Forum Post: Al Sharpton or Bill Cosby - Who has done more to advance the cause of black people in America?
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 6, 2011, 11:56 a.m. EST by MikeyD
(581)
from Alameda, CA
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
I can see the How is this relevant questions already. Let me tie it in.
One pushes a philosophy of blame others for your problems, the other pushes a philosophy of personal responsibility. Which is better?
Have things gotten better for black people under Sharpton, Jackson, Wright, Lee, Waters, or Obama?
Would using Cosby, Powell, West, Rice, Cain, Thomas, or Payne as role models do more to further the interests of black people?
Interesting question...until you see that not only that it was asked by someone who isn't black but also goes on to suggest "better" role models that just so happen to be the ones white conservatives like to use against the black community whenever they are called out on their racism - until they go against what conservatives want, like when Powell said he was voting for Obama and Rush Limbagh promptly starts declaring that his vote will be based on race and predicts he will vote for him again because “melanin is thicker than water.” Gee, is Rush a good role model for whites?
You know, the first time I heard Alan West's name, he was being praised by some of the most violent white supremacists in the country, and he goes on to hold town hall meetings as a congressman in private venues where he gets people arrested for doing what teabaggers did in 2009 at town hall meetings, shout questions and demand answers.
Your question is an insult. For the record, I'm black and the answer is we are better off with some on your list, not so much with others. Two of them we are better off with are Sharpton and Cosby. Why? Because they don't excuse the BS conservatives try to pull.
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Wake up you say? Get over my indignation, you say? I'M on a partisan diatribe when much of YOUR"favorite" blacks are right-wingers? Okay, here's something for you. Note that my response was on Nov. 6, 2011. This article shows up in the Broward/Palm Beach New Times on Nov. 8...TODAY! I didn't even know this tape was out there when I mentioned your hero Alan West, otherwise I would have said something. http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2011/11/allen_west_admits_motorcycle_gang_outlaws_white_supremecist.php
Now given the fact that you did indeed have a white supremacist group (who by the way has some connections to the motorcycle club in question) who has given West props, there is some validity to the story. So when you talk of polarization, you remember what that scumbag is about, okay?
Do yourself a favor. Let us black people decide who we think have done more to advance our cause. You don't come across as someone who has a clue. Here's a hint: sometimes they might not even be black.
I think the most relevant answers would come from black people themselves but others can have opinions too, and here is mine:
All of them have made important contributions and are positive role models.
Even Sharpton, who isn't exactly my cup of tea in a leader, has done some things of value. Ditto for the conservatives you mentioned who alos aren't my cup of tea. Condi Rice is a war pig, but as a role model for young children, we can leave that part out and point to her as a striver & an achiever.
What is with the hate of Maxine Waters? She's been an elected official since the 1970's, she represents the people who vote for for her over and over again. She came from a large family and worked "menial" jobs to support herself and then enrolled in college and got on the road to getting involved in politics. Why is she not a good role model?
Are you talking about the kinds of things she votes for as a Democrat? I'll repeat, her constituents keep voting for her, doesn't that mean they feel she is doing a good job?
Barack Obama is not a good role model? He is not doing things that are helpful to blacks? How is Obama less helpful than Allen West or Herman Cain, I just don't see it. Herman Cain wants to do away with minimum wage and wants lower income working families to pay more taxes - that isn't particularly helpful to black people.
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Have to go with Cosby, but in part for a different reason. I didn't realize it at the time, but as I grew older I noticed that after watching reruns of his Cosby show, I was always thinking of them as a family, not a black family, just a family. It struck me how much it fits in with Martin Luthor Kings great I Have a Dream speech. Cosby made seeing himself and his TV family as just people (even if their TV jobs put them in a higher economic group).
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This was cribbed from http://bigthink.com/ideas/40942 ?
You're drawing a false dichotomy - it is not the case that either "it's your fault" or "it's out of your control." Life is always a shifting mixture of both.
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If that was the choice I side with Cosby. At least he has the pudding pops.
Martin Luther King!
No more from this troll.
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This question is simple minded and myopic. It's the type of of question I would expect from my 9 year old. "Giants or Jets"?
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Al Sharpton jumped on the Tawana Brawley bandwagon. What a circus clown! What an asshole! Bill Crosby actually worked for a living. A decent man.
O Mikey...your debating skills are excellent to be sure...as seen in your "Canadians" post. But, it really isn't doing anything to expose the Ruling Elite which would be the real way of stopping the Globalists from doing this to us. Why are you not posting information or giving ideas on how this could be achieved? Your debating skills should be put on your own website or blog where other debaters could give you the run for your money you so crave. You could call your website "Debate This!" Use your tenacity on this website instead to weed out and expose the criminals that did this to us. Peace
Your fellow human being
Leynna
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Let's say you come to a conclusion about who's solution is better. What will you do with the information? Will you use it to strategically oust the people responsible for the crimes they have committed against us? Or will you choose a new topic that keeps many useful people busy bickering and thereby rendering them 'useless' in focusing on shedding light on the cabal and throwing them out of power. What did your days long post on Canadians achieve really? How about some ideas on strategy or realistic steps or plans to expedite this global awareness before it gets ugly.
Your fellow human being
Leynna
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Boule sellouts.
You seem to forget king.
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I always go by the tried and true liberal rule.." Liberal blacks are good. Conservative blacks are bad. That goes over best in conversations in Zuccotii Park.
My impression is that they are all either kings or cowboys at heart.
Bill Cosby. Cosby tried to set good examples by portraying Black people as successful, not victims of so called racism. He attempted to make hard work and success in style among Black culture.
Sharpton promotes struggle and pain. Victim-hood. He then in turn exploits it for his monetary gain. Struggle drops in the Black community, Sharpton is out of a job.
Minister Farakhan is the only black leader who hasn't courted big business or kissed the asses of the elite. anyone who thinks MLK should be on the list is a moron
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfkLIaPfkTw
OWS
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I see them daily. At least the ones that can afford a trip down here. There would be millions of people down here if they had the bus fare.
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I live north of harlem in a minority neighborhood, they are going to work not protesting because if they lose their job, they dont have paid for everything waiting for them as a backup! These kids are taking handouts of icecreAm and gourmet dinners. I have no worries for the OWS mooching class. They have parents worried and waiting for the social experiment to end and they will be home skiing and surfing as soon as the ny majority of working class people de and they leave. The daythis happens I will donate to pay to ship the trash they have left behind to any occupiers with k own addresses! I live here! It smells enough without the unwanted added mess that I have to pay for in the end. Don't feel bad ows you have an army of followers in NYC now, they Are quadriped german Wharf rats. I will gladly ship them to your home addresses with the bedbugs, And Roaches. See,Iam very giving
1991, Playoffs, Giants v Cowboys. Emmit Smith has a separated shoulder and keeps hitting the line, over and over and over. play after play after play. He will die before giving up. His face is distorted with the pain, his shoulder droops because of the torn flesh. He refuses to come out of the game, his team honors him by not forcing him. Simply one of the most outstanding performances by a man ever.
Millions of men lost whatever racial prejudice they may have still had that day, they didn't just love Emmit Smith, they wanted to be Emmit Smith.
My point is heroic black men doing heroic things have done more than all the Sharptons and Cosbys rolled together.
Nicely put.
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For some excellent commentary on this subject and more check out jptv.com. This is a thoughtful young man who gets it:
http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=mpg&mpid=84&series-id=40
George Bush
word
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Cosby, without a doubt.
And Condi Rice, Colin Powell, Herb Cain, Clarence Thomas, Laurence Fishbourne, Will Smith...
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Clarence Thomas rules.
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If black people didnt have problems there would be no need for Sharpton. Sharpton NEEDS black people to feel bad or he doesnt have a job. Go figure.
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CORRECT. Why cant others see this?
Jesse's made a career of it.
Did I mention that I used to see him waiting outside my building every night for his limo to pick him up? Real nice suits too. ; )
Buckwheat
Cosby.