I don't see anything wrong with what Bobert says or how he says it. But he doesn't speak for black people. He is - maybe - trying to speak, sorta like he thinks some black people speak. I am not clear as to whether the written accent is meant to be simply his own 'brand' or is to be identified with 'black' speech. He doesn't seem in a hurry to make this clear here.

If I were to venture a guess, I'd say Bobert is trying to speak in his distinctive manner, kinda like the aw-shucks barndance caller or the simple country preacher, Andy Griffith style, with the stamp of the common man but in reality a mind sharp as a heading axe or a two-bit carny con. It can be fun if you keep your hand on your wallet.

I volunteered at a radio station where one of the R&B DJ's liked to speak in his own kind of special 'ergot' which gave the strong impression that he was a white dude trying to sound black. I never tried to plumb the depths of this with him and the first few times I listened to his show I didn't mind it, but over time it began to creep me out.

There is nothing wrong with John Hardly's sentiments either. He's entitled to make observations on his fellow thread-folk. There is a certain ambiguity and imprecision in a lot of Bobert's 'folksy' ways which call this forth.

I've lived with, and worked with, black folk. That gives me no right whatsoever to feel that I speak for black folk. What it does give me is some real life experience which may (or may not) be useful.

As for reparations, I noticed that Bobert made a big deal on the word without getting specific as to cold hard cash. In the sense that the descendants of slavery deserve some special acknowledgement, I don't disagree, so long as it is truly helpful.

I think The Civil War counts for a lot.

As for affirmative action, I was too young to be a political supporter of The Great Society Programs, but I 'would have' been in favor of them. The question now is what good have they done and what steps are to be taken in the light of present knowledge. Yesterday's solutions are not those of today.

If there are eventually reparations offered from the non-involved to the distantly related, I'm going to be very interested in filing a claim against the Egyptians with the World Court.