The Center for American Progress posted an interview President Clinton on race issues today in three flavors: text, streaming Windows Media and downloadable MP3.
Let's be clear: one way to really annoy me is to call President Clinton "the first Black President." But also be clear his racial perspectives are in pretty close accord with those of the Black communities.
Patrick Berry emailed me the link with the subject "Clinton weighs in on Cosby Comments," so:
Q: The comedian Bill Cosby's recent remarks about personal responsibility in the African-American community have caused some controversy. Do you think such a discussion helps or hurts the broader discussion of race in America in its various complexities?
Silly question; indefinite question, actually. What controversy are we talking about? I only see one, and the conversation isn't addressing it directly. But I guess the question had to be asked.
President Clinton: Absolutely helps. It helps because it helps for two reasons. First of all because I think that whenever you're blaming other people for your problems - I know I've been there - whenever you're blaming other people for your problems, even if you're right, and in this case, non-blacks are responsible, or at least the history for a lot of the problems of the black community, you still have to be careful because it diverts your attention from what you can do to improve things. So what Cosby did was really good for the black community, because whether you agree with exactly how he said it or not, he said, okay, suppose we got a lot of problems that are other peoples' fault, what about what we can do to fulfill our responsibilities, so it was a big plus.The second reason it was a plus is it is good politics because it removes an excuse from the members of the white community, who might not want to do more for black children, or for black economic development, who say, well they're not trying to help themselves. Cosby takes the excuse away. So it was good in two ways. Cosby did a service to black America and to all Americans by doing that, by focusing black Americans on what they can do for their future and reminding white Americans that most black people are doing the very best they can to do everything they can and therefore we all ought to be working to overcome these disparities.
This is so very much the right thing to say. But.
Dr. Cosby did shock a bunch of people, but the surprise wasn't that he thought it, it's that he said it. He's added nothing to the discussion on the Black side of the veil; that's why the responses to his second speech was so much more timely and precise. They were ready this time.
Meanwhile, on the white side of the veil, folks are watching to see Black people's reactions and THAT'S a problem…what was it President Clinton said:
I think that whenever you're blaming other people for your problems…it diverts your attention from what you can do to improve things.
This is a precise description of the attitude of each side of the veil from the perspective of the other side.
You want to know when we start making progress? When white people take George Carlin as seriously as Black people take Bill Cosby.
Posted by P6 at July 16, 2004 02:19 PM
Trackback URL: http://www.niggerati.net/mt/mt-tb.cgi/5526
Comments
Thanks for commenting on that.
Posted by Pat at July 16, 2004 04:51 PMNo problem.
I'm not actually asking you this, but I'm always curious about whether my responses are along the lines folks expect or hope for (the reason I don't actually ask is it really wouldn't change how I think and I suspect folks would get annoyed at that).
Posted by P6 at July 16, 2004 09:06 PMWell then I can be comfortable that my answer will not have any deleterious effect ;-)
Right now I live in Cracker Central (aka central valley California). Diversity here is pretty much non-existent. The only place I even heard about the Cosby dust-up was here, well at least until NPR did a small spot on it. So I read about it with a clean slate, so to speak. I tended to adopt your view point since it seemed rational and pragmatic. Also it's a topic I don't feel like I can hold a strong opinion on since I don't know squat about what it's like to live in a community that people are talking about.
I also agreed with most of what you said about Clinton. It was a safe thing to say and was mostly right. I also think the whole "first black president" is just wrong. Is he better than Bush, of course...nobody on the progressive side is arguing that.
Posted by Patrick Berry at July 16, 2004 11:39 PMClinton being completely right is a misnomer. He is a moderate Democrat so he is left of center. Completely to the right would be Bush. Oh one word's difference...
WTF my PTV linkup for minority voting is bleeding out. I know after they make a point it will come back on... never mind still, what a wierd kind of feeling. Strange I prefer some kind of politics on while I type and this happens. A Sin-tax error I guess, what I get for mentioning republicans...
Clinton being right entirely is also a misnomer because every interview is about Lewinski so he cannot be correct on an action always viewed otherwise.
With Clinton you get degrees of correctness. PC can sometimes get to my nerves, but he's more right than, as right as anyone, or the most right(correct) on these issues. Understand he had to find ways to represent inclusion in the south.
Which is so disturbing about aWol Bush- always privilige, never inclusive. People act like it's a big shock. He appointed hayseed judges in Texas with the only litmus test being oil in the blood for environmental decisions.
That state is in the stone age from judicial appointments. And what a deficit...
The first black president will be Mr. Obama the guy has a resume worthy of a Supreme Court seat.
Posted by Mr.Murder at July 17, 2004 04:54 AMPatrick:
It's nice, every once in a while, to see someone who has little contact with Black folks can still have a sane, reasoned attitude toward us.
Your answer had far from a bad effect.
Posted by P6 at July 17, 2004 09:23 AM