Zimmerman Charged with Murder in the 2nd Degree. Justice!

[TypeO]

TypeO, once again your 100% correct...as was Bill O'Reily...or at least, I feel that way. While I don't have nearly the amount if time that you have to collect my thoughts and write a lengthy statement such as many of yours, I feel the EXACT same way. You are not alone in your mindset and feelings on this "touchy" subject. Many people, including some hard working, decent black folks share your pain.

Thanks, my man.

I get fairly involved, at times, for sure.

But I do feel pretty passionate about this particular subject.

[Disco Duck]

So we agree that it's cultural and not "access to birth control" as Sag said?

It's both. Btw, I wasn't speaking only of African-American women and teens when I brought up female passivity and neediness. I've observed this behavior in women and girls of several races. It's only one of the reasons why females won't insist their male partners use condoms. However, it takes two to tango. Far too many men and teenage boys believe they shouldn't HAVE to use condoms or take on any of the responsibility of preventing unwanted pregnancy. I've observed this across races and social class as well.

Race plays two roles in this issue. The first has to do with access. African-Americans, in general, are poorer and less likely to have health insurance than white Americans. The most effective birth control methods that women control themselves require a prescription. That means a visit to the doctor followed by at stop at the drugstore. Some low income women and teens can get contraceptives through community health centers or Planned Parenthood. Other's aren't so lucky.

The second role race plays in the teen pregnancy problem is all about culture, but not in the way most white Americans think. IMO, African-American parents are more strict and controlling with their kids. I'm speaking in generalities so of course there are exceptions. However, in general, responsible African-American parents allow their children less autonomy than white Americans.

IMO, the problem with this authoritarian parenting style is that it hampers communication between parent and child. As a result, African-American parents often have no idea what their kids are really up to until all hell breaks loose.

Take one African-American single mother. Add a 15 year old daughter and her father to the mix. The mother and father may or may not have been married. The mother is resourceful, responsible and a hard worker. The father is charming but irresponsible. He loves his baby girl and spoils her so the mother always has to play the heavy. The mother, through her hard work and resourcefulness, provides for her family without government assistance. However, she is often exhausted and stressed out by all her responsibilities. She and her daughter clash as teenage girls and their mothers often do. She won't let the daughter date until she is 16. For once, the father backs her up. The daughter thinks this is unfair. There is this really cool senior at her high school who has let her know that he likes her. He's 18, more mature than boys her age. He even has a car! She starts seeing him behind her parents' back. When he starts pressuring her for sex, she can't go to her mother for advice because she thinks her mother will go ballistic and ground her for a year. When she misses her first period, she's too scared to tell her mother. By the time she works up the nerve to confide in her mother, she's four months pregnant. Unfortunately, this isn't a rare scenario.

[Walter]

Too many times it's (pregnancy) unfortunately about - "this way I'll keep my man" or looking for that "unconditional love" that is so desired (from the child). My sister is......both.

[Disco Duck]

Too many times it's (pregnancy) unfortunately about - "this way I'll keep my man"

I've seen this as well. Usually it's with women and girls whose own fathers were either not around at all or unreliable. It's also a common plot device in television soap operas. In the soap operas, the father usually "does the right thing" and marries the mother. It rarely works out that way in real life.

[zeppy668]

Of course Steve, that makes sense for one simple reason, access to birth control and cultural reasons. Urban blacks do not have the access to birth control and abortions like their white counterparts and among hispanics, both birth control and abortion are taboo.

That's bullshit. There are Trojans in corner stores everywhere (no, I'm not talking about white-suburbia). The problem is a majority of young black males don't care about contraception because they don't have fathers explaining to them the importance of contraception and in turn, they turn to a rap culture that glorifies disrespecting women.

But the point is, what I said earlier and what was in the O'Reilly video wasn't "Hey buddy, your kid is a snot nosed little asshole juvenile delinquent and causes trouble in my neighborhood, keep your kid outta my block...oh, and fuck you too since you raised the little shit stain."

It was simple, honest straight talk that is what's necessary to have the "conversations" on race relations the country needs.

But that simple, honest straight talk goes through the Privileged White Cracker filter that many African-Americans refuse to disable from their operating system, and it ends up sounding like, "Hey buddy, your kid is a snot nosed little asshole juvenile delinquent and causes trouble in my neighborhood, keep your kid outta my block...oh, and fuck you too since you raised the little shit stain" to them.

And that is simply Not. My. Fucking. Fault.

Just like the addict has to suck it up and recognize he's a mess when the intervention kicks in.

I'm not sure you realize the person I am.

My wife is Black.

My 3 kids are Black.

And yes, technically they are mixed, but what I completely and clearly understand is that if they are stopped by police, or filling out a job application, they are fucking Black.

And my wife isn't some bourgie, spoiled BAP, with a taste for white boys, either.

She grew up with a single mother, starting in the projects.

She votes Democratic.

And we had a falling out on election night 2008, because she couldn't understand why I couldn't put politics aside and just be happy a Black man was elected President.

I am one of the most racially-aware white people you could imagine.

When so many white people complain about Black History Month and say stupid shit like, "If there was a White History Month, that would be racist!", I understand that every month for the last 400 fucking years was White History Month.

People used to say to me, "you never told me your wife/girlfriend was Black!", and I would say, "why would I?"

I'm a hell of a lot more understanding of Black culture and the Black Community than the vast majority of White people in this country.

What I'm NOT, is an apologist.

History was a motherfucker.

But wallowing in it isn't going to get these young Black males off the streets, get them an education, and get them careers.

The Black Community has to fix itself.

And all those things O'Reilly said are dead-on, nail-on-the-head, accurate and true.

Bitching about the fact that O'Reilly said it is the same stubborn bullshit that has people screaming Justice For Trayvon.

Black people should be pissed off that it took O'Reilly to finally say something real, instead of more placating, victimized bullshit from most Black "leaders" starting at Obama and going down the line.

Black people should be screaming at Jay-Z and Lil Wayne to stop glorifying the thug life, and cashing in on young black lives to sell fucking records.

THAT would be Justice For Trayvon.

THAT would have more of an impact at preventing the next Trayvon from dying.

Just yesterday, a 20-something black male who, as it turned out, was wanted for murder in the next county, showed up at a probation office here and shot a female probation officer.

He ended up getting shot to death by police.

A local radio talk show host made a comment to the effect of he was glad he was dead.

And then this stupid motherfucker -

wrote the following on the talk show host's Facebook page -

"If i see u in public any were im slap da shyt out u on air bitch ass craccer...i dnt give a fucc bout no police...g.b.i.f.b.i. whoever dey can get it to."

So he was arrested and charged with making threats.

So, big surprise, what do you think practically every single Black person responded with?

You got it.

What a bunch of bullshit that was to arrest him.

The talk show host shouldn't have said that about that guy who was killed.

This is the same bullshit when there's crime and nobody cooperates with Police because snitches get stitches.

This is the same bullshit when a young black male participates in class and gets good grades, he's ridiculed for acting white.

My son is going through that shit right now.

And it's infuriating.

So sorry, I'm not going to sit back and remain quiet when it's QUOTE time to have real discussions about race relations, and all they want to talk about is the past.

I'm not interested in parsing through the individual granules of our nation's history.

I get it.

Right now, it's time to talk about the present and the future.

Again, many white people WANT Black people to become successful, productive members of society.

The people who DON'T want that are the establishment Democratic Party who count on broken black families raised by single mothers dependent on the Government.

THOSE are the votes they can count on come hell or high water.

Should those single mothers get married, create a stable, 2-parent home with a male role model to help raise and teach young black males how to be a man, they would have less and less need for government assistance, and actually start becoming self-sufficient.

And that's the votes the establishment Democratic Party CAN'T count on, because suddenly, they don't NEED all the handouts anymore.

Why do you think immigration is the new hot-button issue?

Because there's a whole new crop of votes they can count on.

Guaranteed votes for the guys who made it legal for them to be here and start getting all this free shit.

This tangent has been identified, so this is a good place to stop.

Excellent post. I disagree with O'Reilly on a lot of issues, even though I would classify myself as a Rockefeller-Republican (extinct), but he was spot on the other night. I watched it and couldn't believe he went there because NO ONE goes there. I'm glad he did because the conversation is where it should be now.

I do have a personal question for you. You mention that you're son is having to deal with the clashing culture of excelling in school while facing ridicule for it. As a parent, what do you tell him? (If too personal, I completely understand and do apologize).

That's a whole other discussion. IMO, everyone should use condoms when they have sex outside of a committed, monogamous relationship. However, getting some men to use condoms is like pulling teeth. It requires assertiveness and a willingness to kick a guy to the curb if he won't comply. You would be surprised at how many ADULT women won't do this. IMO, it's usually because they're too needy and too desperate to hold onto the guy. Thus they tolerate disrespectful and inconsiderate behavior.

Then you have the women who instinctively defer to men even when their inner voice is telling them it's a bad idea. If I were Empress of America, all sex education courses would spend devote some time to teaching kids how to talk honestly and respectfully with their partners about boundaries, contraceptives, etc. They would also discuss what a healthy, mutually respectful, romantic relationship looks and feels like because some people just have no clue.

Men wear condoms. I hate to break it to you. Men who don't wear condoms likely don't because the woman is ok with it, whether they are married, together or just trustworthy enough.

I agree sex education is crucial. That's why having socially conservative politicians defund sex-ed programs is immoral and counter productive. That goes for abortion too. I don't support abortion but I support a woman's right to choose. Why have a child you can't afford to feed when you yourself can't afford to eat? And who ends up paying for that child? The government.....i.e. WE the taxpayers. Funny, social conservatives 'care about life' until its born. Then it's immediately on it's own. Hypocrisy at it's finest.

[TypeO]

I do have a personal question for you. You mention that you're son is having to deal with the clashing culture of excelling in school while facing ridicule for it. As a parent, what do you tell him? (If too personal, I completely understand and do apologize).

It's a challenge.

He's in gifted classes but doesn't want to be, because of the peer pressure.

So he clowns and cuts up, and also gets smart-assed with teachers sometimes, even though he gets hammered for it when we get called about it.

Hate to stereotype, but older (40+, and especially 50+), white women teachers ALWAYS have a problem with him.

He doesn't have a bad attitude, but he has a confidence about himself that older white women find insufferable.

He tends to embrace the whole swagg persona, which to them comes off as smart-assed and uppity.

Many times it's not even from him actually saying anything, just the way he looks at them.

And we had an older, redneck white woman who was the bus driver, and she went absolutely ballistic about him and got him kicked off the bus.

(I've attached the discipline report she turned in below.)

The scribbling all over it reveals a kind of loss of control that seems out of place for an adult referencing a child - I believe he had just turned 13 at the time.

We had to get a waiver for the kids to ride the bus, we were a block outside the school zone where the bus stopped.

Once she found that out, she was on a mission to have the waiver revoked, which she eventually did.

It just shows how thoroughly he is able to get under some people's skin.

And it's pretty subtle.

He's just got a way of looking that pushes people's buttons.

If you look at the form, in the middle she mentions another kid named Ryan.

This was a white kid who didn't like Devin and would sit behind him and kick his seat from behind to annoy Devin, which he reported to her.

Yet on the form, she stated Devin caused Ryan to "have outbursts on the bus".

She blamed Devin for Ryan's outbursts, but held Devin responsible for his own conduct - a clear double-standard.

But yes, it's a challenge.

Mostly I explain that regardless of what he thinks about teachers, bus drivers, other kids, etc., school is his job, and he has to adapt to teachers who don't like him or whatever, because that's how it is in the real world.

I also try to get him to understand (with confirmation from his older brother who has already finished high school) that even though it seems like a big deal now, and it seems so important to try to impress people at school, most of these people he knows that give him crap about being smart he'll barely remember 5 years after he graduates.

And that some of them will end up dead or in jail for continuing to make the same kinds of poor decisions in life that they are already making as early teens in school.

It's not easy, but it's necessary.

And definitely worth it.

[Rock Historian]

That's bullshit. There are Trojans in corner stores everywhere (no, I'm not talking about white-suburbia). The problem is a majority of young black males don't care about contraception because they don't have fathers explaining to them the importance of contraception and in turn, they turn to a rap culture that glorifies disrespecting women.

Excellent post. I disagree with O'Reilly on a lot of issues, even though I would classify myself as a Rockefeller-Republican (extinct), but he was spot on the other night. I watched it and couldn't believe he went there because NO ONE goes there. I'm glad he did because the conversation is where it should be now.

[JP78]

i think religion is a problem also. don't catholics oppose not only abortion , but birth control ? i don't think there is anything wrong with abortion and don't think anyone has to feel bad about getting it.

this is why i'm opposed to things like parental notification when it comes to things like birth control and abortion.

[Sagittarius Rising]

That's bullshit. There are Trojans in corner stores everywhere (no, I'm not talking about white-suburbia). The problem is a majority of young black males don't care about contraception because they don't have fathers explaining to them the importance of contraception and in turn, they turn to a rap culture that glorifies disrespecting women.

I guess you have not been with very many women in your life so I will excuse your base ignorance. The fact is, white women know men are full of shit, they heard it all from, "oh no baby, I'll pull out, don't worry" to "no problem sweetie, I got that jimmy hat right here" which of course translates into "fuck that, I'll pump her a few times with the skin suit on and then pull it off, she won't notice shit." So, white women use something called birth control because when pregnancy comes, unlike those bullshit sitcoms, there is no "we" in pregnant. Unlike white women, many minorities do not have access to REAL birth control, that is, the pill. Disco makes an excellent point on this. Middle class white girl goes to doctor, gets prescription. Working poor black girl cannot afford birth control pill and thus is more likely to get pregnant. Now regarding the Latinas' out there, for many it is religious thing and they are very family oriented and the kids are taken care of by the parents.

[Sagittarius Rising]

But we can't live in a constant state of "it wasn't that long ago", either.

I currently live in Augusta, Georgia, which has a nasty history of racism and racial injustice.

Around 2003 or so, my wife and I were featured in a story in the local paper when they were doing a series on race relations and looking to move forward.

As a result, we were invited to a panel discussion / dinner hosted by the newspaper and attended by local pols, educators, etc., who were known for their involvement in race issues.

In no time at all, they were recalling when the town printed a separate section for the black community, the incidents of segregation, etc.

Many, including myself, did a collective facepalm.

It's a known fact.

It's not a secret, nor has it been for a long, long time.

So constantly referring back to it only mires efforts towards progress.

It's like a massive anchor that many people insist on dragging along as time continues to pass.

It's a lot like the principle behind forgiveness.

When you finally decide to forgive, you drop that 100 pound sack of bitterness and anger you've been hauling around across your shoulders all the time.

Now, please don't mistake this analogy as though I'm suggesting black people forgive everything.

I'm just saying at some point you have to say "We know things were fucked up in the past, but we need to take action NOW to better our community."

We've had all those boxes of files (past injustices) we haul around everywhere we move.

We scan them into digital files (civil rights, affirmative action and other policies that have been enacted) that aren't as physically bulky, but take up a lot of room on our hard drive (memories and experiences).

Let's take all those files, compress them into a zip file and save it on a thumb drive.

You have them so the past is never forgotten, but you've freed up a lot more room to consider and act on progress.

Maybe a little clumsy for an analogy, but the point is valid.

And here's something that many will find hard to believe.

I have been considering for some time now some kind of method for reparations.

There would have to be a cut-off date, anyone born after a particular date would not be eligible.

They would have to be 21 years old minimum.

And there would have to be a set amount, not some percentage based on anything.

Say the amount was $100,000, after taxes, about $60,000.

The Government's CDC website lists 39 million as African-American only.

Maybe 65% of those are over 21, so 39M X .65 = 25.35M would receive this payout.

That would be an outlay of roughly $1.5 Trillion.

Less than what we're spending on Obamacare.

Once you receive it, it would be counted as income, and would obviously make you ineligible for any Unemployment, SNAP or Welfare benefits you may currently be receiving.

And I think there should be a 2-year moratorium on re-eligibility for said benefits.

That would spur unprecedented economic growth, create jobs, and significantly reduce the amount of government assistance spending.

Whether people spent the money on homes, cars or drugs would be completely up to them.

But after that, my only caveat would be simple - now let's leave the past in the past, and let's make the necessary changes to make a better future.

That's what you would get from a TypeO Presidency.

The problem I have with that is this, say there is a neighborhood bully who has been beating your ass since first grade and you are now 65. You cannot get away from him, he has always been a presence in your life. Now on your 65th birthday he comes to you and says he is sorry for all the shit he did to you in the past and he will leave you be for the rest of your life. That is all fine and good but: 1. You will still hate the dude and 2. You will probably never trust him.

That is kind of how I look at it. Sure it would be great if we could all lock away the past into the past but we cannot. That goes 100% against human nature. Think about this, to this day the Poles do not trust the Russians, the Germans, and especially the Lithuanians. Many white Southerners STILL hate Northern whites and refer to the Civil War as The War of Northern Aggression. In light of that we give those folk a pass, even laugh at the Southern Rebs thinking them relics from an age long passed; however we expect the blacks to just "get over it?"

As far as the problems which face the black community, I agree, there is much work to be done but we do this through understanding and empathy. Neither giving a pass nor writing them off but embracing the as equals. There is an old saying, "If you tell a man he is shit long enough, he will believe it and act accordingly." As a psychologist I can tell you this, there is no greater truth and no better gauge for human behavior than that quote.

[SteveAJones]

The problem I have with that is this, say there is a neighborhood bully who has been beating your ass since first grade and you are now 65. You cannot get away from him, he has always been a presence in your life. Now on your 65th birthday he comes to you and says he is sorry for all the shit he did to you in the past and he will leave you be for the rest of your life. That is all fine and good but: 1. You will still hate the dude and 2. You will probably never trust him.

That is kind of how I look at it. Sure it would be great if we could all lock away the past into the past but we cannot. That goes 100% against human nature. Think about this, to this day the Poles do not trust the Russians, the Germans, and especially the Lithuanians. Many white Southerners STILL hate Northern whites and refer to the Civil War as The War of Northern Aggression. In light of that we give those folk a pass, even laugh at the Southern Rebs thinking them relics from an age long passed; however we expect the blacks to just "get over it?"

As far as the problems which face the black community, I agree, there is much work to be done but we do this through understanding and empathy. Neither giving a pass nor writing them off but embracing the as equals. There is an old saying, "If you tell a man he is shit long enough, he will believe it and act accordingly." As a psychologist I can tell you this, there is no greater truth and no better gauge for human behavior than that quote.

You are making almost no sense whatsoever. Slavery was abolished nearly 150 years ago and separate but equal was struck down three to four generations ago. You've got your affirmative action, your history month and your black President. Give it a rest already! There will always be racial issues in a non-homogeneous society, but for cripes sake enough with the excuses. Do you realize for the first time in history white children five and under are a minority in the USSA?

[JP78]

Do you realize for the first time in history white children five and under are a minority in the USSA?

who is the majority ?

[mstork]

You make it sound like there's an epidemic of guys in the white community who lie about using condoms, or act like they're using one and pull it off mid-stream, which forces mythical white girl to get birth control pills. Not buying it. Remember, condoms don't just protect against pregnancy, they protect against DISEASE. The prospect of either of these things scared the crap out of me when I was a young guy, no girl had to put a gun to my head to get me to use a condom.

Point is, it's easy to procure and use a form of birth control in ANY community. Men and women both have ample reasons to want to be safe, if either of them choose not to, that's their responsibility. Unfortunately, the actual baby they create is often not treated as their responsibility.

[zeppy668]

If you want someone to take your opinion seriously, don't start your rebuttal with insulting the individual, then have the audacity to call them ignorant. Your logical comes off as brash and ripped from the headlines. Your vocabulary suggests mild racism directed at white people who you paint as ignorant and privileged to birth control. The fact is, nearly ALL have access to birth control but certain cultures have stigmatized its use. Exactly why you're changing the subject and using a scapegoat against whites shows you are the one who is ignorant to the realities of the problem.

[henrybonzo]

basically the whole world is a fucked up shit hole, there...end of debate

[Sagittarius Rising]

If you want someone to take your opinion seriously, don't start your rebuttal with insulting the individual, then have the audacity to call them ignorant. Your logical comes off as brash and ripped from the headlines. Your vocabulary suggests mild racism directed at white people who you paint as ignorant and privileged to birth control. The fact is, nearly ALL have access to birth control but certain cultures have stigmatized its use. Exactly why you're changing the subject and using a scapegoat against whites shows you are the one who is ignorant to the realities of the problem.

You are the one guilty of over-simplification of the issue, not me so don't give me the BS line about equal access because it is simply not true. I have access to Porsche and classic Corvettes however I cannot afford one and that is the difference. If I come to you and say, hey man, you have access to the best medical care in the world, you should be happy - but, you cannot afford it because you are on a fixed income, well that great healthcare don't mean shit now does it.

Scapegoat agains whites? Are you serious? I am white but I was also born with five senses and a logical mind and thus have deduced the truth from what I have personally experienced and seen all over the world. If you have a problem with that it has nothing to do with me but rather your perception of a loss of control.

[TypeO]

The problem I have with that is this, say there is a neighborhood bully who has been beating your ass since first grade and you are now 65. You cannot get away from him, he has always been a presence in your life. Now on your 65th birthday he comes to you and says he is sorry for all the shit he did to you in the past and he will leave you be for the rest of your life. That is all fine and good but: 1. You will still hate the dude and 2. You will probably never trust him.

That is kind of how I look at it. Sure it would be great if we could all lock away the past into the past but we cannot. That goes 100% against human nature. Think about this, to this day the Poles do not trust the Russians, the Germans, and especially the Lithuanians. Many white Southerners STILL hate Northern whites and refer to the Civil War as The War of Northern Aggression. In light of that we give those folk a pass, even laugh at the Southern Rebs thinking them relics from an age long passed; however we expect the blacks to just "get over it?"

As far as the problems which face the black community, I agree, there is much work to be done but we do this through understanding and empathy. Neither giving a pass nor writing them off but embracing the as equals. There is an old saying, "If you tell a man he is shit long enough, he will believe it and act accordingly." As a psychologist I can tell you this, there is no greater truth and no better gauge for human behavior than that quote.

I think your analogy is more reasonable for 1973 than for 2013.

Now that our first Black president is in his second term, we're at a point where even the Black community is getting a little bored with "it's the first black this or black that".

Blacks are fairly represented percentage-wise in elected office.

There are Black CEOs, lots of Black-owned businesses, Black entertainers and athletes who dominate their fields monetarily.

Everything isn't perfect, but again, nothing ever is nor will be.

The Black community is at a point where they have to stop blaming others and look within.

With the history Black people have had to endure in this country, there will ALWAYS, and I do mean ALWAYS, be a way to find some link, no matter how tenuous, to past injustices.

And the comparison of Trayvon Martin to Emmitt Till is a perfect example of trying way too hard to keep the old animosities alive.

This is what I'm talking about when I say they have to stop dragging the anchor around.

That's why it's so despicable for the media and the leaders of the political left to keep fueling the Racist America agenda.

Our country is nowhere near as far apart as they want us to believe.

And if they were to give it a rest, and try the opposite approach by emphasizing how many ways we are coming together.

But of course, there's nothing controversial about that, and they thrive on controversy and contention.

They have evolved into a parasite of negativity, and need to fuel that negativity in order to survive.

It's one of the biggest disgraces facing our country today,

[Sagittarius Rising]

You are making almost no sense whatsoever. Slavery was abolished nearly 150 years ago and separate but equal was struck down three to four generations ago. You've got your affirmative action, your history month and your black President. Give it a rest already! There will always be racial issues in a non-homogeneous society, but for cripes sake enough with the excuses. Do you realize for the first time in history white children five and under are a minority in the USSA?

Thanks Steve for making my point for me. Jim Crow was not struck down three or four generations ago, it was stuck down in 1965, 48 years ago or less than two generations. Than, just because it was struck down did not mean Jim Crow stopped. I was in Arkansas back in the early 90's and guess what I saw? Separate bathrooms for blacks and whites. Blatant racism still exists openly throughout the country in most major cities and is practiced obviously by the police.

WHat I really find hilarious in your post is this little line, "Do you realize for the first time in history white children five and under are a minority in the USSA?" Holy shit Steve, not only do you prove how afraid you are of the white man no longer being in control but you also, once again, call the USA a socialist country. Anyone with half a brain or a HS education knows the US is anything but socialist. Oh, unless you mean corporate welfare to the tune of billions annually, i that case you are correct.

[TypeO]

Oh, unless you mean corporate welfare to the tune of billions annually, i that case you are correct.

I'm putting my response to this in the other thread so as not to derail this thread onto a tangent.

[Sagittarius Rising]

I'm putting my response to this in the other thread so as not to derail this thread onto a tangent.

Good call, I should have done the same. My bad.

[zeppy668]

You are the one guilty of over-simplification of the issue, not me so don't give me the BS line about equal access because it is simply not true. I have access to Porsche and classic Corvettes however I cannot afford one and that is the difference. If I come to you and say, hey man, you have access to the best medical care in the world, you should be happy - but, you cannot afford it because you are on a fixed income, well that great healthcare don't mean shit now does it.

Scapegoat agains whites? Are you serious? I am white but I was also born with five senses and a logical mind and thus have deduced the truth from what I have personally experienced and seen all over the world. If you have a problem with that it has nothing to do with me but rather your perception of a loss of control.

Health clinics practically give away condoms, especially in poor neighborhoods and communities. And if you go to a clinic and get an abortion but you can't pay for it, the state will likely pick up the tab. So in the end, cost is not the problem for the individual. That's a bogus argument made by people trying to justify the wrong reasons for the problem. The problem is most people who are ignorant to contraception either refuse it because they don't know any better or refuse it because they could care less. Again, the perception is contraception is irrelevant because their importance are not taught at a young age. It starts with fathers and mothers. It starts with having stability and educating young men and women about the realities in life and the consequences of shunning key knowledge that will lead to economic prosperity and a sense of self worth. The street culture breeds racism and division. It needs uneducated, disenfranchised young people to carry the torch for the future. Once you break through those barriers of keeping kids uneducated, you create mass disruption to the future of the whole thing.

Great example of this just happened in Philadelphia. There is a school in the Kensington neighborhood of North Philly that is predominantly black and has an extremely high crime rate. The junior high school had been treated like a fortress for years, with bars on windows, locks on doors and dozens of advisors whose sole job was to patrol the hallways and confront kids who were seen as a threat to order. The school had one of the worst ratings in the entire country. The test scores were abysmal. Teachers and advisors regularly were being harassed and attacked by students. The police would arrest people for drug deals on site daily. It was a nightmare. Then, the administrative board decided to change everything. They became a privatized institution (where there is far less red tape). They removed the bars from the windows, locks from most of the doors and removed all of the advisors from the hallways. They replaced them with new advisors, mostly returned Vets, whose sole roles are to be positive re-enforcers for the children. Instead of treating the children like criminals and constantly confronting them as if they were already guilty, they switched the mood entirely by providing positive advice and offering assistance in not only school work but with outside situations in their lives. The police protested. The civil rights leaders protested. The gangs initially tried to intimidate the school by breaking windows but it hasn't stopped the momentum. Now, violence in the school has nearly disappeared entirely. School test scores have done a complete 180. Students who were polled not only said that 75% of them want to graduate college but 100% now feel like someone at school cares about them.

So there are numerous elements at work here keeping real progress from happening.

[Walter]

^ Interestingly enough, that school was formerly known as John Paul Jones Middle School.

[Anjin-san]

Detroit's City Council has come under fire for spending time this week writing, voting and passing a resolution supporting a federal investigation into George Zimmerman instead of focusing on its own financial blunders and ballooning crime rate.

Zimmerman, a Florida neighborhood watch volunteer, was acquitted July 13 in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin.

The unanimous vote by the members of the Detroit council on a crime that took place six states and hundreds of miles away came just two days after the Motor City’s latest gun-related death – its 176^th homicide of the year.

Tuesday’s resolution called for a federal investigation to see whether civil rights charges are warranted against Zimmerman.

The measure, sponsored by Councilwoman JoAnn Watson, jump-started a discussion in Detroit over what some called the city’s lack of leadership and the need for city officials to first patch up problems in their own backyard.

[SteveAJones]

Detroit's City Council has come under fire for spending time this week writing, voting and passing a resolution supporting a federal investigation into George Zimmerman instead of focusing on its own financial blunders and ballooning crime rate.

Zimmerman, a Florida neighborhood watch volunteer, was acquitted July 13 in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin.

The unanimous vote by the members of the Detroit council on a crime that took place six states and hundreds of miles away came just two days after the Motor City’s latest gun-related death – its 176^th homicide of the year.

Tuesday’s resolution called for a federal investigation to see whether civil rights charges are warranted against Zimmerman.

The measure, sponsored by Councilwoman JoAnn Watson, jump-started a discussion in Detroit over what some called the city’s lack of leadership and the need for city officials to first patch up problems in their own backyard.

An all black council of a bankrupt city seeking justice for Trayvon. Priorities?

[Anjin-san]

An all black council of a bankrupt city seeking justice for Trayvon. Priorities?

Zero.point.zero