(sigh)
Stand up and take a bow, Juan Williams!
For those of you unfamiliar with National Public Radio's Williams, this is an educated liberal voice from an astute black commentator. I don't necessarily agree with his stand on a variety of issues, but I respect him and his low-key approach to debate and his ability to focus on facts rather than emotion.
Williams has a new book out, Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements and Culture of Failure That are Undermining Black America -- and What We Can Do About It, and it's a gutsy slam on those black leaders like the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson who he believes are countering academia's effort to legitimize minority concerns. Williams believes Sharpton advocates "victimhood" for blacks in order to get ahead, and this has provoked an interesting debate between the two. Last night Bill O'Reilly's "The Factor" allowed both to adjust their crotches and stand off in an attempt to explain their views. Williams always one-ups his opponents.
Williams discusses Bill Cosby, who we all know has been the object of a great deal of whining by Black America over his truthful estimation of this country's minorities to go the "poor me" route. Williams says Cosby has pronounced that , "... these [black] leaders--cultural and political--misinform, mismanage, and miseducate by refusing to articulate established truths about what it takes to get ahead: strong families, education, and hard work."
What's interesting to me is that Williams is a respected journalist but seems to rank higher among white media types rather than his own. It's unfortunate because he focuses on the issues rather than the causes and could be a major voice for blacks in this country. Again, Williams is way too liberal in his views for my taste, but when he talks, I listen.
(sigh)
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