Posted on 06/12/2005 7:34:54 AM PDT by southernnorthcarolina
Oh brother, here we go again. I know........it stems from slavery. The black kids are allowed to break the rules without fear of retribution 'cause their ancestors were slaves.........yeah, that's it! (sarcasm)
Throw more money at the school! That's what they do in Newark. (/sarcasm)
Walter Williams was subbing for Rush on Friday and he and Thomas Sowell had a terrific conversation. I wish I had the transcript. But they were discussing poverty of blacks. This is Williams recipe:
"Avoiding long-term poverty is not rocket science. First, graduate from high school. Second, get married before you have children, and stay married. Third, work at any kind of job, even one that starts out paying the minimum wage. And, finally, avoid engaging in criminal behavior."
Wise words -- simple and attainable. More of this at:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/walterwilliams/ww20050511.shtml
Shocking information.
I was born and raised in Memphis, and was part of the grand social experiment known as bussing from 1973-75. I was taken from my middle class 90% white neighborhood and sent 9 miles away to a 99% black high school.
There was 1300 kids in that HS. 44 - about 3 % - were white.
It was quite a culture shock for this white boy. Suddenly YOU are the minority. The social environment, the new slang terms, the dress code - all were based on black culture. I think the two biggest surprises for me were:
1) the unique experience of having a jukebox in the lunchroom cafeteria with all the disco and Mo-town music blasting during the 40 minute lunch break.
2) the celebatory expressions used by the student body at pep rallies. Very loud, a lot of dancing and music.
Fortunately I was somewhat prepared. My father worked for the Pupil Services division of the Memphis City Schools. Basically, he supervised the suspension process with 11 other other administrators. So he had dealt with all types of students - black and white - that had demonstrated anti-social/violent tendencies. He once showed me at his office a file cabinet with a huge variety of weapons taken from suspendees -knives, brass knuckles, shanks made of scissors, ice picks, plastic shards, leather gloves with roofing nails pushed outward through the knuckle area, bats with nails driven through it (similar to what Kurt Russell used in "Escape from NY"), combs or "picks" that had the handle end sharpened to a point, razors, etc. This was the summer before I started being bussed.
He gave me some practical advice, some basic "do's and don't's". It helped that I was about 6'1" and 225 pounds, but the bottom line was I never was attacked. I only had two specific instances where I had racial slurs yelled at me in the entire 3 years. I distinctly remember other black schoolmates being embarrassed by the insults. There was not a "pack mentality" of "pay whitey back" 30 years ago.
At the same time, we need to remember this was in the early to mid 70's, so behavioral norms were still being formulated for use in the newly integrated school system by both races. Also, most of the black students realized the 44 white kids being bussed there were NOT part of the problem. We did NOT engage in white flight, so I think we were given some level of respect.
But there was an accountability in the 70's we don't see today. There was discipline in the schools back then. Teachers enforced it. I NEVER heard profanity openly directed in a group/classroom setting toward a teacher, and RARELY at other students.
Now, the football locker room is exempt from that rule, LOL! That is a totally male environment where discussions on "taboo topics" are commonplace in the most vulgar of terms. Yes, I was the only white player on the team. Suffice it to say I had quite a few myths dispelled in my 3 seasons. I believe my black teammates likewise had a few misconceptions eradicated as well.
The truth is I never worried about actually being KILLED at school, or walking into a bathroom and witnessing a rape. I never saw - or even heard of - consensual sex under the stairwell or in the gym. It just wasn't on the radar. I'm not saying it didn't happen 30 years ago in public HS....I just never witnessed it or heard about it.
Today, 30 years later, it has gone downhill too quickly. The violent tendencies have escalated tremendously. Students are much more "in your face" and openly disrespectful and profane toward teachers. Assaults, rapes, drug abuse, gang beatings, and murder happen on an almost daily basis. The Memphis public schools, with maybe a few notable exceptions, are a lost cause. I know middle aged parents of both races that have their children in private schools. It is just not worth exposing your children to that environment. The expense and sacrifice of nice summer vacations, cheaper clothes, driving the car an extra 3-4 years, and less Christmas gifts is WORTH it.
I fear for my younger nieces and nephews. They are between 4 and 10, and will soon be entering junior high. My brothers and their wives have a serious decision to make.
We lament about the Aruba tragedy, but the real opportunity for harm to your child is at your local public JR or SR HS!
I used to volunteer one day a week at my daughter's elementary school. I found out that the teachers had a quota on how many students of each race they could send to the principle's office or discipline in other ways.
Funny, though, there was no gender quota.
a) poor deportment
b) incivility
c) disruptive behavior
d) all of the above
Choose wisely!
Bingo. My dad kicked my butt when I misbehaved in school. If you don't have a dad to kick your butt, you are more likely to be suspended. A little research on the number of dads at home might be in order here.
That is one false statement that the liberals keep repeating over and over. Where in the world are the blacks murdering blacks in great numbers right now? Where were you in August 1974 when a black sniper that hated whites went on a rampage?
Dat be Y eye niver goe to da malls. Series, I do NOT ever go to malls. Even the white kids, with their stoopid shorts hanging off the silly white little buts, with tatoos and 97 piercings talking on their cell phones, push you out of the way. I'm one 55 year old guy that will not engage in that behavior. IMO most of the kids in malls are bottom-feeding scum. /rant
Bill Cosby explained this very well.
This kind of blatant avoidance of obvious and fetid facts, is unsustainable. The largesse is running out.
And, regarding the faux bewilderment of the newspaper source, after living in the Charlotte area for 12 years, and readng the pathetically striving-for-fashionability Snooze and liberal Absolver, I have nothing but disgust for this poser of a big-time Liberal news icon. The worst of all worlds. A small-town provincialism coupled with the avant garde idiocy of major-league morons.
I agree the welfare state has contributed to dysfunctional families, but I believe the greatest blow to families has been the massive tax increases (as a percentage of income) since WWII, which forced both parents to work full time to maintain a decent life.
At lease one parent MUST spend full time in raising their children. As for single parent households (welfare or working), it is a miracle if their kids are not complete savages.
Folks, if you have kids, but do not raise them yourselves, don't be suprised how bad they turn out. And if you don't care how they turn out, then please, use a contraceptive. Otherwise, don't be suprised (and don't blame me or my gun)when I blow their darling little brains out when they break into my house.
NOW the black community holds ANY whitey they cn blame "accountable" for "unacceptable behavior" among black children...
Remember the little animal we all got to watch on TV...that punky brat black girl, swinging at the teacher and acting like an monkey climbing on furniture?
WHERE did she learn THAT behavior and pray tell...HOW did the racist ol' white person get into HER early childhood environment to teach her that "interactive behavior"? Does the black church EMBRACE monkey behavior...climbing on furniture and engaging in assault?
No wonder Bill Cosby is appalled...every black person OLD enough to remember the 50s and 60s should be...because they have evidence that the liberal democrats have led them down a road of utter failure.
My mother (white) was a school nurse in an all black high school from 1964 to 1968...and during summer school...during the summer we went to work with her and hung out in the gym...I remember the interaction of black students and the black teachers...and I remember the black principal...who was a MAN TO BE ADMIRED, and was a great man who served as a "father figure" to many students...I remember when black students had a chance because the black school was DETERMINED to take care of their own and fill that gaps when families were struggling with their children.
I agree segregation has destroyed the "black community"...back then the black community was MORE that Sunday at church....it was that the black community had excellent access to the young people during the school year with black role models who genuinely cared about their influence over "children" in their community.
Guilty as charged .... I'll do 10 push-ups for that one. It may take most of the afternoon to do them, but that's my penance.
Well I guess that the perentage of black students suspended from segregated white schools was pretty much 0 during segragation.
But I don't think integration has anything to do with the discipline problems now.
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