Grapesoda

The Inconvenient Truth about Ghetto Communities? Social Breakdown | National Review Online

Among the many painful ironies in the current racial turmoil is that communities scattered across the country were disrupted by riots and looting because of the demonstrable lie that Michael Brown was shot in the back by a white policeman in Missouri ? but there was not nearly as much turmoil created by the demonstrable fact that a fleeing black man was shot dead by a white policeman in South Carolina.

Totally ignored was the fact that a black policeman in Alabama fatally shot an unarmed white teenager, and was cleared of any charges, at about the same time that a white policeman was cleared of charges in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.

Making In a world where the truth means so little, and headstrong preconceptions seem to be all that matter, what hope is there for rational words or rational behavior, much less mutual understanding across racial lines?

When the recorded fatal shooting of a fleeing man in South Carolina brought instant condemnation by whites and blacks alike, and by the most conservative as well as the most liberal commentators, that moment of mutual understanding was very fleeting, as if mutual understanding were something to be avoided, as a threat to a vision of ?us against them? that was more popular.

That vision is nowhere more clearly expressed than in attempts to automatically depict whatever social problems exist in ghetto communities as being caused by the sins or negligence of whites, whether racism in general or a ?legacy of slavery? in particular.

Like most emotionally powerful visions, it is seldom, if ever, subjected to the test of evidence The ?legacy of slavery? argument is not just an excuse for inexcusable behavior in the ghettos.

In a larger sense, it is an evasion of responsibility for the disastrous consequences of the prevailing social vision of our times, and the political policies based on that vision, over the past half century.

Anyone who is serious about evidence need only compare black communities as they evolved in the first 100 years after slavery with black communities as they evolved in the first 50 years after the explosive growth of the welfare state, beginning in the 1960s. You would be hard-pressed to find as many ghetto riots prior to the 1960s as we have seen just in the past year, much less in the 50 years since a wave of such riots swept across the country in 1965.

We are told that such riots are a result of black poverty and white racism. But in fact ? for those who still have some respect for facts ? black poverty was far worse, and white racism was far worse, prior to 1960. But violent crime within black ghettos was far less.

You cannot take any people, of any color, and exempt them from the requirements of civilization without ruinous consequences to them and to society at large.

Murder rates among black males were going down ? repeat, down ? during the much-lamented 1950s, while it went up after the much celebrated 1960s, reaching levels more than double what they had been before. Most black children were raised in two-parent families prior to the 1960s. But today the great majority of black children are raised in one-parent families.

Such trends are not unique to blacks, nor even to the United States. The welfare state has led to remarkably similar trends among the white underclass in England over the same period. Just read Life at the Bottom, by Theodore Dalrymple, a British physician who worked in a hospital in a white slum neighborhood.

Baltimore?s Problem, and America?s You cannot take any people, of any color, and exempt them from the requirements of civilization ? including work, behavioral standards, personal responsibility, and all the other basic things that the clever intelligentsia disdain ? without ruinous consequences to them and to society at large.

Non-judgmental subsidies of counterproductive lifestyles are treating people as if they were livestock, to be fed and tended by others in a welfare state ? and yet expecting them to develop as human beings have developed when facing the challenges of life themselves. One key fact that keeps getting ignored is that the poverty rate among black married couples has been in single digits every year since 1994.

Behavior matters and facts matter, more than the prevailing social visions or political empires built on those visions.

Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. His website is Thomas Sowell | Home. © 2015 Creators Syndicate Inc. Share article on Facebook Tweet article

SilentKnight

Fine piece of writing.

Very interesting.

Grapesoda

T Sowell is very very sharp and well respected among clear thinking people

TheSquealer

cue Brassmonkey and Blackmonsters to call you racist for posting a well reasoned article on a topic that of course insists people take a little accountability in their behavior. They can't stand that shit above all else.

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Yes, fewer illegal immigrants working equates to more job opportunities for American citizens.

Rochard

Grapesoda

actually I would love some clarity in the area from the media....black people are really being kicked to the kurb by this type of thought by 'black leaders' the 'intelligencia' and liberal agendas... when your held down so hard since childhood it's almost impossible to come back up

TheSquealer

Writing is a creative endeavor and dominated by more creative minds who, on the whole, tend to be left leaning. They won't ask these questions because they don't agree they matter. So you're not going to get "the media" to take a hard look at problems that require tough love and brutal honesty to solve because they don't think like that to begin with. They just see people who need to be nurtured and cared for and if they are acting out, its because something made them act out.

There is a stark difference between left and right and how people perceive issues.

You will never make a person blind to the color blue and orange see the colors blue and orange. You will never force them to engage in a meaningful discussion of blue and orange. You'll just be one more "crazy right winger" babbling about something that in their mind doesn't exist because they are not capable of perceiving its existence. Those that doe see blue and orange will write about it and it will only appeal to others who are capable of seeing blue and orange. To anyone else, its just crazy babbling. That is how our society is ordered... that is how our brains and our more perceptions are structured. From a standpoint of evolutionary biology, the best decisions come from furious debate. If everyone agreed and no one raised a hand, we could all commit mass suicide. The question is then "how do you get furious debate on important topics that affect the group and group survival"? The evolutionary solution was to divide society into roughly two groups, who see things in very different ways and where each side is incapable of seeing or understanding the arguments of the other. Our political leanings are based on our moral decision making. Left and Right look at the 6 key types of moral decisions, which guide our political decisions very differently. Throw in a massive array of additional cognitive bias' and tribal behaviors and you have a bigger divergence of opinion and even greater entrenchment in ones own views/perceptions and those of the group. So there won't be meaningful discussion no matter how much you or I want there to be.

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Yes, fewer illegal immigrants working equates to more job opportunities for American citizens.

Rochard

SilentKnight

When all else fails - rock, paper...scissors.

Who's up for it?

Bladewire

I'm more concerned about the homeless class in our societty than those in ghettos. Those people really need our help the most as a society.

Ghettos have always existed in every society. In Cali we have Asian ghettos, black ghettos, Mexican ghettos, white ghettos etc.

People of all races who work hard get out of the ghetto.

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PaperstreetWinston

good share, thanks!

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Captain Kawaii

"We are told that such riots are a result of black poverty and white racism. But in fact ? for those who still have some respect for facts ? black poverty was far worse, and white racism was far worse, prior to 1960. But violent crime within black ghettos was far less. "

The welfare state and the thriving private prison business in the US go hand in hand it seems. There was an interesting piece (sorry I cannot find it now) from a Baltimore newspaper about the lack of leadership from older black males in many black neighborhoods.

The reporter was speaking to a guy who said he and some of his friends have vowed to stop running the streets and try and behave like adults because at 28, the guy said he was an old man. Those older were either dead or had "high numbers" - long prison sentences.

Sad to say but even in West LA its pretty hard to find old black people. Even in Gardena or Torrance or Compton. So few.

Grapesoda

many of the homeless are mentally ill

L-Pink

"A study of more than 900 homeless men and women in Toronto showed that an astonishing 58% of the homeless men and 42% of the homeless women have a history of traumatic brain injury"


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arock10

I don't know why I keep coming back here

TheSquealer

Good luck in your quest to find Unicorn Land where you'll never have to confront hard truths, difficult facts or make tough decisions or accept any responsibility or accountability for anything you ever do.

Grapesoda

actually my best friend for 30 years had traumatic brain injury from an auto accident... early onset dimension... started with forgetting nouns... then moved progressed to assisted living, diapers and being hand fed all within 5 years ...

Grapesoda

arock, you and assmonkey, assmonster and crocektt all have reality conception issues and I feel for ya.... I had similar thoughts as you when I was in 6th-8th grade.. but I had to grow up and accept reality...

for instance I know you don't believe in America, American culture, a protected boarder or a strong military or even gender and especially you hate Christianity and white America what ever the fuck that is... you definitely hate 1 common language for the United States... while you wish to tear down the 1% for controlling all the money and fucking you over so you're poor AND I will say you hate white middle aged men and republicans for destroying the world, the current climate disaster and enslaving the poor... about right?

the reality is America is the greatest country there ever was, even though people like you are trying desperately to destroy her, and American values have made the world a better place... in fact American values is what allows you to say stupid shit in public and not get put in prison although I'm very sure that it vexes your mind to see the connection...

well any way good luck to you guys and enjoy your miserable shit lives hating reality and the ways of the world... I wish you nothing but the best

aka123

So, in short; it blames welfare state? I didn't even know that you have one.

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Grapesoda

for some time.... there are generations on welfare, not getting off anytime soon.... and I would say a system that denigrates a segment of society is the blame....... very typically the left's argument that the blacks and other minorities are not smart enough to get identification, to vote, is a prime example... imagine that x's 100 over a life time... and what that will do to a society

trevesty

Holy shit. I hope the GOP is paying you well. That was a well written propaganda piece.

Grapesoda

sig for sale what do you disagree with though? I'm open minded to your thoughts on this....

Bladewire

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SilentKnight

Baddog?

j/k

arock10

I go to other forums and it's never anything like this

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Sup

arock10

Nah, America is great and I would not want to live anywhere else. But America has changed constantly over the years and the ability to change and reflect the will of voters is part of it. When I see horrible amounts of money in politics I see all of these things being warped and agendas being pushed that do not reflect the will of the masses. I'm sure when you were young you had issues with old people stuck in their ways too. Well I'm sure at some point when I am older I will see things that go to far and will become more conservative too, it's just how things progress

I think we do waste far too much on the military and I believe Christianity is way to involved in the American government/politics. I don't mind the 1% and capitalism, I do mind certain .01% using their power and influence to corrupt politics further and press certain agendas which would horribly violate many election laws in many western nations and make our system of government closer to china or other repressive regimes.

And not to argue grammar and spelling on the Internet but maybe proof read your posts, it's just painful reading them. Like I feel bad for you that your grasp of the English language is this bad

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Sup

Grapesoda

I do agree that agendas are out of control..as far as spelling and grammar... no education, I've been taking care of myself since I was a little kid and that's just how it goes I guess... I wish I had been able to go to school but you get what you get and deal with it... also I'm posting on the fly during productions and spell check etc. does get the best of me... I do however have a good grasp of many many concepts... care for the end of hostilities between us? I'm open to it