So 12.6 percent of black men in their late 20s are in prison, and something must be done, cries American Prospect. Here’s a suggestion to black men committing crimes, which land them in prison: stop committing crimes.
Problem solved.
Update (7/23): Parents or Prisons?
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That’s just to simple La Shawn. There’s no way to blame Mom, Dad (or lack there of in most cases), the gubment, the environment, a cat, a dog…etc.
Chanelling actus
But LaShawn, that doesn’t address social justice, evil white people, conservatives, racists (oops, all of the above groups are racist by definition), the manipulative media, I could go on and on…
/Channeling actus
SCSI… channeling actus?? LOL
you must be bored
La Shawn,
That is a suprisingly succinct and pithy answer to the problem. Many in the “race business” want to find all kinds of social ills to blame this problem on such as those SCSIwuzzy was mentioning on behalf of actus. If your plan were to be followed, an entire industry which has been built on the premise that there has to be some other reason than the simple fact that people go to jail for committing crimes would be put out of work!
La Shawn,
I’d also like to throw in the fact that many of my fellow officers who work areas predominantly populated by minorities are at the point these days of not doing their jobs because of the fact that they are heavily scrutinized for “making too many minority contacts”. This in an area of town where the only white face they might see for long periods of time is in their rearview mirror.
When the police are afraid to do their jobs because “too many black men are going to jail”, it only exacerbates the problems of crime and quality of life in minority neighborhoods.
How about eliminating the drug war that put them there? No more drug war = no more gangs, no more racial profiling, a European murder rate and no more pressure on my gun rights.
:peter
Fancy that! A drug that can lock up a man. Powerful stuff. It must be magic…
Peter.
What color is the sky on your world? Or were you being facetious. Surely you don’t think that gangs exist only for drugs?
Anyone prefer to provide intelligent conversation on the issue?
Remember, every ‘black guy’ in prison burdens you.
#1 – $30,000 per annual prison cost
#2 – The hidden cost of arrest, prosecution, pre-sentencing holding
#3 – Recidivism is as high as %70 percent in some areas, meaning they are going back to take more of your tax money
#4 – The destabilization of the environments they come from, which by default increase the social service cost of the community
#5 – Increase insurance cost burden, remember, when a car is stolen the rates go up on a macro level
#6 – Decreased property tax values, ergo decreased tax revenue, which simultaneously decreases city services or forces tax increases in other areas.
So yes, of course, let’s just tell them all, ‘Hey guy, stop committing crime’, and see how far it gets you.
Whatever though, it is your tax money, if that is the best solution good luck.
Yes, it is a social problem, but it seems to me that the root of the problem is the destruction of the black family brought about by LBJ’s War on Poverty welfare programs. How do you put that back together again?
What color is the sky on your world? Or were you being facetious. Surely you don’t think that gangs exist only for drugs?
Surely it’s you being facetious. Where do you think those gangs get 95% of the money to finance themselves? Not by working at the Burger King, that’s for sure.
And the ironic part is that anti-drug laws were originally enacted as Jim Crow laws. Apparently they’re still working.
:peter
It’s the media’s fault! LOL!!
Thank you Dell.
I recently signed up with the Minneapolis Urban League to volunteer to help recently released non-violent inmates learn to use computers, write resumes and because my background is in finance and banking, learn basic personal finance. I didn’t know but what caused these men to enter the system the first time but hopefully we’ll keep them from going back in and starting a revolving door pattern.
I don’t know jaybird…
we’re not “intelligent” enough according to some
Renee, my question was to point out that it’s going to be difficult, given the status of marriage and family generally these days, regardless of race.
Nobodies saying individual on this thread are not intelligent. But intelligence requires application. And simply saying ’stop committing crime’ does nothing to ’stop committing crime’.
I just got done writing a $5 million dollar grant for a Denver organization seeking to prevent recidivism and early entry into the prison system. The prison situation is literally crushing their economy and hurting their budget.
How do you fix it?
Props to Tiffany!
One stop on the way to “fixing it” is to ignore all racial statistics and become color-blind. Why after all, is the 12.6 stat so alarming? Ever been to an NBA game? I’ll bet that the black-to-white ratio is somewhere around 80 to 20. Where is the outrage? How can a racial group that amounts to about 12% of the population occupy 80% of those highly paid Jobs? This must be discrimination!
I agree that if black men don’t want to go to jail, they shouldn’t commit crimes, but my problem with the current justice system in this country is the lack of equality in the sentencing practices. When 2 people one white, one black, commit the same crime, and the white guy gets probation or sentenced to a rehab facility and the black guy gets sent to jail something is wrong.
All of this ignores the fact that one of the reasons that more people in color are in prison is because of sentencing disparity. Black folk are more likely to be sentenced to prison than white folk conviced of the same crime, and are sentenced to longer terms for the same crime. When you preferentially throw black people in jail when you don’t throw white people in jail for the same offence, and you keep black people in jail longer, its not surprising that you have more black people in jail.
See:
If people want to go to jail then let them. To the rest who choose to live in the criminal environment….again, I said choose to remain there, then so be it. If you want to live that kind of life. A life of whining, crying, blaming others and a general life of failure, then so be it.
Ghettos are good. It contains the garbage so we know right where it is so we can monitor it, but if people want to leave those dumps, they can and have.
Enough with all of this BS psycho and socio-analysis. Do the right thing and shut up.
Pajamazon, no-one said it was discrimination. However, statistics prove, and I can site you the studies, that black men arrested for the same crime, with the same prior history are sentenced to longer time in jail. Take that how you want.
Secondly, your idea of color blindness is exactly that, blindness. In any examination of social phenomena, you weigh cause and effects and note the distinguishing variables (basic sociology). We do it in every area of our life in business, in government, in non-profit. To arbitrarily restrict race as a factor in behavior analysis is to cut out a relevent if not the most relevent variable in evaluating crime. Particularly when one group is has such a high concentration.
So again, how do you fix the problem?
Dell,
Many of your points regarding the cost of every “black guy” in prison (although I would say it’s the cost of everybody in prison) go exactly to the point. What should we do, universally adopt the attitude of some of my fellow officers to ignore blacks who are committing crimes to make the “statistics” come out right? That should really help insurance rates, property tax values and quality of life in general in minority neighborhoods. Remember that most crime committed by black suspects is against their fellow blacks.
I applaud your efforts to turn recently released convicts around so that they might contribute to society instead of preying on it, but the point of trying to blame the fact that young black males commit crimes a a proportionally higher rate on external factors does nothing to curb the problem. There are cultural factors at play whereby criminal activities are somehow considered a legitimate way to make a living, or even idolized, that need to be addressed in order to reign in the high rate of incarceration for black males. Having a prison background has gone from being stigmatized to being considered almost a badge of honor in some communities and it is those very communities that have such a negative quality of life for their residents and where recidivism rates are highest.
Worried about sentencing? Try this. Don’t commit the crime and end up in the courtroom where sentences are handed down. Duuuuuuuh.
Dell,
I imagine when Jesus said “go and sin no more” your liberation theology response would rebut; “but Rabbi, simply saying ‘go and sin no more’ does nothing to stop sin”.
Are you so obtuse that La Shawn’s comment was in response to the American Prospect’s question; “Can the liberals and progressives in America turn the tide?” is lost on you?
5 mil, or 5 bil ain’t gonna save convicts unless their hearts are changed. This is why the govt needs to get out of the rehab biz and let faith-based orgs do what they do best.
By the same token, we need to quit the wasteful drug war and treat it as a health problem & not crime. Drug use/abuse in and of itself is a crime only because we have decreed it so and compounded by the infrastructure that supports drug crimes.
Personally I think we need to get at the root of the problem. How many of these men never had a real father? How many had mothers who were teenagers?
In our society it is no longer considered shameful for young women to sleep around and have a gaggle of kids before they are 21. Often each kid has a different daddy.
As long as this persists there is no hope.
Somehow, I would be that Dell thinks the reason there is a pandemic of AIDS is because the evil white man won’t give people a cure.
Well, PJ, I think it is disturbing when one group is in prison disport. to their population.
Whenever I see some group have big numbers, be they good or bad, I am curious to know what they are doing different from the rest of the population.
Now, what numbers I’d like to see, but can’t find, is to break down the prison pop along economic lines and factors like parental status (did they have a 2 parent home, were both there) and abusive households. And to see those numbers without race attached. Though I would also like to see immigration and citizenship status in the analysis as well.
Dell,
One of the things that I think is often overlooked is that sentencing often involves a “pre-sentencing investigation” by the court. If you have two guys, one black, one white and the white guy get a lighter sentence for the same crime, it doesn’t necessarily always point to discrimination on the part of the court. The investigation may have uncovered several factors which influenced the judges sentencing decision.
What do these investigations look at? Past criminal activities (even juvenile in some instances), the defendant’s home and social environment, and his associates, criminal and otherwise. Involvement in gang activities, and other factors such as possession of a gun during commission of the crime can also influence the sentencing decision, along with things like did the defendant resist arrest when in contact with the police. When you factor in some of these things it often puts the black defendant at a disadvantage when it comes to sentencing which really has nothing to do with his race in a direct way, but more in a subtle way that has to do with what I mentioned about acceptance of criminal behavior as a way of life.
Jim, you are dead on. Until we can teach our young girls that it is ok to say no to unprotected sex, we will continue to have a 70% out of wedlock birth rate and a sky-high AIDS infection rate.
Notice that I did not fall into the “two to tango” trap. The root of the problem is our young girls “givin’ it up” to no good little boys. Remember, a boy can only accept an offer of sex. The girl has to grant permission for intromission. Anything else is rape! Annnnnd since rape claims are not at the same 70% bastard baby birth rate, then the root of the problem lies with the inability or lack of enculturation of our little girls to say no to the little mack daddys.
Why are people still talking about sentencing? Dude, that is so after the fact and irrelevant.
OK Dell. As you accuse all criminal juries of racial discrimination I would remind you that very few crimes are “the same.” Factors like the attitude and remorse of the defendant are key considerations at sentencing. Having some court experience I’ll suggest that you attend some sentencing hearings for both whites and blacks. See if you notice a pattern. A large group of whites will show remorse, and even fear. Some will even cry. I suggest that a larger portion of blacks will “play tough” and try to appear strong and even cocky. Judges and juries rightly notice this and pass sentence accordingly.
Your second paragraph was too full of psycho-babble but I think you’re saying that we SHOULD use race in determining our positions on the behavior of our fellow man. So I SHOULD consider most black males I meet potential thieves, rapists and killers. Arabs are sexually repressed Nuts. Mestizos ARE lazy and tend to overbreed.
Oh wait. Race should only be considered in the context of much psycho-babble and “basic sociology.”
By the way, as a resident and taxpayer of Denver I’d appreciate it if you would stop volunteering my money for your “studies.” Five million more dollars down a rat hole!
Andy #24
“I imagine when Jesus said “go and sin no more†your liberation theology response would rebut; “but Rabbi, simply saying ‘go and sin no more’ does nothing to stop sinâ€.”
It couldn’t have been said better or more clear. It also goes hand in hand with Jim #25 comments.
Amen and Amen
Even more to say…….
Why is it that when whites go to prison it’s because they’ve committed a crime, but when blacks are sentenced we must
dertermine the “root cause?” No one yet has answered my NBA question. These multiple standards with regard to race are transparent and absurd! I agree that a family is the best path but who is ULTIMATELY responsible for that family? The members or “society?’ We sure know the answer when talking about a white family!
Should Jonny Depps movie be renamed “Michael Jackson and the Chocolate Factory?” Sorry LaShawn I just had to take that shot.
Appears thatFOX news is now picking up the buzz that has been flying around Depp’s pale-faced, sissy-voiced, quasi-pedophilic Willy (I could go a million places on that name alone) Wonka (and this one too) character.
Robert Byrd Controversy. Has anyone been monitoring the latest outrageous racist statements by this old DEMOCRAT Klansman?
Pajama – What exactly were you reading, because it obviously wasn’t my post.
“OK Dell. As you accuse all criminal juries of racial discrimination I would remind you that very few crimes are “the same.—
Where did I say this? Hummm….actually, I NEVER SAID THIS…what I said is there is data which shows that same crime same prior unequal sentencing, and I left it up to you to decide the causes.
“Factors like the attitude and remorse of the defendant are key considerations at sentencing. Having some court experience I’ll suggest that you attend some sentencing hearings for both whites and blacks.”
Same priors, same crime, different sentences, thats all I should have to say.
“Judges and juries rightly notice this and pass sentence accordingly.”
Same priors, same crime, different sentences.
“So I SHOULD consider most black males I meet potential thieves, rapists and killers. Arabs are sexually repressed Nuts. Mestizos ARE lazy and tend to overbreed. Oh wait. Race should only be considered in the context of much psycho-babble and “basic sociology.—
Don’t forget whites are racist who have a history of violence national discrimination and culture destruction. I mean, if we are being even and throwing out stereotypes let me get mine in too.
“By the way, as a resident and taxpayer of Denver I’d appreciate it if you would stop volunteering my money for your “studies.†Five million more dollars down a rat hole! ”
Again, your ignorance is astounding, if you want to know what the grant was for, simply ask. I am right here.
1. The grant wasn’t for a ’study’ it was for programming.
2. It wasn’t from taxpayers dollars, but a mutli-corporation fund.
See the problem Pajama is you are more interested in rhetoric and parroting Michael Savage than you are of actually thinking through issues.
You assumed I said “all juries” are discriminatory, I didn’t. You assumed the grant I wrote was public, it wasn’t. You assumed the grant was for a ’study’ it isn’t.
I bet you have no clue (since you are so interested in your states tax dollars), the difference in cost to the tax payer between recidivist prevention programs, and the cost of housing one prisoner. For every year per prisoner reduction average in recidivism, the taxpayer saves $30,000. Multiply that over the system and the savings to the taxpayer are huge.
Wait a minute, you should be thanking me! I am saving you ‘Mile High Money’. I won’t hold my breath.
#25 Jim & #28 Montie – I agree with you 100%, and I talked about this on my television show last night. The acceptance of the underground economy in the urban environment. You are dead on, no argument from me at all.
#26 Raymond – Are you still sour because I said you weren’t a real conservative?
#24 Andy – I agree with the second portion of your statement, “By the same token, we need to quit the wasteful drug war and treat it as a health problem & not crime. Drug use/abuse in and of itself is a crime only because we have decreed it so and compounded by the infrastructure that supports drug crimes.”
But in terms of Jesus offering grace to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-11) , I don’t think that is really making the point you are trying to make. But, like I said, I do agree with your last statement (is that a first?)
Yes dell we are all so ignorant except you in your twenty-some years on this Earth. I remember when I was in my twenties, I thought I knew everything as well. You have a novel idea; throw money at the problem. Maybe another “study” costing a few more million is just the solution!
Or blacks could stop committing so many crimes, as the post suggests.
Your hatred of whites is obvious despite all your over-verbage. As for “National Discrimination” please answer my NBA question! And “destruction of culture” , the only example I can think of is white culture. You’re too young to know that in the 18th and 19th century there actually was such a thing. Today’s “culture” as you would suggest is still “run” by whites. We all just decided that proper English usage was silly and that pimp and ho speech is better. We all decided that promiscuity was a virtue and casual sex/casual abortions was just a part of life. Crime is OK if you’re among a specific racial group-after all, Whites made you do it.
Dell points out some significant stats (comment #9) and asks how we fix it.
Answer: Ever hear of the “Dirty Dozen?” That’s right, empty the prisons (regardless of race), and ship ‘em out to places like Fallujah as point men. Now that’s maximizing our tax dollars.
No more “in prison” gang bangin’, drug usin’, TV watchin’ tax wastin’. Kill our enemies on the front lines or be killed.
I guarantee you there will be a different attitude (ie; less recidivism) for most of those who make it back.
But, of course our homegrown limp-wristed lefties would be outraged at such an idea. Tough!
Look, all this talk about “disparity in sentencing” is all well and good, but it fails to refute La Shawn’s basic premise: If the black man never commits the crime and gets arrested for it, he won’t BE sentenced to prison time. That’s true regardless of whether the sentencing is actually disparate or not.
I believe Will Smith put it (more or less) eloquently in the first Men In Black movie: “Don’t start nothin’, there won’t be nothin’!”
I imagine that you would be saving him money, except that the way you keep parroting “So how do we reduce crime?” leads me to deduce that you do not, in fact, have any idea how to prevent recidivism at all.
Personally, I favor reinstating the death penalty. Get caught shoplifting? Death. Steal a car? Death. Sure, you’ll get some whining from the bleeding-heart liberals, but the fact is that if you don’t commit the crime, you won’t have to worry about what the punishment might be. Added to which, the possibility of being wrongly accused of a crime would make people fall all over themselves to aid in the investigation – which is another phenomenon all too rare in today’s world. Civil liberties? Pfft. You surrender your civil liberties the moment you infringe somebody else’s.
Joking – I think.
Here is a scary fact.
The ONLY population in the United States where HealthCare is guaranteed is the prison population.
So maybe chalk that up to the added costs.
.Alois
(last comment was directed at Dell, by the way.)
And let’s not even begin to address the way crime is glamorized in music, movies, and entertainment. If we can stop sending young people the message that crime is permissible, or even glorified, then they’ll probably stop wanting to do it so badly. (Note that this isn’t the same as the “video games cause murder!” argument, just an acknowledgement that we are in fact bombarded everywhere by images suggesting that crime isn’t all that bad.)
If you (white males) stop creating economic conditions that force people to find illegal ways to secure money, then perhaps there wouldn’t be as many economic based crimes in minority communities. Because, after all, this is a color-blind society. LOL!
Funny, too, how with the majority of population being white, that there are so few of them in prison. I guess one can say that whites do not commit crimes or, perhaps, the focus is on one community (black and latino) and not the other (white). hmmmmmmmm
Wait…so you still think all those black men broke laws and that’s how they ended up in jail? Had nothing to do with the police profiling or the increased “enforcement” mandates in minority communities? To that I say this – if you had police increasing enforcement in non-minority neighborhoods combined with mandatory “enforcement” and arrest requirements for minor offenses rather than citations and warnings…I’m sure we might just see a change in the crime stats. You are right don’t commit the crime and you don’t go to jail…for long. Unless you are in Missouri…then you might actually get the death penalty and die before they figure out the DNA proves you didn’t do it. Darned lawyers and their DNA!
Four years ago I taught second grade in a very rural southern town. Pretty much everybody was poor. Picture NO industry, just small time farming, fishing and living off the government. Anybody with any money went to the private Christian school forty miles away. The black/white ratio was 50/50 in the school. I had 8 black children (5 girls, 3 boys) and 7 white children (3 girls, 4 boys.) Four of my black children had a parent in prison. One of the little girls was born in prison and then handed over to her very elderly grandmother for raising. Five of my black students were “staying” with a grandparent or “aunt.” Understsand, most of these children were shuttled around in different living arrangements where they usually don’t understand the relationships between adults and themselves. These kids don’t live anywhere, they just “stay” someplace as long as it is convinient. Four of my black students and one white student had already been placed in the special ed. program. I passed out different medications (ridelin, adderal) throughout the day. These kids in SECOND grade proudly told stories of visiting family in prison, stories of the police visiting their present location the night before, who was sleeping with who where they were “staying.” One little boy explained that he was going to go to prison when he grew up so he could kill somebody named “Boot” and then become a rap star. One little black girl’s mother was only thirteen when she was born. That little girl was a complete hellion because she was either a doll to be played with and dressed up or cast aside to fend for herself when her “baby mama” was bored with her. Understand, all these kids were poor, but the disproportion of behavior problems and poor achievement in the black population of my class (everyone’s class) was glaring. What was the school system’s solution? They paid ridiculous amounts of money on teacher training along the lines of “Dealing with poverty” and “Understanding the African-American male.” It was all so much gobbly-goop that did nothing but fleece the tax payers of a lot more money, but it looked real PC on reports to the Department of Public Instruction. Now what the administrators really did to keep those test scores looking presentable was to make sure by third grade there were as many kids as possible(mostly black) receiving expensive special education services. Most of these kids have absolutely nothing wrong with their minds other than what I describe as “environmental stunting” or plain old lack of raising. Those kids are tested differently and their test scores don’t carry as much weight. That is the reality. Discrimination and racisim are not to blame. We have white guilt inspired liberal policy and those blacks who have allowed themselves to fall victim to it to blame.
Judging by the comments, few have actually read the article, which does bring up serious questions, such as why do we send so many people to prison? The article is spoiled by the race angle, because it suggests we imprison blacks because they are black, not because they commit crime, or that they possibly commit crimes at higher rates than other races.
It would be better spending money preventing crime, than spending it on imprisoning people. But you can only help people to help themselves. If a community prefers to harbor a criminal element, that community is doomed.
If black politicians prefer to blame whites for the problems their communities face rather than tackling them, then you cannot blame whites for wanting to lock criminals away. Look at Washington DC under Marion Berry – this was the guy who said “The laws in this city are clearly racist. All laws are racist. The law of gravity is racist.”
There seems to be a serious reluctance to deal with the causes of crime, reducing crime by imprisoning the criminal is a ham-fisted way of achieving it. As Dell said, an expensive way too.
Tiffany & Dell,
Just wanted to give you a shout out… I applaud your efforts at ACTUALLY DOING something, anything to make a contribution.
I’ve taught math & science in San Quentin Prison in a program that helps men in jail earn a degree so that when they get out (because most will), they will have a better chance at making a positive contribution to society rather than returning to crime…
I remember when I first got involved in the program, the assistant warden (or someone like that, don’t recall exact position) gave us an intro speech… she went on to say that she has always been a hard-core conservative law-and-order Republican… but she opposes the GOP on eliminating programs in prison in an effort to prove how macho and tough on crime they are… she FULLY supports such programs because THEY WORK at reducing recividism. Period. And ultimately that is good for society, or even just for the tax-payers’ pocketbooks.
Friends, Mestizo/Metis/ a mixed-blood and most of us are good hard working folks, by the way, we receive racial slurs for both races we descend. But hey, when you are half this or half that you only have half an opinion, who listens to half an opinion? Until next time (Donadagotlvi)
Bear
Dell #9 wrote, “Remember, every ‘black guy’ in prison burdens you.”
Every criminal out of prison burdens society (me). Destroyed families, funerals, ended lives, crippled people, hurt children, loss of income to a family, property destruction, fear, anxiety, loss of property value….
Dell #16 wrote, “And simply saying ’stop committing crime’ does nothing to ’stop committing crime’.”
No. It would require the criminal to stop committing the crime so that the handwringers concerned about the amount of people in jail won’t wring their hands anymore.
One thing in life people learn is that they can’t control others. They can only control themselves.
Dell, a few of your posts came from the angle of wanting to reduce costs to help the economy.
Solution for that problem…. Reduce prison costs… and limit the amount of health care. A murderer last year got a heart transplant in CA even though many were protesting. He was moved ahead in the line so that he didn’t die but the problem with that was he was moved ahead in the line in front of people that have been waiting for months and were just as likely to die (and didn’t commit a crime).
I’ll bet we can reduce prison costs by 25% easily. #1 because in CA 25% of the prison population is illegal immigrants. They should be shipped to the bottom of Argentina. That way it would take forever for them to immigrate illegally to the U.S. again.
Whatever happened to good old fashioned self control? Instead of stealing, go get a job. Instead of selling dope, go get a job! Instead of shooting another “brotha” cause he killed yo homie, or owes you money. Cut your losses and go get a damn job!!!
Miss Barber’s statement sums it up best.
“Here’s a suggestion to black men committing crimes, which land them in prison: stop committing crimes”
All of the socio-political, analytical mumbo jumbo touted here does not address this simple, common sensical premise. Most of the time the simplest answer is the right answer.
Its like someone who is banging their head against the wall, yet they keep asking you why their head hurts.
Jerry,
“All of the socio-political, analytical mumbo jumbo touted here does not address this simple, common sensical premise. Most of the time the simplest answer is the right answer.”
It is also usually the hardest one.
Baklava #54
“They should be shipped to the bottom of Argentina. That way it would take forever for them to immigrate illegally to the U.S. again”
That is hilarious and TRUE!!!
I’d like to hear everyone’s opinion on this:
*If a child is consistently failing in school, take a kid away from the home & put him/her with a good foster family. Not the grandmother who lives a block away, but a foster family in a good neighborhood, with a stable family structure.
Because, if a child does badly in school, they can’t get a job & they have not future. And I would argue that tougher enforcement of drug laws is the answer. Drug addiction does nothing to prevent crime & unwise life choices.
Also, how about dealing with music that glamorizes crime & disrespect towards women.
Baklava #54, you bring up a good point. The number of illegals in our prisons & the level of care prisoners get is ridiculous.
NY Girl,
It really frosts me when I hear liberals say it would cost less to educate someone than to lock them up. Because both college and prison costs too much.
But the point is that they are for completely separate purposes.
It’s like saying painting your wall costs less than taking your car to get an oil change.
If a child is consistently failing in school, moving him/her from one dysfunctional family situation to another (foster home) is not going to change anything.
Children like these unfortunately are the products of dysfunction and that dysfunction is what should be addressed. There is not much you can do with these kids. They need to want to be better and that is all up to whether or not God wants to let those kids exercise their free will properly to get it right. Otherwise, we need to stop wasting time in these kids and start improving the scholarship of those who can get it done. Yes, some kids will be left behind.
As for the music that disrespects women? Have you seen who performs in the videos? Women, particularly 12-14 year old white females are the largest purchasers of hip-hop and popular music. In other words, teach the girls to stop glamorizing this mess and it will go away.
“*If a child is consistently failing in school, take a kid away from the home & put him/her with a good foster family”
That would pay well here in Texas, where foster parents get over $1K a month per kid.
Crime is reduced in areas where there is education and property ownership. So if we can keep the kids in school, and people can find ways to save money to buy a house(vs. buying bling, spinners and Jordans), they can reduce opportunity for crime to grow.
Unfortunately, most foster parents appear to be in the business as much if not moreso for the money than the actual welfare of the kids.
I think we should bring back orphanges. The kids can then get structure and discipline while they await adoption.
No one interested in the Sen. Byrd comments huh.
Not to be nitpicky or anything, but…ummm….doesn’t this mean that 87.6% of black men are NOT in prison?
There are about 2 million people in prision. Further, assuming (erroneously) that 1 million of these are black men, that’s 1/40 of the black population.
I dunno, maybe I’m missing something. Why are MY people so consumed with a plight that the VAST majority of us don’t share?
To me, this is a herring of the crimson variety.
Well, yes. Right, but irrelevant. “just stop committing crime.” Is it good to be right but ineffective? Soothing to be self-righteous? Comforting to stick your chin out and state the obvious? Perhaps, but not very interesting.
I guess it depends what you want to talk about. If what’s interesting to you is saying things like, “my enemy is a bad person,” well, you’re doing that. Congrats.
Alright Stephen! Good one. I am glad you pointed that out. I belong to an organization where I have to keep reminding the membership that while there are such things as “at risk” black males, our mission is not to spend all of our time with them whereas most Black boys are doing very well and we need to keep them on the straight and narrow.
It drives me up the wall everytime I hear someone saying all Black males are at risk. We are not.
S.J. makes another good point.
“MY people”……funny! (inside joke.)
Thanks for the responces guys.
Unfortunatly as Chris & Raymond point out, too many foster families see it as a business. But how about if we get churches more involved? The church could help to place a child in a good home which would cost less. Also, there should be a rule that one family cannot have more than one child, unless siblings, at a time.
Raymond, I like your #65 comment about orphanges. The need for structure is exactly why I propose taking the child out of a bad environment. However, orphanages seem so vast & impersonal, I worry about them becoming like juvinile prisons.
On the other hand, while I agree that personal responsibility is the most important thing, kids who grow up never knowing their father, mother a crack ‘ho & their neighborhood overun by gang violence have no one show them what it means to be a good person. They do not consider it important or desierable to be a good person.
Also, in some neighborhoods, if you don’t belong to a gang, it means you are fair game. You have no one to defend you & no one fears harming you.
Of course if we were to deal with PCness & allow the police to do their job properly, such situations would not exist.
Breaking the monoploy of public schools would also do wonders. Religious schools have consistantly shown extrodinary results in molding good citizens.
Private schools are also more accessible than people think. Many offer scholarships to low income and disadvantaged children. You must be careful though. Some schools let in too many of these kids and they bring their problems with them and they drive scores down.
Also, if parents give up the Escalade, the rims, the gold teef, the joolery, the trips on the Tom Joyner cruise and other BS, they would have the money to send the kids they supposedly love to a pryvat institooshun.
Excuses. Excuse. Excuses. If you put your child in a government school, you hate your child.
For the “Children of Dysfunctional Families” crowd:
La Shawn has already spoken about the solution to that problem —-Don’t have children out-of-wedlock, that you can’t financially support.
Of course, that takes self-control too.
Dell wrote: “But in terms of Jesus offering grace to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-11) , I don’t think that is really making the point you are trying to make.”
That is exactly the point I’m making. The woman was about to be put to death for a crime, juxtapose that with the # of black criminals and the question raised in the final sentence of that article La Shawn pointed to. The point is if we want to see criminality reduced, we need to stop the source. Don’t bother seguing into the “w/o sin casting the 1st stone, because that’s not applicable here.
As pointed out by others, the source is a morally corrupt culture — rap music, tv — and family members unable to raise and train children in the way they ought to grow.
For all practical purposes, we are dealing with a couple lost generations. Our priority should be on the current crop of vulnerable young children to raise them to be functional members of society. We should crack down on filthy material posing as entertainment.
Free speech be damned if the effect damages our yong ones. We should demand that the FCC reinstate clean language on broadcast TV/Radio. The ratings system for movies need to be changed so that no cuss words, sexuality etc will be permitted for the under-18 crowd, even if accompanied by an adult. Cable for now is safe, and we can permit relatively “harder” adult material after 9PM, but the point is we will have set decency back into motion.
Before anyone discounts this as out of hand, there is a trickle-down effect that has to be considered: The over-air media needs material to survive. If they are restrained by the FCC, that will force the industry to support more productions that meet the clean air (no pun) requirements. (Example: HBO will be less inclined to spend big money on “Sex in the City” when they know there is no syndication market for UPN/WB downstream, even for a cleaned up version).
While MTV will continue as before, they will be constrained by time limits, as well as overt under-age marketing. In due time, their material will get cleaned up due to 2 factors: 1) the labels need radio to promote their filth, 2) record sales will be restricted by age limits (if we can enforce underage drink/smoking laws, there’s no reason we can’t enforce underage hearing and seeing laws). This will force the labels to seek out clean acts.
Can’t be done? We haven’t even begun to seriously try, aside from the occasional bone thrown to us by politicians. When the focus turns to a War to Save our Kids, even the education elites will have to fall in line as their bile comes under scrutiny.
I’m not counting on an overnite result, but I expect it to be a chain reaction over a couple of years. Such an effort can only be sustained if and when we get the SCOTUS that our forefathers envisoned.
After we’ve done all the above, if there’s any funds left over, we can focus on shaming and rehabilitating the flock of damaged goods we have on hand.
As for your costs projections of detaining prisoners, we need more wardens that can feed their charges on 30 cents a day, as in Arizona and reinstitute the back-breaking sunup to sundown chain gangs. That will take the glamor off prison cred real fast.
Prison gangs cutting grass don’t need powered mowers, they need scythes and the old fashioned push mower. Crews cutting down trees don’t need chainsaws, they need 2-man saws. IOWs, they need the most crude, blister inducing tools possible to get the job done. And while they get breakfast & lunch, if they don’t meet their quota, they don’t get dinner.
They can do this every other day and on the off days, they’re in class to get their GED and a vocation. For the educated set, they can bypass the schooling, and get out in half the time by working the chaingang everyday. Prison needs to be so miserable, they can’t wait to get out and stay out.
On Sundays, they can opt for morning worship services then get back to their regularily scheduled programming. But under no circumstances will Islam be allowed to be taught, nor timeout for ritual observances given. Also, no special religious diets, except for health reasons, ie diabetes.
NYgirl,
The foster care solution won’t work. There are very few decent foster families available. Many are just in it for the government check. The suppy would never meet the demand. Besides, it doesn’t address the root of the problem.
We’ve been fighting the drug war for decades. It also doesn’t address the root of the problem.
We can make all kinds of rating laws and censorship campaigns on media, but agin, it doesn’t address the root of the problem.
We need for the country to stop sending out the message to people that they are victims – period. Stop the discrimination studies and “diversity” programs. End race and gender preferences in educational opportunity and hiring practices. Get the government out of public education by going to a completely privatized system. Collect a reduced number of education ear-marked tax dollars from all tax payers. The government splits up the money equally for every child of school age and sends each child that money to be used at the private school of their parent’s choice. No government interference allowed except to be the bookkeeper. Every government leader, every pastor, every media source, every educator, every citizen should make it their mission in life to send this message:
If you fail to take advantage of the educational opportunities you are offered and make the most out of the mind God gave you, then it is your own fault when you remain unemployed and in poverty. You may recieve the voluntary charity of your community but not the government.
If you choose the blight of drugs over spiritual grace and Gods love then society will shun you in all places except the church where you may seek redemption. However, the government has no interest in your spiritual struggles.
If you have premarital sex, use filthy language, dress indecently, and disrespect your elders then you will be ostracized from the community. People will not speak to you, acknowledge you or allow you entry into the community network. Clean up your act and you may earn reentry into social acceptance.
If you become pregant out of wedlock then we will STRONGLY encourage the mother and father to marry. If you do not do so, then you will be publicly shamed and ostracized from the community. The mother will be expected to drop out of public view during her pregnancy. The communinity will accept and care for the innocent child, but never the parents. Fathers, if you do not marry the mother and refuse to pay for the care of your child, then we will put your picture in every newspaper and on billboards proclaiming you to be a deadbeat. If you still fail to support your child then we will lock you in a special prison for “crimes against the community.”
All those that choose to work ;no matter what the wage or conditions, will be honored within the community. We will create strong community and church networks to support those of us that work but fall on hard times. If you are a contributing member of the community (raising children in the home in honored) then we will always take care of you. If you fail to contribute then you are on your own. The government works for those that contribute – no tax payer hand outs.
If you harm your child physically, sexually, or throgh neglect then you go to prison for a long, long time. The community will take in that child to nurture and love. Any community member that can afford to raise than child will feel a moral obligation to do so – that is my idea of it takes a village to raise a child.
We should go back to the concept of “we take care of our own” that contribute to the community and we shun and punish those that do not. It worked for centuries until we let the liberals destroy the very fabric of society starting around forty years ago. Government is not the answer for social ills, communities can handle that on their own.
Riddle me this, Stephen:
If 87.6% of the black population is doing something right, then why isn’t the American Prospect lauding the stories of the 87%?
Here are some simple edicts to stay out of jail:
1. Complete at least high school education.
2. Get a job and keep it.
3. Don’t have kids out of wedlock.
4. Get married and stay married.
5. Instead of spending income on bling, spinners, camera phones and phat farm, put that money in a bank account.
6. Take that saved money and buy a house.
Hasn’t that been the tried and true prescription for success in this country for a long time?
Independent #73. Hats off to you. Your solution is the ideal one.
LaShawn, thanks for starting this!!! I never heard so many ‘excuses’ in my life! This is just too pitiful. I guess we will never be able to accept the fact that we are responsible for our own actions. AND – those Americans of African descent who have ‘made it’ need to consider honoring their ancestors by being MUCH LESS selfish and contributing to that ‘village’ that it takes to raise our children. We really are our brothers’ keepers – like it or not. Then perhaps we might have a fighting chance to initiate some much needed reform among ourselves.
Yes – the ‘man’ is glad to throw our men into prison for any old reason. So – why continue to give him reasons?!?!?!?
Andy-
Great ideas. Should we really expect our nation in this day of “me first” to make those kinds of sacrifices? Yes, absolutely so. I cringe to fathom what event is necessary to make everyone want to change. The pursuit of self-gratification is totally out of control. I teach far too many youngsters who see nothing wrong with sex on TV, in their rap lyrics, talking about it in class vs. doing their assignments. You challenge the parents about their child’s behavior and the response is almost unanimous: “don’t tell my how to raise my child.” Even the young boys who have fathered children laugh at me if I tell them to get a job and support their baby. “Why,” they say, “when my baby’s mama can get WIC and Food Stamps?” or “Why? Her mama’s gonna take care of it.”
I’m not saying the situation is hopeless, but what it requires is something far greater than what the current crop of politicos is ready to stomach. Yet isn’t that a reflection upon the people that elect them?
What we need is REVOLUTION, not necessarily of arms, but a REVOLUTION of the people to hold our nation accountable.
Where is the point where people say enough is enough?
Andy, I actually don’t disagree with you (except restricting Islam in prison), and if your intent is to use that scripture as a ’stopping the problem at the source’ analogy, I will accept it as I agree with your overall theme (I am pragmatic see
).
Twice agreed in one day! It must be Friday.
#73 – Independent – I actually addressed the fallacy of your argument in a post on my blog, called ‘overemphasis on personality equal passive racism’. You can’t burden a five year old kid, born in an impoverished environment with the personal burden of his own education.
Chris,
I answered your riddle with my last, cryptic, sentence.
This is a red herring.
The ‘plight’ of the black family, and the ‘plight’ of black people in general is the same ‘plight’ that plagues POOR people every day. The difference is that there are those on both side of the argument (and asile, for that matter) who want to make this a “black” problem.
If 10/15/or 25% of all black people are ‘bad’ (numbers that are all inconcievable and WRONG, check my blog about statistics and the lieing liars that use them) then converesly 90/85/ or 75 % aren’t. But if you convince the 90% that the immoral 10% are the victims of racisim/capitalisim/ or any other ‘ism’, and they need your support, then (in the socialist model) you are spending your resources to assist them and their ‘plight’ in lieu of taking care of you and yours.
All of these arguments are just totally irrelevant. Chris, the VAST majority of black people in this country strive to do what the VAST majority of every other person does in this country.
Let’s look at the turns that the discussions have taken here, shall we? From crime we have discussed education, foster care, economics, etc; all for a topic that is of marginal importance to both the group in question (mine…*wink* @ Pajama) and the other groups (America as a whole).
The illogic is that, in this age of better police tactics, less people should be going to jail. If the police are better at gathering evidence, then; all things STAYING THE SAME; the number of lawbreakers sent to prison WOULD increase. logically. logical. and all, utterly unimportant.
Indy, good points. Basically, it takes a family to raise a child, not the village. And it takes a village to raise/support a “family”. By support, I mean moral more so than a blank check support. This is where cHillary gets it wrong.
And I think it ties in quite nicely with my #74 which I wrote as you were writing yours — great minds think alike
Stephen-
I don’t disagree. Why don’t those (the 87%’ers) people get more attention?
I think a lot of the discussion revolves around the disagreement of commenters regarding where personal responsibility ends, and social causes begin. Ultimately, if a person is taught what is right and wrong, and those lessons are reinforced…no matter what the circumstance, they will know what they are supposed to choose. If they choose differently, then there will be consequences…no matter what the social circumstances. So, following that logic, the breakdown occurs is in what people are teaching as being right or wrong.
There are many environmental factors that can affect a person, but that cannot stop someone from learning right from wrong and acting accordingly. Unless that person is NOT being taught right from wrong. Then the parents, and in a larger sense, the community, are to blame.
Dell, good to know that we can agree. However, I stand by my ban against Islam until they prove they can behave themselves. The onus is on them. Sorry!!!
Indy – #82 – Agreed – the family needs the moral and spiritual support of the entire village. Blank checks may be a part of the problem. It’s always easier to throw money at someone rather than to become involved with someone/something.
Andy…
Maybe Dell is on to something…
we could perhaps use Islamic standards for punishment of crime (cut of a hand, public stonings and hangings, etc.)…
I dunno, but I would be dettered
Dell said, “Independent – I actually addressed the fallacy of your argument in a post on my blog, called ‘overemphasis on personality equal passive racism’. You can’t burden a five year old kid, born in an impoverished environment with the personal burden of his own education.”
If that message was the only change being proposed, I would agree. I have been an educator for nine years and I know the reality. However, with many other social pressures toward personal responsibility, it could become a legitimate expectation. During such a change in government and social norms, there would be some children lost in the transition. However, Dell they are already being lost in droves. I don’t expect 100 percent success overnight. What I propose is a change of hearts, minds, and government policy that takes communities from cultural and spiritual blight to pride and independence. Revolutions are often messy and painful, but when maintaining the status quo is more damaging than the revolution, then you reach a tipping point. I think we are almost there.
It’s strange that a comment with such a simple, but forcefully logical conclusion, would generate over 80 comments.
Kind of shows the sad state of affairs we’re in, when anyone could even disagree on this.
TV (Harry)
Renee #86, You missed death by shot at point blank range in public arena…
Andy, I went back and checked out your comment. Excellent points! We do seem to be on the same page. Now who is going to get our leaders to look at the book? I don’t even think they have a copy.
The illogic is that, in this age of better police tactics, less people should be going to jail. If the police are better at gathering evidence, then; all things STAYING THE SAME; the number of lawbreakers sent to prison WOULD increase. logically. logical. and all, utterly unimportant. -Stephen
Logic and socialist thinking, and race pimping politics, rarely travel in the same car.
SCSI,
Remember, a race can be pimped from both sides.
Dell, I should also point out that the founding fathers certainly didn’t think all religions as morally equivalent and due equal protection under the law. Just because many call something a religion does not make it ok to practice all the tenets thereof.
Otherwise, I could go out and start the Church of Stargazers. My new faith in short: Aliens seeded earth as a clone farm matrix w/two ways out of the matrix, 1) we become body parts for our Alien masters, or 2) we can become symbiotic with our Alien hosts if we faithfully bow to the Northern Star 5 times a day, treat cows & camels as more valuable than women, harvest the 1st group to supply the alien organ banks, if they refuse to join the 2nd.
Now under freedom of religion, should I be able to demand that prisons allow me to come in and teach it to others?
Islam is as alien to Judeo-Christianity, as Baal worship/witchcraft was repugnant to our forefathers. The only concession they made is to tolerate other faiths provided they don’t break our laws.
My brother murdered his wife and got life without parole because he gave up his right to a trial. Otherwise, he would have received the death penalty. In fact, though white people commit the same number of murders as blacks, they are actually represented on death row in higher numbers. No one would realize that from reading the MSM. My close friend, who is black, and the Godmother of my youngest child, lost her sister. Her sister’s husband murdered her. Shockingly,he received only four years in jail. Later, it was discovered that his jury decided that too many young black men were in jail, so they ‘cut him some racial slack’. He has since gone on and committed three more murders. I often wonder whether his jury members feel guilty about the innocent people they sentenced to die, at the hands of their liberal ideology, and victimization garbage. Before he killed my friend’s wife, he had already killed one other person. In determining the fairness of crime statistics,the crucial reality is that correlation is not causation, and too many people see a statistical disparity and immediately jump to the conclusion that there is discrimination. If we are ever going to get to a place of unity in this country, we have got to start being a lot more honest with ourselves, and each other. And, we have to stop laying blame everywhere else, but at our own feet. Lastly, today, I was out walking my dog. I live in a poor neighborhood. A rotund Nigerian man, with the face of an angel, and a voice that was music to my ears, stopped me and talked to me for a long time. I had lived in the Middle East for decades, and ached for an accent like his. He asked me how I was liking it here, and I said that it made me cry. He asked me why, and I said that everyone hated white people so much, and that it was acceptable to label us as evil and the perpetrators of all of the evils of the world. I said that I had never lived in such a racist country as America has become. The funny thing is that I truly don’t know of any white people that say ugly things about black people, and if I did, I’d be sickened, and ask them to leave. After all, my step-grandfather is black, and I spent all my summers in DC, in an all black neighborhood, and that’s where my best friends were. But, I read Miles Davis say things like;”If somebody told me I had one hour to live, I’d spend it chocking a white man.” Or Macolm X saying: “The death of over 120 white people is a very beautiful thing (referring to a plane crash)”. Ot Bell Hooks, upon sitting next to an white man saying, “I am writing this essay, sitting next to an anonymous white man that I long to murder”. And, these people, who spew such hate, are beloved by people all over the world, and it makes me cry. I told Daniel, for this is the name of this beautiful Nigerian man,that my eldest daughter is married to a Columbian immigrant,and another is engaged to a Cuban immigrant. My granddaughter’s father is from Ecuador, and all of my five children’s best friends are from Iran, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Poland, Taiwan, China, Korea, India, Kuwait, Afghanistan, etc…you name it…Yet, we never encountered racial hostility like we’ve encountered here. My first day back, I saw a group of black kids walking to school, so I ran up to them to say hey. They insolently looked over and told me to “F___off, white B___!.” In twenty-four years overseas, nothing like this ever happened.Kids were running in and out of my house all day long, from all ove the world. I never really thought much about what race they were from, which is why my kids married people from other nationalities, I suppose. Daniel said that often, blacks refuse to pay him the cab fare that they owe him. They call him the N word, tell him to F__off and go back to Africa. He said that they are enraged by his success. He also said that the Vietnameses and Indians in the neighborhood have the same experience. What is going on? He said that he clings to his relationship with Jesus and his family to deal with it, plus he ignores the newspapers, politics, Jesse Jackson, and all race baiters. Well, my faith has taken a big bashing since I’ve been back, as my priest is an overwhelming liberal, and right in there with Bell Hooks. Anyone out there with some advice?Am I an idiot?
No jan you are not an idiot. Daniel’s words of wisdom for how he makes it through the day is pretty sound. Just keep in mind to test everything against the Word (which it seems you may be doing in regards to your priest). The Word will always inform you of what is wrong and what is right. You may have to find a church that puts Chtist first (and not social issues). You’ll be in my prayers.
Of course I meant Jesus the Christ !!
Jan, you’re not an idiot. It’s just that Satan has deceived us (generally speaking) so well that right becomes wrong, wrong made right and who cares either way as long as it is seemly to me. We’re gods unto ourselves.
For starters, priests and other clergy should be tested agaist the scripture and if found wanting, dumped. In your case, you indicate he doesn’t pass the test. Next time you see Daniel, ask him where he goes for fellowship and check it out.
Renee!!! One of us is channeling the other.
LOL
Andy, I think you are my long lost brother…
WAIT… you are my Brother (in Christ)
Right on Sister Renee!
Jan, where abouts are you? Perhaps someone here is local to you and can help more specifically.
Dell regarding #23 please cite the studies. You may also find this of interest even though it does not directly talk about sentencing disparities. http://www.vdare.com/sailer/050213_mapping.htm
In John McWhorter’s excellent book-length essay, “Losing the Race, Black Self-Sabotage in Academia,” he makes the point that American blacks are one of the very, very few cultures in the world that (statistically) place little value on education.
McWhorter himself is an exception. He doesn’t “talk black,” he studied Latin, and currently holds tenure in the UC Berkeley Department of Linguistic Studies. He isn’t likely to wind up behind bars.
Unless I’m seriously mistaken, the overall rates of criminal conduct are pretty much equal across all races, all populations. The difference is (see point on education above) that smarter criminals tend to not commit crimes of violence, crimes with weapons. Our judicial system punishes those sorts of violations with extreme severity.
Consider this: Somewhere in Texas, a black man is doing long, hard time because he tried to buy a $5 piece of crack cocaine. Meanwhile, Martha Stewart is finishing a cush lil’ penitance after illegally nabbing herself $50,000. Here in my hometown, a black defendant just got major hard time for a gang-related exchange of gunfire, whereas in Alabama Richard Scrushy was acquitted on all 40 counts for his role in a 3-billion dollar swindle of Healthcorp South.
So, even if the black population increases its overall academic level of performance, we probably won’t see as much of reduction in crime as we’ll witness a transfer to the more common white-collar kinds of larceny. That, combined with economic leveling, should resolve the statistical imbalance.
Scott, that vdare link is pretty good. Certainly puts lie to the myth that white society is to blame. Or that somehow the brutality of slave owners was passed on to their slaves and their descendants. Only thing missing is overlaying the level of secularism with the crime rates.
Renee, Daniel, and Andy, I feel your healing touch already! You guys are awesome! It’s late, so I’ll probably write more tomorrow. You are all right though, when you say that my priest is only attuned to social issues and is far more concerned over minimum wage,patronizing welfare, environmentalism,socialized medicine, and so forth. Meanwhile, he is woefully uninformed about the vast sums of money that this administration has thrown at poverty issues, far eclipsing previous administrations, and how crippling this spending is for most taxpayers. Tis priest believes that there is no such things as a just war, and that if we would just sit down and talk to terrrorists and try harder to understand their concerns, then all would be well. And I lived in the Middle east for twenty-four years and was stunned for the entirety of thatime by the enormity of the hate that was spewed toward us for all of those years. The vitriolic hatred certainly did not initiate with the Iraq war. Meanwhile, my priest also believes that white people are responsible for every single problem that is hapening in black communities, and that somehow, we are even responsible for single parenthood.We simply need to put ourselves in ‘minority’ shoes and then we would uunderstand how it was all our fault. This afternoon, I was at the motor vehicle department and went to the bathroom. As I was walking in, someone grabbed the handle, and said; “hurry up!” I frantically rushed and was out in less than two minutes. When I came out, the young Hispanic mother seethed at me, calling me B___, and said that her one year old had to go.” I said that that was a sad was to talk to human beings, and that we should try to change the way the world related to one another. Once again, I felt like crying, as I thought of my dear friends who were Cuban, Puerto Rica Portuguese, and Columbian. I am still wondering if I am on crack for thinking that things can change. By the way, I am in Austin Texas, and I would love love love to go to lunch or dinner with someone from here. I have pretty much decided that we are going to have to be the people to create a color blind society. It is going to have to start with people who have the courage to stop hating one another so much. It is going to have to start with those of us who have the courage to let go of our pain, and hand it to Jesus, and free ourselves from the shackles of hate. We will also have to be willing to deal with truth. speaking of truth, Raven, you have some serious misconceptions that need to be empirically rebutted. I am too tired to do it tonight, but they are quite important.
So, my last question is, are there enough of you out there, who find your love to be more unitive than your hate? Do you have any ideas about how we can reach out and make our voice heard? How can we drown out the incredibly balkanizing voices of those who hold up Huey Long or Mumia Abu al-Jamal as heroes? Who is willing to hold my white hand???????????as an Ameican?????for something greater than either one of us?????????????for something greater than a political party or an ideology???????????????????/
My God……the contrast between LaShawn’s common sense intelligence and Gines brutal backwards thinking is amazing!!!
The simple reality is this…..once the larger Black community starts applying the approach of Great thinking Black Americans like LaShawn and Larry Elder or Star Parker and start throwing off the hatred and victimology of the likes of the Gines, Sharpton’s and Jackson’s of the world, then and only then will the Black Community start maturing and achieving the same level of socio-economic status with White and Yellow and Brown Americans!!
It has nothing to do with racism folks……its the perverse mindset in many blacks that simply want to hate and blame all others for their own poor results that hold them back..
It is quite akin to up here in Canada of our Natives that are quite a bit worse off then American Natives….they have the exact same mentality….hatred and unforgiveness of whitey and blame them for everything……and their situation today is absolutely appalling….
And in the larger world, the Muslim mindset is no different…..except their obscene hatred is against Jews and Christians and just about everyone else…….and look how backwards they are!! Ouch….
Raven;
A 1991 study indicated the following: 50% of all state prisoners were serving time for a violent crime. Of 35,000 new prisoners that year, only 2% were arrested for drug possession. It doesn’t sound to me like the pprisons are full of lovely individuals who didn’t do anything more than buy five bucks worth of crack. My brother, who has been in there for over ten years for murdering his wife , and is a psychologist, tells a very different story. A study in New Jersey in 1993 found that in the year prior to imprisonment, prisoners committed a median of 12 property or violent crimes and a mean of 220 such crimes, excluding all drug crimes. Interestingly, as of last year, 20% of all federal prisoners were illegal aliens, and when state and local populations were added in, the total percentage of prisoners in our prison system who are illegals is 30%. Since I have had a child brutally raped by an illegal, and had another involved in a car accident by an intoxicated, uninsured, unlicensed,undocumented worker in a ‘borrowed’ vehicle, I am not surprised by the figures.
The death rate by violence for black males living in urban areas is 10x the national average. And, inner city blacks experience much higher rates of rape, robbery, burglary, and aggravated assault than do inner city whites.Why? Data from the largest recidivism study ever done in the US indicates the shocking statistic that the 272,111 inmates profiled had accumulated 4.1 million arrests prior to their current imprisonment. Does that astound you? And these are just the crimes that the law knows about.
As to crime rates, of the approximately 1,700,000 interracial crimes of violence between blacks and whites, 90% are committed by blacks on whites. When I first read the Justice Department figures and contacted the FBI, I almost fell out of my chair. All of the media tells a very different story. These figures were so shocking that I was GOBSMACKED! However, read Larry Elder’s books, or Thomas Sowell’s. They have the guts to tell the truth about the enormity of black on white violent crime in the United States. Here’s a few more statistics that the media doesn’t tell us because it is not politically correct. If the news got out, maybe being a victim wouldn’t work so well. Hispanics are three times more violent than whites. Asians are one half to three quarters as violent as whites.Why are Asians so much less violent than everyone else? Maybe because of their close knit family structure and their dedication to educational achievement?? Blacks are twice as likely as whites to have committed documented hate crimes. Blacks are 250 times more likely than whites to engage in multiple-offender or group interracial violence.
What is even more fascinating is that a white person arrested for murder or non-negligent manslaughter is more likely to be sentenced to death than a black person sentenced for the same crime (1,6% vs 1.2%) Of the inmates under death sentences, whites have their sentences carried out 7.2% of the time vs blacks 5.9% of the time. Lastly, while 58 % of prisoners serving sentences for murder (as of a 1997 study) were black, only 40% of the inmates on death row were black. How does that square up with the perceptions that we are always pounded with in the media. Also, the aquittal rate in urban areas for trials is astronomically higher than in the US as a whole. While it is 13% nationally, in some urban areas it is over 50%, which means that criminals are unleashed on their communities. On top of that, the plea down rate in urban areas is astronomical, because prosecutors are increasingly aware of the difficulty of getting a conviction at trial. The result? Crime waves are sweeping inner cities and hurting the good people trying to live a decent life. And, the police are becoming increasingly afraid to do their jobs for fear of being accused of being racist.
I don’t know if my politically incorrect empiricism will make people angry, but I truly believe the truth will set us all free. I am right in there with Larry Elder, JC Watts, Star Parker, Thomas Sowell and others. Unless we all start talking truth, and stop talking trash, nothing’s going to get fixed, and hate is going to grow. So, Raven, the jails are full of lots of violent offenders, and a very few not-so-violent offenders. So are the streets. That’s why so many innocent people get murdered, assaulted, raped, molested, and robbed. On my block, there are twelve sex offenders on the register. Why? So, Let’s stop worrying about Martha Stewart, stop being victims, and start dealing with the truth.
Jan,
Factually and statistically correct should always trump pollitically correct.
I agree with LB’s statement.
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