Today’s fathers may remember admiring Bill Cosby’s TV parenting skills on The Cosby Show or chuckling at the amusing tales in his bestselling book Fatherhood.
This week, the legendary comedian returned to his favorite topic, speaking with lawmakers in Hartford, Connecticut about absent fathers and their effect on children’s lives.
Cosby appeared before the state Capitol’s Fatherhood Task Force to dole out parenting advice and express concern that "fatherlessness is taking its toll on too many young people and families," the Connecticut Post reports.
"No one can legislate the ideal parent, but we too know – however – that engaged parents create structure and their influence is critical to every young person," the actor said.
In recent years, Cosby has backed away from the entertainment industry and focused his efforts towards children and families, earning a doctorate in education.
Some of his comments – particularly those criticizing rap music, hip-hop culture and absent fathers – have attracted controversy.
In 2004, he gave a speech which called on the black community to come together to solve problems such as the growing high school drop-out rate and literacy gaps.
I am a teacher and see that everyone has an opportunity to be successful in educating themselves but instead debunk it. I think Bill Cosby is right on with his comments. The socialistic movement, by the far left, is training kids to stop trying because someone else will pick up the pieces and make up the difference. This is hurting America and especially African Americans. People need to start taking responsiblity for their efforts and actions. If they go all 12 years of school and goof off, then they should pay the consequenses. All of my thoughts are not expressed here, but I think you get the point.
First off my gratitude and appreciation to you (allen) and all teachers for your dedication and many ‘unpaid hours’ spent raising/training our kids. That said, I have to disagree with the statement that ‘the socialistic movement’ is training kids to stop trying. To make that claim is to make the claim that everyone has an equal opportunity, which is simply not realistic. Whether it’s dead-beat parents that result in ‘distracting’ abuse of all kinds, or lack of financial support that results in 15 year olds having to work a part-time job or more just to help the family eat. I agree that we each need to take responsilitiy for our future’s, however, I also believe that sometimes there are challenging (to say the least) factors that are out of our control.
While the one side should NOT ‘expect’ the help and work like it’s not there, the other side should NOT ‘withhold’ helping based on the fear it’s being ‘expected’. Sure it’s frustrating when people make poor choices and then expect to be helped, but that doesn’t make it right to make the ‘true’ needy (those who are truly doing the best they can) suffer and their kids suffer. For me, I’d rather err on the side of helping.