Bill Cosby Blasts Black Parents

[voivod]

Bill Cosby Blasts Black Parents for Not Getting Involved in Children's Lives
Sunday , October 29, 2006

LOS ANGELES — Bill Cosby, who has ignited controversy in the past with his sometimes scathing rebukes, criticized teachers and parents at a weekend education conference, saying they don't do enough to help kids.

Cosby spoke Saturday at a forum called "Education Is a Civil Right." Hundreds of Los Angeles-area parents, teachers and students attended the event at Maranatha Community Church.

Cosby, 69, was critical of black parents, saying they don't involve themselves enough in their children's education and don't know what their children are doing.

"We've got parents who won't check the bedrooms of their children to see if there's a gun," he said.

He chided teachers for not offering clear explanations to children who ask why courses such as English and algebra are necessary.

"If you teach English and you can't answer this child, then you're in trouble, and we've been in trouble," Cosby said. "We can't answer these children, because nobody's given them any goals."

In the past, Cosby has criticized some black children for not knowing how to read or write, said some had squandered opportunities the civil rights movement gave them and said whites are unfairly blamed for problems in the black community such as teen pregnancy and high dropout rates.

[Thai Boxer 9901]

Hes got a point if you think about it.

This is just my personal opinion so dont everyone get all butt-hurt by it but last year when I was a senior, I had sooo many freshman and sophmores ask me why they needed to take English and advanced algebra classes and I honestly couldnt give them a straight answer, granted I didnt even know why I needed to take them either. But ever since then, I have noticed that the rate of education in schools is dropping yet the states and govt. raise the standards higher by having 5th and 6th graders do algebra and trigonometry classes which are meant for high schoolers (BTW: No Child Left Behind is BULLSHIT!).

Parents and teachers for that matter need to take a step back and say "ok...weve got these advanced classes goin on but our kids dont understand them at all, how do we fix it?" instead of saying "our kids are just lazy and dont want to do it"

Ok, theres my 2 cents. Like I said, thats MY personal opinion and for those who agree with me, good for you and for those who got butt hurt by it, thats your problem.

[Kevy5150]

I don't know how it is in the ghettos, which is mostly likely the communities he is referring to. But parents do play a major role in how children perform in school. However, I'm sure it's more broader than just black parents.

[graeme]

Hes got a point if you think about it.

This is just my personal opinion so dont everyone get all butt-hurt by it but last year when I was a senior, I had sooo many freshman and sophmores ask me why they needed to take English and advanced algebra classes and I honestly couldnt give them a straight answer, granted I didnt even know why I needed to take them either. But ever since then, I have noticed that the rate of education in schools is dropping yet the states and govt. raise the standards higher by having 5th and 6th graders do algebra and trigonometry classes which are meant for high schoolers (BTW: No Child Left Behind is BULLSHIT!).

Parents and teachers for that matter need to take a step back and say "ok...weve got these advanced classes goin on but our kids dont understand them at all, how do we fix it?" instead of saying "our kids are just lazy and dont want to do it"

Ok, theres my 2 cents. Like I said, thats MY personal opinion and for those who agree with me, good for you and for those who got butt hurt by it, thats your problem.

Exactly. I don't know about the US education system per se but I teach English as a foreign language to many different nationalities.
One thing that I have always found is that if I explain why i am teaching a certain point (especially regarding grammar) the students perform far better than if I don't.
Point is simple really.
Education is one of the most important parts of a person's life.
Unfortunately there are many educators who see their role as "just a job"
The gap is a big one.

Fuck this, I'm going to find a beer and titties thread.

[Axxman300]

My grandfather was a teacher. He taught from 1912 to 1939.

He was a math teacher as well as an English teacher. Reading his old yearbooks are fun and the one thing that has been constant is that kids haven't changed all that much.

Now, one day at Monterey High, my grandfather was teaching Algebra when one of the students had a meltdown at the chalkboard. This kid got all frustrated and turned to my grandfather and said "This is stupid. I don't know why I need to learn this junk because I'm going to be a lawyer!". Now back then my grandfather could have just smacked him across the mouth for spouting off, but he didn't. Instead he ask the student what kind of lawyer he was going to be and the kid says that he want's to be a prosecuter. So my grandfather takes the chalk and diagrams a leagal case using algebra. Victim X was murdered, those are the known factors, Y is the unkown killer. He then illustrated how evidence adds up to prove Y is Joe Blow - the killer.
My grandfather then explained that everything boiled down to a mathmattic equation and it didn't make a difference if you were a lawyer, a doctor, a plumber or a fisherman. Math helps you figure non-math problems out.

The student looked at my grandfather like he'd just given him the keys to a new car and he never had problems again because his attitude towards math changed. The kid grew up and became the District Attorney of Monterey County and he'd tell the story about my grandfather whenever he had a public speaking engagement.

Honestly, if you're a teacher and don't know why you're teaching a subject then don't teach it. If you can't explain that English and grammar are they keys to success, that the ability to communicate will get you a better paying job every time, then I don't know what to say.

[jrk5150]

However, I'm sure it's more broader than just black parents.

Obviousy...

But Cosby is a black man who has taken on the responsibility of using his celebrity to call out those of his race for their shortcomings. Good for him.

Parents are critical to the process. If they don't care, the kid doesn't have a chance.

99% of teachers fucking rock. They work their asses off with kids that don't have any respect for anyone, including themselves. But there is that 1% that needs weeding out, unfortunately the system discourages that. The system is broken, but I have yet to see a good solution to fix it. I can tell you what WON'T work - the every child left behind except those of the rich who can afford private school bullshit of Bush, and the teacher testing and MCAS bullshit implemented in MA.

[valdez44]

Obviousy...

But Cosby is a black man who has taken on the responsibility of using his celebrity to call out those of his race for their shortcomings. Good for him.

Parents are critical to the process. If they don't care, the kid doesn't have a chance.

99% of teachers fucking rock. They work their asses off with kids that don't have any respect for anyone, including themselves. But there is that 1% that needs weeding out, unfortunately the system discourages that. The system is broken, but I have yet to see a good solution to fix it. I can tell you what WON'T work - the every child left behind except those of the rich who can afford private school bullshit of Bush, and the teacher testing and MCAS bullshit implemented in MA.

Thanks IED for that post as I am a teacher that rocks!!

And I do have a solution to the problem, but it'll never happen. Although Cosby is a celebrity, today's kids aren't going to listen to him. If every rap/hip hop artist went on t.v. and:

1. did not dress like a fuckin' gang member.
2. did not talk in slang.
3. did not make videos that show women dressed like whores all the time and shaking thier asses into the crotch of the rapper.
4. did not depict life like a nonstop party.
5. And stop preaching a "do whatever the hell you want attitude"

yet instead went on t.v. and encouraged kids to stay in school, stay off drugs, and generally show that being educated is cool, then maybe...just maybe some of these kids will start caring about school.

[chefcraig]

Thanks IED for that post as I am a teacher that rocks!!

And I do have a solution to the problem, but it'll never happen. Although Cosby is a celebrity, today's kids aren't going to listen to him. If every rap/hip hop artist went on t.v. and:

1. did not dress like a fuckin' gang member.
2. did not talk in slang.
3. did not make videos that show women dressed like whores all the time and shaking thier asses into the crotch of the rapper.
4. did not depict life like a nonstop party.
5. And stop preaching a "do whatever the hell you want attitude"

yet instead went on t.v. and encouraged kids to stay in school, stay off drugs, and generally show that being educated is cool, then maybe...just maybe some of these kids will start caring about school.

Sorry, I disagree. Put simply, I'll use Dennis Miller's quote, regarding Kiss:

"If Gene Simmons has any influence over your child whatsoever, then you simply aren't doing your job as a fucking parent."

It's not up to "entertainers" of any sort to be role models. Not in sport, not in music and definetly not in movies. Tom Cruise may be ok in a few films, yet let's face it: the guy is a few sandwiches shy of a picnic.

One can only imagine if the often drunk and rowdy Robert Mitchum would have been held up as a role model how differently things would have been. One can only imagine because no one would have been stupid enough to make the suggestion of Mitchum as a role model in his heyday in the first place.

Why is it that folk now look to these dim-bulb "entertainers" as sages to begin with? Is it through the accident of birth, timing, a small amount of talent and just plain dumbass luck that they are somewhat successful and therefore more worthy of listening to than a teacher, plumber or one's own parents?

What Cosby is saying applies to all parents. Get involved and quite acting like fucking victims.

[valdez44]

You can disagree, but I see it everyday.....the fact is, it is often the parents fault. And another reality is....kids in the inner city come home to empty houses because there parent work late.
They turn on the t.v. or listen to rap/hip hop, and what those artists say heavily outweighs what any adults says. It's a reality, and Gene Simmons doesn't know shit anyway.

[chefcraig]

You can disagree, but I see it everyday.....the fact is, it is often the parents fault. And another reality is....kids in the inner city come home to empty houses because there parent work late.
They turn on the t.v. or listen to rap/hip hop, and what those artists say heavily outweighs what any adults says. It's a reality, and Gene Simmons doesn't know shit anyway.

So maybe the parents should take a stand, turn off the kid's fucking tv or take it away, eh? It is their house, is it not?

A little discipline isn't such a horrible thing. It all has to do with parenting and how one raises their children. If the unsupervised children are making such a mess of things, the parent fouled up somewhere along the line.

If the parents won't take responsibility, then who will?

[Dirty Water Doggie]

Didn't this dude leave his kid or something some years back? His an old and out of touch dude. I'll tell you the problem. Alot of black men aren't fathers to their children. They're the main problem of why blacks aren't progressing
IF anything.

You can't expect black women to be mother and father at the sametime. But that's what ends up happening. Either the man dont want to pay for the child, or he ends up in jail...

[valdez44]

So maybe the parents should take a stand, turn off the kid's fucking tv or take it away, eh? It is their house, is it not?

A little discipline isn't such a horrible thing. It all has to do with parenting and how one raises their children. If the unsupervised children are making such a mess of things, the parent fouled up somewhere along the line.

If the parents won't take responsibility, then who will?

Dude....I agree with you about the parents being responsible, and disciplining their children etc. But, what teachers deal with are the children of parents who don't. Thats the way it is. The kids would find a way to watch t.v/listen to music etc even if their parents through out theirs. All I'm trying to say is that the media, rap/hip hop music in generally, right now has a stranglehold over our children, and until some of these artist take some responsibility for what they say/do....a whole new generation of thugs will continue to thrive to be just like them.

[chefcraig]

Dude....I agree with you about the parents being responsible, and disciplining their children etc. But, what teachers deal with are the children of parents who don't. Thats the way it is. The kids would find a way to watch t.v/listen to music etc even if their parents through out theirs. All I'm trying to say is that the media, rap/hip hop music in generally, right now has a stranglehold over our children, and until some of these artist take some responsibility for what they say/do....a whole new generation of thugs will continue to thrive to be just like them.

I think we are agreeing on some of the same principles, yet coming at it from two disparate ways.

I just honestly do not see any artist (in any field) suddenly showing signs of responsibility. I believe it to be a futile notion.

The parents that don't care are more than likely repeating the cycle. Wanna bet that they were unsupervised, also? Until something is done drastically in this country to break this cycle, things will only get worse.

Entertainers doing what you said would be a start. Yet it is such a complex issue, I do not feel comfortable that by pulling a "Nancy Reagan" about it (ie: "Just say No" and everything will automatically fall into place) fulfills anything.

Cosby did his part by calling attention to the issue. It's up to folk smarter than me (and him) to offer actual solutions to the problem. It's a shame that one can not legislate morality.

[ZeoBandit]

He has a valid point, but the world doesn't operate quite like the "Cosby Show" world does.

[fast98dodge]

If Bill Cosby ran for president, I'd vote for him...