On Sat, 22 May 2004, Bob LeChevalier wrote:

"Fletch F. Fletch" wrote:
Bob LeChevalier wrote:
wrote:
Those comments you question at the beginning of the post, are
*Cosby's* not mine. He has donated millions to support DAFNz in
college. He has a much better grasp of DAFNhood than you do, Bob.

Cosby is a comedian. Unless I had the full text of his comments with
all the context, and indeed preferably a video, since delivery is part
of his humor, I would not interpret his comments any differently than
I did. As posted, they were baloney, and because you posted them
(regardless of who said them originally), they were racist baloney.

Everything you say is racist baloney (even if you were to agree with
me this would be the case), because you are a subhuman racist.

With all due respect, Cosby has a PhD in education. And if you have ever
listened to him talk, you would know that he is a very smart, thoughtful
person. You do a disservice to him by dismissing him as a comedian.

I'm sure he is very smart, and can make intelligent comments about
education. But the reporting of the gala seems to make it clear that
while his comments had bite, the entertainers who were present were
performing their trade, and one cannot judge a comment without context
as well as sound and video information that would convey whether his
remark was serious, or comedically timed. In particular, the snippets
that were quoted sound like the sort of thing that he says in his
comedy routines, taking real life situations and phrasing them in
exaggerated but not wholly inaccurate manner. He had a routine about
special education on one of his earliest albums in the 60s which was
just that sort of thing that would sound politically incorrect and
offensive if spoken at an education conference, but was quite funny on
a comedy album. This gala was somewhere in between, probably with
elements of both.

Bob, I don't think Cosby would make these remarks *just* to be funny.
I believe he was mostly serious tho perhaps a bit exaggerated. And
I don't think he was being funny at all when he beseeched blacks to
stand up as they did during the civil rights movement and take their
neighborhoods back.

His opinion, while debatable, is not unique among successful blacks.
They see the problems as disproportionate and they believe the
solutions are within.

The conversation often centers on why things are the way they are
and, perhaps, addressing the symptoms. We hear from the racist
crowd here that blacks are pre-destined for failure as a result
of genetics and IQ. Others rightfully speak out against such
nonsense.

Meanwhile, Cosby and others are saying enough with the accusations
and excuses already; just get out there and make something of yourself.
Ultimately, you are the master of your own reality.