"I Rebound Regardless"

So it's 5.00 am, and for reasons I cannot adequately explain, I'm awake. What does that mean? I'm cruisin' the internet for random stuff!

I found this article rather interesting. I know how some people are going to ignore this and disregard what Cosby is trying to say--they'll call him an Uncle Tom, they'll say he's a white man parading in a black man's skin, and they'll say he doesn't know what it's really like living as a poor black man (ignoring for a moment the fact that Cosby does, in fact, know exactly what it's like being poor and black). He's basically saying what needs to be said, if you ask me. I'm having a hard time articulating this precisely because I'm tired, but in a lot of ways, I think Cosby is right--no one will take you seriously if they can't understand a word coming out of your mouth, or if you can't read or write.

It goes back to some crap I see in the Athletic Department sometimes. Many of the athletes we have--regardless of race--think that, because they are "star athletes," they don't need to get an education or worry to much about their grades or school, because they'll be going on to play professional fill-in-the-blank sport. So when the greatest majority of them do not go on to play professionally, they don't have anything to fall back on, and suddenly it's someone else's fault for not telling them this sooner (when all we've done for the previous four or five years was tell them).

Admittedly, part of anyone's chances in life are determined by their heritage. It's a sad, inescapable fact in modern America. A well-off middle class white boy probably has more doors open to him initially than a poor black boy. But only so much responsibility can be placed in such things; eventually, everyone has to own their decisions and choices, and decide what they want out of life. Saying you want to improve your place in life is one thing; actually doing something about it rather than just waiting for someone to hand it to you because of your race or what my great-great-great grandfather did to yours is pretty damn stupid, if you think about it.

I don't want anyone to read this and think I'm a racist; on the contray, I believe everyone deserves an equal chance in life. That doesn't mean it should be handed to you or that you shouldn't have to work for it. The best way to honor the sacrifices of those who came before you to ensure that your life would be better than theirs is to live up to your potential.

This potential does not automatically translate to "the only thing I can do in life is be a star football player."

~chaos cricket

Song of the Moment: Styx, "Come Sail Away"