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If you have any comments about the opinions I have expressed in any of my letters, please feel free to address them in the guest book on the main page.
(Sent to Sun-Times only)
Last Sunday, 4th July 2004, Mary Mitchell wrote an article critiquing the remarks made by Bill Cosby at a Rainbow PUSH gathering. She seemed offended by how he called Black children "dirty laundry," and how they swear and use bad grammar on trains and buses. Mitchell said that a rich man like him should not be the one to reprimand poor Blacks, and that, according to Professor Aldon Morris of Northwestern University, many poor Black children do not get proper education, thus they do not know how to speak properly.
Firstly, it was inappropriate of Mitchell to bring up the issue of Cosby's affair long ago. This has absolutely nothing to do with his arguments, and it makes her article nothing more than Cosby-bashing.
Secondly, it is important to mention that Mitchell did not mention the responsibility of the parents at all. It is no secret that the African American community has a problem with marital commitments, and that a high percentage of children born in such a community are illegitimate. In fact, according to John J. Macionis, author of Sociology, Seventh Edition, only 46% of African American families with children have both a mother and a father within the household. As for the dirty laundry comment, it may not seem very appropriate, but it would certainly be understandable when one knows how it is to be applied. If you were a poor single mother with no education, and your children were not planned or wanted, you will probably consider your children to be dirty laundry too. While many poor mothers work very hard to put food on the table and tend to their children's emotional and academic needs, others do not. Of course, the schools in poor areas are inferior, but not all of the blame should be placed on the schools. It is the parents' job to reinforce what their children learn in the classroom. So Mom and Dad did not finish school and cannot even read. So what? They can still made sure they their children are doing their homework, paying attention to their teachers, and applying what they learn. Moreover, they should be making sure that they are behaving in a civilized manner. Returning to Cosby's comment on how many Black youths misbehave in public, I have seen on many occasions Black teens get on buses, talking and swearing very loudly, using sexual language, making obscene noises, and saying bad things about White people-even when there are Whites on the bus. Sometimes, it is not surprising that they act so barbarously; their parents do not teach them how to act, and they probably act the same way.
Before one concludes that only poor Blacks with bad education need to shape up, perhaps one should explain why working and even middle class Black youths do not use proper English. There have been Black children who go to private or parochial schools, which offer (on average) much better education than public schools. They have good teachers and plenty of new books and resources. Thus, they are actually being taught how to speak properly. Be that as it may, only a fraction of those I know who go to those types of schools speak proper English. This occurs for two reasons: (a) Their parents do not know or care about proper grammar, and (b) Many African Americans mistake ignorance for ethnic pride. If anyone ever watched "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Carlton wanted to join a Black fraternity, but the leader would not allow him to because he dressed properly, he used proper grammar, and his father was a successful judge. The leader called Carlton a sellout. Little do they understand that those who would not accept Carlton on those terms are the real sellouts, because they make Blacks look like stupid, barbaric clowns. If the Black community had more people like Carlton, maybe it would not have so many problems.
In conclusion, I ask that Mitchell and those who think like her not to pass quick judgment on others just because they are telling you something you do not want to hear. Also, do not be hasty in rebuking Dr. Cosby's advice just because he is not within the income bracket of those he is trying to talk sense to; it is still good advice. When one really pays attention to his words, it becomes clear that he is not calling poor Blacks inferior; he is just showing how they can improve their own situations by paying attention to their children.
P.S.- I'm Black.
Even though I did not plan to vote for him, I noticed when I went to vote last Tuesday that Ralph Nader name was nowhere on the ballot. Instead, I saw the name of the Libertarian Michael Badnarik--a name I never heard in my life, and a man who I never heard speak. My question is simple: Why wasn't Ralph Nader's name on the ballot? When I asked an election judge this question, she told me that he was only included on ballots of certain districts. This explanation would have made sense if we were dealing with aldermen, representatives, senators, or other politicians. Surely there are Illinoisans who would have loved to vote for Schwarzenegger, the current governor of California, but since they do not live in the state he represents, of course they cannot vote for him. In this case, however, we are dealing with the election of a person who will represent an entire country, so every eligible voter should have the right to vote for any person running. Anyone of my district who really wanted to vote for Nader would not be given the chance to because of some unexplained technicality. This is disenfranchisement!
