Cosby teams up with judge on lecture to youths

[BigDaddy44]

Source: Associated Press

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- A Georgia judge who kicked whites out of his courtroom while he lectured black defendants is getting a comedian's help in delivering his stern message.

Bill Cosby joined Superior Court Judge Marvin Arrington at a forum Thursday night for at-risk youths from the Atlanta area.

Both men are black, and Cosby himself has made waves by criticizing the black community.

"Families: where old people put the rules out without profanity," Cosby told the invitation-only gathering of about 500 people, including teenagers judged by juvenile authorities as being "at risk."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/24/cosby.lecture.ap/index...

[Bush_MUST_Go]

1. It's a nice change of pace to to hear celebrities talk about saving America's kids

Where's Oprah?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. I'm so tired of Bill Cosby and his holier-than-thou attitude

The guy looks down his nose at people who are living in a world about which he doesn't have a clue.

Here's a guy who cheats on his wife, got hit with (and settled) sexual harassment claims, dropped out of high school and college, but accepted an honorary degree from Temple University years after he succeeded, and claims a "doctorate" that's so bogus, he should be ashamed of himself.

[skooooo]

3. What's wrong with telling kids to mind their parents?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

6. Read up on what he's been preaching for several years

He's the George W. Bush of the African-American community.

Check out the infamous "Pound Cake" speech.

[gorfle]

8. I thought it was a great speech.

Transcript here:

http://www.eightcitiesmap.com/transcript_bc.htm

I think it's very insightful.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

9. Then we disagree

[Psephos]

10. I read it too - it's an important message and an entertaining delivery

Thanks for the link.

[sandnsea]

12. Poor people are lazy

I'm completely blown away. Why, I've never heard such insightful analysis before. Oh wait..

[gorfle]

15. I didn't read that in his speech at all.

I didn't see any part of Cosby's speech that said poor people are lazy. Cosby doesn't seem to be railing against laziness, he seems to be railing against uninvolved parents, lack of education, criminal behavior, and irresponsible sexual behavior.

These seem like valid issues and criticisms:

"Ladies and gentlemen, these people set, they opened the doors, they gave us the right, and today, ladies and gentlemen, in our cities and public schools we have fifty percent drop out. In our own neighborhood, we have men in prison. No longer is a person embarrassed because they’re pregnant without a husband. (clapping) No longer is a boy considered an embarrassment if he tries to run away from being the father of the unmarried child (clapping)"

"Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic and lower middle economic people are holding their end in this deal. In the neighborhood that most of us grew up in, parenting is not going on. (clapping) In the old days, you couldn’t hooky school because every drawn shade was an eye (laughing). And before your mother got off the bus and to the house, she knew exactly where you had gone, who had gone into the house, and where you got on whatever you had one and where you got it from. Parents don’t know that today."

"I’m talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit. Where were you when he was two? (clapping) Where were you when he was twelve? (clapping) Where were you when he was eighteen, and how come you don’t know he had a pistol? (clapping) And where is his father, and why don’t you know where he is? And why doesn’t the father show up to talk to this boy?"

"50 percent drop out rate, I’m telling you, and people in jail, and women having children by five, six different men. Under what excuse, I want somebody to love me, and as soon as you have it, you forget to parent. Grandmother, mother, and great grandmother in the same room, raising children, and the child knows nothing about love or respect of any one of the three of them (clapping). All this child knows is “gimme, gimme, gimme.” These people want to buy the friendship of a child….and the child couldn’t care less. Those of us sitting out here who have gone on to some college or whatever we’ve done, we still fear our parents (clapping and laughter). And these people are not parenting. They’re buying things for the kid. $500 sneakers, for what? They won’t buy or spend $250 on Hooked on Phonics. (clapping)"

"A\Kenneth Clark, somewhere in his home in upstate New York…just looking ahead. Thank God, he doesn’t know what’s going on, thank God. But these people, the ones up here in the balcony fought so hard. Looking at the incarcerated, 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! Then we all run out and are outraged, “The cops shouldn’t have shot him” What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand? (laughter and clapping). I wanted a piece of pound cake just as bad as anybody else (laughter) And I looked at it and I had no money. And something called parenting said if get caught with it you’re going to embarrass your mother. Not you’re going to get your butt kicked. No. You’re going to embarrass your mother. You’re going to embarrass your family."

"Brown Versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person’s problem. We’ve got to take the neighborhood back (clapping). We’ve got to go in there. Just forget telling your child to go to the Peace Corps. It’s right around the corner. (laughter) It’s standing on the corner. It can’t speak English. It doesn’t want to speak English. I can’t even talk the way these people talk. “Why you ain’t where you is go, ra,” I don’t know who these people are. And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk (laughter). Then I heard the father talk. This is all in the house. You used to talk a certain way on the corner and you got into the house and switched to English. Everybody knows it’s important to speak English except these knuckleheads. You can’t land a plane with “why you ain’t…” You can’t be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth. There is no Bible that has that kind of language. Where did these people get the idea that they’re moving ahead on this. Well, they know they’re not, they’re just hanging out in the same place, five or six generations sitting in the projects when you’re just supposed to stay there long enough to get a job and move out."

I could go on and on, but the letter is basically more of the same. Are there socio-economic problems that the black community still labors under? No doubt. But I think Cosby is speaking to valid cultural problems that will need to be addressed in addition to other social injustices in our society as a whole. It looks to me like Cosby has done some painful introspection of his community and pointed out some truths that people find uncomfortable.

[sandnsea]

18. In a nutshell, irresponsible and lazy

It's no different than those who get applause for their ramblings about God being taken out of the classroom or the kids making up the rules or any other right wing nonsense that is used to avoid the reality of what poverty and denegration does to people.

[Rage for Order]

19. So irresponsible parents shouldn't be called out?

And yes, part of it is laziness. Or rather, indifference. Parents who can't be bothered to be actively involved in their child's lives, including their education.

[sandnsea]

20. No, people shouldn't be lumped in categories

It is rare to find a parent who wouldn't be actively involved in their child's life if they had the time or capacity.

[Rage for Order]

21. I disagree

All you have to do is look at the number of kids and teens who have either TVs, video game systems, or computers (or all 3) in their rooms. The parents buy them these toys, send them to their rooms, and don't hear from them until it's dinner time. Then the kid comes out of hibernation, eats dinner, and goes back to their room. Mom and/or dad are happy because silence is golden, out of sight out of mind, etc. They figure as long as their kid attends school and doesn't get arrested everything is fine.

[sandnsea]

22. I'm 50, never known a family like that, it's a myth n/t

[BigDaddy44]

23. I'm 44 and know at least two

Your myth is another man's reality

[sandnsea]

24. They never speak to their kids?

The kids do absolutely nothing except sit in their room and play video games? They're failing school or can't read or do math? They're headed for prison?

[JeanGrey]

25. Oh are you kidding? I know plenty of them!

[sandnsea]

28. No you don't

You know plenty of families you judge to be that way, but you don't know families whose kids can't read or do math, are flunking out of school, and the parents are happy to ignore them and let them play video games all day. They just don't exist. You may know a single mom, overwhelemed with work and home and child responsibilities, who doesn't have as much time to focus on homework as she'd like. Or you may know some meth addicted couple who are way gone, incapacitated really. But you don't know happy, healthy parents who never speak to their kids and shuffle them off to their bedroom all day regardless of anything going on in the child's life. You just think you do because it's an easy excuse for all the world's woes.

[JeanGrey]

30. Sorry but I do. I know two families that we were close friends

with, both parents fairly successful with jobs, these kids had TONS of video games, TV's in every room, and both of them had failed one grade, one had failed TWO and they were still allowed to do it. They never studied and Mom and Dad just let them pretty much do what they wanted. They were trouble on the bus too.

[gorfle]

26. You're getting warmer.

Frankly it suits me fine that God and other superstitions are taken out of classrooms, but I don't see what that has to do with the issue at hand.

But at least you are getting closer to the mark.

While Cosby never said anything about people being lazy, he is most certainly speaking to irresponsible behavior. There are serious cultural issues that Cosby is speaking about and you can't just blow it all off as a response to poverty. Because if you don't correct the behavior first, you'll continue to wallow in the consequences of that behavior - more poverty. This is the gist of Cosby's speech.

[Deja Q]

35. Poverty and denigration hurts people.

There is an old expression, and I think this topic is the best place to say it: "The truth is in the middle."

People need to do the best with what they were given by God when created. (or by the deity when the child popped out of the womb or whatever). What we do as a society is what counts. Parents being lazy or parents disassociating themselves with their offspring is horrible. But kids having kids sure as hell is horrible too!

And I say this because I DO give a damn, contrary to what some trolls around this site think. If I didn't, I'd change my party affiliation in an attosecond.

[JeanGrey]

17. I agree.

[RaRa]

4. Don't know for sure

but I wikipediad him per your comment - seems he did earn a real PhD; wrote an actual dissertation.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

5. It's not real

It was a program called "University Without Walls," and U-Mass, Amherst, was one of the participants. You earned academic credit for "life experience."

I know this because I was married to the man who designed and implemented this program for the Union for Research and Experimentation in High Education.

Cosby was awarded an Ed.D, the traditional requirements for which are slightly less than those for a Ph.D. To be awarded a Ph.D., you must be proficient in two foreign languages, both reading and writing. For an Ed.D., only one is required. For a doctorate via the University Without Walls program, you weren't required to master any foreign languages.

Anyone can write a dissertation. Do you honestly think any faculty member would turn down Bill Cosby's "dissertation"?

[gorfle]

7. I find him refreshing.

It's great to hear a black person who is not beating the drums of victimization. There does appear to be something to the culture of violence, irresponsible sexual promiscuity, degradation of women, and "gangsta worship" that he rails against.

The vestiges of racial discrimination still linger on in this country, of that I have no doubt. But I think Cosby is right that there is a lot of cultural issues that are holding back many young black people also. The stigma of being educated being equated to "acting white" must be overcome. There will come a time, if we are not there already, when the cultural issues that Cosby rails against are going to be bigger hurdles to success than racial discrimination.

[catnhatnh]

11. Oh Horsecock...

Tell me about your black acquaintances whom are "beating the drums of racial victimization" You say a bunch of clueless bullshit and expect people to say "Oh yeah"....But black Bill's upbringing was actually more middle class than Bill Clinton's....and more so than we poor "low information voters"...I'd love to know the actual legal standing for Jello Fellow to be standing in a courtroom-surprise-it is ALL about celebrity and has no standing in law.

[gorfle]

31. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

Tell me about your black acquaintances whom are "beating the drums of racial victimization"

Take it up with Bill.

[Pastiche423]

13. Ditto

And what is so sad, I used to love him and his humor.

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. He earned his doctorate

It wasn't honorary.

[slackmaster]

39. I think he actually is holier than most

[Raine1967]

14. Too bad everyone is making this about the Cos....

Instead of Judge Arrington.


This 'invitation only' crowd was not some swanky shindig... it was a High School.

PLUS... LeT me give you a link about Judge Arrington and one of his rulings: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/05/...

Plus this is another version of the story:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hiafrztP8TWP0iXjL8AP...
***********
A Georgia judge who kicked whites out of his courtroom while he lectured black defendants is getting a comedian's help in delivering his stern message.

Bill Cosby joined Superior Court Judge Marvin Arrington at a forum Thursday night for at-risk youths from the Atlanta area. Both men are black, and Cosby himself has made waves by criticizing the black community.

The comedian spoke to the predominantly black audience at Benjamin Mays High School about the importance of education and family.

"Families: where old people put the rules out without profanity," Cosby told the invitation-only gathering of about 500 people, including teenagers judged by juvenile authorities as being "at risk."

Cosby lamented a culture of drugs and permissive sex.

"The problem with teenage pregnancy is the planning of it. There was no planning," he said.
"Let's get with these teenage children and their sex and having sex. I'm telling you, you've got to talk to your children.

He dismissed critics of his approach who have said that he is airing dirty laundry.
"That's crazy," he said. "There are black people who have to walk around this dirty laundry."
Arrington said Cosby contacted him two weeks ago and said, "'I want to come to Atlanta and help you with your fight to try to turn these young people around.'
"These young people are worth saving," the judge said.
Arrington recounted a litany of criminal defendants who come before him in court, including young men who kill during drug deals and a father who slept with his daughters.
"Somewhere, you can cannot tolerate this uncivilized conduct," Arrington said.
=================================================================

There is more at the link. Cosby did the right thing, and this Judge is an amazing human being.

[Deja Q]

34. THANK YOU for posting that!

[wellst0nev0ter]

16. Who Cares What Cosby Thinks?

He also thinks the government created AIDS to kill black folks, so anybody and everybody that had anything to do with him should denounce and shun him

[Deja Q]

33. I should go and find proof of you allegation and read it accordingly.

Do you have any direct links? Might save me some trouble, unless the sources are disreputable.

Rev Wright has made the claim about AIDS. I did not know Bill had.

[wellst0nev0ter]

36. Here's One Link

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rumor_in_African_American_...

[Pavulon]

29. His comments are about self respect

and respect for others. His comments are on youtube.

Now, we can all agree there is a problem in some parts of the black community. It will not be solved by putting people in jail or allowing the current system to continue.

There are plenty of statistics to back this up, but bottom line, more people like him who can put a positive influence on young people's lives are needed.

The truth hurts sometimes.

[Deja Q]

32. Bill Cosby, YOU ROCK!!

Especially in this day and age when there are so many more hills to climb over thanks to offshoring and its perceived ills (and its real ills too).

Bill can say what white people cannot, because for a white person to say it would give the impression of, *sigh*, racism.

He's human and had his problems. But he's learned from them. I say he's worth listening to and has a damn good message.

Forgive my emotion, but I am sick of people pooh-poohing him at every single turn.

[Dr. Strange]

38. Bill Cosby rocking...

The second time I've gotten to use this!

[darue]

37. ...