Pittsburgh segregated and racist? (Republic: unemployed, quality of life, taxes)

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by MissShona

"Responsibility" is subjective; very much so. Being poor and black takes points away from the "responsibility factor" many people hold. Being rich and/or non-minority adds to it.

Nevermind the fact that I know of a few filthy rich people here in Miami Beach who's children are being raised by a revolving door of illegal immigrants and who get into all sorts of trouble with the law (like my one client's 17 year-old son that was arrested for driving intoxicated on the wrong side of the road). But don't worry -- they can afford good lawyers and whatever fine the courts can throw their way....it's not a problem.

Plus this is the year 2007; sex is more "mainstream" than ever. 13 year old girls are well versed in sexual positions & techniques (my ex was a school psychologist for Miami-Dade county schools...he's overheard their conversations with each other....in middle school, about oral sex). So how can you expect for younger people (and I assume it would be more of these "younger" people with the "responsibility" problems) to make an informed choice about something that is super "ho-hum" nowadays? That's not fair...and it's not real. Our "modern" culture thinks it's cute and cool for kids to "dance sexy" but they are just supposed to "say no to sex" until they are "responsible". Yeah right.

So shake your finger and head all you want at these "unfortunate breeders"; but in the meantime, their children are here, and they should get a fair shot. My own mother was in 9th grade when I was born...she wasn't even old enough to work. But she found...and later I found...resources to get me onto a positive path. Teenage pregnancy is not going away. So while people are turning their heads, innocent kids have to pay the price.

Having children comes with no requirement other than having a functioning reproductive system. It's natural to want to procreate. How are there too many people in the world with all that empty space up in Canada and out in Montana? And I thought people were whining about the population slump in Pittsburgh? I think we'll be ok for a little while.

And this is a thread on racism; so I assumed the comment was in reference to the minorities being discussed (Black people). My apologies if that was not understood correctly.

I'm just stating that no one should be having children, or having sex, if they aren't prepared for the responsibilities of doing so.

Just because there is more land that we haven't stolen from the rest of the animal and plant species, doesn't mean we should continue growing. that is irresponsible. we are THE invasive species. just like other animals don't live EVERYWHERE, neither should we. what are you going to do once the world runs out of water? complain to the government? because thats what is done now when anyone has a problem. guess what, they aren't going to be able to help when there isn't enough food or water for everyone. but we are almost at that point now. people need to stop caring about themselves and start caring about their species and the world as a whole.

i don't care if you are black, white, green, or orange, this relates to every human in existance.

its too bad more people don't believe in personal responsibility.

[Katarina Witt]

Both the teen pregnancy rate and the teen birth rate have been going down for years, for all races. Likewise, the percentage of teens who have sex at a given age is dropping. Everyone can give lots of anecdotal evidence about irresponsible teens, whether they are black, white or hispanic in all its varieties.

We are supposed to be discussing whether Pittsburgh is racist. I think MissShona has given us a very good picture of her own experience growing up in Pgh. I agree with some of what she says, especially the part about people from McKeesport who have never been to the West End.

I know when I was a child, there were businesses in Beaver Falls where blacks were not welcome. There were neighborhoods were blacks were not "allowed" to live. I believe this has pretty much changed now, but there is still this legacy of racism. FWIW, I don't think it was much different anywhere else in the 50s and 60s.

[claremarie]

But I'm sorry, I think the toughest single "type" of spirit in the United States lives in the Black American woman; followed very closing by Hispanic women. Because in spite of the bad rep and the constant uphill battles...they do what they need to do.

I'm sorry, what black women need to do is to STOP having children out of wedlock. Some 70% of black babies are born to unwed mothers. Those children are far more likely than children born to married couples to drop out of high school, commit crimes, spend time in prison, and become single parents themselves. And the cycle of poverty continues.

In this country, poverty is largely the result of destructive personal decisions, and the decision to have sex outside marriage is one of the most destructive (and avoidable) personal decisions one can make. (The others being the decision to drop out of high school and to take drugs).

[Drover]

Originally Posted by MissShona

What an offensive entry. Although what you say 'may' be true, that is not the hypocritical reality that we live in. I guess it's ok to bring babies into this world if you're rich and still be a bad parent, right? Look at Brittney Spears. In spite of all her proven shortcomings as a mother....we still gobble up her "art" and push her singles up to the charts. Yet a poor, Black woman who works 2 minimum wage jobs gets pregnant and it is she who is the dreg of society. Unreal.

Really? When's the last time Britney charted a single? When's the last time she was taken seriously as an artist and people "gobbled up" her art? Was it before or after it became obvious that she sucks at life? As far as I can tell, the only celebrity who gets run down more than Britney these days is Paris Hilton.

[MissShona]

Originally Posted by Drover

Really? When's the last time Britney charted a single? When's the last time she was taken seriously as an artist and people "gobbled up" her art? Was it before or after it became obvious that she sucks at life? As far as I can tell, the only celebrity who gets run down more than Britney these days is Paris Hilton.

The following article was posted 13 hours ago...

VOA News - Britney Spears' New Single Reaches No. 3 on Pop Chart; Madonna Among 2008 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees (http://www.voanews.com/english/Entertainment/2007-10-05-voa60.cfm - broken link)

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by MissShona

The following article was posted 13 hours ago...

VOA News - Britney Spears' New Single Reaches No. 3 on Pop Chart; Madonna Among 2008 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees (http://www.voanews.com/english/Entertainment/2007-10-05-voa60.cfm - broken link)

Thats just because its so ridiculously awful people can't help but watch. Like a train crash.

[Dorian]

Originally Posted by claremarie

Plus this is the year 2007; sex is more "mainstream" than ever. 13 year old girls are well versed in sexual positions & techniques (my ex was a school psychologist for Miami-Dade county schools...he's overheard their conversations with each other....in middle school, about oral sex). So how can you expect for younger people (and I assume it would be more of these "younger" people with the "responsibility" problems) to make an informed choice about something that is super "ho-hum" nowadays? That's not fair...and it's not real. Our "modern" culture thinks it's cute and cool for kids to "dance sexy" but they are just supposed to "say no to sex" until they are "responsible". Yeah right.

Yeah, right. People who are not prepared to be parents should not be having sex. Period. That includes, especially but not exclusively, 13 year old children of any race. Children cannot be expected to be "responsible" about making the "decision" to have sex. Most of them can't even be responsible for getting up on time, picking up their socks, or remembering their homework. If 13 year olds are "well-versed" in sexual positions, that is the fault of their parents.

Having a child before you finish high school is a virtual guarantee of poverty for both mother and child. It's pretty easy NOT to become pregnant if you're smart enough not to have sex when you can't even be responsible for yourself, much less a helpless baby.

Okay I got to object to this, lets get it straight I am sick of people trying to act like this "teen pregnancy" is some new phenomenom when in fact it has been going on for many many generations. Show me a family and I will show you a great granmother or a granmoter or an aunt etc. who got preganant when they were a teenager. I thing the past generations just thought they made situations right by getting married which didn't fix anything, in fact it probably made things worse(note the high divorce rate). Another thing is why do people assoicate young parents with crime? I didn't know that crime was a characteristic of teens that have kids. LOL. Miss Shonda I agree with alot of what you said, it's like people see a black teenage girl pushing a stroller down the street and all of a sudden property value drops. Also, the thing about people being stuck in pockets i agree most people from the east side of town always live on the east side, and I notice, living here in the south of the county, that most people who live on this side of town are from here or from the north hills(people with the same social status and usually race too.) and thats how they like it.

[MissShona]

Originally Posted by Dorian

Miss Shonda I agree with alot of what you said, it's like people see a black teenage girl pushing a stroller down the street and all of a sudden property value drops. Also, the thing about people being stuck in pockets i agree most people from the east side of town always live on the east side, and I notice, living here in the south of the county, that most people who live on this side of town are from here or from the north hills(people with the same social status and usually race too.) and thats how they like it.

Thank you . But my name has no "d" in it...it's just Shona . Strangly, I get that a lot (not quite sure why); lots of people put a "d" in there.

[claremarie]

Okay I got to object to this, lets get it straight I am sick of people trying to act like this "teen pregnancy" is some new phenomenom when in fact it has been going on for many many generations. Show me a family and I will show you a great granmother or a granmoter or an aunt etc. who got preganant when they were a teenager. I thing the past generations just thought they made situations right by getting married which didn't fix anything, in fact it probably made things worse(note the high divorce rate).

What is a "new pheonomenon" is the appalling rate of births out of wedlock, many to women who are no longer teenagers. Children born to single mothers start out life well behind their peers who are born to married couples, and many (perhaps most) of them never catch up.
Out of wedlock births have been increasing in all racial groups, but it is a particular problem in the black community.
What past generations seemed to understand is that children need both a mother and a father, and that 15 year olds should not be having sex.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Dorian

Okay I got to object to this, lets get it straight I am sick of people trying to act like this "teen pregnancy" is some new phenomenom when in fact it has been going on for many many generations. Show me a family and I will show you a great granmother or a granmoter or an aunt etc. who got preganant when they were a teenager.

There are no teen pregnancies in my family's past history on either side of the family.

Originally Posted by Dorian

Another thing is why do people assoicate young parents with crime? I didn't know that crime was a characteristic of teens that have kids. LOL.

It's a characteristic of children raised by single mothers. The children generally do not have as much supervision as children raised by two parents.