Fake Bill Cosby Email

Today I received an email from a family member (who is more conservative than I am, we'll just say) that was filled with ideas that upset me. I felt the need to respond, but I thought I might make my opinions public so that it could further encourage debate.

First of all, the email purported to be written by Bill Cosby. It was entitled "Bill Cosby: I'm 76 and I'm Tired." After writing the response to my family member, I actually took a moment and researched the email to see if my assumption was correct- and it was. So, before I post the email, here is the response from Bill Cosby's actual website:

If you got the BOGUS email, it's time to hit DELETE!

There's an email floating around - entitled "I'm 76 and tired" - purportedly sent by me. I did not write the email, I did not send the email, I'm not 76, and I don't subscribe to the ugly views expressed in the email. We are coming up to an important anniversary on Sunday, which is a day when we should all come together. Whoever wrote this email is not thinking about our country, or what is important. If you get the email, it's time to hit DELETE.

Posted by Bill Cosby on September 9, 2011 at 11:17 AM in News 

That being said, I will now post the original email and my responses to it. (Original email in black, my responses in purple):

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Bill Cosby    :   "I'm 76 and Tired"

I'm 76. Except for brief period in the 50's when I was doing my National Service, I've worked hard since I was 17. Except for some some serious health challenges, I put in 50-hour weeks, and didn't call in sick in nearly 40 years. I made a reasonable salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, it looks as though retirement was a bad idea, and I'm tired. Very tired.

If it was actually Bill Cosby, the work weeks would be longer, the salary would be higher, and there would be no discussion about "inheriting" his job. He would know that entertainers rely, not only on their talent and hard work, but also on a huge amount of luck. It's one and a million to have a show business career, even for hard working people. (Side note: According to the numbers he provided, his career spanned the years 1952 to 1992. If this was written by a white man, which it seems to be, he is not taking into account the sexist and racist hiring/promoting practices that he benefited from during his entire career.)

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.      

The whole "spreading the wealth" argument assumes that anyone that needs help is in that position because they are "lazy." Though there are lazy people in every group (let's see how many of the top 1% under 50 work their asses off, haven't inherited at least a large portion of their wealth, and don't spend much of their time socializing). However, the minimum wage that many people work for isn't enough to sustain a family. There are many people working 2 or 3 jobs and still are not able to make ends meet. This false concept that "hard work" is the only thing that separates rich from poor is wrong and dangerous. There are teachers, fire fighters, policemen, and military personnel that have to get food stamps.
   
I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honour"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

There ARE people who practice an ugly version of Islam. There are also people who practice an ugly version of Christianity and Judaism. But those are all backwards, antiquated traditions, and people everywhere are working to modernize theology. There are many Islamic people that are working for women's rights, and gay rights, and children's rights, etc. It's impossible to expect other countries to be in the same position as we are when we have had 200 years of religious "freedom" to get to the place we are. 

  
I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques and mandrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia, New Zealand, UK, America and Canada, while no one from these countries are allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other Arab country to teach love and tolerance..

Once again, the assumption that all mosques teach hate toward Christians is unfair. If Christians were all judged by the Westboro Baptist Church, we would be horrified too. There IS violence in the Koran, but there is a ton of violence in the Bible and the Torah. As society advances, we get farther and farther from our primitive roots. This is happening worldwide and in all cultures.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate.

Global Warming? Really? This is still a question? If 1,000 scientists have exhaustive research that global climate change is happening and 1 scientist tied to big oil says it's not, that's not really a "debate." It's just common sense that we shouldn't do bad things to our planet. And I'm not listening to a) people who have been fed propaganda by big companies who don't want environmental regulations to affect their bottom line, or b) people who believe that we don't have to care for our planet because the rapture is imminent anyway and Jesus will give them a new planet. I am in this for the long haul, and I hope my kids are too. I think I can deal with a little inconvenience to make the world a better place. (And, really Fox News? We shouldn't use high efficiency bulbs because they "look like pig tails" and take a second or two to warm up? There is a point where it just becomes ridiculous.)


I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight it off?
 
Drugs are a hard thing to deal with. But I, for one, would rather have addicts have access to help rather than let them be on their own. I favor safety nets in general, but there is also the argument that drug addicts with no access to help are more likely to stay addicted and fall even farther into anti-social behavior and crime. There are studies that prove that communities that provide wellness help have lower crime rates. That's good for everyone.


I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor. 
 
I think we can all agree that people who get caught in a scandal need to put on their big boy pants and face the music. And I don't think people should get a free pass on committing crimes because they are public figures. (And throwing in another dig at poor people here is just repetitive.)


I'm really tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.

People make stupid choices, but some people are also in untenable situations. Sexism, racism, homophobia... all of those things still exist. Pretending that everyone is in their current situation only because of their personal choices is naive at best. There are plenty of people who throw away major opportunity and still sit pretty. And there are hard working people who can't get a job, or education, or any breaks. And "big-whatever" has LOTS of money to spend to keep the status quo.

I'm also tired and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and early 20's bedeck them selves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making themselves un-employable and claiming money from the Government.

Assuming that young people styling themselves like that means they won't be employable and will collect welfare does nothing but demonstrate the old age of the author (whoever he may be). It's like him waving his cane around and telling "young whipersnappers" to get off his lawn. Styles change. There are plenty of employers that will hire young tattooed and pierced people. And there are plenty of tattooed and pierced employers out there.


Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 76.. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter and her children.   Thank God I'm on the way out and not on the way in.
 
Classy. (And another reason the author doesn't seem to care about global warming. "I'm outta here! You clean it up!")

There is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on!

This is your chance to make a difference.
" I'm 76 and I'm tired.    If you don't forward this you are part of the problem".

Liars do so well on the internet (that is, assuming it's not an actual 76 year old white dude named "Bill Cosby." But I'm pretty sure the assumption that it was the 74 year old black comedian was intentional. I'm sure lots of people have dutifully forwarded it. I guess I'm "part of the problem." 

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So... what do YOU think? Do you agree with the fake Bill Cosby?