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Quote: Cosby Has Harsh Words for Black Community

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</td></tr></tbody> </table> <!-- TextStart --> By DON BABWIN, Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO - Bill Cosby (news) went off on another tirade against the black community Thursday, telling a room full of activists that black children are running around not knowing how to read or write and "going nowhere."

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He also had harsh words for struggling black men, telling them: "Stop beating up your women because you can't find a job."



Cosby made headlines in May when he upbraided some poor blacks for their grammar and accused them of squandering opportunities the civil rights movement gave them. He shot back Thursday, saying his detractors were trying in vain to hide the black community's "dirty laundry."



"Let me tell you something, your dirty laundry gets out of school at 2:30 every day, it's cursing and calling each other n------ as they're walking up and down the street," Cosby said during an appearance at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition & Citizenship Education Fund's annual conference.



"They think they're hip," the entertainer said. "They can't read; they can't write. They're laughing and giggling, and they're going nowhere."



In his remarks in May at a commemoration of the anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education desegregation decision, Cosby denounced some blacks' grammar and said those who commit crimes and wind up behind bars "are not political prisoners."



"I can't even talk the way these people talk, 'Why you ain't,' 'Where you is' ... and I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk," Cosby said then. "And then I heard the father talk ... Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth."



Cosby elaborated Thursday on his previous comments in a talk interrupted several times by applause. He castigated some blacks, saying that they cannot simply blame whites for problems such as teen pregnancy and high school dropout rates.



"For me there is a time ... when we have to turn the mirror around," he said. "Because for me it is almost analgesic to talk about what the white man is doing against us. And it keeps a person frozen in their seat, it keeps you frozen in your hole you're sitting in."



Cosby lamented that the racial slurs once used by those who lynched blacks are now a favorite expression of black children. And he blamed parents.



"When you put on a record and that record is yelling `n----- this and n----- that' and you've got your little 6-year-old, 7-year-old sitting in the back seat of the car, those children hear that," he said.



He also condemned black men who missed out on opportunities and are now angry about their lives.



"You've got to stop beating up your women because you can't find a job, because you didn't want to get an education and now you're (earning) minimum wage," Cosby said. "You should have thought more of yourself when you were in high school, when you had an opportunity."



Cosby appeared Thursday with the Rev. Jesse Jackson (news - web sites), founder and president of the education fund, who defended the entertainer's statements.



"Bill is saying let's fight the right fight, let's level the playing field," Jackson said. "Drunk people can't do that. Illiterate people can't do that."



Cosby also said many young people are failing to honor the sacrifices made by those who struggled and died during the civil rights movement.



"Dogs, water hoses that tear the bark off trees, Emmett Till," he said, naming the black youth who was tortured and murdered in Mississippi in 1955, allegedly for whistling at a white woman. "And you're going to tell me you're going to drop out of school? You're going to tell me you're going to steal from a store?"

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Cosby also said he wasn't concerned that some whites took his comments and turned them "against our people."

"Let them talk," he said.

This man is right on the money. It's so damned logical it is a wonder to behold.

And what shocked me is that Jesse Jackson agreed with him. I think for the first time in my entire life, I have respect for Jesse Jackson.

Yeah, Bill Cosby is absolutely right... was the first time he said this and is now. :)

Now, don't take that to mean that I'm saying blacks aren't disadvantaged in this society, they certainly are, but they (meaning the poor, mostly inner-city ones that are the ones Cosby, and I, are talking about) aren't helping themselves much either.

Always found Cosby hilarious. Honestly, I heard there was "controversy" over what he had said before about certain people like this talking in nearly unintelligable ways, but really, can you HONESTLY say that you wouldn't find someone walking up to you saying "shiiiiii wazzu wazzu wazzu can I hold 10 fo my twoie to homie?" someone unintelligent? Sure, one can very well BE intelligent and talk like that, but talking with a total disregard to sentence structure and so on certainly doesn't BELY intelligence. It's similar to how one who crawls might be CAPABLE of walking, could just be doing a psychiatry experiment in fact, but to look at just looks like someone who is either disabled or just too stupid to figure out how to walk.

Now it seems there's a LARGE amount of illiterate people among these down and out people. That's just sad. Sorry, but there's almost NOTHING a person can do to themselves to murder their own future than to not learn to read. School is provided everywhere, and even though the schools in the poor communities certainly are known for having terrible teachers, they will generally at LEAST make an effort to teach the kids how to read. If they aren't getting enough info there, there is no reason the parents can't teach the kids themselves unless they too don't know, and if THAT is the case, they need to just teach themselves. I'm sure even the poorest household can get ahold of a newspaper or a letter or some coupon somewhere with words on it so they can figure it out. Honestly, the only reason anyone is illiterate is because they just gave up on themselves.

Now, honestly I agree with everything Cosby is saying up there. Of COURSE it doesn't apply to the entire black community, or only the black community, but it DOES apply to some people, and a big enough amount to be tragic at that, so it MUST be fixed, and a part of this is for those who live in these poor communities to really put some effort into getting themselves out. Putting money into it won't fix it all, a lot has to be the right attitude. For example, there are generally some vacant lots in these areas. Rather than just saying "there goes the neighborhood", they COULD try obtaining that lot (likely being sold for a VERY low amount in such an area), and, as a community project, turn it into some sort of garden. Of COURSE what I just said is some cheesy plot from some after school special, but come on, can you honestly see any problems with putting effort into plans like this, or ANYTHING, if there's a decent chance it could pay off? When in a situation like that, the whole community owes it to themselves to try whatever they possibly can, such as trying to turn a bit of land there into something farmable, to get themselves out of it. What those on "the outside" can do to help is make it easier to allow them to do this, by for example LETTING them buy said land when they offer to.

Bravo, funny man. It's about damn time a black person in the public eye has brought all this to light. It's painfully clear to everyone, but it's good to hear a black man pointing out the faults of black people. Any white person saying these things would be labeled a racist and ignored. Cosby on the other hand has the advantage of being black himself, thus not as able to be called a racist, thus the masses listen.

I say well done Bill Cosby, good job Rev. Jackson. You're words are true and your cause, noble. Let's hope it makes a difference.

And of course the people in this situation aren't ALL blacks (though sadly that does seem to be a majority case, and the origins of why that's the case I do believe can be traced to racism, but it's not like it's KEEPING them there), I've met a few Carl-esque (poor fat hairy bastard from Aqua Teen Hunger Force) people in my life time, but it really doesn't matter, destitute is destitute, and the fact that they are not doing all they can is that very fact.

One thing, let's not link to yahoo news though. Yes, in this case yahoo's source IS reputable, but Yahoo News posts pretty much ANY report from ANY "news source", thus you get stuff like this mixed in with "Scientists from Mars say Venus is going to kill us all!".

It's a combonation of racism (which still certainly exists against blacks) and blacks giving up on improving themselves, I'd say. Both are certainly factors for why American blacks are in such a bad position... much higher crime, much lower school graduation rates, much lower rates of going to college, the proliferation of messages that encourage giving up on trying to improve yourself... I don't know what can be done, but something should.

My freinds who imigrated from africa were stuned by the incredible selfish idiot behavours from their cousins in the U.S. Nobody says "Nigger bitch or Ho" in africa or any other form of it same in the caribean, Their rap and music doesnt have that degenerate crap in it.

In africa you did what you were told and they respect their elders,You had to be smart and you had to work hard so you can make it into college otherwise your screwed working meager jobs slaving away with no health care or shit.

If african americans want a good example follow the african Canadians,Crime rate amongst blacks in canada is incredibly small and education is alot higher.
When the Brittish empire ended slavery they orderd all black slums to be demolished and all of them to be replaced with proper housing for them.

Sure racism still exists but hell it exists in africa in like Rwanda or Sudan, Dont ever be pessimistic.

My dad forwarded an email to me containing Bill Cosby's speech, and I never knew until then that I would have so much respect for Bill Cosby. I remember a couple years ago, some black kids were listening to a "comedy" CD where some black stand-ups were bashing Bill Cosby. Apparently, they think it's funny when someone tells Bill to "suck my dick." And that's the kind of degenerate attitude that Bill is speaking out against here. I would think that a black man would be able to get this point across to the black community a lot more effectively than even the most reasonable white person on the planet, and I hope the black community takes these strong words to heart. (C'mon, now, if Jesse Jackson agreed with him, it's not a liberal-conservative thing--it's a common sense thing!) In this event, no one will be able to play the race card either.

Bill Cosby = One of the funniest comedians of all time and he makes a lot of sense.

Unfortunately I doubt many people in the audience he's talking about will listen...

You have that right. Look at the famous people who managed to get out of that sort of environment. Generally, they actually look down on Cosby. Honestly I don't see why. Listening to their acts, I begin to think they aren't just joking and that some of what they say actually does reflect their own thoughts though... I'm starting to think some of these people really DO think that it is right and good to attack people who have somehow dishonered you. It's as though that's what "keepin' it real" means. Well, I'll say this. I can't stand the "keep it real" lifestyle.

*Goes back to watching "When "Keepin' it Real" Goes Wrong".*

Starting to think? What did you think before?

Eh, I think Jesse Jackson was just trying to look good.

I know I'm a little late on this; but I'd also like to say for the record that Bill Cosby is absolutely right, and he's a real crusader on a quest here. Jesse Jackson is just trying to get credit; that cocksucker... Bill Cosby, though is a shining example of not just what blacks can be, but anyone...he's wealthy, refined, educated...it has nothing to do with race. You have to try. Ignore stereotypes and cliches, and just work hard.

All thugs go to hell.

In answer ABF, before I thought they were joking, being comedians and all.

I mean, jokes can be totally FOR some viewpoint, but the person could totally disagree, or the joke can be insulting that comedian's own viewpoint. It's funny that way.

They say it too seriously for it to all be jokes...

Darunia Wrote:I know I'm a little late on this; but I'd also like to say for the record that Bill Cosby is absolutely right, and he's a real crusader on a quest here. Jesse Jackson is just trying to get credit; that cocksucker... Bill Cosby, though is a shining example of not just what blacks can be, but anyone...he's wealthy, refined, educated...it has nothing to do with race. You have to try. Ignore stereotypes and cliches, and just work hard.

All thugs go to hell.

Damn right it has nothing to do with race. Seriously though, why should the color of someone's skin ever matter? If you paint a blue wall red, does it become any more or less a wall?

It shouldn't, but in many people's eyes it does...

It's because everyone tries to be different. It's sad how many black people view success as 'acting white', and hyperglorify what basically amounts to failure in life just to avoid 'acting white'. With that kind of irrationale, there will never be equality.

I mean, you look at the civil rights era closely. Black people in America did not have equality in many ways. But they did have a lot of things then that, in general, they lack sorely now: Strong familes, strong ethics, and most importantly, an immense will to succeed and overcome challenges. It's a shame too, because if black people today had those virtues in the same capacity as their fathers and grandfathers have, black people today would, as a whole, be much more successful people. Black people today, by and large, are much worse off than they were 40 years ago, and white racism is hardly the driving factor at play. Liberal whites thought it was a good idea to make up for all those centuries of raw dealing with self-pity and self-blame (though in reality, it's directed at the evil conservatives, too bad many of them share their skin color). Add that to the destructive and miserable liberal anti-poverty disasters created in the name of 'fairness', and you have a race of people that have everything they need, but have been weakened internally because liberals have spent the last 40 years destroying their motivations and work ethic (which, by result, led to the destruction of the black family), and it was these virtues that blacks used to earn their equality in the first place. To cover up thier damnable destruction of the Black American, they take the misery they themselves created and blame it on conservatives in particular and white racism in general. It's an easy cop-out and sadly, it works too well sometimes.

It's because everyone tries to be different. It's sad how many black people view success as 'acting white', and hyperglorify what basically amounts to failure in life just to avoid 'acting white'. With that kind of irrationale, there will never be equality.

I--could never have said it better, sir. Thats what it amounts to. They're not compelled to succeed in life; because all that they care to do is fit into their closely-knit urban culture, which mandatorally requires:

1) Rap/hip hop
2) Ebonics
3) Drugs
4) No education
5) Unmarried sex/lots of kids with diff. fathers.

DAMN STRAIGH, WELTALL! Damn straight.

Said just as good as the great Rush Limbaugh.

Liberals want the blacks' dependency, that's all. F---ing liberals...