The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 2 of 12)

unsigned /p>

Jimi Izrael writes, "Good fathers know when children need tough love and when they need an advocate that will fight for them unequivocally, without judgment or reprimand. The young, black and poor need such an advocate -- sooner than later -- not admonition."

p>The young black have had advocates that choose not to admonish or reprimand. They have had this in Rev. Jackson, Rev. Sharpton, and others. This is the problem. This isn't just a problem with young blacks. Parents make this mistake with their children all of the time. Just ask any teacher how many times parents confront them based on their child's misrepresentation of the facts or the parents perception that their children aren't responsible for their actions. As a parent of four, I can say unabashedly that children need advocates who will not only fight for them, but keep them accountable. When kids can only speak the "black vernacular," and not something that resembles proper English, then they will fail in this world, and they need to be told that. They need to be told that fighting, stealing, and generally bad behavior will damage their futures. Not everyone has the musical talent to make their bad behavior the latest style. br> -- J.D. Ryan /p>

Your "take" makes sense if you want blacks to victimize themselves as they have been doing.

Cosby is right. Blacks are their own worst enemy. They seek victimhood and wallow in it while falsely accusing others of racism and discrimination.

p>It is past time for blacks to quit setting themselves apart, and it's counterproductive too. br> -- G.B. Hall br> Marietta, Georgia /p> p> I was waiting for a response such as this one to the Cosby speech. I seriously doubt that Mr. Cosby has forgotten what it is like to be young, black, and poor in today's America. I strongly suspect that he remembers all too well. Mr. izrael's problem with Mr. Cosby's observations would seem to be that Mr. Cosby also remembers what it takes to alleviate that poverty. His refusal to pander to professional Black Men such as Mr. izrael, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Mfume, et al. is what irks. Way back when "acting white" became the worst sin a black teenager could commit, it became obvious that many Blacks were going to look for another way out of the poverty that Mr. izrael talked about. The fact that asinine dress fads, ridiculous coded speech, and rampant irresponsible promiscuity would only deeper entrench black youth in the aforementioned poverty became something that "Black Leaders" were never to talk about. No! Affirmative Action Quotas, WIC Fund, Section 8 housing, AFDC handouts, General Relief, and Welfare. These were the beacons that would lead the black man out of poverty. Talk about plantations, here is the granddaddy of them all, and it is being maintained by "Black Leaders," "Community Activists" and "journalists" like Mr. izrael.

topics:
Education, Television, Religion, Environment, Books, Movies, Constitution, Law, Founding Fathers, Iraq, Iran, Africa, Communism, Fascism, Nuclear Weapons, Energy, Oil