Why doesn't anyone talk about Black on Black Violence?????

[Greenwood]

Why do the Presidential candidates virtually ignore this horrendous situation going on in the black community? Additionally, why don't any of the candidates speak out about the 70% of black babies born in this country out of wedlock? That figure is SHOCKING. Absolutely mind boggling.

Last night, or in any debate, would have been a wonderful opportunity to address these issues. Too many folks either are apathetic or scared to address these issues. And, trust me, they are truly horrendous and heart-breaking.

I guess I am just sick and tired of seeing what I see. Sadly, if a white person speaks of this, the racist label is sometimes tossed out. Something has got to be done or we run the risk of literally losing a huge group of people and hindering positive advancement.

It is heartbreaking and it is incredibly sad.

[Captain Hilts]

1. Whites can't broach this topic. nt

[Greenwood]

3. How FREAKIN' SAD is that??????

Unreal. Utterly unreal.

A huge problem exists and white people can't even discuss it???? That is real smart.

Absolutely pathetic. And the problem goes on and on and on and on.

[sam sarrha]

5. well if you are the cause of the problem, what is your input worth.??

[Greenwood]

8. Tired and old, my friend.....

No,I don't accept that.

This is an issue that is out of control and to blame whites is not going to cut it anymore. It is time for ALL of us to address this problem. Each of the Democratic candidates should confront this. This is too important.

[sam sarrha]

12. I'm White and i get that all the time, not from everyone.but it is there, i worked in the 60's and 7...

in the civil rights movement, organizing marches, and providing security, i accompanied Rosa Parks on a trip to the NW. i have tried many times to have this discussion and got crapped on for even thinking i could understand their situation as a white man.. and got the obvious impression my white man mentality wasn't welcome in the conversation.

i am congenitally right brain dominant do not think like the average person.. i have an altruistic inclination to solve problems and help people. i have been a peace corp volunteer and two 2 year tours in VISTA-Emergency cervices coordinator for the pacific north west and a 2 year tour as a youth counselor in a juvenile prison, where i taught meditation and alternate counseling methods

traditional methods of dealing with problems isn't going to work for this problem.. all the new research indicates that, 'the Genesis of a problem has 'NOTHING' to do with the resolution of the problem'

we will have to work together on things like the 'Cool' epidemic in the black community.. which leads so many of their children into unproductive lives and into lives of crime and prison. i see a direct relationship to the 'Cool jive life style' and the valley girl phenomena
of the 80's.. a dysfunctional subculture with its own language.

what was discovered was that it was imposable to communicate with the valley girls they had a problem.. the only way they were able to break thru the cool persona was to show video tapes to them of the therapists trying to talk to them..it shocked the girls into a receptive state

i have a black friend who has a son, 3 year honor student in high school who started running with the 'Cool' subculture and has dropped out of school, is heavily involved with drugs, un protected sex and illegal activity, facing 3 years in prison.

working in juvenile parole and the prison i recognized a 'cool' type phenomena and did some research.. i wrote a paper entitled, 'inductive logic and apriori logic as perceptual dysfunction and a stalemate in the counseling process'

kids acquire this dysfunctional perspective thru the association with other people that infect then with it...it is called 'information disease.

only, art, music-as in learning to play an instrument with a teacher, repetitious exercise-as in running distance, swim laps regularly and the most effective ..meditation. my kids that meditated daily were paroled within 60 days.

they became interesting, caring,and compassionate people with amazing foresight:which the Tibetans call 'skillful means'

[sam sarrha]

15. i saw a program on problems in black schools, one scene was a group of black, 'Cool' young men with

with a very aggressive attitude about the white teachers only being there to teach the blacks to be white, to think white.. and they weren't going to attend those classes..

no child lift behind is devastating the black communities.. the tests ARE created for white affluent kids.. resulting in astronomical drop out rates.. unemployment and drug related crimes

they feel there is no hope and react accordingly

[DangerDave921]

18. leaders

I think Jesse and Al should spend more time on failing inner city schools than on things like Don Imus. We need a harsh spotlight on these awful schools.

I would point out that Bill Cosby does attempt to raise these issues, but there are some who don't want to really listen or respond thoughtfully.

[mrfixit]

14. The only way to address it is to continue

to work to address the fundemental inequalities in USAmerican society. Poverty, education, social engineering. Whites cannot speak about Black violence because, in many ways they are at least indirectly responsible for it.

Volunteer and work for change - lobby your congresscritters. One day, perhaps the balance will be addressed, or no longer need to be addressed.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. Perhaps someday a black man or woman will run for President and address this issue

[sam sarrha]

9. the problems are complex and convoluted.. i doubt even a black president would directly approach it

and survive politically

[sam sarrha]

2. i agree with you.. i live in the south east, but, why isn't the black community

up in arms about it...??

as a research behavioral biologist the situation is fascinating as it is tragic. i would elaborate, but i would get shit on by both sides.. which is a really big part of the problem.

[KittyWampus]

17. There are segments of the black community 'up in arms' about it. Google 'Black Feminists'

there's a group of black women who ARE willing to talk about these things. And who realise the need for changing attitudes and behavior. That it's not just a biased system.

There are some black men who agree. And a lot who don't but prefer to primarily blame the system.

And I'm not going any further either.

[nightrider767]

6. Black people are stuck in this same crappy economy we all are

Crappy jobs, poor economic conditions, less buying power is dragging us all down.

I think they should be talking more about the economy and making things better in a real way, not with their phony and trumped up stats.

The Dem's are going down the wrong road in focusing on the Rep's game,

But back to your question, I think it would be fairly out of place and disingenuous for a group white people to start chatting up problems in the black community.

[sam sarrha]

7. much of the black community is in much much worse shape than a lot of whites..by design

[nightrider767]

10. I agree that they are worse off

But maybe you can describe the "design" here.

How do we get rid of it?

[sam sarrha]

13. see post #12... we have to realize the cause of a problem has nothing to do with it's resolution.

after that the conversation only relates to what to do, unfortunately, an entire generation or two may be lost . we have to do what we can about the older generations.. there may not be much that can be done.. and start with the children, we will have to provide education to black people who are dedicated to devoting their lives to a quest to save their people. to work in the communities and schools.

white folks have the same problems.. i have seen many many gut wrenchingly poor whites in exactly the same situations.. we need to get rid of corporate campaign money and the ReThug corporate mafia fascists in the government first.. to get a government FOR the people... fascists believe poverty is a vice.. and they got what they deserved

but I'm not holding my breath till then

[nightrider767]

16. I don't see anything good happening any time soon

As a matter of fact, I think things will get worse before they get better. And if you want to point fingers, point it straight to the top, George Bush.

Here's a fellow who had a opportunity to be a uniter and make a great country and instead he took the low road and helped his corporate bandit buddies gut the damn place.

Even look at our Democratic candidates, they seem to be ignoring the black issues in a big way. They've been sucked into the war debate.

It's not going to get better, it's going to get worse. We're heading into a recession. As jobs growth gets worse and the dollar loses value we all can count on the bi-products of those two things, an increase in the crime rate and poverty.

So stock up on the cans of "spam" cause when we're living "in a van down by the river" that's going to be one cherished commodity...

[mtnsnake]

11. because they're too interested in sucking up to the middle class

instead of taking time to fix the real reasons why there is so much violence like this, the real reasons being poverty, discrimination, and neglect of minorities that still runs rampant in this country today. Much of the violence stems from desperation, and much of the desperation stems from people of color not getting the same chance as the rest of us do from the minute that they are born. Focusing on poverty would be an easy place to start.

[hedgehog]

19. Funny you should ask, it's one of the main reasons I support Obama

Obama Attacks Violence in Chicago

As he has in other speeches, Obama called on parents, especially black fathers, to play a greater role in raising their children.

"There's a reason they go out and shoot each other," he said. "It's because they don't love themselves. And the reason they don't love themselves is that we are not loving them enough."

http://obama.senate.gov/news/070717-obama_attacks_v/


Although you can't please everyone:

Barack Obama spoke to the congregation of Vernon Park Church of God on Chicago's South Side yesterday about the epidemic of violence among young blacks.

"From South Central L.A. to Newark, New Jersey, there's an epidemic of violence that's sickening the soul of this nation," he said. "The violence is unacceptable and it's got to stop."


http://vitalsignsblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/obama-decries-violence-in-black.htmlV

[johan helge]

20. It's important that this problem is openly talked about -

especially by blacks themselves. And it should be talked about in a realistic way, e.g. one should avoid giving "whites" or "society" all the responsibility. This way, one can mobilize forces within the black community to reduce the problem.

[goodgd_yall]

21. The campaign managers are too afraid their white candidate will

stick a foot in his or her mouth.

In a previous debate at Howard University the issue of irresponsible sex within the black community came up. I have to say I was on pins and needles hoping Biden and Gravel wouldn't say something offensive. What was said could have been interpreted as racist by some. It's always a dicey proposition when white people who only deal with the black community in abstract ways talk about black community issues.