I'm interested to know what you all think about his speech at the NAACP last week. Here is what he said: Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal," he declared. "These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids -- $500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked on Phonics.' . . . "They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English," he exclaimed. "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. 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!" The Post's Hamil Harris reports that Cosby also turned his wrath to "the incarcerated," saying: "These are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing Coca-Cola. People getting shot in the back of the head over a piece of pound cake and then we run out and we are outraged, [saying] 'The cops shouldn't have shot him.' What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?"
He was simply telling it like it is. I couldn't have agreed more with the point he was trying to make, which he made quite well might I add.
I'm with Matt. I thought he expressed what I've always kind of thought very well and he made some excellent points.
I have to say that I am so truly disappointed to read the preceding replies. Oh well I guess that is to be expected. I personally think that his view of reality is somewhat warped by his millions.
well i was just agreeing that i felt the same way the other guy did and you don't and thats your opinion i guess people on welfare should not be buying for example $120 Lebron James basketball shoes. and that is my opinion bye
Bill Cosby wasn't always rich, and since he is telling it like it is, his being rich now has nothing to do with it.
I meant that people's opinions are going to differ from mine and thats to be expected because people are individuals.
He did not say "people on welfare", he said " lower economic class" which to me implies that it includes the working poor. Let me sum up my view, the poor have the same human desires as everyone else. They wanna see their children happy. While I may consider it stupid for anyone to pay that amount for sneakers, I don't think the poor are any worse than the rest of this materialized nation.
Okay, I'm gonna say that I didn't hear the whole thing at all, but I think from what I heard that what he was saying is right, it is to be expected that things are the way they are, i think, and maybe he should have said it in a better way rather than being patronizing he could have been uplifting and proactive, nevertheless it needed to be said.
Encouraging is the word I was looking for, but once again I didn't read the whole thing only excerpts so I don't really know.
I don't necessarily think that rich people raise their children any better, they just have better means to do it. Rich folk spend lots of $ on their kids education, sure, but they do it mostly for their own egos. So their kids will be well off like they are. It's just hard to make statements and judgements about a situation we are not involved in, I was raised in a middle to higher income family, my parents could afford the "better" things in life. So I can't begin to know what really low income families go through. I have no kids either and can't imagine making the sacrifices it takes to raise them at this point in my life. $200 sneakers are the sign of success in this type of community, that's what needs to change, IMO. The way some blacks talk (and I hope this is not racist, not meant to be) is very interesting, like a whole diff. language. I can hardly understand them, I'm like, "I'm so sorry, I didn't hear what you said". I want to ask if they can teach me their language. I'm kind of impressed that they can understand each other. Is this how a new language develops?
There are some things I want to say... I don't think someone spends $200 on sneakers for their kids makes them a bad parent, but I think it's definitely not the best way to spend $200. Actually, I remember I asked my parents (a few years ago) to get me a Playstation for Christmas. And they did (I don't know how much they spend on it). And it was a big mistake because I eventually I saw no use for it, and I gave it away. I think what Bill Cosby is saying is that those who aren't that financially well off have less room for financial idiocy. Those who (unfortunately) aren't financially well off probably have the same desires as those who are rich. But if you really don't have a lot of money, there are things you probably shouldn't buy. The poor have every right to see their children happy, but I don't really think buying $120 sneakers bring a lot of genuine happiness. Unfortunately, there are lots of people - of every economic class - who think material goods will bring genuine happiness.
Absolutely. My best friend comes from a family of 11 kids, they lived on a farm and didn't have much money, but we had the greatest times! Her brothers and sisters are all happy and most are financially successful too. My friend is a web designer who makes 60,000 a yr. already. My parents made decent money, but they worked hard for it, first as teachers, then as dairy farmers. Most of their money went back into the farm, not on our backs. Me and my siblings had to wear clothes we got from what the Salvation Army discarded! I probably would have been embarassed if anyone knew, and they probably did, but looking back now, I see it's no big deal at all. I think both the rich and poor can spend their money unwisely, but it's just easier to spot (and judge) the wastefulness of the poor.
Umm..ok..well why is he just talking about the 'lower economic people' and they aren't holding their end in.....*what* deal? I bet the richer parents are the ones who spend 500 bucks on shoes for their kids or even more on something less practical. There may be some 'not suitable parents' depending on what you think is a "good" parent. But you can't judge the quality of parents by their economic status. How about some rich parents who spend too much time worrying about money, BUT giving them a good education, and then just ignoring their kids? And I don't think its THAT important to speak "proper english"!! Who cares? It doesn't matter how you talk or how you write, geez. I mean sure, if you don't write and talk all proper, you might not end up being a doctor, but not everyone wants to be a doctor. its important to educate yourself, but 'proper english' is not the most important thing in the world. you can still get your ideas and points of views across, even if you don't speak proper english. But, the last part up there which I quoted from MissFontella, what is he trying to say in that part about the coca-cola and pound cake and getting shot by the police?
