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I have not read Dyson's book and I really don't plan on reading it. I have a lot of respect for Bill Cosby. If I'm going to take someone's advice it's certainly going to be from someone who I respect. I don't have to agree with everything he says but I do respect the fact that he cared enough to even put himself out there like that. He could have just said hey I have mine and everyone else has theirs to get. He could have kept his mouth shut and stayed in the 'safe' zone.
As an elder he said what was on his mind. Elders are supposed to lead. That's part of the problem. As a people we have forgotten about our Elders. We don't respect them let alone listen to them. They have already been where we're trying to go. Lord knows Cosby has seen more than I have.
I wasn't shocked by his statements because they aren't that much different from what I have been hearing other older blacks saying. The only difference is that Cosby went public with it. Sometimes people need to hear the truth and not what makes them feel good. Like he said you can buy your child $200 sneakers but won't spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics. Exactly, where are your priorities?
There are a lot of things that my parents did that I thought was over the top. Now that I'm older I thank God that they cared and loved me enough to go buck wild on me when I got out of hand. Otherwise I would have been a straight statistic. Love is not telling a person that they're right when they're wrong. If I love you I'm not going to see you about to walk into a train and sit there and not say anything. I've learned (the hard way) that taking good advice from a wise person can make your life a lot easier and sometimes even save your life.
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