Hmmm. Could it be that they're simply out of control?
We've been dealing with this problem for decades now, and the easy answer is never the politically correct one. So, instead we are spending "...an estimated $182,751 annually for three full-time employees, office space and other expenses" to "...create a 19-member council to be appointed by the governor that will "make a systematic study of the conditions affecting African-American men and boys, including, but not limited to, the homicide rates, arrest and incarceration rates, poverty, violence, drug abuse, death rates, disparate annual income levels, school performance in all grade levels including postsecondary levels, and health issues."
While everyone is busy kissing each other's butts over this, I'd like to save them the time, energy and money by telling them that it's hardly believable that this will help. Similar task forces have been formed in similar cities, states, and in think tanks over the entire nation for as long as the problem has existed.
The answer is easy. The problem is that the easy answer is also a hard one: these particular black males lack self-control. This isn't due to the color of their skin. It's due to the quality of their culture. They're allowed to run amok and it's encouraged by both their immediate community and society as a whole.
We're so busy making up excuses for them that we spend money to form task forces and order studies, when the true answer costs nothing.
We are so frightened of being labelled racist, that we do the black youth of America a great disservice by excusing away their behavior. It's OK to be bad! You're black! You grew up in poverty! But what about the black men and women that did make the right choices? Are they mutants? If so, someone needs to break the news to my succesful black friends. Are their achievements that impossible for the average black youth to aspire to?
As Thomas Sowell writes in Black Rednecks and White Liberals:"Those who provide black rednecks with alibis do no favor to them, to other blacks, or to the larger society in which we all live. In American society, achievement is what ultimately brings respect, including self-respect. Only for those who have written off blacks' potential for achievement will alibis be an acceptable substitute. The liberal version of blacks' fate as being almost wholly in the hands of whites is a debilitating message for those blacks who take it seriously, however convenient it may be for those who are receptive to an alibi."
I saw a recent protest march in south St. Pete (where the majority of violent blacks can be found, including the Uhurus and various gangs). The people were picketing to stop "black on black violence" and beg their youth to start obeying the law.
The irony is, these same people who were picketing are the people who continue to enable the youth in their own families. They just want everyone else to stop misbehaving.
Until the black community stands up and starts demanding that their own kids behave, nothing will change. The rot comes from within, and that is where it must end. All the task forces in the world will never solve a problem which they cannot control.
15 comments:
I definitely agree with this, the whole black culture is to blame for the actions of their youth as well as the adults. It's cool to be a gangsta because maybe someday you will become a famous rapper. Yes that makes excellent sense! The other thing that KILLS me absolutely kills me, is how many black people are violently racist against white people and that is acceptable. I've not only seen this but had it admitted to me on several occassions. So yes, let's help these poor pathetic souls that can't seem to catch a break, meanwhile they will continue to hate us for it. I have no sympathy, clearly!
I remember an article about a teenager who killed a man in a shopping mall parking lot as part of a gang initiation. His lawyer defended his behavior saying he suffered from "Urban Survival Syndrome." Fortunately, that one never caught on.
Saur,
We normally see eye-to-eye but this post is racist.
I believe you're showin disrespect.
My butt hurts and I'm on painkillers so I may not be thinkin straight.
I didn't want to touch this post, but I do believe we have white people who are horrific when killing---cannibalism runs wild with the white folks...remember Jeffrey Dahmer? Or John Wayne Gacy? What about the Italians (my culture) who are in the mafia? So many cultures that need a reality check...and some medication. It's not only the blacks.
TC/Tabasamu, I knew you'd agree. After all, you're the one that introduced this book to us to begin with (though I was already an admirer of Sowell's)
Deb, well of course. That goes without saying, hon. But we're not forming task groups to examine white homicidal maniacs. We're spending money to examine black crime. When we decide to form a task force to figure out why some white people do bad things, I'll weigh in on that one, too!
Susie, an excellent point. And the manatees. Which are cuter and can get away with 5 o'clock shadow.
Senor, ;o) Not hardly.
Grant, oooh, a Johnny Cochran defense if I've ever heard one!
Anon, dittos. Thanks for the weigh-in.
Always looking to pass the blame off to society or some disease.
people are responsible for their actions period. as a society we need to stop making excuses for why certain people screw up. And this is a touchy subject, whatever you say, people can just turn around and label you a racist. But it's not just black or minorities, its anyone who grows up in the sort of lifestyle that enables and excuses the behavior. i would think that by telling people that it's not their fault b/c they are black, or they were poor, or whatever and just excusing the whole group of people that you would be furthering racist thoughts. By excusing people for their color or socioeconomic status, people are just perpetuating the sterrotypes. Anybody can make the right choice and anybody can become successful. They just have to be responsible.
ARGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Jesus this post is racist, I'm not going to argue it out because if you can't see it, then you can't see it.
There definitely needs to be separation acknowledged in this country between racism and culturism.
Let's imagine a scenario: A little old white lady from a middle class Florida retirement village is stuck in a room with Barak Obama and 50 Cent. If, without speaking to either of them, she is afraid of both of them, she's a racist. If she's afraid only of Fiddy, then she's probably just a culturist.
Too flippant, huh? How about this then: If you assume that a behavior, good or bad, is caused by racial markers in someone's genetic background, that's racism.
If a person misbehaves, though, that implies a choice, and it has nothing to do with skin color. It may, however, have resulted from lessons learned from one's culture.
Culture is a result of choices, not genetics. And any culture, be it black gangsta culture, or skinheaded Nazi culture, or hispanic macho culture, or rich white CEO culture, that encourages misbehavior needs to be called onto the carpet about those choices.
Daniel, Saur's post is not racist, because it's not about race. It is about culture, and choices. If you are assuming that Saur cannot criticise a culture because she is white, that would be racism. If you assume that one cannot be black without conforming to black culture, then that is racism. Do you think that blacks culture cannot be criticised without also attacking black people? That also is racism, because it assumes the culture to have been created not by a history of choices, but by the blackness of those in the culture. And cultures, unlike genes, can be changed.
One last note of self-criticism: To assume that a little old middle-class Florida white lady would automatically be afraid of Barak Obama or 50 Cent is also racism. No matter how often it might be true.
Daveawayfromhome, wow! Beautifully said, and I agree. I actually couldn't have said that any better, myself!
Daniel, what Daveawayfromhome said. ;o) And if *I* am racist, does that make Tabasamu racist? (See her post in the comments here).
KristieD, very true. By buying into stereotypes, we perpetuate the idea that black criminals do it because they're black.
Alex, yup!
Kathleen, thanks, hon. I am willing to take the heat for a good cause. ;o)
QZ, :D
Jef, you and your wonderful wife are entirely correct. Give her a kiss from me and take her out for a nice dinner somewhere as a reward for having common sense.
Cultural stereotyping (as within this post) is racist, as is completely ignoring the history of socio-economic oppression of black America and the fact that 40 years ago you were an aparteid state.
I stand by my thoughts.
Excellent post Ms. Kraut! Excellent.
I have nothing to add.
Daniel, isnt your statement, in itself, cultural stereotyping?
The abscence of real role models (responsible fathers)has destroyed generations and exchanging positive real-life role models for those vapid sexist infantile urban greedy bling-loaded gangsta rappers
(puhleeze pick a new schtick!)
will secure the destruction of a few more.
What a horrible vicious cycle.
Dave: no because I'm not dismissing black male culture as gansta obsessed nonsense (as well as making generalised statements about missing father figures, like that's a blackthang...) and other racist stereotypes that ignore the socio-economic factors of modern African American culture.
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