Quote:The war on drugs has affected the black community disproportionately. Studies have shown that blacks and whites under the age of 25 use at a similar rate, yet more blacks tend to be incarcerated for it. This is not evidence of systemic racism. This is a byproduct of black communities being policed more heavily due to higher rates of violent crime. However, this doesn't prevent people from these communities from feeling like they are targets of discrimination. How do you solve the issue of violent crime? The best data that correlates to violent crime rate, as far as I can tell, is children being raised in fatherless homes. The black family unit survived slavery and Jim Crow with their family unit in tact, but it was basically disintegrated by the introduction of welfare. Black communities need to either start making a better effort to keep their family unit in tact or start reporting and condemning individuals who resort to violence.


If I were to start somewhere to improve racial relations (specifically blacks and whites), I would focus on rehabilitation for drug users with no violent crime, and attempt to overhaul welfare by encouraging the families to stay together (it really needs to be thoroughly re-evaluated, but that is a starting point). It should never become a generation to generation lifestyle, but that is what it has become.


I also think it's extremely disingenuous to equate racial minorities with oppression. Asians, for example, do statistically better than whites in virtually every category. That's a completely different discussion, though.


1981, if you want to have an honest discussion about race, we can always sit and talk about it. It's just hard to really time consuming to type on the internet all the history and data that corresponds with this subject.

You are on the right path, but black families were torn apart during the slavery Era. The 70'[BLEEP] saw the father removed from the home due to incarceration and the war. By the time we got to 80's the "block" was doing a lot of the upbringing. The increase in violence is directly related to money. Around Jax, my mom would tell me stories of violence erupting after the police performed a large seizure of drugs. Late 70's early 80's, I don't think we could have predicted the fallout from the father not being there. The attitude is much different now that those same children have grown up to become parents. Still, the idea of a family intact remains somewhat elusive.


The education system is not what it's made out to be and as far as crime, there are elements that can't allow it to subside. It is a very long and dark conversation. Not sure if you're in Jax, but if so perhaps we can get into it more during the season. I'll be trying to get up with a few others on this board as well.

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