The ridiculous violence in N.O.
I don't totally disagree. No doubt that when a father figure is missing from the picture, the child will be affected. Where we part ways is the amount of affect this has and what to do about it.
First, we are assuming that the majority of black fathers are behind bars. This is not the case. Depending on what numbers you look at, between 4 to 8% of all black males are currently incarcerated. This is a high or low percentage depending on how you wish to view things.
Assuming everyone of these males are actually fathers, this leaves well over 90% of black fathers out of prison and capable of rearing their kids. Just for comparison, almost 20 percent of the white kids in the US live with only their mother. While most probably still see and are mentored by their father, there is also a very large number of these kids that do not have a father in their life.
But that is not really the point or the problem I have. As a society, we are seemingly trying to push the blame on the wrong group. We blame locked up dads for high crime rates by black youths. We blame our legal system for locking up so many black men. We point to all sorts of outside influences that take the fault away from of what is at the core of the problem.
Where is the blame to the black mother for having kids with the brother that has no job and is selling drugs? Where is the blame for the brother that is going around impregnating young black women?
If you take a white woman that is dating a guy. This guy beats the crap out of her twice a week for two years. She decides to marry the guy, get pregnant and have a kid. He then starts beating the kid until one day he kills the kid. Who do we assign blame to? The system? The economy? The husband?
What about the wife. She had just as much to do with the killing as anybody or anything else. She allowed it to continue. She brought a child into this world knowing what the future held for him.
If you look at the chart below, you will see that the number of blacks murdered each year has taken a significant plunge from 1993.
The incarceration rates for black males has skyrocketed since 1993. Yet the black murder rate is way down. This goes against the whole "blame the system" for locking up so many black males. That is nothing more than a cop out. A small part of the problem at best. Until we address personal responsibility, the problem will continue.
More BS. The opportunity is there. It is hard to have Opportunity when you are a single mother with two kids. But once again, point the finger at everything else but the problem.
Here is some interesting stats. 3rd quarter 2011, white unemployment in Louisiana was 4.5%. Black unemployment was 12.5%. Now before you go off blaming the system for this, oilfield companies across the gulf are hiring every swinging tool they can find. Yet 12.5% for some reason can't seem find a job. Just no opportunity for them. But your answer is to stop jailing them and give them more opportunity. So lets release all these imprisoned black males in Louisiana and see what they do with the opportunity.
Earlier, I had made a suggestion to incorporate schools and police and civic groups into these low income housing complexes. Lets spend some money to educate the youth and provide a crime free environment for them. I also suggested that we offer skills training and jobs for low income groups repairing and maintaining state vehicles and properties.
Sadly, there was zero response to that. So there was a suggestion to invest in these kids through education, safety and positive environment to live in. I suggested a way to provide opportunities for these people by offering training and jobs. No response.
That signals the lack of a want for a solution and more of an excuse to whine and point the finger.
I don't totally disagree. No doubt that when a father figure is missing from the picture, the child will be affected. Where we part ways is the amount of affect this has and what to do about it.
First, we are assuming that the majority of black fathers are behind bars. This is not the case. Depending on what numbers you look at, between 4 to 8% of all black males are currently incarcerated. This is a high or low percentage depending on how you wish to view things.
Assuming everyone of these males are actually fathers, this leaves well over 90% of black fathers out of prison and capable of rearing their kids. Just for comparison, almost 20 percent of the white kids in the US live with only their mother. While most probably still see and are mentored by their father, there is also a very large number of these kids that do not have a father in their life.
But that is not really the point or the problem I have. As a society, we are seemingly trying to push the blame on the wrong group. We blame locked up dads for high crime rates by black youths. We blame our legal system for locking up so many black men. We point to all sorts of outside influences that take the fault away from of what is at the core of the problem.
Where is the blame to the black mother for having kids with the brother that has no job and is selling drugs? Where is the blame for the brother that is going around impregnating young black women?
If you take a white woman that is dating a guy. This guy beats the crap out of her twice a week for two years. She decides to marry the guy, get pregnant and have a kid. He then starts beating the kid until one day he kills the kid. Who do we assign blame to? The system? The economy? The husband?
What about the wife. She had just as much to do with the killing as anybody or anything else. She allowed it to continue. She brought a child into this world knowing what the future held for him.
If you look at the chart below, you will see that the number of blacks murdered each year has taken a significant plunge from 1993.
The incarceration rates for black males has skyrocketed since 1993. Yet the black murder rate is way down. This goes against the whole "blame the system" for locking up so many black males. That is nothing more than a cop out. A small part of the problem at best. Until we address personal responsibility, the problem will continue.
More BS. The opportunity is there. It is hard to have Opportunity when you are a single mother with two kids. But once again, point the finger at everything else but the problem.
Here is some interesting stats. 3rd quarter 2011, white unemployment in Louisiana was 4.5%. Black unemployment was 12.5%. Now before you go off blaming the system for this, oilfield companies across the gulf are hiring every swinging tool they can find. Yet 12.5% for some reason can't seem find a job. Just no opportunity for them. But your answer is to stop jailing them and give them more opportunity. So lets release all these imprisoned black males in Louisiana and see what they do with the opportunity.
Earlier, I had made a suggestion to incorporate schools and police and civic groups into these low income housing complexes. Lets spend some money to educate the youth and provide a crime free environment for them. I also suggested that we offer skills training and jobs for low income groups repairing and maintaining state vehicles and properties.
Sadly, there was zero response to that. So there was a suggestion to invest in these kids through education, safety and positive environment to live in. I suggested a way to provide opportunities for these people by offering training and jobs. No response.
That signals the lack of a want for a solution and more of an excuse to whine and point the finger.