Bill Cosby says they are doing a great job of it themselves. They don't need no "man" to do it for them.
The professional racists, Sharpton, Jackson, etc are just as guilty in keeping folks from their race down, as what they THINK any body else is doing to them.

The idea that they are down and out and cant do any thing about it, is a furthering of the idea that they are victims. How many folks have landed on the shores of Ellis Island with little to no money in their pockets? And went on to make some thing out of themselves?
If they could do it, then so can black folks.
The victim mentality is perpetuated by blacks and whites the same.

__________________

I think that argument was thrown out the window Nov. 4th 2008.

I agree with you to a certain point...

but would like to throw out the thought that the guy coming thru Ellis Island has a distinctive advantage over my version of the average down-trod inter-city youth.

This may seem overly sympethic to you but I think there is a real phsychology being either brain-washed into or perpatrated upon america's inter-city youths.

When you grow up in a bad environment. Environment meaning virtually everywhere you look things suck: family life, parents, money, jobs, neighborhood, schools, drugs, alcohol, the community as a whole is in a shambles...

you are raised in this environment and it really is all you know... unless you are incredibly gifted, or have had a parent really pushing education, college is not an option because you honestly may have the raw intelligence, but because it has not been developed, smart kids are uneducated and therefore not going to college. they have in effect been trained and forced into a position of non-participation.

they are partially responsible, but more so their parent(s), and their community as a whole. I say this because no 2,3,4,5,6,7,8, year old would by any percentage do anymore than what is required... they are children, so they are not noticed because they are not in serious trouble at this point but this is when their futures are made.

its nearly impossible to reverse the damages done at this age that won't really show the depth of the damage until they are 15,16,17,... and in jail for robbery... or drugs or because... (fill-in-the-blank)

we need to help them before they are sunk while they are still saveable.

The idea that immigrants from Ellis Island can come here and make good is really a red-herring being dragged across the trail...

In fairness: "Every guy" that turns up at Ellis -Island should succeed.

Just as "some" of the inner-city will succeed.

You see the guy at ellis-island... has already been burning with desire for more... and he has already left his ghetto in search of a better way... but for every ellis-islander there are thousands left back that didn't know or have the extra special desire. all of these are left out of the equation and example of: "if the immigrant can do it why not the inner-city youths that are already here?"

Its comparing the world wide cream of the crop, to the larger local group of poverty stricken that happen to be already here.

I advocate for single-moms and all underpriviledged children.

We need to make sure that during the formative years all children are getting the care and education they need to grow and be being a productive member of society.

If mom and dad need financial help then we need programs to make this happen that have stringent requirements forcing responsibility upon them. Its not money for them (the parents) its money for the kids so we can break the cycle and not be doomed to paying welfare forever 3rd generation. This takes environment and education... and sometimes removing kids very early in life before the damage is done.

its simply to late to grab a kid with a ten year history of abuse and think your going to fix it by tossing them in another poverty stricken foster home.

we need to kick mom's arse hard and fast before the kid is "damaged" goods.

with good programs and a #### load of money, the problem can be fixed in a generation, 20 - 35 years...

with out it...???? we'll have this same conversation in 50 years.

__________________
Though your argument is very clever, I don't think it will lead to the results you desire. gandhi

I agree to a point.

And like I said Here is where I disagree is that the programs and a butt load of my money will fix it.
If a black person would emerge that REALLY and HONESTLY cared about their people, not the faux care of the professional racists, and would become a spokes person for them like the previously mentioned mouth pieces they can and would be able to bring themselves up from the depths of poverty.
If other people just hand them enough money to be successful and they are not required to work for it themselves they wont' appreciate what they have and use it wisely. Then the "#### load of money" just becomes an enabler to continue the backward ways.
And good money was thrown after bad that could have been used productively else where.

I realize that your party's way is to provide more money and more programs for those that have already failed miserably. This is not a solution!!!!!!!! This only continues to make the problems worse. This is a great glaring example of the uselessness of the gooberment. But thanks to there being no common sense in this country any more, folks continue to mistakenly think the gooberment is the solution to their problems all the while the gooberment is screwing them worse and worse.

Unfortunately the mindset that they can't help themselves has been so perpetuated on them by the likes of the professional racists, that some one like Bill Cosby has such a steep uphill battle on their hands to change the inner city mindset that it looks almost impossible.

__________________

Great post. You bring up some exellent points. It definately starts with the parents, wether or not the kid in the ghetto...or anywhere U.S.A...is a success or failure. If the child is surrounded with drugs and violence in the home, then chances are they will grow up like mom and dad. And walking out of the house and seeing it on their street corner, compounds the problem even more.

I was listening to Jesse Lee Peterson the other day. And I had to seriously wonder how long it will be, before Al or J Jackson will put a hit out on this man.

I could NOT believe the things this man was saying. It took some big kahunas to say what that man said, and still show his face in public. He makes Bill Cosby look like a watered down version of Jesse Jackson.

__________________
Even the founding fathers were
labeled traitors in their time. Their
goal was to cast off a
tyrannical Government. -- SU 83
__________________

While you make some excellent points, I still honestly believe that to give reparation money to people GENERATIONS removed from the original offense (slavery), is absurd.
Admitting that what our great-great-great grandfathers did? Yes.
An apology to them for what our great-great-great-grandfathers did to the race? Absolutely.
But giving money to them NOW, for what happened back THEN, well, I just think is ludicrous, and solves nothing, nor does it serve any REAL purpose.
Just my opinion, of course.

Judi Kay

__________________
Livin', Lovin',Laughin'...Makin' Friends, & Lovin' Life, Rollin' Down That Big Road!!! Redneck Women RULE!! Hell, YEAH!!!!

I'll pay reparations.

If Michelle Obama will be my maid.

Although, she'd probably rob me blind.

__________________
Support The Special Operations Warrior Foundation

We Are Twelve Months From Fundamentally Changing Congress.

Political Correctness Will Be The Death Of Us All

I agree with you 75% of the way...
throwing money at the problem and allowing it to enable is worse than doing nothing... I don't like welfare and free rides... which is why I tried to add this disclaimer...

good programs in my opinion are not popular... they cost money... and seriously require a community wide investment in the future.

head-start and preschool... longer hours... smaller classes... more after school activities... and roving kid-cops, adult supervision, while mom is working... an end to latch key kids, no more unsupervised carousing aimlessly...

paying mom with no job welfare payments???

sure... she gets up at 6 and is at school with her brat by 7 a.m. and she is reading to him and helping him with his school work... in the class... and a roving certified teacher over-seeing that moms are doing and not napping... and she can be helping 3-4 kids at a time... hers and a few others who's mothers are out working in gainful employment... "radical idea" get a job or we got one for you...

want welfare... we got kids that need educated and a lot of streets need swept....... in addition to other real work.

don't want to play the governments game? get a job...

its a social welfare program... start socializing and adding to the general welfare instead of watching oprah inbetween hits of the crack pipe.

on welfare??? we'll be coming by every week unannounced to grade your lifestyle... don't want to participate??? no check for you baby...

see... mom likely is as bad off as her kid and likely needs a little adult supervision since she apparently has never had any herself...

too much government?? too much invasion of privacy???

there is a cure... get off your arse and get a job and it all goes away so long as you are being responsible.

__________________
Though your argument is very clever, I don't think it will lead to the results you desire. gandhi

I agree as I grew up with many in my hood, who were decent hard working people. We use to watch their kids, and they would watch our when needed.. I work with a lot of black folks now, and they are pleasant. But it is people like Sharpton, and Jackson and now I'm sure Obama who think that they are owed something because of slavery. If any one would have been owed anything it is the ones who were actual slaves, but they are long gone.. Black folks get treated no differently now then they did yrs ago. You might say in some ways they get treated better.. They have their own beauty contest, black entertainment network etc... If we had any of those for just whites, we would be called the KKK..

__________________




There are only three women in this world that mean anything to me and they are Karen, Krystal, Amanda..