Southern Idaho is a wonderful place. I enjoy the privilege of being able to raise my family in this beautiful mountainous region. We enjoy many towns like Pocatello, that are filled with conservative families, entrepreneurs and scores of highly educated professionals.

But sometimes when I walk with one of my daughters into the some of our civic centers, I am struck, on an emotional level, by the sign outside that says, “No Gang Attire.”

It is clear that in many ways, Southern Idaho gets hit with the same urban problems  that many big cities face.

In this vein, one of my favorite pastimes includes engaging in the dialogue  surrounding my fellow black Americans. Comedian Bill Cosby recently told  several hundred people at a conference of community associations to stand up and confront the ills facing us.   

This struck a chord with me, because Cosby spoke in my native Newark, N.J. Being a father and educator in Idaho often has me thinking about the many parallels. Cosby’s message can be applied to any group of people.

Characterizing his own words as “blunt, but not harsh,” Cosby criticized a culture in which “babies are wearing $40 sneakers while their mothers are feeding them Oodles of Noodles” and in which pimps and murderers are seen as heroes. He compared street attitudes to a patient who ignores a toothache until it requires major surgery.

Several times he exhorted the audience to “stand up and stop looking for somebody to blame,” a mantra that has angered some black leaders who have accused him of downplaying the effects of long-term discrimination.

Cosby termed some of those critics “intellectual panhandlers” who enable  destructive behaviors by staying silent or blaming them on racism.

“You’ve got these idiots who’ve got these degrees, and some of them are ordained ministers and they say, “Bill, you’re picking on the poor,’ ” he said. He then drew laughs by adding, “Well, so did Jesus, then. Jesus was always telling someone, ‘Go ye.’ Jesus was always telling people to go somewhere. And ‘don’t do this again or don’t do that again.’ ”

It is time to re-examine our priorities.

Cosby saved some of his most pointed words for radio stations that play music that he called “pro-murder and anti-women,” and said adults are equally  complicit if they fail to speak up.

“I haven’t seen the demonstrations saying, ‘I’m not allowing my children to  listen to this,’ ” he said. “It’s killing us. We’re not talking about it, and we’re not beating it down.”

Cosby should be commended for his willingness to speak out on issues without bowing to political correctness. This is a time for candor; our children need frank discussion.

In Pocatello, we have large percentages of our population who are underachieving.

What can we do about the aforementioned community problems? For starters, I can see to it that I am responsible and that my kids have a stable home, wholesome activities and a good education.

As the hymn says, "Let it begin with me ...”