Posted on 10/11/2005 7:55:51 AM PDT by beaureguard
The knee-jerk tendency to condemn anyone who dares to enumerate troubling statistics and realities in the African-American community prevents mature discussions and viable solutions for what ails black America.
Last year, educator and entertainer Bill Cosby was vilified by many in the black community because he dared to speak out about the epidemic of poor parenting and undisciplined and ungoverned youth in too many African-American communities.
Now comments by former Education Secretary William "Bill" Bennett are selectively taken out of context. Instead of having a meaningful conversation about how to reduce black-on-black crime in many African-American communities, Bennett has become the poster child for the neo-racist.
On his Sept. 28th radio talk show, Bennett made the following comment: "If you wanted to reduce crime, you could — if that were your sole purpose — you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down." Bennett quickly added that such an idea would be "an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do." But, he said, "your crime rate would go down."
I do not believe that Bennett is purporting the systematic abortions of black babies, but instead is suggesting that based on sheer, cold statistics, if the number of black babies coming into American society were to decrease there would be a decline in the number of blacks who have the opportunity to get involved in the criminal justice system.
The only argument (statistically speaking) that I have with Bennett's statement is that he should have said "black male babies" instead of simply black babies.
According to U.S. Bureau of Justice statistics, in mid 2004 there were 4,919 black male prison and jail inmates per 100,000 black males in the United States, compared to 717 white male inmates per 100,000 white males.
Like all babies, black male babies are born as innocent human beings. Black male babies do not have any innate proclivity toward crime.
However, due to ongoing structural racism, gross inequality in educational opportunity, and the lack of job training and high-wage jobs in many African-American communities, black males have more chances to become involved with the criminal justice system.
Instead of bashing Bennett because he alluded to this reality, black leaders should be initiating discussions about what we can do to decrease these numbers.
Moreover, we need to talk about and then take the necessary action on what we can do to reach out to those blacks — both male and female — who already have a criminal history and help bring them back into productive mainstream society.
The discussion must include talking about ongoing prejudice and discrimination in American society and how to eliminate racism; but we must resist having meaningless conversations that are little more than a citation of the sins of white people imposed on black lives.
Instead, black people must discuss and decide what we can do as individuals and as a group to help more of our people stay out of the criminal justice system and make our predominantly black communities safer places.
People like Bennett can parrot troubling statistics about black people, but they are not likely to do much more than simply speak about our deficiencies.
It is up to us — black Americans — to do what we can and must do to save ourselves.
— Benin Dakar of Duluth is a writer and owner of a property management company.
"I agree that it is the African-American communities that need work. They are the ones who abandoned the poor in NO. The 70% who have moved out of poverty but have not yet developed the community organizations and institutions to help the less fortunate."
They did before the great society programs.
FBI stats show more black on white (45%) crime than black on black (43%) crime. The latter is one of the media myths spread continuously until it is believed as fact (see: "Our strength is in our diversity").
"But one can only be burned so many times before one develops an aversion to fire. "
I agree and understand your position. I'm well aware that there are good decent black people but most of what I've dealt with over the years weren't. It's too bad we can't express honest opinions regarding race without told we're somehow wrong to feel that way.
Because the responses are coming from a lawyer.
Rome burning...
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p1518.html
I wonder why he chose this handle?
Did you see yesterday's Oregon Supreme court decision that declared that live public sexual relations were protected as free expression?
"Five black and Hispanic girls proud and bragging about their pregnancies"
Ha,wait till AFTER the kids come,they will stop that bragging real quick when they realize how much WORK it takes!
Your logic is twisted.If I judged a group of people by my childhood and teenage experiences I would hate and distrust white people since they are the ones who brought me such torment and misery growing up.
When I became an ADULT,i saw that these white thugs didn't represent all whites just as the black gangsta types are but a small minority of black folks.
We get into shaky ground when we base feelings toward a group on unfortunate events of our younger days.
So what's new?
Grandma's seem to end up taking care of the kids. BUT, I also see that in the middle class. Mom goes to work so they can afford the big house, cars, etc.; and grandma raises the children.
Apropos...
Regards,
GtG
You didn't read my post. My experiences STARTED in childhood and have continued, unabated right up to and including the thugish menacing incident I described from last night. Oh well. I will continue to do what I need to do to protect my family and to teach my children to ignore the PC sycophants and follow their gut. I want them to survive, even if someones feelings get hurt. BTW, the "gangsta / thug" types are NOT even close to being a minority. In my experience the decent ones are. It's a big problem.
"And there's no such thing as injustice, either. Cops are perfect, judges are perfect, life is just a bowl of cherries."
You made no such contradictions with your stated sarcasm above. If I am part of the problem, which part of it are you?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.