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But it's become an epidemic in PG. There was a story in the Post a few years ago about single women buying large houses in the Bowie area and how some subdivisions are full of single women who are either mothers or just by themselves. Why is this a problem? Step into the classrooms in PG county and you notice that a majority of the schools have kids who come from these homes and do not get disciplined. Some of these kids do not see their parents until late in the evening and often engage themselves in things they should not. You also do not have someone who able to consistently get on these kids. It's just a mess. I would love for them to do a study in the PG/DC areas, but I believe single parent homes are hurting the development of some of these kids because many of them come from broken homes with rule issues and the school systems are not equip to deal with these type of problems.
I still think this a national black issue not one unique to PG county.
I did substitute teaching a few years ago. I was in the hood one day with the children of CEOS the next. It was an interesting job to say the least. I've spent some time with birlliant but ill behaved black boys and girls. Shucks I was the ill behaved boy from a single parent household. I don't think placing all the blame on single mothers is right or fair.
From the way you put it these single women are menaces that have no place in PG county. I'm not sure I can roll with that Mr. Quayle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pgtitans
Sorry to add on to your reading digest, but check this out. This gives you and terrence81 an idea of what I'm talking about.
Interesting articles. I bought the book by Connie Briscoe because of you. Thanks. Love reading from local authors.
However, I'm not sure the articles brought much clarity to your point which I feel attacks single mothers. The articles just talks black wealth in the DC area particularly PG county. There have been a large amount of articles written in the Washington Post about the matter.
The idea that a single woman would be unwelcomed in any kind of neighborhood seems very foreign to me. Yet PGTitans, you seem to be saying that a single woman is indeed unwanted in your neighborhood. Which is silly. If she can afford a whole house by herself good for her. I want a yard too for my hypothetical dog and for back yard bbqs or pool parties. Plenty of reasons why someone single might want a house versus a condo in the city.
I mean what do you propose is to be done with these single mothers and their rapscallion offspring?
I still think this a national black issue not one unique to PG county.
I did substitute teaching a few years ago. I was in the hood one day with the children of CEOS the next. It was an interesting job to say the least. I've spent some time with birlliant but ill behaved black boys and girls. Shucks I was the ill behaved boy from a single parent household. I don't think placing all the blame on single mothers is right or fair.
From the way you put it these single women are menaces that have no place in PG county. I'm not sure I can roll with that Mr. Quayle.
No, no, no. I'm not suggesting that at all. Unfortunately a LARGE PORTION of these women do not have control of their kids. I'm not completely blaming them. Boys need men. A woman cannot raise a man. It has been proven time and time again. The destruction of the black family has started with the absence of the black man. Black women are being given an almost impossible task to raise young boys that they simply cannot relate to. Unfortunately you see that quite frequently in this area. I'm not suggesting that this is not a national issue, but the point was that this area has one of the largest concentrations of 'black wealth' and it still has the same struggle. Anyone who is not from here often times assume that this area is immune to such issues because of the status of the people here. I'm just saying that this area is no different, even the wealthier kids have their issues and unfortunately a good portion of it comes from broken homes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by terrence81
Interesting articles. I bought the book by Connie Briscoe because of you. Thanks. Love reading from local authors.
However, I'm not sure the articles brought much clarity to your point which I feel attacks single mothers. The articles just talks black wealth in the DC area particularly PG county. There have been a large amount of articles written in the Washington Post about the matter.
The idea that a single woman would be unwelcomed in any kind of neighborhood seems very foreign to me. Yet PGTitans, you seem to be saying that a single woman is indeed unwanted in your neighborhood. Which is silly. If she can afford a whole house by herself good for her. I want a yard too for my hypothetical dog and for back yard bbqs or pool parties. Plenty of reasons why someone single might want a house versus a condo in the city.
I mean what do you propose is to be done with these single mothers and their rapscallion offspring?
I think you may be getting me confused with someone else. I have no idea who Connie Briscoe is.
Again I'm not here to attack single black mothers, I'm just stating something that is becoming abundantly clear. In some ways you can blame these mothers because there are some who feel as being a single mother is an excuse to let their child do what they want. Of course there are many exceptions to this and those mothers should be commended, but as I stated earlier, raising a child alone is not easy and poses issues for these kids.
I don't have a problem with single mothers and I don't have a problem with single mothers living in my neighborhood. As a matter of fact, my wife was raised by a single mother, my mother was mostly raised by a single mother. My issue isn't with single mothers, it's with single mother who do not discipline their children and allow them to do whatever. If you go and buy a huge house for you and your kids but you have to spend all day at work trying to make enough money to keep up with that house, to the point that your kids aren't being raised, then yes I have a problem with that. Heck I've seen the same thing from two parent homes. For me, I look at single women, especially in this article as a problem and bigger issue with black culture. We spend so much on material and unnecessary things that we do not do enough to take care of our family, especially our kids.
I know the articles didn't address single mothers in these neighborhood specifically but I've seen enough in my own experiences to start to ask where the priorities are. If you are in a McMansion, but you kids are acting like Bebe kids then yes I have a problem. I grew up in PG and grew up in a middle to upper middle class neighborhood and witnessed kids acting just like this and you know why? Because their parents are at work so they can make enough money to take care of house. Meanwhile junior or princess is going around the neighborhood having sex or using drugs. If you are going to live large make sure you can still be there to raise your kids, that's all I'm saying. Is that wrong to have that expectation?
No, no, no. I'm not suggesting that at all. Unfortunately a LARGE PORTION of these women do not have control of their kids. I'm not completely blaming them. Boys need men. A woman cannot raise a man. It has been proven time and time again. The destruction of the black family has started with the absence of the black man. Black women are being given an almost impossible task to raise young boys that they simply cannot relate to. Unfortunately you see that quite frequently in this area. I'm not suggesting that this is not a national issue, but the point was that this area has one of the largest concentrations of 'black wealth' and it still has the same struggle. Anyone who is not from here often times assume that this area is immune to such issues because of the status of the people here. I'm just saying that this area is no different, even the wealthier kids have their issues and unfortunately a good portion of it comes from broken homes.
I think you may be getting me confused with someone else. I have no idea who Connie Briscoe is.
Again I'm not here to attack single black mothers, I'm just stating something that is becoming abundantly clear. In some ways you can blame these mothers because there are some who feel as being a single mother is an excuse to let their child do what they want. Of course there are many exceptions to this and those mothers should be commended, but as I stated earlier, raising a child alone is not easy and poses issues for these kids.
I don't have a problem with single mothers and I don't have a problem with single mothers living in my neighborhood. As a matter of fact, my wife was raised by a single mother, my mother was mostly raised by a single mother. My issue isn't with single mothers, it's with single mother who do not discipline their children and allow them to do whatever. If you go and buy a huge house for you and your kids but you have to spend all day at work trying to make enough money to keep up with that house, to the point that your kids aren't being raised, then yes I have a problem with that. Heck I've seen the same thing from two parent homes. For me, I look at single women, especially in this article as a problem and bigger issue with black culture. We spend so much on material and unnecessary things that we do not do enough to take care of our family, especially our kids.
I know the articles didn't address single mothers in these neighborhood specifically but I've seen enough in my own experiences to start to ask where the priorities are. If you are in a McMansion, but you kids are acting like Bebe kids then yes I have a problem. I grew up in PG and grew up in a middle to upper middle class neighborhood and witnessed kids acting just like this and you know why? Because their parents are at work so they can make enough money to take care of house. Meanwhile junior or princess is going around the neighborhood having sex or using drugs. If you are going to live large make sure you can still be there to raise your kids, that's all I'm saying. Is that wrong to have that expectation?
Connie Briscoe is mentioned in like one sentence of the article. She wrote a soap opera type book about scandolous (thus far) folks in a fictional million dollar subdivision. Thus far its a like a black Jackie Collins moved to the DC suburbs. I love soap opera novels. The article wasn't about her but she's mentioned and I decided to download the book on my kindle/iphone.
I'm from a single parent household as well. My mother was pretty awesome. There were times when she worked two jobs, took care of her homebound dying mother, along with me, on top of that driving 90 miles to grad school after work. She graduated a month before my grandmother's death. I remember I got suspended and the school called my mom to come to get her son. She refused. "Mam' he's suspended you have to come get him and a minor can't check themselves out of school." "I'm busy at work. He's your problem." I thought it was hilarious. It was around this time that she started charging me from my allowance missed time from work and transportation (missed bus, detention).
I agree that men are needed in the household. Almost no one WANTS to be a single parent. A sense of obligation needs to be brought back into the culture. Don't make the children if you don't want to take care of them that goes for both mother and father. Also there are no consequences for ill behavior. Kids get in trouble at school and the parents are ready to discipline the teachers versus the child. I always feared the trouble that awaited me when I got home after yet another call to mom from school. Other folks had no fear because nothing would happen when they got home. Being suspended was a vacation whereas for me it was a day of chores.
People can't stop working though. If I was single with children I'd still rather raise them in Bowie or Fort Washington versus the District. You're saying that they shouldn't buy a big house in the suburbs if they're so busy working that they can't watch their children. That makes sense but a gal's gotta work. This is where the old proverb of raising a child "the way he should go and when he is old he will not part from it" comes into play. In today's modern world its hard (not impossible) to hold down a job and keep a watch on the child 24/7. I'd rather have my child home alone in Upper Marlboro or Waldorf than Anacostia or even Capitol Hill any day of the week.
The only solution would be going back to the days of housewives and women in the kitchen. Which sounds fine to me but isn't a realistic solution.
Last edited by terrence81; 05-01-2012 at 03:04 PM..
People can't stop working though. If I was single with children I'd still rather raise them in Bowie or Fort Washington versus the District. You're saying that they shouldn't buy a big house in the suburbs if they're so busy working that they can't watch their children. That makes sense but a gal's gotta work. This is where the old proverb of raising a child "the way he should go and when he is old he will not part from it" comes into play. In today's modern world its hard (not impossible) to hold down a job and keep a watch on the child 24/7. I'd rather have my child home alone in Upper Marlboro or Waldorf than Anacostia or even Capitol Hill any day of the week.
The only solution would be going back to the days of housewives and women in the kitchen. Which sounds fine to me but isn't a realistic solution.
I don't disagree with where to raise them, but these places also have townhouses and condos. It's possible to put your child in a good place without getting a McMansion. Everybody will make their choices.
By the way, that was a very nice story about your mom. Those are the type of moms that should be commended for the hard work that they do. It's very sad how tough things have gotten for families.
Back on topic. On the Virginia side there seems to be an influx in Prince William county particularly Woodbridge and Manassas.
Yes Prince William County definitely has quite a bit. Particularly in the Dale City area and some in the Lake Ridge area. In the Manassas area they are more in the city of Manassas. Unfortunately these areas, with the exception of Lake Ridge, aren't great areas. Another area in this region with a large black population is Alexandria and I've heard Germantown, MD has a sizable black population too.
Yes Prince William County definitely has quite a bit. Particularly in the Dale City area and some in the Lake Ridge area. In the Manassas area they are more in the city of Manassas. Unfortunately these areas, with the exception of Lake Ridge, aren't great areas. Another area in this region with a large black population is Alexandria and I've heard Germantown, MD has a sizable black population too.
Well don't write off Manassas. A lot of people do that. Manassas covers a HUGE area. The Bull Run area of Manassas off 66 is decent. I had a cousin in a McMansion off Hoadley. He moved to Woodbridge though. Where in Woodbridge I'm not sure. That was too much house for a family of four anyways. Beautiful lot with tons of trees. I love nature.
I'm not sure where I heard it but I've heard that Stafford is becoming popular. Also Loudoun county experienced like a 1000% increase in black population over the past decade. I was really surprised to see a barbershop inside the urbanwear store in Dulles Town Center. There's a black barbershop in Sterling that my roommate was telling me about but I've never been.
I don't disagree with where to raise them, but these places also have townhouses and condos. It's possible to put your child in a good place without getting a McMansion. Everybody will make their choices.
By the way, that was a very nice story about your mom. Those are the type of moms that should be commended for the hard work that they do. It's very sad how tough things have gotten for families.
Yes but will it make a difference in the long run whether Parent A bought a McMansion or a townhouse? I guess you're saying that by living in the townhouse Parent B is not working as hard and shorter hours than Parent A. I think this is too much of a generalization. It depends on the job. I've had jobs where you better put in your hours and then there are jobs like the one I have now which is currently really flexible. I make more with this flexible job than any of my strict jobs.
Oh and thanks. Me and mom have our issues but she has definitely worked very hard to ensure that I had an easier life than she. Mother's day is coming up so I guess I'll do some commending.
Well don't write off Manassas. A lot of people do that. Manassas covers a HUGE area. The Bull Run area of Manassas off 66 is decent. I had a cousin in a McMansion off Hoadley. He moved to Woodbridge though. Where in Woodbridge I'm not sure. That was too much house for a family of four anyways. Beautiful lot with tons of trees. I love nature.
I'm not sure where I heard it but I've heard that Stafford is becoming popular. Also Loudoun county experienced like a 1000% increase in black population over the past decade. I was really surprised to see a barbershop inside the urbanwear store in Dulles Town Center. There's a black barbershop in Sterling that my roommate was telling me about but I've never been.
Yes, I stayed out in Manassas briefly. There are some good and bad parts of Manassas. Some black people don't like Manassas because of the history of slavery and Civil War there, but honestly I loved living there. It was great. I was really surprised to see they had several black barber shops out there which is a clear indicator of the population.
I know about the Hoardly part. It is very nice over there. I'm about to move my family down to Lake Ridge which is a few lights away from that area. If you like nature, then yeah that area is nice. Most of PWC, with the exception of the most Western Part (Bristow and Gainesville) have a lot of black people. I like that because when you are there, you don't feel like you are just around black people, but you also don't feel like a pioneer, if you know what I mean. It's a good balance of races and culture down there.
As far as Loudoun, not surprised. Sterling has a decent sized black population. And Stafford does too. Both of them have good mix of population. If you really want to go that far out too Fredericksburg has a large number of black people. It just depends on how close adio wants to be to DC. Nothing is going to compare to Mitchellville/Lake Arbor as far as being a black enclave, but there are some nice places with large black populations in this region.
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