[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by donsabi

Oprah is a good example, she takes a very small percentage of her wealth and opens up an orphanage for black girls. In Detroit or LA, no way, she opened it in Africa.

Oprah donates $365,000 to Atlanta school - Chicago Tribune

$365,000 (or 1/3rd of a million dollars) given to an inner city school in Atlanta. Oprah does things both in the inner cities and abroad.

[RememberMee]

Originally Posted by Mr. 248

it seems that no matter what black people do to prove themselves, white America still does not trust us.

Why in the hell black people have to prove themselves to white people? Really why? Do you want a candy and pat on the back once you've "proved yourself"? Desire to prove oneself just underlines sitting deep down insecurity and inferiority complexes. And guess what, once you'll "prove yourself", they will not disappear. Because "Most satisfaction in human life comes from feeling superior to other people". Once race will stop being something to feel superior about, people will find the smallest differences to feel better about themselves. That's human nature.

Here is what Ted Kachynsky had to say on the subject of "black people proving themselves".

The Unabomber's Manifesto

Many leftists push for affirmative action, for moving black people into high-prestige jobs, for improved education in black schools and more money for such schools; the way of life of the black "underclass" they regard as a social disgrace. They want to integrate the black man into the system, make him a business executive, a lawyer, a scientist just like upper-middle-class white people. The leftists will reply that the last thing they want is to make the black man into a copy of the white man; instead, they want to preserve African American culture. But in what does this preservation of African American culture consist? It can hardly consist in anything more than eating black-style food, listening to black-style music, wearing black-style clothing and going to a black-style church or mosque. In other words, it can express itself only in superficial matters. In all ESSENTIAL respects more leftists of the oversocialized type want to make the black man conform to white, middle-class ideals. They want to make him study technical subjects, become an executive or a scientist, spend his life climbing the status ladder to prove that black people are as good as white. They want to make black fathers "responsible." they want black gangs to become nonviolent, etc. But these are exactly the values of the industrial-technological system. The system couldn't care less what kind of music a man listens to, what kind of clothes he wears or what religion he believes in as long as he studies in school, holds a respectable job, climbs the status ladder, is a "responsible" parent, is nonviolent and so forth. In effect, however much he may deny it, the oversocialized leftist wants to integrate the black man into the system and make him adopt its values.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by mrkool

Anyone with half a brain is going to put the best interests of themselves and their family (especially children) first. Things such as personal safety and good schools are of paramount importance. Largely black areas tend to have high crime rates, bad schools, and alot of bad behavior in general (i.e. very high illegitimacy rates). These are statistically provable facts, as well as readily observable. It's not an opinion, and it's not hate. It's just the way things are. Show me any formerly white neighborhood that is now mostly black, and does not have many more social problems now than when it was white.
If whites were the ones committing 80% of violent crime, having 70% of babies out of wedlock, and performing terribly in the schools and dragging them down, would blacks want to live among so many negative social indicators? Of course not. You all would be "black flighting" as quick as you could. It's called self-preservation. And that's precisely what whites are doing. Things aren't going to change until black behavior (as a group, not individually) get alot better than it is.
And yeah, I'm "hiding" behind a screen name, but most whites don't say these things in the open out of politeness. As a rule I say what I think to almost anyone, anywhere. Want my real name and city? If that would make you feel better, come on and PM me...

Lathrup Village,MI.
Olympia Fields,IL
Ladera Heights,CA
Baldwin Hills,CA
And those aren't the only ones.
By the way, there has been violence against African-Americans and in many cases, entire African-American populations in some areas have been driven out. Go read about it.

[Indentured Servant]

Originally Posted by JMadison

I don't know if it's a defense, but the black population taken as an aggregate is the most problematic, everywhere worldwide.

Here's some numbers to think on below.

Any given black can be anything, good or bad, but the overall numbers are the worst going.

Heck I've even seen it among highly paid blacks in top Fortune 500's. The Ebonics, crotch grabbing, putting feet up on sinks in the bathroom to tie their sneakers and 100 other just little things that are repulsive, long before one gets anywhere near crime.

Bottom line is, if the numbers are bad, it's just logical to "take flight". Especially when it's the only legal option.

White flight is not only right, but the only moral, legal, and ethical option currently available.

Rankings by Population Group

Most Dangerous 25:.......%AA Largest Segment?
1...Detroit, Mich.............81.6............Y
2...Atlanta, Ga...............61.4............Y
3...St. Louis, Mo.............51.2............Y
4...Flint, Mich.................53.3............Y
5...Camden, N.J..............53.3............Y
6...Gary, Ind..................84.0............Y
7...West Palm Beach, FL..36.2............N
8...Compton, Calif...........40.3............N
9...Tampa, FL................26.1.............N
10..Washington, D.C.......55.6.............Y
11..Jackson, Miss...........70.6.............Y
12..Newark, N.J.............53.5.............Y
13..Kansas City, MO.......31.2.............Y
14..Miami-Dade, FL........17.5..............N
15..New Orleans, La.......67.3..............Y
16..Memphis, Tenn.........61.4.............Y
17..Orlando, Fla.............26.9.............N
18..Dayton, OH..............43.1............N
19..Richmond, VA...........52.3............Y
20..Dallas, TX................23.2............N
21..Philadelphia, Pa.........43.2............Y
22..Youngstown, Ohio......43.8...........N
23..Cleveland, OH...........54.2............Y
24..Oakland, Calif...........35.7.............Y
25..Minneapolis, MN........18.0.............N

Safest 25:...................%AA...Largest Segment?
1...Amherst, N.Y...........3.90............N
2...Mission Viejo, Ca......1.15............N
3...Brick Twnshp, N.J.....0.99............N
4...Newton, Mass..........1.97............N
5...Simi Valley, CA.........1.30............N
6...Cary, NC.................6.15............N
7...Greece, N.Y.............2.88............N
8...Thousand Oaks, CA...1.06............N
9...Colonie, N.Y.............3.96............N
10..Troy, MI..................2.09...........N
11..Sunnyvale, CA..........2.22...........N
12..Arvada, CO..............0.66...........N
13..Lake Forest, CA........1.83...........N
14..Orem, UT.................0.33...........N
15..Clarkstown, N.Y........7.87...........N
16..Sterling Heights, MI...1.30...........N
17..Irvine, CA................1.45...........N
18..Hamilton Twnshp, NJ..8.16..........N
19..Warwick, RI..............1.16..........N
20..Dover Twnshp, NJ......1.75..........N
21..Canton Twnshp, MI....4.54..........N
22..Cheektowaga, NY.......2.93..........N
23..Fremont, CA..............3.10..........N
24..Bellevue, WA.............1.99..........N
25..Farmington Hills, MI....6.94..........N

I would ask you to ponder why people born and reared in abusive homes are much more likely to grow up to be abusive adults than those who grow up in loving and nurturing environments. It’s not an absolute rule, but there is definite correlation with causation between how a living entity is treated and how that living entity subsequently behaves. It’s hardly rocket science. Actions produce reactions. Human socialization and enculturation manifest most profoundly via emulation. Hence, bad behavior can be and is learned, although bad behavior is not exclusively born from what one has learned.

That having been noted, people like you act as if actions produce no reaction for black people. Black people are totally genetic in their behaviorisms. Everything that black people do is rooted in genetics and not their environment. Hence, 300 years of violent oppression that involved physical rape, lynchings, castrations, mutilations, burning, not to mention the psychological denigration, humiliation and emasculation of the black male, produced no reaction in black people. Violence begets violence. Bad treatment begets bad behavior. What people like you do is disingenuous because you seek to parse the temporal continuum of actions and reaction by just focusing on how blacks are acting today, ignoring or granting deference to the fact that their actions are REACTIONS to past violent mistreatment.

It’s laughable that you would even attempt to try to characterize black people as being prone for violence, given European history. Barbarians and savages are not term that originated with the discovery of black people. They were born from the violent behavior of Europeans. In the Middle Ages Europeans used all sorts of forms of torture in an attempt to scare people into “good” behavior. Also let us not forget the wars of whites that have killed millions of people. Moreover, what about white behavior during prohibition? How many white “gangsters” were there running around shooting up people? Ahhhhh….how they are so romanticized today, but were just as nefarious and violent as a black thugs today. When the government outlawed a substance that was demanded by the general public, it created illegal economic opportunity for poor whites and the competition for those opportunities lead to increased levels of violence. Today is no different. Most of the violence in the black community is drug related. Poor blacks trying to make money from band substances that people want to purchase. You see….we are not as different as you pretend.

In regards to the original question of the person who started this thread. Igore good and bad ......I would suggest. Instead, simply focus on cause and effect....without prejudice.

[Sparrow_temp]

The difference apparently is that with any other population segment you can point out the bad behavior and ostracize that part of society. I guess with bad black behavior we can't hold the individuals responsible for their actions. I'm not actually sure why. I guess people are associating the genetic component of skin color with the behavior. I guess it doesn't help matters much when this population votes 90+% of the time for one political party which reinforces the idea that the whole population segment is of one mind.

With regard to white flight, there's a reason for it and has little to do with race. You move where conditions are nicer. Who wants to live in areas where crime, poverty, and prejudice are the norm? Why didn't most of the black population leave Detroit too? I suspect most of those who had the means or other opportunities did.

I don't really think it matters why people behave badly. I don't really care. I certainly don't want to be around this behavior though.

[Indentured Servant]

Originally Posted by Sparrow_temp

The difference apparently is that with any other population segment you can point out the bad behavior and ostracize that part of society. I guess with bad black behavior we can't hold the individuals responsible for their actions. I'm not actually sure why. I guess people are associating the genetic component of skin color with the behavior. I guess it doesn't help matters much when this population votes 90+% of the time for one political party which reinforces the idea that the whole population segment is of one mind.

With regard to white flight, there's a reason for it and has little to do with race. You move where conditions are nicer. Who wants to live in areas where crime, poverty, and prejudice are the norm? Why didn't most of the black population leave Detroit too? I suspect most of those who had the means or other opportunities did.

I don't really think it matters why people behave badly. I don't really care. I certainly don't want to be around this behavior though.

Oh stop it! For the last 300 years in this nation blacks have endured a high degree of criticism, or should I say…Denigration, from many whites in this society. The root of that denigration or criticism has not changed from the past to the present. It’s the belief that blacks are genetically different enough for them to be “inferior” to whites and hence have a higher NATURAL propensity towards certain behavior and the inability of the average black to measure up with the average white. I have even read pseudo scientific rationalizations for black violence being rooted in higher levels of testosterone in the black male. Does anyone remember the “sand test”. That is when supposed scientist measured intelligence by the size of the skull and how much sand it could hold. It then concluded that black skulls held less sand on average than white and Asian skulls.

You see, some whites are faced with a quagmire. How can one hold beliefs of black inferiority and present those beliefs without appearing as if they are racist. In the past this was not a problem because being a racist in the past was socially acceptable and maybe the norm. Today, however, it’s looked down upon to be a racist in this society. The quagmire is that you cannot present the premise of black racial inferiority, whether it is in behavior, intelligence or what not, without sounding like a racist. However, many whites feel this is unjust, to be labeled racist, because its FACT that blacks do commit more violence and that blacks do score below whites in areas like SAT/ACT and grade level testing. They feel that one cannot and should not be labeled as racist if they are simply speaking the truth. This is why many, if not most, whites don’t like talking about race. They can’t say what they want to say, because it’s a negative assessment of black people that will be interpreted as racist.

Understanding and explanation is best achieved from time lapse than through a single snap shot. What many whites like to do is to simply take a snap shot of black behavior and statistics and use that as evidence to indict blacks as inferior. Yes, this information is true, but a snapshot simply provides an observation of a single moment in time, not an explanation. Given that everything is a reaction or consequence of something else, then to understand "what is" means that one has to understand “what was” before it. Hence, one has to trace actions and reactions OVER TIME( time lapse photograhpy, if you will), which lead up to the “snapshot of the current moment. There is no way an individual can explain how he or she is where they are today without using time. No entity can be explained without traversing backwards in time and capturing actions and reactions. Yet, many whites feel that “time” is a copout or excuse, when used to explain the black condition of today. Is it fair that time is used to explain everything EXCEPT the black condition? The only way so much deference can be granted to time, or the past, is because a lot of white people believe that the TRUE cause of our current condition is not related to the past, but rather, born from black genetic inferiority. What else can it be? If it is not external in causation, then that only leaves internal.

Just so that you know, black people vote democratic because most of the people that they think are racist vote Republican. Blacks, as a general rule, see the Republican Party as the party of Racist. Since the era when the Republican Party was linked to freeing the slaves, the Party has gone downhill in regards to blacks. The party was against civil rights and integration; it has been against affirmative action and all efforts to counteract the past and present impact of racism and discrimination on black people. Republicans ALWAYS use snap shot reasoning, as opposed to time lapse. The strong hold of the Party is the South, where many former white democrats, referred to then as Dixicrats, moved to the Republican Party in opposition to Democrats supporting civil rights and integration. Since then, the Republican Party has been in opposition to most things that blacks are in favor of, which explains why 90% of blacks vote for the Democratic Party, even though the Democratic Party as of late delivers little to blacks in return for their devotion. In fact, many black people hold conservative principles, but believe that this nation has a social responsibility to undo the damage of racism. If not for the issue of race, and race alone, the percentage of blacks who vote democrat would be a lot lower. Now, the Democratic Party, in my opinion, has not done a good job in the policies that they have implimented or proposed. They just do it for votes. Personally, I am neither a Democrat or Republican (I don't vote for either) and I think that both parties are two sides of the same coin that really creates a false dichotomy, that keeps people disctrated from the real sources of our problems.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by Indentured Servant

Oh stop it! For the last 300 years in this nation blacks have endured a high degree of criticism, or should I say…Denigration, from many whites in this society. The root of that denigration or criticism has not changed from the past to the present. It’s the belief that blacks are genetically different enough for them to be “inferior” to whites and hence have a higher NATURAL propensity towards certain behavior and the inability of the average black to measure up with the average white. I have even read pseudo scientific rationalizations for black violence being rooted in higher levels of testosterone in the black male. Does anyone remember the “sand test”. That is when supposed scientist measured intelligence by the size of the skull and how much sand it could hold. It then concluded that black skulls held less sand on average than white and Asian skulls.

You see, some whites are faced with a quagmire. How can one hold beliefs of black inferiority and present those beliefs without appearing as if they are racist. In the past this was not a problem because being a racist in the past was socially acceptable and maybe the norm. Today, however, it’s looked down upon to be a racist in this society. The quagmire is that you cannot present the premise of black racial inferiority, whether it is in behavior, intelligence or what not, without sounding like a racist. However, many whites feel this is unjust, to be labeled racist, because its FACT that blacks do commit more violence and that blacks do score below whites in areas like SAT/ACT and grade level testing. They feel that one cannot and should not be labeled as racist if they are simply speaking the truth. This is why many, if not most, whites don’t like talking about race. They can’t say what they want to say, because it’s a negative assessment of black people that will be interpreted as racist.

Understanding and explanation is best achieved from time lapse than through a single snap shot. What many whites like to do is to simply take a snap shot of black behavior and statistics and use that as evidence to indict blacks as inferior. Yes, this information is true, but a snapshot simply provides an observation of a single moment in time, not an explanation. Given that everything is a reaction or consequence of something else, then to understand "what is" means that one has to understand “what was” before it. Hence, one has to trace actions and reactions OVER TIME( time lapse photograhpy, if you will), which lead up to the “snapshot of the current moment. There is no way an individual can explain how he or she is where they are today without using time. No entity can be explained without traversing backwards in time and capturing actions and reactions. Yet, many whites feel that “time” is a copout or excuse, when used to explain the black condition of today. Is it fair that time is used to explain everything EXCEPT the black condition? The only way so much deference can be granted to time, or the past, is because a lot of white people believe that the TRUE cause of our current condition is not related to the past, but rather, born from black genetic inferiority. What else can it be? If it is not external in causation, then that only leaves internal.

Just so that you know, black people vote democratic because most of the people that they think are racist vote Republican. Blacks, as a general rule, see the Republican Party as the party of Racist. Since the era when the Republican Party was linked to freeing the slaves, the Party has gone downhill in regards to blacks. The party was against civil rights and integration; it has been against affirmative action and all efforts to counteract the past and present impact of racism and discrimination on black people. Republicans ALWAYS use snap shot reasoning, as opposed to time lapse. The strong hold of the Party is the South, where many former white democrats, referred to then as Dixicrats, moved to the Republican Party in opposition to Democrats supporting civil rights and integration. Since then, the Republican Party has been in opposition to most things that blacks are in favor of, which explains why 90% of blacks vote for the Democratic Party, even though the Democratic Party as of late delivers little to blacks in return for their devotion. In fact, many black people hold conservative principles, but believe that this nation has a social responsibility to undo the damage of racism. If not for the issue of race, and race alone, the percentage of blacks who vote democrat would be a lot lower. Now, the Democratic Party, in my opinion, has not done a good job in the policies that they have implimented or proposed. They just do it for votes. Personally, I am neither a Democrat or Republican (I don't vote for either) and I think that both parties are two sides of the same coin that really creates a false dichotomy, that keeps people disctrated from the real sources of our problems.

None of this is a shock to me. I have known that alot of people assume the Blacks are somehow inferior. Many people want to assume the worst about Blacks because it makes it easier to treat them badly. Some people would want to believe that because slavery was over, that things would automatically get better. I already know that the condition of African-Americans is a result of what happened in the past. I know that, you know that. The problem is that alot of people won't believe it, or don't want to believe it. The answer is clear, but many people would rather believe otherwise. In some cases, it is easier to believe otherwise because it is a pathology about control(man I am using that phrase alot). Reversing the effects of slavery and Jim Crow segregation requires alot more than just laws. Laws against discrimination are not enough anymore. You can't throw money at a problem, but investment is part of the requirement. It is going to require long-term investment. Reparations are actually a good idea. The Japanese got reparations for their suffering during World War II, not to mention an apology. The Aleutians had their land and property taken away from them during WWII. They were given reparations for it. African-Americans haven't gotten a thing for it. The 40 acres and mule thing didn't work because most former slaves weren't given that 40 acres and a mule they were promised. Some say the people who were slaves are already dead and therefore, useless. The reparations aren't useless. The reparations require alot of money and many people don't want to think about it. Any plan for reparations is opposed. I think this is the reason. Alot of the nation's wealth came from slavery. The ships that were built, the cotton that was pciked went to the factories in the Northern USA. Sugar cane from Louisiana was used for sugar and molasses manufacturing. Much of the American economy was built on slavery. After slavery was abolished, those persons who still had wealth from the slave economy, or benefited in some collateral way. Businesses were able to be started that way. If you didn't have money from before, there were other ways, if you were White. Reparations would require admitting that the biggest reason this country got wealthy was through slavery, and to give up that privilege, and the concept of privilege. Repaying African-Americans for basically leaching off of them, basically, some people scream socialism.
The Republican Party is known for reactionary politics. The Democratic Party isn't much better. What needs to happen is the formation of a new political party. The current parties are not enough and the Libertarian Party doesn't help much either. Some people would say to let the free market take care of that. The free market has been "taking care of that for 300 years" with no success. Some say if people discriminate, they'll lose money in the long run. It worked for the Montgomery bus boycott, but if a store does not want clientele of a certain ethnicity, there isn't much you can do if you are of that ethnicity, other than a lawsuit or getting everyone else to boycott the store. There needs to be a new political party that will focus on getting certain things done, such as keeping jobs in the country, and reversing the effects of discrimination and racism of the past. The Democratic Party might have a more socialist leaning, but it won't focus on the injustices done to people. There needs to be a political party that is focused on that.
Many people have been leaving Detroit nowadays because of the crime. Very few people are looking for solutions to solve the issues regarding crime. What has happened to Detroit is a product of yesteryear. "White flight" plaayed a part. People who could afford to leave went to the suburbs, taking their tax base with them. It started out as going out to the suburbs to get away from the city, and to get away from African-Americans. Race played a part. Why else were some suburbs "off limits" African-Americans? It was to get away from African-Americans by keeping them out. Why else is Livonia's African-American population so low for being such a large suburb? Fast forward to the riots. White flight sped up. While many were leaving to get away from crime, race played a part. When the restrictive covenant laws were declared illegal,many African-Americans who could go to the suburbs did. Where some African-Americans moved, some Whites left. Detroit is a case where the citizens who could leave did leave and the ones who couldn't leave were left in the quagmire. Dwindling tax base means fewer services, especially the important stuff, such as schools and police. The schools in Detroit have been getting bad for a reason. Police officers have been laid off. Fewer police to fight crime usually means the crime will get worse because there are fewer police to fight crime. Add to that the general distrust of the police, things do get worse. What Detroit needs is a combination of hardwork, tough love, and TLC. Unfortunately, alot of people are happy to just let the city crumble to the Pompeii of the West. Something can be done, but it is going to take long term investment and care.

[mrkool]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

Lathrup Village,MI.
Olympia Fields,IL
Ladera Heights,CA
Baldwin Hills,CA
And those aren't the only ones.
By the way, there has been violence against African-Americans and in many cases, entire African-American populations in some areas have been driven out. Go read about it.

Hey, nice job finding the smallest and most high income black enclaves in the nation, as if their statistics prove that blacks don't commit a *very* disproportionate amount of violent crime.
I think we all know what the real statistics show, in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, St. Louis, L.A., New Orleans, etc., etc., etc.
What world do you live in that you could possibly be in denial about very high black crime rates, and that being a large part of the reason for "white flight"???

Now why don't YOU go read "The Color of Crime" by Dr. Jared Taylor???

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by mrkool

Hey, nice job finding the smallest and most high income black enclaves in the nation, as if their statistics prove that blacks don't commit a *very* disproportionate amount of violent crime.
I think we all know what the real statistics show, in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, St. Louis, L.A., New Orleans, etc., etc., etc.
What world do you live in that you could possibly be in denial about very high black crime rates, and that being a large part of the reason for "white flight"???

Now why don't YOU go read "The Color of Crime" by Dr. Jared Taylor???

I am aware that there is alot of crime being committed by African-Americans. With that said, many people are speaking as if African-Americans are naturally predisposed to committ crime, as if to suggest something is inherently wrong with African-Americans. I picked those places as proof that race is only a correllation. You have to ask "Why?" crime in the African-American community is in higher proportions. These areas have lower crime rates because African-Americans there have better economic circumstances. The cities you mentioned, well, those cities have high proportions of poverty among African-Americans and Olympia Fields is in Chicago and that area has a low crime rate. It is an affluent area.
BTW, Jared Taylor is a racialist. He isn't going to be biased. He isn't going to look at the history of why African-Americans are here and why things have turned out the way they have.
I am aware of the crime. With that said, white flight has been occuring because many White people didn't want African-Americans in their communities whether or not they were decent citizens. White flight had racial overtones when it started. Why else were many of the suburbs "off limits" to people of color until the 1960's?

[Sparrow_temp]

I'm one of those you apparently hate because I don't see how you can keep blaming the sins of the past for present behavior when those sins weren't even committed against you but your ancestors. The base problem is poverty and this is not a racial thing. The difference with the black population in general is that you treat it like it is -- that you're all being intentionally oppressed by the white population. By holding this belief, you can blame all your woes on somebody else rather than assuming responsibility for your own decisions/acts.

You mentioned segregation as being a huge problem of the past but the black population is self-segregating in Detroit and in a lot of other major urban areas. I think most of the US population is now beyond racial discrimination but I believe it is alive and well in most of the black population in Detroit. You want affirmative action so that you can somehow even the scales by discriminating against whites -- you're not against discrimination but rather just want to discriminate rather than being discriminated against. You want reparations for things that happened to those no longer alive from those that had nothing to do with the acts you want reparations for. You vote 90%+ Democrat in order to get more benefits via the government which generally means taking from working middle class Americans in order to continue funding the poverty cycle rather than trying to eliminate it.

If you want things to improve -- start fixing things from within. Don't vote for policies that don't work. Don't vote for corrupt leadership. Don't let bad behavior get rewarded. Don't promote racial discrimination in the forms of affirmative action or some reparation movement. Promote education as a roadmap out of poverty -- leave environments like Detroit if there are no opportunities. Integrate with the rest of society rather than celebrate the culture which keeps so many in the black community in poverty. Report those involved in the drug trade to the police rather than accept it as a viable career option. The police are not the enemy -- it's the criminal element (even if they're black).

Put me down as one of whom are content to let Detroit crumble to the ground. Make it so unliveable that the population distributes around the country and we can just bulldoze it block by block. Money is not the answer there due to the corrupt and incompetent local government. And now there's going to be less money due to the current economic recession and the collapsing auto industry. It's going to be the next New Orleans but the result of an economic disaster rather than a natural disaster.

I agree with you to some extent on the state of the national political parties. I'd love to see a breakup of both the Democrat and Republican parties. Maybe the Democrat/Socialists and the Republican/Conservative and strengthen the Libertarian party.

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

None of this is a shock to me. I have known that alot of people assume the Blacks are somehow inferior. Many people want to assume the worst about Blacks because it makes it easier to treat them badly. Some people would want to believe that because slavery was over, that things would automatically get better. I already know that the condition of African-Americans is a result of what happened in the past. I know that, you know that. The problem is that alot of people won't believe it, or don't want to believe it. The answer is clear, but many people would rather believe otherwise. In some cases, it is easier to believe otherwise because it is a pathology about control(man I am using that phrase alot). Reversing the effects of slavery and Jim Crow segregation requires alot more than just laws. Laws against discrimination are not enough anymore. You can't throw money at a problem, but investment is part of the requirement. It is going to require long-term investment. Reparations are actually a good idea. The Japanese got reparations for their suffering during World War II, not to mention an apology. The Aleutians had their land and property taken away from them during WWII. They were given reparations for it. African-Americans haven't gotten a thing for it. The 40 acres and mule thing didn't work because most former slaves weren't given that 40 acres and a mule they were promised. Some say the people who were slaves are already dead and therefore, useless. The reparations aren't useless. The reparations require alot of money and many people don't want to think about it. Any plan for reparations is opposed. I think this is the reason. Alot of the nation's wealth came from slavery. The ships that were built, the cotton that was pciked went to the factories in the Northern USA. Sugar cane from Louisiana was used for sugar and molasses manufacturing. Much of the American economy was built on slavery. After slavery was abolished, those persons who still had wealth from the slave economy, or benefited in some collateral way. Businesses were able to be started that way. If you didn't have money from before, there were other ways, if you were White. Reparations would require admitting that the biggest reason this country got wealthy was through slavery, and to give up that privilege, and the concept of privilege. Repaying African-Americans for basically leaching off of them, basically, some people scream socialism.
The Republican Party is known for reactionary politics. The Democratic Party isn't much better. What needs to happen is the formation of a new political party. The current parties are not enough and the Libertarian Party doesn't help much either. Some people would say to let the free market take care of that. The free market has been "taking care of that for 300 years" with no success. Some say if people discriminate, they'll lose money in the long run. It worked for the Montgomery bus boycott, but if a store does not want clientele of a certain ethnicity, there isn't much you can do if you are of that ethnicity, other than a lawsuit or getting everyone else to boycott the store. There needs to be a new political party that will focus on getting certain things done, such as keeping jobs in the country, and reversing the effects of discrimination and racism of the past. The Democratic Party might have a more socialist leaning, but it won't focus on the injustices done to people. There needs to be a political party that is focused on that.
Many people have been leaving Detroit nowadays because of the crime. Very few people are looking for solutions to solve the issues regarding crime. What has happened to Detroit is a product of yesteryear. "White flight" plaayed a part. People who could afford to leave went to the suburbs, taking their tax base with them. It started out as going out to the suburbs to get away from the city, and to get away from African-Americans. Race played a part. Why else were some suburbs "off limits" African-Americans? It was to get away from African-Americans by keeping them out. Why else is Livonia's African-American population so low for being such a large suburb? Fast forward to the riots. White flight sped up. While many were leaving to get away from crime, race played a part. When the restrictive covenant laws were declared illegal,many African-Americans who could go to the suburbs did. Where some African-Americans moved, some Whites left. Detroit is a case where the citizens who could leave did leave and the ones who couldn't leave were left in the quagmire. Dwindling tax base means fewer services, especially the important stuff, such as schools and police. The schools in Detroit have been getting bad for a reason. Police officers have been laid off. Fewer police to fight crime usually means the crime will get worse because there are fewer police to fight crime. Add to that the general distrust of the police, things do get worse. What Detroit needs is a combination of hardwork, tough love, and TLC. Unfortunately, alot of people are happy to just let the city crumble to the Pompeii of the West. Something can be done, but it is going to take long term investment and care.