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Your last line is critical. I've seen that too much in my own extended family. Heck, it was a critical point in my own life.
When I started my journalism curriculum in college in the early 70s, my mother's comment was, "That's nice, but what are you going to do for a living?" And she was right, and I realized it pretty quickly back then.
But a whole lot of my generation of black Boomers hadn't figured it out even for their own Millennial children. Nor have the black Boomer politicians and educators figured it out.
Most people simply do not get college degrees. The average for Americans is only 30%, down to 20% among blacks even today, only as high as 40% even among Asians.
Moreover, most people who get college degrees can't get and won't get the lucrative STEM degrees. Sorry, those degrees do require higher than average learning ability...and most people are not "higher than average."
My viewpoint is about the same as Mike Rowe's. We black Boomers have got to get off this trip that a college degree is the only way out of unemployment. There ain't no shame in being a fully employed electrician who owns your own company.
Quote:
Originally Posted by InformedConsent
Excellent!
Call an electrician or a plumber for an issue and you'll quickly see just how lucrative such an endeavor can be. They're skilled tradesmen and if they own their own business, are handsomely financially rewarded for that fact.
Agreed. Agreed. We are too focus on college degrees in this country. Everyone isn't made to do that. I know people who have had successful careers without college degrees. I certainly do not regret the degrees that I have earned, but I definitely believe I would have went about it much different. The amount of debt you accrue going to college is very challenging. If so many people are encouraged to go to college but they do not have the heart to do it, then it will cost them in the end. Some times it's better to be that electrician with your own business and no debt than to go to college, struggle and have to pay student loans.
Agreed. Agreed. We are too focus on college degrees in this country. Everyone isn't made to do that. I know people who have had successful careers without college degrees. I certainly do not regret the degrees that I have earned, but I definitely believe I would have went about it much different. The amount of debt you accrue going to college is very challenging. If so many people are encouraged to go to college but they do not have the heart to do it, then it will cost them in the end. Some times it's better to be that electrician with your own business and no debt than to go to college, struggle and have to pay student loans.
It still takes a good quality K-12 education to have enough knowledge to pursue a skilled tradesman career and to manage one's own business. In that regard, school vouchers can be of an immense help. We already know they significantly positively affect the outcomes of college-bound Black students, but what many don't realize is that those same enhanced acquired K-12 academic skills will help those pursuing a career in any of the skilled trades, and particularly those who wish to own their own business.
Its amusing that Democrats, who craft legislation around the assumption that Blacks are inferior and can't compete without help from White people, escape all criticism and claims of racism when the policies they design are horribly racist.
But somehow Republicans are racist because they want to treat Blacks equally? Oh yeah, there are a few racists in the Republican party and somehow that means all Republicans are racist. But there are also racists in the Democrat party, but somehow they're immune from criticism. Republican racism is hatred; Democrat racism is based on good intentions.
Indeed both parties are turning a deaf ear toward the Blacks. One can only play the "victim" for so long. We gave them 35 years (a generation) of Affirmative Action and other legislative boosts to prod them into lifting themselves up and joining into the rest of society. We tire of their constant whining and protesting. Indeed, the Republicans know they will never secure the Black vote while the Democrats know they will have their votes forever. There is no longer any need for either party to coddle them any further.
Oh brother! Another thread with white conservatives trying to analyze black folks... To answer your question. Nope!!!
But I already know you're not going to believe that and you will attempt to divid and conquer... But you should realize black folks already understand the arguments of white nationalism...
.... what do Democrats have to do to earn votes they will likely receive anyway and what do Republicans need to do when many of their thoughts aren't even considered? Same thing can be said about independent party members. It just seems like the power of the black population has become obsolete.
Black voters are a monolithic block. Democrats don't have to do anything to win the black vote because 90-95% of these voters will pull the Democratic lever no matter what. What power does that give this voting group in the political process? None.
Independents vote Rep or Dem, depending on the candidate. These swing voters really decide elections and are the most influencial voters in presidential elections. Issues, not party, matter to them.
The entire country has made itself politically irrelevant, not just black people. Obama is the same crony corporatist technocrat as Dubyah, just less willing to enforce his cronyism by force of arms. Like every President since Wilson, he has weaponized various departments and agencies to promote his particular brand of tyranny. And that's just the Executive Branch.
The Legislative branch hasn't passed a budget since 2006. The difference between the Obama, Reid and Ryan budgets is like 3%, meaning no matter where you turn, the American citizen is getting buttjammed in order to enrich the political class. Vote Democrat, vote Republican, and it doesn't make a dime's worth of difference. Through it all, both parties excel at making the citizens blame each other for stuff none of us ahd anything to do with. No Democrat voted for Obama hoping he'd keep Gitmo open, perpetuate tha Afghanistan war, wreck every gain made in the Iraq war, start a new war in Libya, become a puppet for Immelt and other billionaire Democrat backers, and vacation/golf/fundraise while our southern frontier is in shambles. He didn't campaign that way, he just governs that way. Nobody voted for Dubyah because they really wanted SS to continue being broken, or because they felt two huge new intrusions (NCLB and Medicare-D) plus the retarded 2001 steel tariff were all banner ideas.
We are ALL politically irrelevant because all of our political class, minus literally a handful of people at any level, campaign one way and then govern completely differently, most always at our collective expense of increased suffering. And we keep thinking the next vote, the next election, blah blah...that'll turn it around for us.
Been entirely too long since the tree of liberty got its proper nourishment, and that's a fact. Nobody's vote matters minus picking which tyrant will oppress or ignore you.
It does seems that the one group most disenfranchised by illegal mexican/ central american immigration are blacks. Ironically though it's white conservatives who complain the most about illegal immigration. Labor and low skill jobs that once went to blacks now go to hispanics both legal and illegal. Neighborhoods that were once predominantly black are turning hispanic. Schools that were once mostly black are now mostly ESL.
Lower middle to upper middle class whites and asians have nothing to fear from illegal immigration in terms of job security or even safety since they isolate themselves from neighborhoods where they live. In fact they get cheap lawn care, nannies and produce out of the deal. It's the lower socio-economic wrungs that are being rapidly replaced and pushed aside.
As far as political clout, the race card is still a pretty powerful card to play so I can see being AA helping particular politicans in the right circumstances. But the black birthrate is consistently going down (more black babies are aborted than born every year in NYC) and the hispanic birthrate, especially among recent immigrants, is higher than any other counted group in the country. In terms of numbers hispanics will be the majority soon, but, they tend to be politically apathetic.
Worst case scenario for blacks I see them relegated to a small politically irrelevant, but government dependent, group like native americans. That's the worst case though and hopefully it won't come to that.
It does seems that the one group most disenfranchised by illegal mexican/ central american immigration are blacks. Ironically though it's white conservatives who complain the most about illegal immigration.
It's not ironic at all. That should be a HUGE clue as to who is really looking out for Black-Americans' best interest. Duh.
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