Recently entertainer and comedian Bill Cosby stated at the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund Raising Dinner, "Ladies and gentleman, the lower economic people (MEANING POOR BLACKS) are not holding up their end of the deal". The question to Mr. Cosby and other Black Conservatives should ask is this: What is the deal? Do we have to put African Americans problems in public light, AGAIN?

The problem with poor Americans Black or White is that they want something for free and the American Welfare system has fulfilled this pathetic request.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt started a program called welfare to help ALL unemployed Americans. Times were tough for everybody in America. Congress did not want to pass FDR's welfare to work plan because it awarded government money to people who happen to be unemployed. The bill passed with the swift vote of a Democratic Congress. This vote put most of Black America into the Stone Age and we have yet to come out of the economic cave.

President Roosevelt's program was legislated for only twelve years. However this program is still with us sixty years later. This is not what one of our greatest presidents had envisioned.// This current Welfare system has almost destroyed or broken down the African American family. This system is the major problem. It creates a trap that most poor people never get the courage or will to leave. It's like Linus of Peanuts dragging his security blanket, never letting it go.

The conservative Black leadership has to address this issue rather then criticizing poor Americans. Individuals like actor Bill Cosby, basketball player Charles Barkeley, former Republican presidential candidate Allen Keys, former Oklahoma Republican James Watt, writer Tony Brown, and current White House Chief of Staff Dr. Condolezza Rice should offer solutions instead of criticism.

These fine, well-educated individuals should stop bashing our very poor. Cosby and others have made statements like, "Poor people need to get a job", "poor people need to get an education", or "poor people have to teach your KNUCKLEHEAD kids proper English", "These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids like 500 dollar tennis shoes and won't spend 200 for HOOKED ON PHONICS CD's". All of these statements may be true but have they helped anyone?

How can poor parents teach their kids when they have never been taught properly? The Question should be why were they never taught in the first place. These mothers have brought up their children to the best of their ability and most have done a fine job. America hardly ever hears about these fine poor mothers and their very intelligent children.

It is time for the Black intellectual conservative to get their hands dirty. Meaning that these intellectuals should go into the inner city and make that difference. What Cosby and other African American Conservatives are doing and looking down on THESE POOR PEOPLE.

These intellectuals are now being elitist on the economic mountain.

Yes, Bill Cosby and others have given money to many black institutions of higher learning but the problem is not at that level but at the elementary and secondary level. The problem accurs before these poor black children enrolled into high school. Many poor Americans are graduating without learning how to read. This is a disgrace to the American Public Education system. Many poor Americans enter society without the educational skills they need to succeed in the United States.

Welfare has contributed to the many difficulties in America's poor communities. We can no longer ignore this fact; it has become America's apartheid. Welfare is the key to change. If you change a human's own value then you change the way that individual thinks about life.

Welfare changed in the 1960's when millions of African Americans enrolled for the first time in the program under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Congress changed the rules making it easier to apply and receive benefits. However a single mother was not allowed to have her children's father live in the same household. At this same time the government would pay more money for each additional child, thus creating poor woman baby factories and dysfunctional families in all inner cities. These very young women were being rewarded for having numerous children with numerous fathers out of wedlock. Therefore propelling the forty-year moral decline. This single act lower the personal wealth of poor black woman, it lowered their self-esteem and pride. This did not make sense.

The government is also wasting money by giving one family two-welfare check's. One check is awarded to the man who fathered these children and another check is awarded to the mother. Again getting something for nothing and lowering both parents self esteem. Their whole world revolves around getting that check at the end or beginning of each month.

This old welfare system has finally outlived its time. Some of the results of this old system are fatherless children, angry young men that do not respect the law; nor respect their woman, or respect themselves. The American welfare system has produced monsters. This old system has just created more POOR PEOPLE.

The fact still remands, Young African American men did not make this system; they are just following the rules of an antiquated system. The fact is this system keeps poor and disabled families separated and poor.

The Black Conservatives have no response. But they are very quick to demonize and demoralize young African American males by calling them every name in the book. This is not fair or right.

The Bush Administration is said to be family oriented, yet have they been silent on this issue. Black conservatives want to end welfare altogether with no safety net for the truly needy. This action would also be foolish and unwise because this would create more homelessness and crime in inner city streets.

The 1960 War on Poverty with President Lyndon B. Johnson has now become 2000's War on Drugs. Mrs. Reagan's "JUST SAY NO", does not work and never has. In reality it's now a war on poor people be they Black or White Americans.

This is happening with the blessing of Black and White conservatives. They know they have the support of the Bush Administration.

Decades of discrimination and neglect by various government agencies have now produced serious problems. Where poverty exist a community falls into drugs, violence, and death. West Oakland and San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point District can attest to this with the recent killings of many young African American males in the past two and a half months.

We all need to challenge Black conservatives to take a good hard look at these issues. It is very easy to demonize and demoralize poor people, Brother Cosby stated, "GOD IS TIRED OF YOU AND SO AM I." The questions to these well-educated Black conservative ideologues should be.

Why are Black Conservatives speaking out now? Why have they become so vocal these past five years? Could it be because these bright individuals think they have a friend in the White House? George W. Bush is not an ally to African Americans. When he was Governor of Texas 32 African American Colleges in Texas closed. Remember education is to key to escape poverty.

THESE ARE THE ISSUES BLACK CONCERVATIVES SHOULD ADDRESS Here are some suggested solutions to this ever-growing problem: 1.) Let poor men and woman live together :married or not a. this would provide a stable family life b. this would provide an opportunity to the father to be a positive role model for his children instead of being the neighborhood crack dealer or local pimp. c. out of wedlock births would decrease or even eliminated the problem d. sex education to be given to all members of family e. Partners would learn to respect their bodies. f. this would give respect back to family authority thus would lead to respecting police, fathers, and themselves. g. End the cycle of poverty h. THIS WOULD SAVE AMERICA BILLIONS OF DOLLARS 2) Give every poor American a chance at college Black conservatives should be willing to help the poor and disabled not just give lip service to America. Meaning these conservatives must visit these poor and disabled communities. Many of these Black Conservatives have never been to Bedford-Stiverson in New York or Chicago's Southside or even Compton in Los Angeles.

They need to extend their collective ears and listen to these fine Americans about how hard life can be on the streets. It may enlighten all of these intellectuals to real action instead of redoric. Mr. Cosby may have been speaking with tongue in cheek. Trying to influence America's thinking about poor people. What he did instead created a firestorm of controversy.

Like the old sixties song "WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES", then only then can one understand.

THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW !!! []