Posted on 04/02/2007 8:46:24 AM PDT by ventanax5
Mayor Mike Bloomberg has the chance to transform not just New York, but all American cities, by breaking the taboo on talking about the connection between race and crime. Doing so would take courage that no politician has yet mustered. But after the manslaughter and assault indictments of three New York police officers for fatally shooting Sean Bell last November, Bloomberg has an opening: acknowledge that police officers may react too precipitously to perceived threats in charged urban settings, in exchange for a wide-open discussion about the sky-high black crime rates that encourage that reaction. Crime, not police racism, drives negative police-community relations in black neighborhoods. And until the crime rate comes down, tragedies like the Sean Bell shooting may reoccur.
(Excerpt) Read more at city-journal.org ...
"Black leadership needs to own up to their problems and start solving it themselves, rather than always trying to play the race card and blame everyone else in society."
And white leadership has to stop allowing this, and expecting more of black citizens. Lots of blame to go around.
"I think the biggest part of the problem is the near complete breakdown in the black family structure..."
I couldn't agree more. The answers aren't easy. But societal expectations are critical. Instead of instituting more programs, and wringing our hands over the poor black woman who is 21 with 5 kids and not married, 5 different fathers. We need to publicly, openly scorn bad behavior. It's not racist, it's humanist, and realistic.
Since 9/11, I've shed what I admit was an "us and them" mentality towards blacks. Now I choose to view blacks as "My Fellow American".
And I am very concerned about my Black fellow Americans and the self-inflicted injuries that keep them at the bottom of the social and economic scale, in spite of the fact that the achievers among them are indeed moving into the America Dream. I just don't know what I can do.
I want very badly for black Americans to prosper. But they first must overcome the negative influences in their own communities, and their implicit tolerance of criminal and anti-social behavior is at the center of that problem.
Sssh. Don't tell ABCBSNBC, they're sure all blacks are poor, which is to say they stereotype.
I have lived in Philadelphia and New York. I know what's out there. We don't have it here... Hundreds of billions of dollars have been pumped into the black population in this country. It's only gotten worse.
Agreed. For some reason, it seems as though Blacks feel they don't have to follow the law and norms of society. Just yesterday, I went to Blockbuster to rent a movie. The place was busy, so I had to park a little distance away from the store, although there was a handicap spot right at the doorway. As I walked up, a very young Black woman drove up and parked in the handicap spot, even though she had no sticker or plate for handicap parking.
As I walked by, I said: "This space is for handicap parking."
She said: "I am handicapped."
I said: "Where's your sticker?"
She literally screamed at me: "You're handicapped!!!"
To which is said: "Then would you mind moving your car...you're parking in my spot."
I can't repeat what she said after that.
I agree. Bill Cosby has made an effort in this direction but he's largely lambasted for it. He needs to be supported...but not by whites. He's already being called a white puppet. The black leadership in this country needs to step up. And if not the black political leadership...the Jackson's and the Sharpton's...then the black religious leadership. Again, someone other than the usual suspects...Jackson and Sharpton. Someone who genuinely wants to help, not someone who's used to spewing racial epithets in the hope of filling his pockets.
" Culture has nearly everything to do with it, not race. But it is culture that defines the race."
I don't think you can separate "black culture" and "black race". Nobody chose their culture for them... They didn't draw the "short culture" straw. They developed it themselves, and it's part of being black.
And also for my wife. Since Katrina, the influx of New Orleans/LA Blacks into west Houston has escalated. We have lived in this area for twenty plus years (2 different homes). But we are planning on selling and moving ASAP. The blacks are everywhere. Demanding handouts, blocking business doorways, pedaling bikes down middle of the road, etc etc. Not including the increase in murders and robberies their "culture" brought. I have concealed carry, but my wife does/will not.
Don't call me a racist because I served with many blacks in the USMC. We served together with the same traditions and goal to serve the USA. But I do not appreciate and will not tolerate the "culture" we had foisted on us from New Orleans.
I think you've nailed it.
"...I've just about stopped watching the first 15 minutes of the local news...it's just 2 or 3 stories about some young black male killed by another young black male...."
That's S.O.P. here in Memphis.
Great response. I think people here only think of the blacks in the US and compare the different classes. How many country and western singers have shoot outs with their rivals?
Think Globally. How is Haiti doing today? Majority of any country in Sub-Saharan Africa? Any place you would want to move to? Why?
"But if we realize it's the culture, the is hope."
What is their 'culture'? How can it be changed? Is it MY responsibility to change it? If so what is their responsibility? I see no indication they want to change anything. Their leadership lives on maintaining the 'culture'.
That being the case, I see no solution.
The Swedes of 800 AD were about as violent a people as ever existed. American Whites had a monopoly on race riots up till the 60s.
Spend a lot of time in the locker room, don't you?
provide stats and sources.
"provide stats and sources.
Take a walk or two through a gang-infested, prostitution-infested, Third Worldish, crime riddled, dull inner city neighborhood and you'll get all the stats and sources to your heart content - if you dare.
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I was NYPD, cupcake. I doubt you know more about any street than I do.
Now, how about stats and sources for your claim...got any?
Organized crime huh?
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