Politics is Where the Competing Moral Visions of a Society Meet and Struggle

Defending A Good Man's Name

By Tom Walsh

"In my day...old people came from far away…to hit you."

No one is perfect, but throughout most of my life, Bill Cosby has been a hero to me.  Not since Red Skelton, has there been a finer example of a good man and a clean comedian.  He has made me laugh and cry, look at myself and think deeper than the humor. He is a great role model for our society and a great man.  But in our corrupt world, you can say anything you want, so long as its benign.  And if you happen to be black, you had better be a liberal, or you had better shut up. 

On Monday, May 17, 2004 Bill Cosby was not exactly politically correct when he spoke at a celebration commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.  In fact Richard Leiby of the Washington Post reported that “When Cosby finally concluded, Howard University President H. Patrick Swygert, NAACP President Kweisi Mfume and NAACP legal defense fund head Theodore Shaw came to the podium looking stone-faced.  So what was it that he said that had them so upset? 

What he actually said was, “Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal," he declared. "These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids -- $500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked on Phonics.' . . .  

"They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English," he exclaimed. "I can't even talk the way these people talk: 'Why you ain't,'  'Where you is' . . .  And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk.  And then I heard the father talk. . . .  Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. . . .  You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth!"  

The Post's Hamil Harris reports that Cosby also turned his wrath to "the incarcerated," saying: "These are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing Coca-Cola. People getting shot in the back of the head over a piece of pound cake and then we run out and we are outraged, [saying] 'The cops shouldn't have shot him.' What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?"  

Soon after he finished speaking, Theodore Shaw, the head of the NAACP legal defense fund told the crowd that most people on welfare are not African American, and that many of the problems his organization has addressed in the black community were not self-inflicted.  That was the first refutation of Cosby’s comments, but it would not be the last. 

Several efforts were made to get Bill to retract his statements, but he refused.  In fact, he continued to speak out against the politics of blame, encouraging parents and young people in the black community to live moral lives and accept personal responsibility for their actions.  But there is a problem with courageous individuals speaking the truth today.  Its not tolerated! 

Today when a man stands up and speaks the truth as an individual, it threatens the status quo.  When gentle persuasion and ridicule failed to kowtow Cosby, the apparatchik[1] proceeded with time tested plan to discredit him.   

First, Andrea Constand a 31-year-old woman, told Canadian authorities the comedian sexually assaulted her.  Never mind that she had waited a year before filing the complaint, going first to Durham Regional Police on January 13, 2005.  Less than a month later on February 9th, 57-year-old Tamara Green, an attorney from California, says that the star sexually assaulted her some 30 years ago.  Of course, according to the State Bar of California, Green had entered a program for lawyers with substance abuse or mental health problems back in October and the bar had also lodged 21 disciplinary charges against her as recently as March. 

Cosby denied her allegations.  His attorney said the allegations were "absolutely false," stating, "Mr. Cosby does not know the name Tamara Green or Tamara Lucier and the incident she describes did not happen.”  But no matter, the liberal press ran with the story, as if it were established fact, and painted the comedian as a hypocrite. 

On February 17, 2005, Associated Press Writer, Mary Claire Dale, reported that Montgomery County District Attorney, Bruce Castor said in a statement "The District Attorney finds insufficient credible and admissible evidence ... upon which any charge against Mr. Cosby could be sustained beyond a reasonable doubt,". 

But the damage is done and the message is clear.  If you dare to call people to morality and speak the truth as an individual, you will be discredited and silenced.    

We are all called to be courageous men, speaking the truth in a powerful world that hates those who challenge the system.  It would be so safe and easy for us to be cowards of silence.  The lie is we must be silent.  The lie is we have no right to speak.  The lie is you will be silenced if you confront evil.  But God is the source of all truth and we are called to boldly proclaim it.  The truth is we are redeemed sinners.  The truth is we are duty bound to pay the price of speaking the truth even if it costs us our lives.   

Bill broke the silence.  If he were alive today, Red Skelton would have broken the cowardly silence and defended Bill's good name.  We should too.  Defend your brother, in his hour of need, especially when he has the courage to speak the truth at such a high cost.[2]

- Tom Walsh

“I personally believe we were put here to build and not to destroy.  So if by some chance some day you’re not feeling well and you should remember some silly little thing I’ve said or done and it brings back a smile to your face or a chuckle to your heart – then my purpose as your clown has been fulfilled.  Good Night & God Bless”  - Red Skelton