What is all this uproar about Bill Cosby's speech last week about the state of African-American youth? I saw it on TV and, for the life of me, I can't figure out what it was he said that was so controversial.
Basically, he said:
- Parents, look at your kids. Are you letting them do things that are going to make them into failures when they get in the adult world?
- Parents, look at yourselves. Are you providing good role models for your kids?
- Kids, what the heck are you doing? The way you are acting now is going to make sure you live a life of poverty.
Barbara Ehrenreich's latest opinion column deeply disappointed me. Attention: The African-American family, in urban areas of the U.S., is in trouble. In deep, deep trouble. I'm not sure who is to blame for this and, frankly, I do not really care.
Looking forward, people like Bill Cosby who firmly (and yes, angrily) remind African-Americans of the alternatives are going to be more helpful than liberals like Ms. Ehrenreich. Her ridiculing of Bill Cosby does more to enable the status quo than to make life better for this part of our community.