No, but everyone has opportunity (even those in the ghetto). Too many people blame others for their situation rather than doing what's necessary to change their situation.

It's the human condition. Just like each person has to make choices with their soul regarding faith, religion, and decisions based on thought (i.e. options and consequences), people in the ghetto make decisions that determine their fate.
Remember, "the ghetto" is a group of people, not dirt and buildings. You can take a brand new neighborhood and turn it into the ghetto by filling it with those who make bad decisions.

There will always be poor, and there will always be ghettos. Even those raised with every privilege and $$ end up there. It's an unfortunate consequence of true freedom.

Also, to clarify, I don't think the article about Blacks as a whole was indicating that the Black population in Ghettos was growing. I think what they were saying is that the socio-economic divide between blacks and other races is growing from Blacks falling out of Higher Education and Professional careers... which is may also be about who "black role models" are.. rappers, sports players, etc.... just a thought...

 

Let's be fair. Everyone gets screwed if they use a public defender.

I think the value of hiring your own attorney is lost on plenty of people of all colors going through the system.

 

:rotfl: oh did you take offense to the homo statment

 

Lifes a B**** then you marry one

/thread

 

To me it's about the starting position. I could beat Michael Johnson in a 100m dash if I got to start on the 95m mark. So if being born in the suburbs vs the ghetto gives that much of an advantage, then something should be done about it.

I do see your point, but I have a very strong feeling that the point of view of a person living in poverty/ghetto situations is so different based on life experiences and aparent opportunities (like in my previous examples) that you cannot blame the individuals or the race or the 'role models'; you have to blame the whole society.

 

But some *****es are far worse than others...

 

I read your first post because maybe it had something to do with me. Let me explain. I am a Black man by way of the Dominican Republic (an island in the Carribean). I speak Spanish because that is the native dialect of the island, even though I was born in the US. I have been a professional snowboarder in the past and I am now head snowboard coach at a fledging Alpine institution on the East Coast. I also, until the day I die, am a constituent of Hip Hop culture. I grew up in NYC during the early 70's - 80's. Hip hop unfolded itself in front of my very eyes, ears, and heart. So if you all can imagine the looks I get EVERYDAY. A brown man who is educated, well-spoken, bi-lingual, at the top of his white male-dominated profession touring to mountains all over the world. Can you see why I maybe thought your subject was talking about me - What the f*^& is wrong with me... I mean I'm just asking for it wouldn't you think? I guess my point is that I have the just right, like everyone else, regardless of what my appearance is, to pursue my goals. One could say that to be in the corporate world, I have to have my hair short. Well what is short and who determines that. An average white man can have his hair about 4 inches long at any given area of his head, and that's is fine, I don't have issues with that. For a black man to have hair on any given area of his head 4 inches long, it may have to be in a specific 'black' style ie., dreads, braids, etc. Now is that wrong? Who makes that decision and what gives that party the power/authority to unilaterally enforce that.

As a Black man in the US I have learned that I am sometimes more of a chameleon than a human being. Of course it isn't just me. Women, gays, heck even kids do it. But it's sad to think that I have these different personas that I can summon at a moments notice depending on whose company I'll be around. Will I be regular around the way me in the next five minutes, or perhaps I'll be socially-digestable-pasturized-enough-for-the-60-year-old-southerner me. Personally I like it when I'm around those impressionable priviledged white teens and I can 'amp up' my hood self and have them watch me in amazement and even a little envy of all my blackness.

So if it would've been 15 years ago, I would've said that I just want to come over and beat your *** with your own arm that I just ripped off your torso. But after 15+ years of introspection, traveling, life and maturity - I've come to know that these issues are way too complex and factor-filled to handle in such a manner.

Oh yeah, I have a really cool 98 Impreza too No spinners, no hoes, or anything else one might 'expect' a Hip hop head to have...

 

+1 to that. This bugs the hell out of me and I know there is nothing I can do.

As HD pointed out, this could be switched to read...Probably the best post on here. I beg of you to post more in the politics thread. It would be awesome to have insight from a man such as yourself. Not just because you're not white, but because of your background and history. I was in awe while reading your post.

I would love to see you compete, if you do ever for fun, in Tahoe.

 

I think we all act like chameleons regardless of race... we all wear costumes depending on who we're with and where we go. We wear one outfit for professional outings, raves, hanging out with blue-collar high school buddies, etc. You're in the South and it's all about your last name and family reputation, or you're in the West coast and nobody cares if you're married to your first cousin.

But anyway, I wonder if you'd comment on why blacks as a whole are supposedly disengaging from popular society when other dirt poor immigrants seem to prosper in one generation?

 

no offense taken. you are clearly a thug life 4ever

 

great post photeker.

the issue that is at the crux of this matter should not be "wtf is wrong with black men" but rather "wtf is wrong with a system" that unjustly incarcerates black men at disproportianate rates, that unjustly underfunds schools in predominantly black neighborhoods, and that, overall, is a white-centric system based on and catering to white normative behavior.

 

You are exactly the person the Hella was not talking about, you understand there's time and place for everything. You pulled yourself out of the "struggle" and still have the pride of where you came from. There are still times I wanna go and beat Hella with his own arms, I know a few friends that would do just that from his posts. You have a great insight on what it took to get out a bad situation, I hope you share what you learned with as many as possible. I know I do, I'd never want my kids to have to go through some of the **** I did. People just need to stop making excuses. It's too bad that so many minorities have such a bleek picture of what they could be, I see so many old friends trying to make "easy" money even after seeing how its failed them already. The topic in this thread probably should have been titled with more tact, but then it might not have drawn your attention.

 

History much?

Its not that hard hella, I would think even you could grasp that concept.

 

Your point? I think Hella's question is fairly valid.