No More Bin Laden

[kandrathe]

I'm careful not to draw causality from correlations. If you look at the demographic statistics, you'd think that one group were being targeted. Maybe they target themselves, but I tend to look at things systemically. Somewhere, the system is broken, and maintaining the status-quo will only result in more of the same.

No offense, but that statement is moronic!

:lol: No offense, but ... I know you meant "moron" as a very loving, and embracing term of endearment. As in, "come here you big moron, and give me a hug."

They are fulfilling their self-fulfilling prophecy most of the time. I have no issues with anybody of any race, and I shouldn't considering I'm a Heinz 57 myself, but I have never met a person of color in the United State who didn't feel like people were watching/judging them in some way, shape or form, and inevitably, the race card will come up where they are the instigators feeling segregated when in fact, there is nothing there!

I have many black friends and co-workers. Sometimes you're paranoid without cause, and sometimes they really are shooting at you. I've experienced my share of "back stabbing", and being thrown under the bus as a white male. Now, imagine how that might be taken if you were a woman, or a minority, or a minority woman. It's hard to know if it was personal, or if it was racial, or sexist, or just what motivates that kind of egoism.

I've seen it happen personally too many times to recount. Ever season of my favorite show Survivor where there is a person of color on, the race card comes out eventually - or a very similar type attitude of, "none of you all likes me so you can all go to hell". I don't understand this attitude, but its in the entire culture of blacks here in the states and I am not make a racial statement, but something I would consider fact.

I don't watch that show, but I'd be careful in confusing reality with reality TV.

Granted, there are plenty of black families whom do not prescribe to this effect, but I'd say the vast majority do. Now its the attitude that lands them in jail, not because they are being singled out! Get real. Maybe in the mid-East, I don't know, but not where I live. And not in a majority of places I've visited, and yet that, "you can all go to hell" attitude prevails.

I think what lands them in jail, frankly, is that there is more policing per capita in the poorer neighborhoods. AND, there is a breakdown in social values. AND, there is a break down in the family, where many children do not have the influence of a father. And, I think the last one is pretty crucial. A father has an important role to play in properly modeling manhood for young boys, and girls. Children learn positive gender roles from their parents relationship. I mentioned my niece before, and I can trace her issues to my sister's unresolved issues with men, to my father (who was abusive), to my father's messed up parenting. Luckily for me, and my younger sister, we recognized and dealt with our inherited baggage before passing it on to our children (or, I hope so. We'll see.)

The real issue there needs to be addressed of feeling ostracized in the culture your currently part of before the crime factor will change in my opinion. And this issue is totally unique to America from what I've seen. Damn, having second thoughts about posting this for being called a bigot or something, which is couldn't be further from the truth about me. Oh well, screw it. I think your looking at the wrong factors when looking at those numbers so I'm going to post this in spite of my gut telling me not too. I can't be afraid to stay silent because I might offend some people here.

You may feel that way, but I'm being frank. If you look at the results, you have to draw inferences on how those results were achieved. It says something about the system.


Achievement gap in the United States

Here is a less controversial example; grade inflation -- I can show that the average grade received in a course has steadily increased over time. Is it lowering of the standards? Is it an increase in the capabilities of the students? Is it an increase in the capabilities of the instructor? It might be one or a combination of all three.

So, from a systemic point of view, if you are looking at the results of our system... what are your conclusions on equality, gender and race?