Originally Posted by JABOOM
The Ten Biggest Problems Facing African-Americans Today. Ranked in order of Despair Caused.
1. Lack of opportunity and safety. There has been a loss of industrial jobs...
CTJ:
Hardly the fault of their former employees...
Next:
and a failure to control crime in northern cities by liberal mayors for most of the last 40 years.
CTJ:
This is a reactionary statement aka 'all liberals are soft on crime' whereas Nixon showed that people of any political label can turn out to be crooks...
2. Breakdown of the family. Until recently, welfare was a constitutional right (Goldberg v. Kelly) that makes government dependency more attractive than husbands.
CTJ:
Says who?
Illegitimacy increased from 23.6% in 1963 to nearly 70% of all black children today.
CTJ:
Yes...
That may well be true in the urban centers...
But where are the commentators stats to back up his or her claim?
This persistent problem was predicted by the Moynihan and Glazier more than 30 years ago and by FDR's Secretary of Labor Francis Perkins who insisted that aid not go to unwed mothers.
CTJ:
Moynihan was a turncoat Democrat who hyped the Nixon agenda...
I. e., benign (social) neglect (as in do nothing about the social issues and problems which would anger further the white mainstream supporters of Nixon by leading to their tax dollars being used to aid the plight of those less well off than they were) was the agenda of the right:
And what aided the suppression of the urban rebellions more than dysfunctional black families (hence individuals who lacked what most whites et al take for granted just to have a human existence)?
Instead it was (and is) the restrictions ad naseum associated with black women (among others) being forced to accept social assistance which also contributes to women having to raise children without there being a mate or father in their household...
So, you have either forgotten or never seen the film CLAUDINE, poster?
Sigh...
The flip side is how even during slavery days slave families adopted some new arrivals who had none...
I know that firsthand:
Two of those newcomers were my late great grand uncle and great grandfather...
Let's do remember our ancestors and forebears efforts to aid each other:
And also let's do contrast that with alleged outside do gooders who were and are nothing of the sort...
Next:
Policy makers and politicians did not listen until 1996. Some still don't see how welfare reduces the value of black men.
CTJ:
And here is the worst sort of self serving doubletalk...
3. Black anti-intellectualism. Accusations of "acting white" in the classroom, as detailed by John McWhorter, undermine education as a vehicle for advancement.
CTJ:
Everybody has an (their) opinion...
Where are the facts to back up this accusation?
Next:
Instead, black leaders expend enormous resources to advance affirmative action at a small number of elite universities, unmindful of the pernicious effects it has had on talented young blacks.
CTJ:
Affirmative action was and is a great idea...
Individuals advancing their own (or their children's) petty self interests, i. e., at the expense of others (and in some cases less well off children of their own ethnic/racial group) is the reality; which a lack of proper enforcement ala the stipulations of who gets what, is also part of the blame which has to be shared by the people who (sometimes halfheartedly) set up such programs (and schemes)...
Otherwise what is being claimed (hyped) is a not so subtle backslap at the black haves themselves!
The flip side are those children of black haves whose parents help to pay their college/university tuition (and/or others who help to pay for them by going to school while holding down part time or full time jobs)...
But, then, prejudging all blacks (or nonwhites) by the way of a double standard, (which a lot of whites can't measure up to), is neither new or news, when it comes to people on the right wing (social and political) extreme...
4. Failure of urban K-12 schools. Teachers unions and the education establishment have been more interested in pay-raises and grants than student achievement, testing, and competition from Catholic schools.
CTJ:
Doing away with public schooling was and is the agenda of elitist snobs...
I. e., creating a private school system, etc., advances the petty self interests of those who have the money, etc., to maintain and sustain them...
Ditto this is just the usual rhetoric meant to advance the self serving interests of one class at the expense of the other...
Thing is?
They too expect state and federal funding for 'their' schools...
So make them hypocrites as well...
Next:
Not to mention the costs of replacing the more effective Basic Instruction with the Self-Esteem pedagogy.
CTJ:
When all else fails?
Use academic jargon to make it all seem and sound reasonable...
Instead:
Say what?!?
Moving right along...
Next:
The failure of urban schools is not attributable to a lack of funding. There has been a 300% real increase in per pupil spending since 1970. This increase has been only modestly offset by increases in special need students from 8.3% to 11.8% of the student body - of which the percentage of seriously challenged children actually declined. The limits of throwing money at the problem were seen in Kansas City's $1.2 billion debacle.
CTJ:
Some of those who were trying to make a difference were offered instead a chance to make a lot of money...
Those of us who didn't go for that also have our right to hold them accountable too...
Next...
5. High incarceration rate of black men. The Democratic Party is a co-conspirator in the "War on Drugs" to garner suburban votes.
CTJ:
So the typical democrat is on a guilt trip?
And gosh does that reek!
Next:
Instead it should fight to decriminalize drugs and reduce the jail time served by family members of its most loyal voters.
CTJ:
No...
The black churches etc. should realize and recognize the ongoing crisis all of this barely restrained drug taking and drug dealing presents to all of us...
I. e., too many of our people--and hence our communities are bad reflections of folk, whose feelings of helplessness and hopelessness leads to such aformentioned options, hence who we are and are about as a people in 2008 we need to be candid and honest about, particularly on forums like this one...
CTJ:
Given the system's restraints I can't go into detail about Number 6...
And Number 7 isn't either worthy of a response...
Next:
8. Victimolgy. The speeches and ideologies of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and leaders in the reparation movement undermine the initiative of many African Americans. Moreover, there is a lack of honest debate among black leaders because of the fear of being called an "Uncle Tom" for not supporting the grievance agenda.
CTJ:
Opinion and/or mere speculation...
Next:
9. Radical relativism. Black leaders and liberal academics do not criticize even the most obscene behavior of people like Puff Daddy, OJ Simpson, and Dennis Rodman.
CTJ:
There are indeed things the black and colored masses themselves must be held accountable for...
And if some self appointed or elected leaders won't?
Time for them to be replaced by new ones...
Next:
They fail to see the effects on youth of Hip-Hop culture.
CTJ:
The issue and problem is gangsta rap...
Ditto you (or the commentator) should place the blame for the (over)promotion of that crap on the greed of the white media establishment...
To me:
I consider what they're also doing is a form of cultural and social genocide...
So shut down gangsta rap now white media execs!
Next:
Instead they applaud the legitimacy it receives from people like Harvard University Professor Dr. Cornel West. (Larry Summers was right).
CTJ:
Another cheap shot (but also at our intelligence)...
Next:
10. Excessive race-consciousness. The Left is insincere in acknowledging the advancement in race relations since the early 1960's.
CTJ:
"They're not really your friends..."
"Let us be your new ones..."
Instead?
Regardless of anybody's words I did and do judge them in relationship to their deeds...
Uh...
Would it be my guess you didn't write any of this (because I never remember you writing/talking down to the rest of us like this, bru)?
Let's move on anyway...
Next:
75% of blacks have joined the middle class.
CTJ:
Is it just me, or does that number seem and sound a wee bit high to your,
posters?
Instead loads of second generation blacks who may well be better off, socially and economically; though a setback or two away from being right back down with the rest of us, be we poor or working class...
Next:
If they lived in an independent country, they would be citizens of the 10th richest nation in the world.
CTJ:
Considering the ongoing housing crisis etc.?
That might not last much longer...
Next:
Race matters but not very much. Race-consciousness diminishes the importance of addressing the more important issues listed above
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