Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
T,R 8:25am
25 comments:
Jonathan Kohn
said...
I think one of the biggest mistakes of the 19th century was to get the federal government involved in education. What the current system is doing is paying people to fail. As long as they fail, they receive the money, the moment they begin to succeed (even to a minor extent) the money is taken away. People are being paid to fail in their own private lives and become more dependent on handouts. I will argue that education, the lack of it is what is holding back not just the black communities but rather the nation as a whole. A remedy to this problem, being the lack of education, would be to let parents chose where it is they want their children to be educated. Whether it be through voucher programs or other proposed ideas, it would put the power in the hand of parents mainly because schools would have to be responsive to the parents. As of now the public education is a monopoly, one that makes it so that schools dont need to answer to parents. Of course the skeptics would say, well if you put the education of a child in the hands of an uneducated parent, how can the parent make a wise decision? Can this decision be considered better than the monopoly we current have? I would argue that you only need to take a look at the position that teachers unions take in these cases. I can only rationalize the hysterical opposition from the teachers unions by resorting to the fact that parents are able to make wise decisions. What harm can be caused by letting parents chose instead of continuing the funding of a system that funds self interest bureaucrats.
To some degree I agree with Jonathan, a better education system would lessen the negative view on minorities, but there is still something missing. This is an interesting video.
http://youtu.be/FvVKzK8AQkg
In this news report, a professor shot and killed 3 of her colleagues. The report very interestingly leaves out that the three colleagues she shot were minorities (even though they show you their pictures) and that she was a white woman.
Even though we live in a time where there is no segregation, and the same rights a white man has are also available to black men, it seems as though segregation and racism has gone under the radar so to speak. Where it was once out in the open, how people felt about other races, it is now in what our professor so loves to refer to as “in a closet” and it functions like an invisible hand.
Another problem I stumbled on in trying to find suggestions for what would lighten this situation for black males, is to me, an unanswerable paradox. As I read the comments from one debater, Heather MacDonald, she is spewing statistics regarding the high percentages of blacks in jail for violent crimes and the such. This is where the paradox begins. Is it, in fact, that black males are more violent than other races, or is the high percentage of black male incarceration due to the very specific targeting of police officers on this one demographic?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t surprise me that there is still such a level of xenophobia in existence. I am the victim of it from time to time. However, I do not have an answer for how it even began. Granted, natural selection has handed down to us an inherent suspicion for people who are different from us, but when did this apprehension lead to a power-struggle? Please do not misunderstand the preponderance of what I am speculating here. I am not questioning how slavery and oppression of black people began. I understand that part of history. What I am struggling to understand is the mental processes that lead to xenophobia which then leads to discrimination. An understanding of this would lead to an understanding of that which, even though is trying to hide under a blanket of tolerance for other races, still causes such atrocities and still manifests itself so blatantly in our faces.
In the end, I find myself at a loss for suggestions. I do not know what would bring an end to racial discrimination in this country.
After reviewing all of the debates from the argument, it is safe to say all of the representatives had valid points in their stands. However, I must go on record to say that black men are simply the products of themselves. By that I mean their own individual choices have patterned the lives they live. No matter what the public views as a crutch to seeing how things have impacted the lives of African American men it goes without saying that they are fully responsible for any and everything they have encountered. Whether it is joining a gang, showing acts of violence, or using draconic drugs, these things are all choices made by them. No man, or law, influenced this. It was truly a free will made solely by them. Personally, I've lived in rough neighborhoods, gone to inner city schools with not so good teachers, stayed in a single parent home and, though I'm no straight 'A' scholar, I am still managing to make the most of my education and work towards a charitable future. Reason being is because I value it and I look forward to obtaining success in as legal and decent manner as possible. Quite a few African American men don't have that drive inside of them to go on to do great, positive things. That is just the attitude they have. The mistake is blaming society for their lack of motivation and strives. This unfortunate mentality can be credited to only person, the men themselves. Black men evoke an attitude that says "society has wronged me and because of that I am this way". However, it is impossible to blame society because of something an "individual" does. We are all in charge of the decisions we choose to make and for this reason I believe African American men should be credited with everything they do. It’s either we get our acts together or we don’t. The labels society place on us are not needed but they are certainly true of the behaviors we express.
The only way that we can stop this spiral downfall of the black, young men in our society is to fix it from home. It is said if you want to see what a society looks like start by looking at the home. Many black parents have forgotten what training a child looks like.They have become so busy with other things- school for adults, two, three jobs to make ends meet and live like the Joneses, while their children literally slip through their fingers without them recognising it. Some parents do not know how to let their children know when things are wrong, Tell them 'no' and explain why. Children need to be taught that education is the only tool that will get them to places where they will be happy. Some people will say sometimes even when you have an education one cannot get a job. It is better to have an education so when a job comes up you will be ready than not have an education; and seeking a job. My mom would say it is better to morn with the thing than to morn for it. Parents- mothers and fathers need to step up to the plate and begin now to rescue their sons from going to prison.
Skin color discrimination has being affecting our society since slavery. “War on drugs” is too young to be the reason of an increase in such deviancy. Seeing racisms as a single issue would not provide us with a legible conclusion of what is really happening on today’s young black male behavior. The real issue is when you try to change the wrong societal perception, without first evaluating your own perception about yourselves. It is true that people of color are discriminated in many different ways, from the street by the police to the school by the professor which lack young black male from a family and education. However, I might sound as a traditional compatibilist, but we all have the choice of make a choice. It is very simple commit felonies and blames the discrimination issue, but what about not commit the criminal act. Is that too much work? Don’t we eradicate the Ku Klux Klan? Where are Martin Luther King, Jr. ideas? If you want that people start recognizing person of color as a signal of professionalism and decency instead of ubiquitously categorizing as dangerous, you must work hard toward it.
I too was very intrigued by the statistics used by Heather MacDonald and I started to ask myself whether or not these numbers were an accurate representation of what is going on in NYC. I don't deny that racial profiling and unethical practices happen, because I'm sure that they do. But not to the extent that some would have you think. I did a little research and found out that the NYPD currently employs 36,000 officers, almost 50% of whom are either Hispanic or African American. I have a hard time believing that minority officers would profile other minorities unless there was good reason to do so.
I am a supporter of decriminalizing some of drug laws, even though my opinion on that matter has nothing to do with the African American community. If we legalize marijuana, we would then be able to have more control over its distribution. Currently, the illegal drug trade helps fund crime in U.S. cities and the Mexican drug cartel (25% of cartel’s funds come from illegal marijuana exports). Not to mention that it would allow U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to focus more on stopping the flow of more illicit drugs into the country.
I strongly believe and support the same opinions and beliefs of Charles. "Black men evoke an attitude that says "society has wronged me and because of that I am this way"." couldn't have been put better than that. I have been around African Americans since 4th grade. They choose to be how they are by themselves. If they act educated and refuse to talk with a slang languague the rest of the blacks will make fun and bother that person and I've seen it. they claim that person is a fake black just because they don't dress like the rest of them or talk like them or believe as they do. Legalizing anything won't do much of a change. This "inbalance" is by choice. They are fine with how they are and what they do. Those who fight for a better education, or to educate themselves, they do it. Is not much because the government makes it hard or easier for them. They won't change over night and they don't want to change. This isn't a problem of education, or discrimination, but more of the family they've grown from, their peers and their societal perceptions. Society doesn't help by not giving blacks a chance to get better or give them a job or be a leader in a group in high school, but the pattern blacks develop is why others are how they are. As long as blacks, men or women, are satisfied in their own world, culture and beliefs there won't be any need for them to change. Is mostly up to them to change those labels that most people have for them.
The discussion about black men in America is very complex and it’s ignorant to suggest that the legalization of marijuana alone can fix the problem. In my opinion it all begins with the culture. Several factors affect the way people are raised. When one grows up in a broken family, in poor neighborhoods, lacking proper education, what can you expect from that person when he becomes an adult?
Racial profiling is also an important aspect to take into consideration when analyzing the black male issue. Stereotyping is so common that we frequently categorize black men in certain ways without even realizing it. Racism is still out there and black men are often victims of the hatred of many.
This funny video is a good example of what I’m talking about regarding racism:
I cannot understand why some individual look at education with such scant regard. Education is like light that enters a dark room, suddenly the darkness will disappear.Parents should be real marshalls for their chlidren. They should ever keep before their children the saying that education is the key that opens every door. Lack of education keeps a persons in a bond or a bind which will land then in jail and if they are black or hispanics it is no big deal for the authorities. We need to stop the downward spiraling of the black men in our society and the saying that blacks are lazy, blacks are cowards, blacks have no ambition, blacks are on welfare and so on. Parents need to stand in their places and use their God give right to train up their children in the right way so that the prison doors can be closed. Education, education,education is the key this should begin from the foundation as early as children can learn and they need to be taught that blacks need to work a little bit harder than the others because they are looked on through different lenses. Parents and teachers need to work closely to help childern to set goals and to help them achieve it. Too many cooks sometimes spoil the broth and I will argue that some people who are not educators get a lot of opportunities to plan educational stratigies for children that do not meet their needs. Molding the lives of children and the society today should be left in the hand of capable educators who are trained to do the job.
I think it is a problem of a mix of issues. Not only the white man discriminate the black one, they see each other like a different person. They grew up in a neighborhood that has a high probability of turn into a drug dealer, drop school and so on. The most important issue that I can see is the education. Is through education that men form their personality. The government has to invest more in good education. Places where the education is higher the numbers of criminals is smaller. The African American already grows up with a different mentality, which they have to do certain things to fit in the society.
I believe the two main causes for the high-level of African-American incarnation is due to the lack of education and the high rate of broken homes in the African-American communities. The lack of education, I feel, comes from the broken homes. As single mothers work two or three jobs to support her family, many do not have enough time to raise their kids the proper way, teaching them the correct morals. The fathers are typically never around and often do not help support the family. The youngsters usually then repeat what they see and believe this is the proper and only way to live and raise a family. It becomes a downward spiral. Though not all African-American kids continue on into that lifestyle and many go on to pursue great careers, it is in no doubt that many do not grow up with the influence they need.
The lack of education can also be the fault of the community leaders. It is the responsibility and duty of those people, in which we elect, to help better our education institutions. Living in Miami, we do not expect people from Orlando to help better our schools. It works the same way on a smaller scale, were we do not expect communities leaders from Pinecrest to help the school system in Miami Gardens. It is the responsibility of the people in their communities to rise up, come together to make change. Though many people claim they want a better life, many often like living in the drama and depending on the struggling life to feel safe inside because they know no other way. For the same reason why many ex-convicts who are released from prison are likely to become repeat criminals.
Black, Young, Male. Young black male are more likely to be victimized by crime than any other group. I think this is the effect of social perceptions because many black young males commit crimes just because they believe they are born to be part of the society that does so, and that does not follow up on their education. Education has to be another reason. These men are not grounded by their parents but at the same time loved, if they decide to skip school or stay at home. It is true that these black men are more likely to be stopped by police, but then again it is the way they show themselves to the community. I am sure that if a white man is walking around with messy hair, huge pants that fall down to their knees, and a shirt that says anything offensive; that man will also be stopped by the police. Black men are sometimes discriminated but then again they are little by little changing that reputation. For instance, our current president Obama. The problem is that these men complain that people are not changing, but a third of the black population being in jail sometimes through their lifetime is not coincidence. Legalizing marijuana would not be a solution because these men can easily go fight for a job if they want to change that reputation, but instead want to take the easy way out. So even if marijuana was legalized, they would find some other illegal drug that would allow them to ease their way through life.
I honestly think a huge part of why African Americans are stereotyped to being a particular way is because they let society win. When society wins there is no free will, you go by what society has perceived of you. Not because society says so but because it is the only way to survive. I found it odd when everyone laughed at the fact that Professor Triff said, "I sometimes feel like a black man". I, myself, being a women sometimes feel like a black man, but I do not let society run me like it wants to. There are typical rankings of respect in the slums and nobody wants to be the lowest. Once you enter that path there is no way of getting out. You have no choice, but to continue to the throne. When I lived in the slums I did my best to run away from trouble. My friends around me fell into the traps of society. They all thought their lives wouldn't change even if they tried. I also blame the family for this. They watch their children hang out with delinquents and let them wear inappropriate clothes. The people you surround yourself with influences you. I read an article the other day about how skinny men try to prevent themselves from associating with fat men because if they are with the fat men they become like them. Same goes with African Americans, if each generation continues to associate with criminals they, too, will become criminals. It is extremely hard to say why and how this happens, but I do believe that nurture plays a large role in it.
This is definitely a great deal of mixed issues. In my opinion it all begins at a young age in the home and most of the time the society that they are brought up around such as the neighborhood and the community they grow up in. I've had couple of friends who would tell me that if someone where to say something that they didnt like instead of picking and choosing thier battles wisely and just ignoring or simply addressing the situation by communicating to the other person they would address it by fighting. Is this really the soultion to this problem or any problem? Every single black male is responsible for their own actions at the end of the day. You have those individuals who choose to make positive decisions despise all of the negative actions that are taking place around them. As well as those who will fall right into the trap and will go through negative experiences because he has choosen to make uninfluential decisions such as dropping out of school or trying to cheat life by making fast money by dealing drugs and having a higher risk of one day ending up in jail.
I have one answer to this discussion and it is Barack Obama. The president of the United States of America was once a young, black male, so why is it that he has achieved such a status and other young, black males have not? What makes him so special and/or different? In my opinion, I think that it is time to look deep into ourselves, forget that we are black, hispanic, asian, anglo, etc. and to leave our mark in this world. My mother and my father are immigrants and here I am, an american dream scholar. Even though my parents were exiled from their fertile lands, it did not stop them in achieving their goals. They are both professionals and I plan to be one too. We need to let go of the "dead weight" that we carry (referring to our past), move on, and achieve greatness. Like I said, the president of the United States was one of those boys and it didn't stop him.
I don't see it being one single issue or solution. Kids at a disadvantage look for outlets and some of those happen to be drugs because of the ease to attain them. I think home would be a good start; by supporting, education and discipline. Broken homes make this hard. Lack of role models even harder. It is few, the minorities that you meet trying to escape the chaos that surrounds them. The problem stems far, and it is a historic issue that can’t be solved by changing a law or legalizing one single thing. It is a scar that will take time to heal. Starting with education and enforcing the right role models and not the brainless puppets people seem to hold so dear. I do agree with Neil Franklin, treating high schools with only minorities as criminals has a demoralizing effect even for someone who is not involved in selling or taking drugs. It says, you will eventually do so. Changes have to come from education, to the home where single parents need help to raise two or three children in a society that expects nothing good of them, to the world – where more black and Latino role models have to be brought to light.
The way I see it, the biggest burden on African American men, overall, is their perception of what it means to be black. It's one thing to hear people speak about how black people behave or act, but it is another to have those beliefs instilled in you, as a black man. It is true, a part of this racial profiling problem lies in the fact that the education in most black neighborhoods are below average, and therefore any black child is more likely to fall into bad habits and follow wrong examples. However, I feel that an essay called "Handicap of Definition", by William Raspberry hits this issue right on point. This is basically centered around the idea that the issue of social prejudice really comes into play when black kids, for example, grow up with this idea that they will only be good for sports, sex, and entertainment. When a jazz performer, for example, is told that their performance and solos sounded soulful and black, that is taken as a compliment. However, when a lawyer is told that their argument in court sounded black, they are offended and are quick to judge and be mindful of their speaking. Moreover, what "society" thinks is just a way to hide behind a wall because each one of us is "society". Once anyone falls into this chain of thought, it's as if they were setting limitation to themselves.
I think that this issue is mainly an issue because of the lack of education that many, if not most, black men receive. The vast majority of the African American schools in the United States are below average and as a society, we should take care of all of our schools equally. Of course, a low funded school is going to have worse teachers and less motivated students, and therefore a lower standard of academic achievement. Because of this, students attending these schools (mainly black kids) are much more likely to get into gangs and drugs. Unfortunately for many young,black kids, their parents have gone through life receiving the same low budget education that barely got them a high school diploma. Therefore, parenting is also a big reason for this issue. Finally, racism is without a doubt a contributor to this profiling epidemic. Just as bad as bad parenting on many black kids, bad parenting on white kids lead to discrimination without reason. Many white and ignorant people are racist and discriminating, only because their parents taught them to be that way. Like bad education in black schools, poor education in many white schools keep the status quo the same, teaching racism and hate to kids who would otherwise never discriminate someone only because of the color of their skin.
It is so annoying to keep reading about how minorities like Blacks and Latinos have drug problems. I am aware that statistics show that they are more prone to be involved with drugs. But I’ll be bold in saying that the statistics are wrong. Let’s put it this way: Due to the fact that this country stills suffers from racism and prejudice, Blacks and Latinos are disproportionately targeted by officers and treated unfairly in comparison to White citizens. I have met many different types of people, and have noticed that no single drug is used solely by a single race. This means all races are likely to have drug related crimes. Minorities are often arrested because they keep getting caught by prejudice officers doing what the “White” man, has managed to hide better. This causes a catch-22, because the minorities end up on the news and that bad news reinforces their bad image. Nobody emphasizes what goes on behind closed doors. All the focus on crimes seems to be based by who is in jail, and the good guys must be the ones who aren’t. It’s absurd to think this way. So I’ve decided that if drugs were decriminalized, the minorities would continue to be targeted by racist officers and little by little less would end up in jail. I agree with Craig Deroche’s debate that we have a failing criminal justice system and perhaps more money needs to go in teaching and promoting fairness and reducing prejudice amongst officers. Also, officers should not be rewarded for numbers of arrests. Instead they should be rewarded for a lack of crimes being reported, and high numbers in crimes being solved and prevented.
I believe many factors contribute to this problem. A major problem is the varying social perceptions and the different reactions people have to these social perceptions. I can understand why some black males feel that they are looked down upon by general society. About a month ago I watched a program on TV about police in New York City. Police there would routinely stop black and Hispanic males and frisk them looking for drugs, weapons, etc. Right away, this made me quite angry to see that anyone, regardless of skin color, clothing, clean, dirty, whatever, are being stopped and searched by police without just cause. If something like that were to routinely happen to me, I don't know exactly how I would react, but I know for sure that I would be more than just a little bitter about it. Personal privacy is guaranteed all of us by the Constitution and is, in my opinion, the foundation of our freedom as citizens. By the end of the program, New York City police were no longer allowed to make these stops and searches without just cause. With things like these happening around the country, it's easy to empathize with the victims. But, being a victim of such racial perceptions and injustices is not an excuse to give up or give in. The best way to put an end to these perceptions and injustices is to humbly prove them wrong. I feel the best way to go about "proving them wrong" is through education, especially taking personal responsibility for your education. I have been friends with kids that went to the same schools as myself, but some turned out pretty well educated and others not so well educated. We all had access to the same teachers, same resources, etc, but some took more personal than responsibility others and, not by chance, those are the ones I consider well-educated or intelligent. My point here is that it is too easy to just point at the teachers or the schools and say that the teachers weren't good enough or the school wasn't good enough. Some of the greatest basketball players of all time grew up playing on hoops that didn't have a backboard, or the rim was broken, but that didn't stop them from playing and developing their skills or stop their competitive drive to be the best.
If this is about the gangs then theses young men are getting caught up into trouble by the influence of their piers. They feel the acceptance of these brotherhoods that show respect and honor to each other and put down anyone willing to appose them. They community should be healthy and triving with social activities. I watched a documentary that claimed the problem comes from the fact that these young men that get into trouble is caused by boredom. They're left to their own devices and a volatile imagination that gets them behind bars. The documentary also stated that these communities should be filled with activities such as parks and recreational centers where the young people of all kinds could find something else to do with their time. The schools should promote more activities that create a solid mental ground for these growing kids.
it's simply a matter of the mixes. its the circle of life and the cycle of poverty. we see this type of behavior in movies all the time. as kids we watch cartoons created for this exact reason. To "lead the witness" so to speak. this cycle never ends because the poor don't receive enough to stop being poor. there are levels of poor, the few that make it out of the cycle, but not many. and the 99% is recycled, only the 1% make it out successful.
The problem in society is not just school systems, racism, and prejudists within our judicial system, the underlying issue is poverty. The areas where crime rates are up, drugs are most available, jobs are hardest to come by and school systems are lacking are also the same areas where poverty is at its highest. Stressful living conditions cause children to grow up too fast and take matters into their own hands. Joining gangs, selling drugs, and dropping out of school turns into a way to make life better but ultimately chains people to a life that will lead them to jail and continuous poverty. This is most prevalent in black communities where children are learning the ways of drug abuse and crime from their environment and don't have an education system suited to help them succeed and overcome these obstacles. It is important for our nation to recognize that the underlying issue is and always will be poverty and until we can create change in our communities and support them, we cannot expect change to occur in a culture that oppresses the people struggling the hardest. Black men are the most singled out because they form the largest minority group suffering in these situations. Until we can end poverty, we cannot expect change within a culture that keeps the weak down.
25 comments:
I think one of the biggest mistakes of the 19th century was to get the federal government involved in education. What the current system is doing is paying people to fail. As long as they fail, they receive the money, the moment they begin to succeed (even to a minor extent) the money is taken away. People are being paid to fail in their own private lives and become more dependent on handouts.
I will argue that education, the lack of it is what is holding back not just the black communities but rather the nation as a whole. A remedy to this problem, being the lack of education, would be to let parents chose where it is they want their children to be educated. Whether it be through voucher programs or other proposed ideas, it would put the power in the hand of parents mainly because schools would have to be responsive to the parents. As of now the public education is a monopoly, one that makes it so that schools dont need to answer to parents.
Of course the skeptics would say, well if you put the education of a child in the hands of an uneducated parent, how can the parent make a wise decision? Can this decision be considered better than the monopoly we current have? I would argue that you only need to take a look at the position that teachers unions take in these cases. I can only rationalize the hysterical opposition from the teachers unions by resorting to the fact that parents are able to make wise decisions. What harm can be caused by letting parents chose instead of continuing the funding of a system that funds self interest bureaucrats.
To some degree I agree with Jonathan, a better education system would lessen the negative view on minorities, but there is still something missing. This is an interesting video.
http://youtu.be/FvVKzK8AQkg
In this news report, a professor shot and killed 3 of her colleagues. The report very interestingly leaves out that the three colleagues she shot were minorities (even though they show you their pictures) and that she was a white woman.
Even though we live in a time where there is no segregation, and the same rights a white man has are also available to black men, it seems as though segregation and racism has gone under the radar so to speak. Where it was once out in the open, how people felt about other races, it is now in what our professor so loves to refer to as “in a closet” and it functions like an invisible hand.
Another problem I stumbled on in trying to find suggestions for what would lighten this situation for black males, is to me, an unanswerable paradox. As I read the comments from one debater, Heather MacDonald, she is spewing statistics regarding the high percentages of blacks in jail for violent crimes and the such. This is where the paradox begins. Is it, in fact, that black males are more violent than other races, or is the high percentage of black male incarceration due to the very specific targeting of police officers on this one demographic?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t surprise me that there is still such a level of xenophobia in existence. I am the victim of it from time to time. However, I do not have an answer for how it even began. Granted, natural selection has handed down to us an inherent suspicion for people who are different from us, but when did this apprehension lead to a power-struggle? Please do not misunderstand the preponderance of what I am speculating here. I am not questioning how slavery and oppression of black people began. I understand that part of history. What I am struggling to understand is the mental processes that lead to xenophobia which then leads to discrimination. An understanding of this would lead to an understanding of that which, even though is trying to hide under a blanket of tolerance for other races, still causes such atrocities and still manifests itself so blatantly in our faces.
In the end, I find myself at a loss for suggestions. I do not know what would bring an end to racial discrimination in this country.
After reviewing all of the debates from the argument, it is safe to say all of the representatives had valid points in their stands. However, I must go on record to say that black men are simply the products of themselves. By that I mean their own individual choices have patterned the lives they live. No matter what the public views as a crutch to seeing how things have impacted the lives of African American men it goes without saying that they are fully responsible for any and everything they have encountered. Whether it is joining a gang, showing acts of violence, or using draconic drugs, these things are all choices made by them. No man, or law, influenced this. It was truly a free will made solely by them. Personally, I've lived in rough neighborhoods, gone to inner city schools with not so good teachers, stayed in a single parent home and, though I'm no straight 'A' scholar, I am still managing to make the most of my education and work towards a charitable future. Reason being is because I value it and I look forward to obtaining success in as legal and decent manner as possible. Quite a few African American men don't have that drive inside of them to go on to do great, positive things. That is just the attitude they have. The mistake is blaming society for their lack of motivation and strives. This unfortunate mentality can be credited to only person, the men themselves. Black men evoke an attitude that says "society has wronged me and because of that I am this way". However, it is impossible to blame society because of something an "individual" does. We are all in charge of the decisions we choose to make and for this reason I believe African American men should be credited with everything they do. It’s either we get our acts together or we don’t. The labels society place on us are not needed but they are certainly true of the behaviors we express.
The only way that we can stop this spiral downfall of the black, young men in our society is to fix it from home. It is said if you want to see what a society looks like start by looking at the home. Many black parents have forgotten what training a child looks like.They have become so busy with other things- school for adults, two, three jobs to make ends meet and live like the Joneses, while their children literally slip through their fingers without them recognising it. Some parents do not know how to let their children know when things are wrong, Tell them 'no' and explain why. Children need to be taught that education is the only tool that will get them to places where they will be happy. Some people will say sometimes even when you have an education one cannot get a job. It is better to have an education so when a job comes up you will be ready than not have an education; and seeking a job. My mom would say it is better to morn with the thing than to morn for it. Parents- mothers and fathers need to step up to the plate and begin now to rescue their sons from going to prison.
Skin color discrimination has being affecting our society since slavery. “War on drugs” is too young to be the reason of an increase in such deviancy. Seeing racisms as a single issue would not provide us with a legible conclusion of what is really happening on today’s young black male behavior. The real issue is when you try to change the wrong societal perception, without first evaluating your own perception about yourselves. It is true that people of color are discriminated in many different ways, from the street by the police to the school by the professor which lack young black male from a family and education. However, I might sound as a traditional compatibilist, but we all have the choice of make a choice. It is very simple commit felonies and blames the discrimination issue, but what about not commit the criminal act. Is that too much work? Don’t we eradicate the Ku Klux Klan? Where are Martin Luther King, Jr. ideas? If you want that people start recognizing person of color as a signal of professionalism and decency instead of ubiquitously categorizing as dangerous, you must work hard toward it.
In response to Diego's comment:
I too was very intrigued by the statistics used by Heather MacDonald and I started to ask myself whether or not these numbers were an accurate representation of what is going on in NYC. I don't deny that racial profiling and unethical practices happen, because I'm sure that they do. But not to the extent that some would have you think. I did a little research and found out that the NYPD currently employs 36,000 officers, almost 50% of whom are either Hispanic or African American. I have a hard time believing that minority officers would profile other minorities unless there was good reason to do so.
I am a supporter of decriminalizing some of drug laws, even though my opinion on that matter has nothing to do with the African American community. If we legalize marijuana, we would then be able to have more control over its distribution. Currently, the illegal drug trade helps fund crime in U.S. cities and the Mexican drug cartel (25% of cartel’s funds come from illegal marijuana exports). Not to mention that it would allow U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to focus more on stopping the flow of more illicit drugs into the country.
I strongly believe and support the same opinions and beliefs of Charles. "Black men evoke an attitude that says "society has wronged me and because of that I am this way"." couldn't have been put better than that. I have been around African Americans since 4th grade. They choose to be how they are by themselves. If they act educated and refuse to talk with a slang languague the rest of the blacks will make fun and bother that person and I've seen it. they claim that person is a fake black just because they don't dress like the rest of them or talk like them or believe as they do. Legalizing anything won't do much of a change. This "inbalance" is by choice. They are fine with how they are and what they do. Those who fight for a better education, or to educate themselves, they do it. Is not much because the government makes it hard or easier for them. They won't change over night and they don't want to change. This isn't a problem of education, or discrimination, but more of the family they've grown from, their peers and their societal perceptions. Society doesn't help by not giving blacks a chance to get better or give them a job or be a leader in a group in high school, but the pattern blacks develop is why others are how they are. As long as blacks, men or women, are satisfied in their own world, culture and beliefs there won't be any need for them to change. Is mostly up to them to change those labels that most people have for them.
The discussion about black men in America is very complex and it’s ignorant to suggest that the legalization of marijuana alone can fix the problem. In my opinion it all begins with the culture. Several factors affect the way people are raised. When one grows up in a broken family, in poor neighborhoods, lacking proper education, what can you expect from that person when he becomes an adult?
Racial profiling is also an important aspect to take into consideration when analyzing the black male issue. Stereotyping is so common that we frequently categorize black men in certain ways without even realizing it. Racism is still out there and black men are often victims of the hatred of many.
This funny video is a good example of what I’m talking about regarding racism:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRfjLfyXYlA
I cannot understand why some individual look at education with such scant regard. Education is like light that enters a dark room, suddenly the darkness will disappear.Parents should be real marshalls for their chlidren. They should ever keep before their children the saying that education is the key that opens every door. Lack of education keeps a persons in a bond or a bind which will land then in jail and if they are black or hispanics it is no big deal for the authorities. We need to stop the downward spiraling of the black men in our society and the saying that blacks are lazy, blacks are cowards, blacks have no ambition, blacks are on welfare and so on. Parents need to stand in their places and use their God give right to train up their children in the right way so that the prison doors can be closed. Education, education,education is the key this should begin from the foundation as early as children can learn and they need to be taught that blacks need to work a little bit harder than the others because they are looked on through different lenses. Parents and teachers need to work closely to help childern to set goals and to help them achieve it. Too many cooks sometimes spoil the broth and I will argue that some people who are not educators get a lot of opportunities to plan educational stratigies for children that do not meet their needs. Molding the lives of children and the society today should be left in the hand of capable educators who are trained to do the job.
I think it is a problem of a mix of issues. Not only the white man discriminate the black one, they see each other like a different person. They grew up in a neighborhood that has a high probability of turn into a drug dealer, drop school and so on. The most important issue that I can see is the education. Is through education that men form their personality. The government has to invest more in good education. Places where the education is higher the numbers of criminals is smaller. The African American already grows up with a different mentality, which they have to do certain things to fit in the society.
I believe the two main causes for the high-level of African-American incarnation is due to the lack of education and the high rate of broken homes in the African-American communities. The lack of education, I feel, comes from the broken homes. As single mothers work two or three jobs to support her family, many do not have enough time to raise their kids the proper way, teaching them the correct morals. The fathers are typically never around and often do not help support the family. The youngsters usually then repeat what they see and believe this is the proper and only way to live and raise a family. It becomes a downward spiral. Though not all African-American kids continue on into that lifestyle and many go on to pursue great careers, it is in no doubt that many do not grow up with the influence they need.
The lack of education can also be the fault of the community leaders. It is the responsibility and duty of those people, in which we elect, to help better our education institutions. Living in Miami, we do not expect people from Orlando to help better our schools. It works the same way on a smaller scale, were we do not expect communities leaders from Pinecrest to help the school system in Miami Gardens. It is the responsibility of the people in their communities to rise up, come together to make change. Though many people claim they want a better life, many often like living in the drama and depending on the struggling life to feel safe inside because they know no other way. For the same reason why many ex-convicts who are released from prison are likely to become repeat criminals.
- Isaac Camargo
Black, Young, Male.
Young black male are more likely to be victimized by crime than any other group. I think this is the effect of social perceptions because many black young males commit crimes just because they believe they are born to be part of the society that does so, and that does not follow up on their education. Education has to be another reason. These men are not grounded by their parents but at the same time loved, if they decide to skip school or stay at home. It is true that these black men are more likely to be stopped by police, but then again it is the way they show themselves to the community. I am sure that if a white man is walking around with messy hair, huge pants that fall down to their knees, and a shirt that says anything offensive; that man will also be stopped by the police. Black men are sometimes discriminated but then again they are little by little changing that reputation. For instance, our current president Obama. The problem is that these men complain that people are not changing, but a third of the black population being in jail sometimes through their lifetime is not coincidence. Legalizing marijuana would not be a solution because these men can easily go fight for a job if they want to change that reputation, but instead want to take the easy way out. So even if marijuana was legalized, they would find some other illegal drug that would allow them to ease their way through life.
Daniel Rincon.
I must agree with Charles.
I honestly think a huge part of why African Americans are stereotyped to being a particular way is because they let society win. When society wins there is no free will, you go by what society has perceived of you. Not because society says so but because it is the only way to survive. I found it odd when everyone laughed at the fact that Professor Triff said, "I sometimes feel like a black man". I, myself, being a women sometimes feel like a black man, but I do not let society run me like it wants to. There are typical rankings of respect in the slums and nobody wants to be the lowest. Once you enter that path there is no way of getting out. You have no choice, but to continue to the throne. When I lived in the slums I did my best to run away from trouble. My friends around me fell into the traps of society. They all thought their lives wouldn't change even if they tried. I also blame the family for this. They watch their children hang out with delinquents and let them wear inappropriate clothes. The people you surround yourself with influences you. I read an article the other day about how skinny men try to prevent themselves from associating with fat men because if they are with the fat men they become like them. Same goes with African Americans, if each generation continues to associate with criminals they, too, will become criminals.
It is extremely hard to say why and how this happens, but I do believe that nurture plays a large role in it.
-Rebecca Soza
This is definitely a great deal of mixed issues. In my opinion it all begins at a young age in the home and most of the time the society that they are brought up around such as the neighborhood and the community they grow up in. I've had couple of friends who would tell me that if someone where to say something that they didnt like instead of picking and choosing thier battles wisely and just ignoring or simply addressing the situation by communicating to the other person they would address it by fighting. Is this really the soultion to this problem or any problem? Every single black male is responsible for their own actions at the end of the day. You have those individuals who choose to make positive decisions despise all of the negative actions that are taking place around them. As well as those who will fall right into the trap and will go through negative experiences because he has choosen to make uninfluential decisions such as dropping out of school or trying to cheat life by making fast money by dealing drugs and having a higher risk of one day ending up in jail.
I have one answer to this discussion and it is Barack Obama. The president of the United States of America was once a young, black male, so why is it that he has achieved such a status and other young, black males have not? What makes him so special and/or different? In my opinion, I think that it is time to look deep into ourselves, forget that we are black, hispanic, asian, anglo, etc. and to leave our mark in this world. My mother and my father are immigrants and here I am, an american dream scholar. Even though my parents were exiled from their fertile lands, it did not stop them in achieving their goals. They are both professionals and I plan to be one too. We need to let go of the "dead weight" that we carry (referring to our past), move on, and achieve greatness. Like I said, the president of the United States was one of those boys and it didn't stop him.
I don't see it being one single issue or solution. Kids at a disadvantage look for outlets and some of those happen to be drugs because of the ease to attain them. I think home would be a good start; by supporting, education and discipline. Broken homes make this hard. Lack of role models even harder. It is few, the minorities that you meet trying to escape the chaos that surrounds them. The problem stems far, and it is a historic issue that can’t be solved by changing a law or legalizing one single thing. It is a scar that will take time to heal. Starting with education and enforcing the right role models and not the brainless puppets people seem to hold so dear. I do agree with Neil Franklin, treating high schools with only minorities as criminals has a demoralizing effect even for someone who is not involved in selling or taking drugs. It says, you will eventually do so. Changes have to come from education, to the home where single parents need help to raise two or three children in a society that expects nothing good of them, to the world – where more black and Latino role models have to be brought to light.
The way I see it, the biggest burden on African American men, overall, is their perception of what it means to be black. It's one thing to hear people speak about how black people behave or act, but it is another to have those beliefs instilled in you, as a black man. It is true, a part of this racial profiling problem lies in the fact that the education in most black neighborhoods are below average, and therefore any black child is more likely to fall into bad habits and follow wrong examples. However, I feel that an essay called "Handicap of Definition", by William Raspberry hits this issue right on point. This is basically centered around the idea that the issue of social prejudice really comes into play when black kids, for example, grow up with this idea that they will only be good for sports, sex, and entertainment. When a jazz performer, for example, is told that their performance and solos sounded soulful and black, that is taken as a compliment. However, when a lawyer is told that their argument in court sounded black, they are offended and are quick to judge and be mindful of their speaking. Moreover, what "society" thinks is just a way to hide behind a wall because each one of us is "society". Once anyone falls into this chain of thought, it's as if they were setting limitation to themselves.
I think that this issue is mainly an issue because of the lack of education that many, if not most, black men receive. The vast majority of the African American schools in the United States are below average and as a society, we should take care of all of our schools equally. Of course, a low funded school is going to have worse teachers and less motivated students, and therefore a lower standard of academic achievement. Because of this, students attending these schools (mainly black kids) are much more likely to get into gangs and drugs. Unfortunately for many young,black kids, their parents have gone through life receiving the same low budget education that barely got them a high school diploma. Therefore, parenting is also a big reason for this issue. Finally, racism is without a doubt a contributor to this profiling epidemic. Just as bad as bad parenting on many black kids, bad parenting on white kids lead to discrimination without reason. Many white and ignorant people are racist and discriminating, only because their parents taught them to be that way. Like bad education in black schools, poor education in many white schools keep the status quo the same, teaching racism and hate to kids who would otherwise never discriminate someone only because of the color of their skin.
It is so annoying to keep reading about how minorities like Blacks and Latinos have drug problems. I am aware that statistics show that they are more prone to be involved with drugs. But I’ll be bold in saying that the statistics are wrong. Let’s put it this way: Due to the fact that this country stills suffers from racism and prejudice, Blacks and Latinos are disproportionately targeted by officers and treated unfairly in comparison to White citizens.
I have met many different types of people, and have noticed that no single drug is used solely by a single race. This means all races are likely to have drug related crimes. Minorities are often arrested because they keep getting caught by prejudice officers doing what the “White” man, has managed to hide better. This causes a catch-22, because the minorities end up on the news and that bad news reinforces their bad image. Nobody emphasizes what goes on behind closed doors. All the focus on crimes seems to be based by who is in jail, and the good guys must be the ones who aren’t. It’s absurd to think this way.
So I’ve decided that if drugs were decriminalized, the minorities would continue to be targeted by racist officers and little by little less would end up in jail.
I agree with Craig Deroche’s debate that we have a failing criminal justice system and perhaps more money needs to go in teaching and promoting fairness and reducing prejudice amongst officers. Also, officers should not be rewarded for numbers of arrests. Instead they should be rewarded for a lack of crimes being reported, and high numbers in crimes being solved and prevented.
I believe many factors contribute to this problem. A major problem is the varying social perceptions and the different reactions people have to these social perceptions. I can understand why some black males feel that they are looked down upon by general society. About a month ago I watched a program on TV about police in New York City. Police there would routinely stop black and Hispanic males and frisk them looking for drugs, weapons, etc. Right away, this made me quite angry to see that anyone, regardless of skin color, clothing, clean, dirty, whatever, are being stopped and searched by police without just cause. If something like that were to routinely happen to me, I don't know exactly how I would react, but I know for sure that I would be more than just a little bitter about it. Personal privacy is guaranteed all of us by the Constitution and is, in my opinion, the foundation of our freedom as citizens. By the end of the program, New York City police were no longer allowed to make these stops and searches without just cause. With things like these happening around the country, it's easy to empathize with the victims. But, being a victim of such racial perceptions and injustices is not an excuse to give up or give in. The best way to put an end to these perceptions and injustices is to humbly prove them wrong. I feel the best way to go about "proving them wrong" is through education, especially taking personal responsibility for your education. I have been friends with kids that went to the same schools as myself, but some turned out pretty well educated and others not so well educated. We all had access to the same teachers, same resources, etc, but some took more personal than responsibility others and, not by chance, those are the ones I consider well-educated or intelligent. My point here is that it is too easy to just point at the teachers or the schools and say that the teachers weren't good enough or the school wasn't good enough. Some of the greatest basketball players of all time grew up playing on hoops that didn't have a backboard, or the rim was broken, but that didn't stop them from playing and developing their skills or stop their competitive drive to be the best.
-Blair Mrachek
Je me vais plus penser a une nouvelle forme de "Jim crow law",parceque c'est une situation qui est reliée a une loi governemental, et ceci cet te loi est establie pour tous les Americans. Prenons par example l'opinion de la premiere personne. Il fait une analyse sur l'adoption de cette mode vie avec un penchant sur les noir. Mais: comment pourrai-je dire, or Parler de "Jim Crow Law"? Cette loi qui a ete establie pour garder les noirs hors de cette société.
La plus part des noirs après la Guerre Civil de 1963 etaient illétréset incapable de performe une fonction bien determinée. Maintenant, la majorité des personnes qui frequentent derrière les bareaux sont les noirs. Je pense que cela represente a une manque de formation depuies enfantine. Les premieres generations qui ont survecues le fer de lance de "Jim crow law" pourraient peut etre s'erriger a ces genres d'activitées parqu'il etaient vraiment pauvre. Je considere cela comme étant des hommes qui n'ont rien a gagner.
If this is about the gangs then theses young men are getting caught up into trouble by the influence of their piers. They feel the acceptance of these brotherhoods that show respect and honor to each other and put down anyone willing to appose them. They community should be healthy and triving with social activities. I watched a documentary that claimed the problem comes from the fact that these young men that get into trouble is caused by boredom. They're left to their own devices and a volatile imagination that gets them behind bars. The documentary also stated that these communities should be filled with activities such as parks and recreational centers where the young people of all kinds could find something else to do with their time. The schools should promote more activities that create a solid mental ground for these growing kids.
Andrae Williams
it's simply a matter of the mixes. its the circle of life and the cycle of poverty. we see this type of behavior in movies all the time. as kids we watch cartoons created for this exact reason. To "lead the witness" so to speak. this cycle never ends because the poor don't receive enough to stop being poor. there are levels of poor, the few that make it out of the cycle, but not many. and the 99% is recycled, only the 1% make it out successful.
The problem in society is not just school systems, racism, and prejudists within our judicial system, the underlying issue is poverty. The areas where crime rates are up, drugs are most available, jobs are hardest to come by and school systems are lacking are also the same areas where poverty is at its highest. Stressful living conditions cause children to grow up too fast and take matters into their own hands. Joining gangs, selling drugs, and dropping out of school turns into a way to make life better but ultimately chains people to a life that will lead them to jail and continuous poverty. This is most prevalent in black communities where children are learning the ways of drug abuse and crime from their environment and don't have an education system suited to help them succeed and overcome these obstacles. It is important for our nation to recognize that the underlying issue is and always will be poverty and until we can create change in our communities and support them, we cannot expect change to occur in a culture that oppresses the people struggling the hardest. Black men are the most singled out because they form the largest minority group suffering in these situations. Until we can end poverty, we cannot expect change within a culture that keeps the weak down.
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