[EyeGuy]

“but the poverty and the hopelessness was there long before the hurricane...”

Yep, they were just “there”, descended like some unknown, unexplainable natural phenomenon.

The simple, Obamaless solution:

Step One: Remove the chip from your shoulder placed there by liberal political scum.

Step Two: Respect the Law.

Step Three: Stay in school. Learn to read and write. Graduate.

Step Four: Embrace the concept of the nuclear family.

[abovethefray]

‘Poverty and hopelessness’ just seem to be foisted on some people. Apparently there is no way out, except some government programs...my own disenfranchisement went away pretty quickly after I got a full time job (and kept it).
I must just be one of the lucky ones, because there is no way anyone else could ever duplicate my rise out of ‘poverty’.

[Steve_Seattle]

You are spot-on with your observations, but what is the reality? The reality is that a pervasive rap/hip-hop culture celebrates attitudes that are totally inimical to social integration, personal responsibility, educational achievement, economic success, or family stability.

It is quite depressing as I walk down the street during my lunch hour - dozens of young blacks who are clearly uninterested and unwilling to integrate into mainstream society, whose dress, demeanor, and attitude says, "I don't give a #@!%&$!!"