Thoughts for the Thoughtful
I usually try to start with something witty right here, but today, I thought to myself, "Why should I? If the former Secretary of Education doesn't have to, neither do I!"
And if you're scared already, it might be best if you wait until next week's happier edition returns.
YOU STUPID IGNORANT ------- - Now I'm not going to say what I really want to about William Bennett as for one, I don't know the man and have never met him. (Well, there's that and the fact I don't want the FBI following me.) But while his recent comments on crime are quite possibly the dumbest thing I've ever heard from someone who is supposed to be educated, let alone was once a government official in charge of freakin' EDUCATION, but I am not shocked. In fact, I know there are plenty of people who feel exactly the same way. My only point in giving this story attention is that if we don't give it attention, it will be forgotten and dismissed with the ever popular "taken out of context" excuse.
As a whole, "the black community" (no one ever talks about the white community - what's the matter, you don't have a spokesman or something?) has issues, but if you think blacks are the sole cause of their problems, let alone crime, you are too stupid to be left alone in society. Are there any gun factories in Harlem? No. Are there any alcohol breweries in Compton? No, just liquor stores selling it for cheap as possible to disenfranchised people. Crime is not about race, crime is about class.
I hate to sound likd Bill Cosby, but if you want to find a criminal, how about looking at who doesn't have much to start with and if you are smart, you'll look at why they don't have much. Then you might understand why crime occurs. How about looking at the stereotypes people like Bennett have that prevent many potential criminals from thinking they have any opportunity in the first place? Oh well, guess I'm too smart for this one-sided debate.
WHAT'S NEXT? SETH McFARLANE'S CHORES LIST I don't really know much about Joss Whedon seeing as how I never watched any of his beloved TV shows (including "Firefly," on which his latest work "Serenity" is based) but I'm not sure if I ever want to be this famous. Seriously, don't be surprised if this makes it to someone's cable channel next year - only with Bobby Brown, Danny Bonaduce, Kato Kaelin and the castoffs from "The Real World/Road Rules" challenges to follow suit.
A FUTURE OF BABY ASHTONS & DEMIS? Here's some news that can't be good for America. I don't have any further jokes for that. (My name is Tabari, after all.)
LIGHTS, CAMERA, SKEET, SKEET, SKEET?!? Back to some ignorant news, this movie looks like it will continue the great Soul Plane tradition of showing rappers acting a fool on screen. Heaven help us all.
COMING OUT THE CLOSEST – And if that Ying Yang twins wasn't enough,
here's some R. Kelly news for you..
HIP-HOP ARTIST OF THE WEEK Miri Ben-Ari, a.k.a. "the Hip-Hop Violinist." Ever heard an album so good you know it won't sell? That's this album. Showcasing the ability to use a classical music instrument to make classic hip-hop, this album is worth picking up if you need music that is mentally stimulating as it is dance-floor friendly.
And if you're scared already, it might be best if you wait until next week's happier edition returns.
YOU STUPID IGNORANT ------- - Now I'm not going to say what I really want to about William Bennett as for one, I don't know the man and have never met him. (Well, there's that and the fact I don't want the FBI following me.) But while his recent comments on crime are quite possibly the dumbest thing I've ever heard from someone who is supposed to be educated, let alone was once a government official in charge of freakin' EDUCATION, but I am not shocked. In fact, I know there are plenty of people who feel exactly the same way. My only point in giving this story attention is that if we don't give it attention, it will be forgotten and dismissed with the ever popular "taken out of context" excuse.
As a whole, "the black community" (no one ever talks about the white community - what's the matter, you don't have a spokesman or something?) has issues, but if you think blacks are the sole cause of their problems, let alone crime, you are too stupid to be left alone in society. Are there any gun factories in Harlem? No. Are there any alcohol breweries in Compton? No, just liquor stores selling it for cheap as possible to disenfranchised people. Crime is not about race, crime is about class.
I hate to sound likd Bill Cosby, but if you want to find a criminal, how about looking at who doesn't have much to start with and if you are smart, you'll look at why they don't have much. Then you might understand why crime occurs. How about looking at the stereotypes people like Bennett have that prevent many potential criminals from thinking they have any opportunity in the first place? Oh well, guess I'm too smart for this one-sided debate.
WHAT'S NEXT? SETH McFARLANE'S CHORES LIST I don't really know much about Joss Whedon seeing as how I never watched any of his beloved TV shows (including "Firefly," on which his latest work "Serenity" is based) but I'm not sure if I ever want to be this famous. Seriously, don't be surprised if this makes it to someone's cable channel next year - only with Bobby Brown, Danny Bonaduce, Kato Kaelin and the castoffs from "The Real World/Road Rules" challenges to follow suit.
A FUTURE OF BABY ASHTONS & DEMIS? Here's some news that can't be good for America. I don't have any further jokes for that. (My name is Tabari, after all.)
LIGHTS, CAMERA, SKEET, SKEET, SKEET?!? Back to some ignorant news, this movie looks like it will continue the great Soul Plane tradition of showing rappers acting a fool on screen. Heaven help us all.
COMING OUT THE CLOSEST – And if that Ying Yang twins wasn't enough,
here's some R. Kelly news for you..
HIP-HOP ARTIST OF THE WEEK Miri Ben-Ari, a.k.a. "the Hip-Hop Violinist." Ever heard an album so good you know it won't sell? That's this album. Showcasing the ability to use a classical music instrument to make classic hip-hop, this album is worth picking up if you need music that is mentally stimulating as it is dance-floor friendly.
3 Comments:
Actually, you are quite ignorant about your one-sided debate. I'm so sick of the mantra of the left, "whitey is holding the black man down". It's a bunch of crap. Its the legacy of "The Great Society" and the welfare state that has led a whole class of people to give up on themselves. It's the easy way out... blame your troubles on someone else. You have eloquently restated all the excuses for the criminals and deadbeats.
As for Bill Bennet, his only crime is being misquoted.
For the record, since the end of welfare (AFDC) on 12/31/1995, the number of out-of-wedlock pregnancies have remained the same ... indeed, the link between AFDC and out-of-wedlock births is marginal at best.
First off, john v., the number of out-of-wedlock births seems misleading because less couples are getting married. These births may still have two stable parents. It's like the fact that the divorce rate is falling - because less people are getting married. I would like to see correlation between AFDC and single-parent households.
I won't take any stance on what Bennett said, but I will say that you cannot talk about crime without talking about race, in just the same way you cannot talk about crime without talking about class.
Children of single-parent families face real challenges growing up. I'm not saying that two-parent families must be married and heterosexual. Divorced parents (if both are still involved) is light years better than one parent. It's hard enough to raise a child with two parents - no wonder some of these kids get screwed up. That said, the simple fact is if you are black you are more likely to grow up with only one parent.
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