You go Bill Cosby!

Happened to catch a news talk show tonight where Bill Cosby's recent attempts to bring a little dose of reality to some of our less affluent brethern came under fire. Seems the author of a recent book takes exception to old Bill's critique of hip-hop culture and the mores and morals of the inner city. Much of it was the usual anticapitalist, race warlord rhetoric (which I'm sure I'll deconstruct one of these days just for giggles), but the line that really struck me was the author's assertion that Cosby was wrong to say that giving your children "strange" names would hold them back in life. In fact, this author made the comment that he was more worried about "Condolezza" and "Clarence" than he was the names people gave their children.

Let's think about this for a moment. Does anyone honestly think that we're ever gonna have a Secretary of State named "sha-THEED" (but spelled s-h-i-t-h-e-a-d)? I know of at least one poor child who carries this name. Can't you just see that headline on the New York Times: "President Appoints Shithead Johnson Secretary of State"? Or how about a Supreme Court Justice named Lemonjello (pronounced le-MON-jell-o)? I can hear Bernie Shaw now: "Supreme Court Justice Lemonjello Smith today ruled that making fun of a person's name is NOT protected by the First Amendment". Sheesh.

Earth to morons: tying an albatross around your child's neck is NOT doing them a favor, and it probably won't make them proud of their heritage. Just ask any kid whose parents were stoned out of their minds during the 60's and named their kid Flower, Gangbang, Wildfire, or Bong-Hit.

Go Bill Go!