In the Saturday edition of the Press a half-page Associated Press article about Ruby Bridges, a civil rights figure, has stated that racism and segregation is on the rise, the implication being that whites are the cause of it. I take exception to that. Ms. Bridges, if racism is on the rise it's because of the likes of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Charlie Rangle, who stoke the fires of racism for personal political and financial gain. Add to that media images of blacks looting and burning down their own cities when a black person is shot by a white person, but ignoring the multitude of deaths of blacks by blacks in the inner cities. If racism and segregation is on the rise, it's not caused by whites. It's created by blacks.

I consulted for a black cosmetic company a few years back, and while at one of their national conventions, I was surprised at how they segregated themselves verbally from whites with statements like "our people," and "our sisters and brothers." It dawned on me: They were choosing to separate themselves from whites by their words and by their actions! Some of you might rush to call me a racist. But let me assure you, people who know me know that I'm probably one of the furthest away from being a racist. My brother is married to a wonderful black lady; my son is married to a Japanese lady, and I was married to a Jew. I am not a racist, but what I am certainly biased against is bad behavior - not skin color.

I believe that the Ku Klux Klan and the Aryan Nation are misguided and evil. There will always be racism and racists. However, there is no longer "systematic" racism in America. You cannot name one school anywhere in this great country of ours that is "segregated" by anything other than choice. Anyone of any race, culture, or color can become anything they aspire to become. We have spent billions of dollars on inner city schools in an attempt to help black communities. But until the "civil rights leaders" and other black leaders in our country devote some of their time and energy to reverse the "blame it on the white man" game, nothing will change.

Whether you believe it or not, it is actually reverse discrimination in this country that has to stop. Racism against any group is wrong, regardless of color or culture.

I hope that you realize that I had nothing to do with slavery. Neither did anyone else in this or the last several generations. I owe you nothing - except respect for your culture and when your actions are honorable, or disrespect for your bad behavior. Why is it OK for Charlie Rangle to call us white crackers, and blacks to call other blacks "niggas," but not OK for a white person to utter the "N" word. Do you see the hypocrisy in that?

So, Ms. Bridges, if you want to see a change in how our nation is starting to view blacks, become part of a movement to change the behavior of what we see in the news, i.e., burning and looting their own communities, irresponsible blacks fathers abandoning their families, celebration of gangsta rap, and "we are victims of the white man" attitudes. Be part of a movement to urge tens of thousands of jobless blacks into taking some of the jobs that millions of Hispanics risk life and limb and travel thousands of miles to take. Be part of a movement to encourage blacks to finish high school; attend trade school; be personally accountable for their actions, and their future. Will it be hard? Yes. Will it be impossible? No. But it starts with civil rights figures like you to break the chains of poverty, anger, and victimization.

I'm sure you are a responsible, caring and wonderful person with good intentions. But you are misguided. It would serve you well to heed the advice of a wise and thoughtful person:

"They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk...

"Why you ain't

"Where you is

"What he drive

"Where he stay

"Where he work

"Who you be...

"And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth.

"In fact, you will never get any kind of job making a decent living. People marched and were hit in the face with rocks to get an education, and now we've got these knuckleheads walking around.

"The lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids. $500 sneakers for what? And they won't spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics.

"I am talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit. Where were you when he was 2? Where were you when he was 12? Where were you when he was 18 and how come you didn't know that he had a pistol? And where is the father? Or, who is his father?

"People putting their clothes on backward, isn't that a sign of something gone wrong? People with their hats on backward, pants down around the crack, isn't that a sign of something? Or, are you waiting for Jesus to pull his pants up?

"Isn't it a sign of something when she has her dress all the way up and got all type of needles [piercing] going through her body?

"What part of Africa did this come from? We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans. They don't know a thing about Africa.

"With names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that crap, and all of them are in jail.

"Brown or black versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person's problem.

"We have got to take the neighborhood back.

"People used to be ashamed. Today, a woman has eight children with eight different "husbands" - or men or whatever you call them now. We have millionaire football players who cannot read. We have million-dollar basketball players who can't write two paragraphs.

"We, as black folks have to do a better job. Someone working at WalMart with seven kids... you are hurting us. We have to start holding each other to a higher standard. We cannot blame the white people any longer."

- William Henry 'Bill' Cosby Jr., Ed.D.

It's NOT about color... It's about behavior!

Bob McAdams is a Coeur d'Alene resident.