Nolan Pinkney]

I respect Bill Cosby and his comments but where is the positive remarks in what he's saying.
Criticism is good at times however, there are black men that will work hard to handle their responsibilities because I'm one of them and I have two jobs!
About him talking about the poor, opportunities must be created for the poor to excel and live better lives.
It's a great thing to see a famous person care about our society especially our young people. Just don't place everyone in the same light because you see a few bad ones.
As long as this "divide and conquer" attitude exist in our society, there will always be conflict and issues within.

[t-bone]

he could be more positive, but it appears his message is not for people like you nolan but for those who are not handling their business.

[christina]

Some of our poor chose to reamain poor. The poor of ALL races. Those who want out, GET OUT of poverty. I know. I grew up in a "poor" family. Now i am working on being the CEO of a hospital. Sometimes one has to create their own opportunities.

[Jokie McJokemaker]

ius.uwinnipeg.ca/pdf/WIRA_Male_Reading_Teachers.pdf
www.nuatc.org/articles/pdf/cries_of_a_crisis.pdf
www.cato.org/testimony/ct-wc67.html
www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR6-4/wellswilbon.html
www.nysccc.org/T-Rarts/DispelMyths.html
www.terry.uga.edu/~dawndba/4500FailingBlkBoys.html
www.singlesexschools.org/advantages-forboys.htm

Christina,
If you do research then you should have known how and where to find this stuff. Have fun reading. The point here is Positive Male role models are what is needed! I saved you some serious time here.

[The Angry Conservative]

Chris Thorman:

"And I do think that poverty has more to do with crime stats that race."

Exactly....poverty drives crime. Furthermore, when speaking of adults, poverty is almost always self-driven.

Having children when you can't even provide for yourself is just flat-out stupid...but it happens a LOT. Same reason STD's are the problem that they are. You got a lot of absent-minded people having their "fun" while being stupid or careless while doing so...and the resulting children bear most of the suffering.

As for male influence....sorry ladies...men and women are different...biologically and emotionally. Period. If a boy is raised by a woman and does not have a male influence (can be a friend, an uncle...whatever), the kid may very well turn out OK...but as much as I hear about how men don't know jack about women's struggles, people that suggest vice versa really shouldn't be discounted so quickly. There are a lot of dynamics in the male "sphere" that woman just don't know about or won't "get"...or at the very least, won't instill in their children. That's not an insult...just a plain fact.

Men, as parents, are generally much more authoritative whereas women are much more emotional and perhaps less hard on their children. This can be taken too far. If you don't have a parent (whether it be man or woman) educating you on how harsh this world can be and how to best circumvent hardships in everyday life, it puts you behind the curve.

In situations where a one-parent situation is present, it really needs to be drilled into a child's head that the situation is not what the child should shoot for when they get that old. It should be stressed that graduation from high school (if not college) and marriage should both precede childbirth..and that it's a really bad idea to have kids before you're 20 unless you're in a very good environment.

Bernard Goldberg did an analysis of impoverished people (all races), and he discovered that if you follow three rules in life, you will be much less likely to be in poverty

1) Graduate high school
2) Get married BEFORE you have children
3) Don't have kids period until age 20 (married or not)

I can't remember the percentages...but it was substantial.

[jb]

Jason Whitlock's column was right on target!
It contained a common sense approach to the
problems in our inner-cities.

Christina, just like a girl needs a strong female role model growing up so does a boy need a strong male role model.

This is not discriminatory or derogatory.
It is just a fact of life.

[Jokie McJokemaker]

Preach it JB.

It is so very important to have a male role in the childs life.

This is not an ass whooping is about learning and growing into a man. And then growing other into men and the cycle then keeps going.

[christina]

I am not saying women can do a mans job when it coems to a child. I am just saying that their does not need to be a man in the home for the child to grow into a good man. As to the other subject that women are not the hard ones on children....well you need to ask MY daughters if i am hard or not. I have three girls and let me tell you they WILL NOT grow up with disrespect for me or anyother adult for that matter. I will not have them running the streets and calling me choice names. So i am handling my business now, while they are still young.

[lr]

I think there should be too, if there isn't one already, a program where employees from SRS speak to high school juniors and seniors about the reality of wrong decision making. These employees see desperation and bad mistakes on a daily basis and it wouldn't hurt to have kids hear how miserable a lifelong "caseload" type of existence is.

[Laura]

Jokie - No male role model is better than a bad male role model.

[lr]

If there is no immmediate good male role model, that is where a search needs to be made for good programs, mentors,etc who can provide a good male role model for the absence of one in the home. There are good male role models out there to be discovered.

[The Angry Conservative]

Christine:

I was not making a blanket statement about all women. I was stating what is generally the case. No generalization is true all of the time. Believe you me, there is no shortage of men that have no spine.

Uh... Whitlock's column wasn't a crime, right? So why is it listed under "Crime Scene KC"? For that matter, why does "Crime Scene KC" deserve the front page at all?

[J-sizzle]

Like Whitlock said, we've been hearing this from people like the wrath of Farakhan and Jesse Jackson for the last two decades, yet none of these guys present a plan. Perhaps the bigger problem with the black community in the last few years has been its 'all to willling to talk and do nothing leadership'.

Although I agree with Bill Cosby's sentiments (except for that weird comment about Harriet Tubman) the average person and large black middle class would like to know what they could do to help the situation.

my point is, shouldn't Cosby be drawing up a plan to sell pudding pops or fat albert memorbilla for the innercity or something instead of blasting poor blacks behind their backs at college graduations?

[ROBERT THE REV]

I'LL ADMIT BEFORE I READ ARTICLE; I SAID WHY IS WHITLOCK DOING AN ARTICLE ON COSBY ON SPORTS PAGE. BUT I'LL ADMIT IT NEEDED TAFTER I DIGESTED IT; I'LL ADMIT HE WAS RIGHT ON TARGET. AMERICA HAS TO STOP HIDING BEHIND A LIE AND FACE THE TRUTH WHITE AND BLACK.WHY DOES TRUTH ALWAYS STIR UP CONTROVERSAY ?

[christina]

To whoever asked why this is on Crime KC...Greg told you the reson he put it here if you would read the above before you comment.

[Nett]

I do not have a problem with what Mr. Cosby has said in regards to the black community. If you are handling your business then what he has said does not apply to you. He is talking about the ones that constantly "blame the white man" for any and everything that goes wrong in their life. Most blacks don't even know that it was their very own ancestors that sold them into slavery.

I am a black woman raised by a single mother. My father has been in and out of jail for his entire life and he came from a two parent home but he made his choice.

I think that black teenagers are afraid to reach to teachers or counselors at their schools. They don't want to be thought of as weak or uncool. The thought process in the black community needs to be changed.

Here in Kansas City the schools need to be revamped also. Putting teachers in an environment that they are not comfortable in tends to make them edgy and the students can pick up on that.

No one has mentioned the bible. Some of the churches around town are full of women. Prayer can be a strong force. A family that prays together stays together.

[Jason]

Why was the comment about Harriet Tubman weird to you J-sizzle?
Cosby is stepping up to the plate. Sounds like something Malcolm X might be saying if he was around!

[EWAT]

i'm a black middle-aged male and here's what i think. alot of blacks are down and stay down because there is a battle going on amongst blacks. that battle is for the hearts and minds of blacks. on one side you got the mentality that says going to school is for suckers, dropping out of school is cool. wanting to know street knowledge more than book knowledge is the way to be, proud of making money other than by legitimate work. being a pimp is a position to work towards. i can go on and on.
and on the other side you have decent everyday hard-working blacks who only want to do the right thing and live a comfortable life. the battle comes in because the people that want to hang on to that corrupt mentality want to pull all blacks over to their side in any way they can. And one way is by calling the decent black weak, stupid, soft, punk, acting white, or sellout. See chris rock’s stand up act called “bring on the pain.” He’s absolutely right.
it often happens when they are young. alot of blacks get pulled over to that side and end up in jail, dead, poor, broke and just messed up altogether. all the decent black is trying to do is steer their kids away from that mentality but some get sucked in and want to suck in as many more blacks as they can.
a book called "code of the streets" really explains it well.
And then you have the white people on the job who resist all they can to try to keep the black who is working along side them from advancing. They display racism, but they do it as subtly as they can to try not to draw any attention to themselves. You know who you are. You don’t want a black person over you, teaching you or being promoted before you. These people contribute to blacks problem too. Think about it

[BIGE]

Cosby is blasting young black men? Whats wrong with that? Its just all talk. Nobody has a plan. The only ones that say they have a plan are the polititions, and when they take office everyone soon knows there is no plan. The last most influential person to have a clue was King Jr. He didnt even have a plan, he had a dream. Yeah Cosby was right about what he said, Ouch!! it hurts a little to hear it come from him. But then again, when the next monthly check comes in, none of his targets will remember he was here.
Have a kid a yr will keep the job away..

[Bohica]

I think there is a real problem when people refer to themselves as "African-Americans", "Mexican-Armericans", etc... Excuse me??? Where were you born? Me? I am an AMERICAN!! I'm not a German-American, nor an English-American, or whatever. When we stop this (this space for rent)-American crap, maybe we can start growing as a country!

My daughters ask what nationality they are. I tell them: AMERICAN... PERIOD!!!

And I don't want to hear how whitey has it better. Like everyone else has said, it's about choices. I went to public schools. After graduation, I went into the Marines. I didn't have any scholarships (even though the Marines offered me one). nor mommy & daddy paying my way. It's about choices!

You want to follow someone else, then that is your problem. Most of my friends went into the Navy on a buddy program. I went into the Marines by myself. Don't march to someone else's drum. Get your own drum and march to your own beat!

[Bohica]

Here is an article by an preacher.

http://www.michaellwilliams.com/blog/display.php?id=421

[Shane]

I must say that I do not always agree with Jason Whitlock but his remarks and those of Bill Cosby are right on. My wife and I come from poor backgrounds and always were raised to believe that welfare is only a way to help in the short term, it was not meant to sustain a person or family.

The problem they discuss is not solely with young blacks it is with all Americans. Everyone has heard of "white trash". I think the majority of Americans are complacent and really need a kick in the pants. I have always believed that if you see a problem and do nothing about it you are contributing to the problem itself. People need to take more ownership for their actions (or inaction) and always strive to improve (mentally, socially, physically, and spiritually).

It is almost a daily occurrence how as Americans we are falling behind other countries in science, technology....why, because we are complacent. We want what we want without working for it.

How great would the country be if everyone gave 110% to improve. This is a land of opportunity, we just need to seize those opportunities when they arise. If we wanted state run services and handouts wouldn't we all want to be in a socialist government not democratic.

[Javier]

Right on Bohica...
now if I can just get the rest of America, (white americans, african americans, irish americans, etc)...to stop calling me Mexican American and list me as an American, we can get on with Living in America.
I come from a poor family, learned both English and Spanish, got an education, and now give back to the community. I am an American PERIOD. All that Ethnic crap needs to go out the window. We keep dividing ourselves, and our problems are not going to get addressed. They will get blamed on "them", "this" race, or "that" ethnicity...

[christina]

I dont think that we even need to go 110% if everyone JUST did at least his or her 100% we would be on our way to a better cournty. Something anyway.

[monty]

For those of us who value the welfare of ourselves and our family I would be interested in what hospital Christina hopes to be CEO of.

[christina]

Monty, what do you mean by that?

[Brian H.]

I agree with Cosby, and Whitlock. These men have the right idea. I would expand on it by saying that anyone who uses excuses to be lazy, black, white, red, yellow, purple, blue are all doing the same thing. Whatever segment of the population that is being "held down" at the moment is the "victim". This culture of victimology is getting really old.

I find it funny that there are those on this blog who say how much they agree, then turn around and say it is because of statistics. Isn't that a little contradictory?

[lr]

Christina, I dont think Monty's comment was meant to be exceedingly complimentary. :)