Cosby To Blacks: Come On People It's Time For Change
"Now since we’re killing each other in the areas where we live, no politician is running on law and order. They’re afraid they're going to be accused of picking on the poor." -Bill Cosby
And what does this have to do with Uptown? I always thought UU did a good job of relating relevant information to the community. Posting this article here seems to imply that if only African-Americans would change their ways, then Uptown would be a better place. I find this attitude somewhat offensive.
I agree that the moderator reserves that right as it is their web site. Not sure what was offensive about the comment. Simply agreed with Cosby that it is time for a change. Maybe I said it in a way that was not politically correct.
I agree with Cosby's sentiments, but foresee lots of deleted comments on this thread as closet-idiot-racist after closet-idiot-racist takes Cosby's statement as license to give voice to far uglier thoughts.
Gotta say, I am not a big fan of your decision to post this link. I commend Dr. Cosby for bringing his no nonsense perspective into the discussion but deciding to post his views on this particular website is fraught with problems that I would have thought the Uptown Updater would have considered more carefully. However, I am always a fan of open discussion so I guess I will just leave it at that.
Obama's dirty laundry is bringing all of this up. It does need to be talked about, but I agree that closeted racists will use this as fodder.
I lived in other neighborhoods where church weddings were common place every weekend. You would see the bride and groom leave the church and everyone standing around to throw rice or bird seed at the couple as they ran to their car. In all my years of living in Uptown, I have never witnessed this event that was so common where I grew up.
I ask the following because I have my doubts, but do many students going to Uplift have dreams of getting married someday?
Funny, when I read this article (and especially the aforementioned quote) in the Trib earlier today, I immediately thought of Uptown. I too was thinking of mentioning to UU to post this, but was afraid I would be accused of race-baiting. Dr. Cosby has the ability to say things in the public forum that other people cannot. His words are completely relevant to Uptown's current situation. When I complain about the crime and the shootings in my own neighborhood, my alderman's response is that I somehow must be against diversity (and also, if I don't like it I should move to Loncoln Park). Umm, no, I'm against crime and violence.
it's not a race issue; it's a poverty issue. the fact of the matter is that in chicago, the majority of the poor are minorities.
nothing's going to change until we end the cycle of children having children and the drug trade/gang life being more accessible and more worth-while than a legitimate occupation.
i've dealt a lot with individuals in jails (defending them...). it's such a waste of life. these men (the majority of them are men) are geniuses in jail -- with incredible creativity, eloquence, and ideas. the problem is that they are attracted to the gang/drug trade so young... before they even have a chance.
it goes beyond shiller, it goes beyond daley, it goes beyond obama. something needs to be done. we can start with mixed-income housing. kinda like what UU proposes for the wilson yard, not what HS has planned for it.
as a side note, we're lucky Uptown is so diverse. i've met people from the south side that have never even seen a white person before.
Oddly enough, Uptown is short on middle-income blacks, especially ones with school aged children. I'm thinking problems in Uptown are more of a class issue rather than a race issue.
Yes, I did read the article. And no, Uptown was never mentioned in it. As for the quote, it seems as though everyone is using something that Bill Cosby said to once again complain about Helen Shiller. I'm no fan of Helen's, but this is just grasping at straws.
Let's not over do it with the Dr. Cosby crap. He's received countless honorary degrees, he didn't actually earn the doctorate degree through years of hard work like actual doctors have.
The reason I actually oppose this posting is because Mr. Cosby has had some questionalble moral judgements of his own in the past. It's pretty well known he's a womanizer, so I take what he says with a grain of salt.
Actually he DID graduate with an Ed.D on his own, so technically he is Dr. Cosby. Topic? The issues of which he speaks are much larger issue than Uptown, or Shiller, or Chicago for that matter. However, that doesn't mean that his words are not relevant to our community, no matter what race any of us are.
Sorry, with the headline, the quote is nothing close to what you're claiming it can possibly refer to. How about "Cosby advice good for us all"? Singling out blacks in the headline, no matter what Cosby was referring to, is a not-so-veiled message. if you claim it's good advice for ALL of us, then why not just say that?
Cosby's message is directed at the black community. He has been speaking on this subject for years, travelling to one bad neighborhood after another. He's been to the South Side, because it gets a lot more press than Uptown does.
The point is that black people are killing eachother in record numbers every year. It's not white people that are killing them. It's black on black violence, and it is unacceptable. As a whole, the black community needs to take a stand against it. They need to take responsibility not only for themselves, but their community. That means if they see violence, or know what happened, to actually help the police bring that person to justice, and not abide by some stupid 'don't snitch' code.
And by 'they' I dont' mean ALL.
But Cosby's message is valuable not only to the black community. There are just as many white parents out there today who don't parent their children, who just throw material goods and money at them to keep them quiet. So they are raising just as many selfish, irresponsible brats who think the world belongs to them.
I applaud Bill Cosby for not backing down and having the cajones to say what many think, but no one of stature will publicly state for fear of being labeled 'elitist, racist, etc.'
Who cares if it's the same headline from the Trib? If the point is to show that it's advice that ALL of us should follow, then why not say that? HOw many other articles have been linked to here without using the same exact headline as the original source? If the point (as someone said.. the moderator) was that Cosby's advice is something we ALL need to follow, then just say that in the headline. If that, indeed, was the point. Or maybe the headline said exactly what the moderator wanted to say when he posted it... Not calling it an offensive, just wondering. Besides, there have been links to other articles here where the using the exact headline wasn't an issue. Look, it's not a big deal. Cosby said it and that was the headline on the original article. It's cool. Just was wondering...
I think that if one doesn't think this pertains to every neighborhood in Chicago, including uptown, then something is wrong. As a teacher I see what Cosby is saying every day. The issue is SOCIETAL, not racial. We need to help parents be parents and enable them to have the tough conversations with children and take responsibility for their actions or inactions. As a society we need to be accountable for how we raise our children because they will be leaders, for good or bad, in the future.
Man Bill Cosby sure ain't living the "High Life", lets take his beer away. Ok, so there is a direct relation with social programs and the down turn of the american family. The solution from our government? Make more programs! Build more ghetto's! Yeah! Maybe now you will think twice about voting Dem just because they the bring up gay marraige or abortion rights to stir your blood while they create the system in the first place. Good job Chicago! Yeah!
And what does this have to do with Uptown? I always thought UU did a good job of relating relevant information to the community. Posting this article here seems to imply that if only African-Americans would change their ways, then Uptown would be a better place. I find this attitude somewhat offensive.
ReplyDeleteRead the quote, Ainslie. I think that easily relates it to Uptown.
ReplyDeleteI posted something here and now it is gone. I am not sure if it got deleted or something happened with the database.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it was deleted for offensive language? The moderator here seems fair but willing to delete stuff that crosses the line.
ReplyDeleteIt has everything to do with Uptown. Did you even read the article?
ReplyDeleteI agree that the moderator reserves that right as it is their web site. Not sure what was offensive about the comment. Simply agreed with Cosby that it is time for a change. Maybe I said it in a way that was not politically correct.
ReplyDeleteI think it worth noting that Cosby's opinions can be easily shared amongst ALL types of folks.
ReplyDeleteIt's the overall point that matters: parents need to do a better job.
I agree with Cosby's sentiments, but foresee lots of deleted comments on this thread as closet-idiot-racist after closet-idiot-racist takes Cosby's statement as license to give voice to far uglier thoughts.
ReplyDeleteGotta say, I am not a big fan of your decision to post this link. I commend Dr. Cosby for bringing his no nonsense perspective into the discussion but deciding to post his views on this particular website is fraught with problems that I would have thought the Uptown Updater would have considered more carefully. However, I am always a fan of open discussion so I guess I will just leave it at that.
ReplyDeleteI think we are mighty quick to start jumping around and calling people racists. Thats a bold statement and it should not be used lightly.
ReplyDeleteObama's dirty laundry is bringing all of this up. It does need to be talked about, but I agree that closeted racists will use this as fodder.
ReplyDeleteI lived in other neighborhoods where church weddings were common place every weekend. You would see the bride and groom leave the church and everyone standing around to throw rice or bird seed at the couple as they ran to their car. In all my years of living in Uptown, I have never witnessed this event that was so common where I grew up.
I ask the following because I have my doubts, but do many students going to Uplift have dreams of getting married someday?
Welfare is an incentive to NOT get married.
ReplyDeleteThis is fine but what is he going to do, nothing but write essays please! I have not seen bill cosby in uptown talk to family I mean black "families”.
ReplyDeleteThat said I agree with some of Come on people, it's time for change I need change I need to move out of uptown.
People and glasses houses should not throw stones.
Funny, when I read this article (and especially the aforementioned quote) in the Trib earlier today, I immediately thought of Uptown. I too was thinking of mentioning to UU to post this, but was afraid I would be accused of race-baiting. Dr. Cosby has the ability to say things in the public forum that other people cannot. His words are completely relevant to Uptown's current situation. When I complain about the crime and the shootings in my own neighborhood, my alderman's response is that I somehow must be against diversity (and also, if I don't like it I should move to Loncoln Park). Umm, no, I'm against crime and violence.
ReplyDeleteit's not a race issue; it's a poverty issue. the fact of the matter is that in chicago, the majority of the poor are minorities.
ReplyDeletenothing's going to change until we end the cycle of children having children and the drug trade/gang life being more accessible and more worth-while than a legitimate occupation.
i've dealt a lot with individuals in jails (defending them...). it's such a waste of life. these men (the majority of them are men) are geniuses in jail -- with incredible creativity, eloquence, and ideas. the problem is that they are attracted to the gang/drug trade so young... before they even have a chance.
it goes beyond shiller, it goes beyond daley, it goes beyond obama. something needs to be done. we can start with mixed-income housing. kinda like what UU proposes for the wilson yard, not what HS has planned for it.
as a side note, we're lucky Uptown is so diverse. i've met people from the south side that have never even seen a white person before.
Oddly enough, Uptown is short on middle-income blacks, especially ones with school aged children. I'm thinking problems in Uptown are more of a class issue rather than a race issue.
ReplyDeleteYes, I did read the article. And no, Uptown was never mentioned in it.
ReplyDeleteAs for the quote, it seems as though everyone is using something that Bill Cosby said to once again complain about Helen Shiller. I'm no fan of Helen's, but this is just grasping at straws.
Let's not over do it with the Dr. Cosby crap. He's received countless honorary degrees, he didn't actually earn the doctorate degree through years of hard work like actual doctors have.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I actually oppose this posting is because Mr. Cosby has had some questionalble moral judgements of his own in the past. It's pretty well known he's a womanizer, so I take what he says with a grain of salt.
Actually he DID graduate with an Ed.D on his own, so technically he is Dr. Cosby. Topic? The issues of which he speaks are much larger issue than Uptown, or Shiller, or Chicago for that matter. However, that doesn't mean that his words are not relevant to our community, no matter what race any of us are.
ReplyDeleteSorry, with the headline, the quote is nothing close to what you're claiming it can possibly refer to. How about "Cosby advice good for us all"? Singling out blacks in the headline, no matter what Cosby was referring to, is a not-so-veiled message. if you claim it's good advice for ALL of us, then why not just say that?
ReplyDeleteIt's the same headline from the Tribune article.
ReplyDelete10:36,
ReplyDeleteCosby's message is directed at the black community. He has been speaking on this subject for years, travelling to one bad neighborhood after another. He's been to the South Side, because it gets a lot more press than Uptown does.
The point is that black people are killing eachother in record numbers every year. It's not white people that are killing them. It's black on black violence, and it is unacceptable. As a whole, the black community needs to take a stand against it. They need to take responsibility not only for themselves, but their community. That means if they see violence, or know what happened, to actually help the police bring that person to justice, and not abide by some stupid 'don't snitch' code.
And by 'they' I dont' mean ALL.
But Cosby's message is valuable not only to the black community. There are just as many white parents out there today who don't parent their children, who just throw material goods and money at them to keep them quiet. So they are raising just as many selfish, irresponsible brats who think the world belongs to them.
I applaud Bill Cosby for not backing down and having the cajones to say what many think, but no one of stature will publicly state for fear of being labeled 'elitist, racist, etc.'
11:07
ReplyDeleteWho cares if it's the same headline from the Trib? If the point is to show that it's advice that ALL of us should follow, then why not say that? HOw many other articles have been linked to here without using the same exact headline as the original source? If the point (as someone said.. the moderator) was that Cosby's advice is something we ALL need to follow, then just say that in the headline. If that, indeed, was the point. Or maybe the headline said exactly what the moderator wanted to say when he posted it... Not calling it an offensive, just wondering. Besides, there have been links to other articles here where the using the exact headline wasn't an issue. Look, it's not a big deal. Cosby said it and that was the headline on the original article. It's cool. Just was wondering...
I think that if one doesn't think this pertains to every neighborhood in Chicago, including uptown, then something is wrong. As a teacher I see what Cosby is saying every day. The issue is SOCIETAL, not racial. We need to help parents be parents and enable them to have the tough conversations with children and take responsibility for their actions or inactions. As a society we need to be accountable for how we raise our children because they will be leaders, for good or bad, in the future.
ReplyDeleteMan Bill Cosby sure ain't living the "High Life", lets take his beer away.
ReplyDeleteOk, so there is a direct relation with social programs and the down turn of the american family. The solution from our government? Make more programs! Build more ghetto's! Yeah! Maybe now you will think twice about voting Dem just because they the bring up gay marraige or abortion rights to stir your blood while they create the system in the first place. Good job Chicago! Yeah!
-Uptown Dad