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According to the minority owned Portland Observer Newspaper in it´s July 7, 2004 edition, legendary entertainer Bill Cosby has stirred up the black establishment with his critical comments on the low educational attainment and speech (including the use of the "n" word on each other) of today´s black youth. He has also railed against the elevation of blacks that commit crimes and go to prison to the status of celebrity political prisoners. Moreover, he objects to the violence of embittered black men against their female partners. Cosby believes these and other black shortcomings are sadly indicative of a lack of appreciation for the sacrifices of the Civil Rights Movement.
The black detractors of Mr. Cosby know the criticisms he makes are valid, but are only angry with him for saying it where white folks could hear it. He broke the first of the unspoken commandments of black Americans: "Thou shalt not criticize thy people in the earshot of whites." Are we really so naïve as to believe that not only whites, but the whole world are unaware of our shortcomings?
Well, frankly, I am very glad somebody other than those of us relegated to the lunatic biblically conservative, "right wing" fringe has had the gall to speak up! While I am not sure whether he is a Christian or not or what his political party affiliation is, to hear the truth from the lips of someone of the stature of Bill Cosby in our community is absolutely exhilarating! Yes, it makes us look bad; yes, it airs our dirty laundry. But our dirty laundry represents some very serious issues in our community that required the kind of national wake-up call Mr. Cosby has brought by breaking the unspoken commandment.
Incredibly, in far too many instances, it is not the protection of unity (which has been elusive) that motivates this commandment today. It is not embarrassing shame that our problems exist either. If it were truly shame for this reason, all levels of black society would pull together and labor intensively to wash our dirty laundry. However, embarrassing shame is involved as it concerns how Bill Cosby´s public criticisms have exposed the failures of our recognized leadership´s strategy of portraying our people as perpetual victims of endless, white conspiracies to oppress us, in order to get more from them these past forty years.
We have dirty laundry such as it is today because the relative few in the black establishment who have profited from the victim strategy are disconnected from the God of the Bible. It was He who opened the doors for our advancement through the Civil Rights Movement; it is He who is now quite displeased we pushed Him to the background even as we corrupt His Word to lay false moral grounds for our self-serving strategy of deceit.
We have dirty laundry such as it is today because the relative
few in the black establishment who have profited from the
victim strategy are disconnected from the God of the Bible.
Driven by covetousness and greed (sins the God of the Bible condemns), many of the movers and shakers of the black establishment nationwide have focused on political clout, economic empowerment, educational achievement (which may not mean the person with a degree actually knows something) and social acceptance. Black religion has been a very vocal team player. However, the weightier matters of the spirit, morality and character of the race have been largely left for personal tastes or addressed superficially as self-evident in our survival as victims.
The result is that now, in every facet of black society, we view all of life through the deceitful prism of victimization. So, children under achieve in school and it´s not their fault in any way because predominantly white run governments have not provided enough resources. Our teens degrade each other in speech and its low self-esteem caused by racism. Those found guilty of crimes are celebrated as heroes because bully white authorities conspired against them. Black on black violence is an outcome of poverty and hopelessness created by white indifference. And on and on.
To be sure, white racism is still alive and well in America. But even Bill Cosby has benefited from lack of black concern about personal morality and character which renders adultery and the children born from it for example, non-serious indiscretions. Black entertainment gets more raunchy and vile and nobody says a word. In fact, because our entertainers are victims of racism, the NAACP gives out image awards to them to recognize their work no matter how immoral.
As purveyors and disseminators of black culture, the black print media have gained a remarkable unity the whole race should take note of. They rarely allow biblically conservative voices such as my own to grace their pages. These are voices that would break from the enraged, or whining, "somebody owes me something," victimhood worldview and re-introduce to our people the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ! Remember Him? He came to die for the sins of the world, sinners like you and I! Not until we reconnect in personal relationship to Him who brought us to these shores for His purposes of good, will we change our uplift strategy and priorities as well as wash our dirty laundry.
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