Racism: A Dish Served Cold

ABC’s Primetime Live ran a special series where hidden cameras reveal what people would do in various intense situations. The first episode this season did a staged social experiment to see how unsuspecting people would react to witnessing overt and rather graphic racial discrimination.

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“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

What was most shocking was not the blatant racism of the few that approve of what they saw but the majority who said or did absolutely nothing. Before I take the high road from the controlled setting of my family room and say I would have done exactly what these two and the other amazing Americans did in standing up against racism, I have to ask myself have I ever been in any situation that demanded that someone speak up but was afraid to. The most productive thing to do is not to allow missed opportunities in the past when we could have done the right thing but failed to take a stand condemn us to a guilty conscience, but to allow this example to call us higher, being resolved to do the right thing from hence forth.

Obama vs. Cosby: The Tale of Two Reactions

Barack Obama has made preaching the gospel of personal responsibility an integral part of his campaign message, as seen in his latest campaign ad:

But it was messages like this, shortly before the Democratic primary in Texas where he gave some rather strong parenting advice that earned him an equally as strong rebuke from Jesse Jackson (for which Jackson later apologized for being over the top):

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Noticed the crowd’s reaction? This message is strikingly similar to that presented by Bill Cosby in criticizing the youths of the African American communities and their parents’ lack of involvement in their children’s education.

To compare, both Barack Obama and Bill Cosby have very impeccable records of giving back to the black communities. Obama, who could have written his own ticket with an impressive Harvard degree, chose to serve the least of these in poor minority communities in Chicago, and Cosby’s philanthropic endeavors are undeniable.

So with both individuals seeming to be reading from the same sheet of music, why was Barack Obama’s pull yourself up by your boot straps message met with a warm reception while Bill Cosby was practically castigated in the black communities?

The key difference is whether the solutions to the ailments of black youths lies within confronting one’s own demons or elected officials combatting the systemic shortcomings that result in unequal educational environments, Bill Cosby’s message had an either/or ring to it while Barack Obama’s approach was both/and. Cosby’s message seemed to have implied that while racism still exists in America, the problems that faces young African Americans are self inflicted. It treated racism not as a key ingredient in the problems they face, but as mere background noise that serves only as a distraction from the real problem – themselves.

Obama’s message, on the other hand, offers up solutions that can be implimented both by the parents and by sound, fair public policies. Both in conjunction can resolve a lot of issues that affect our children’s chance at a proper education and a decent chance to become strong and discipline members of society.

This explains why overnight Bill Cosby had become the media darling of Fox News and the conservative talking machines while simultaneously being rejected in the African American communities. The message of self help and self help alone is a favorite theme of the conservative movement, especially when espoused by someone who looks like those who could use some help.

For more details on why Bill Cosby’s cultural argument as the root cause of the economic and social problems that plague blacks in America is flawed, read the article “Why Bill Cosby is Wrong” at TomPaine.com

Environment: Six Degrees Could Change the World

With so much to deal with in just your own little world, who has time to think about the environmental issues. It all seems so far fetch, so why don’t we just leave it to the hard core environmentalists. This was my logic – until I saw satellite photos of how the polar ice caps are melting dramatically. Then I saw this:

The Discovery Channel presented a stunning two hour documentary about the effects of global warming and what would happen with a one to six degree temperature increase in the earth’s climate.

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You can watch the interactive highlights of the documentary at the National Geographic web site, depicting what can happen with each incrimental degree increase in the climate’s average temperature.