Yesterday, Alan Jennings had an editorial that said
yes the riots are wrong, BUT, you must understand the racism behind it. Last night, and today, rallies are occurring around the country, in solidarity with the
beleaguered of Baltimore. In their politically correct version, the rioters are now
protesters. That CVS and Mall that were looted and torched were subsidized to build there, after the riots of 1968 chased away any private investment. The
protesters on Monday night went as far as to burn down a new senior housing development, now there's a political statement for sure. Racism does exist, but so does lawlessness. Rather than riot over the death of a prisoner, it would be more productive for the neighborhood to examine why so many of its males engage in criminal acts. The apologists and professional advocates will reply that the cause is poverty. Fortunately, there is a growing segment of that neighborhood that is too busy working and bettering themselves, for such self-defeating rationalizations.
You'd think Alan would be too busy promoting the NIZ to write editorials.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is that Jennings is part of the problem.
ReplyDeleteHe's made a living of pointing out how we are different, instead of the ways we're alike.
The riots and civil unrest that we are now witnessing are the direct result of the policies that have been promoted over the last 50 years. Jennings has been a part of formulating those policies, which have had little to no effect on the problems he claims to want to solve.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteWhen white liberals like Allan point the finger of racism at other whites he is de-facto exempting himself of any such guilt. In judging others he elevates himself. So it's a win win for him.
Scott Armstrong
The real death is the death of our economy and the availability of jobs.
ReplyDeleteSince the Bush / Clinton / Perot debate - where Ross said "you open the door to foreign labor and you will hear that giant sucking sound - jobs going out of the US.
Administration (both Rep / Dem) have allowed our economy to be outsourced to China and India.
People see nothing wrong with buying / using iCrap made by slave labor in China. AAMOF many worship Apple.
My profession - computer science - has been attacked by H1-B visa program. There is actually an oversupply of US STEM workers - but our government keeps allowing corps to import more.
Then there are the people on the bottom - here again our government has allowed 20,000,000 illegal aliens - with no end in sight.
Our government has allowed the status quo to be destroyed - with no path to the future. The $1,000,000,000,000+ student debt is there because there is no opportunity. Young people don't know what to do.
Maybe they should riot about killing their children's future?
Certainly they should riot about the death of their self esteem - death of economic opportunity. With economic opportunity comes the ability to have a mother and father in the home.
These protesters / rioters are the most ignorant bunch I've ever seen. They lack the awareness that they are being manipulated by an insignificant issue - the death of one man - as compared to the death of their 'lives'.
If they want to protest - protest at city hall / state capital / police station. Why the hell at CVS?
Mr. Molovinsky,
ReplyDeleteI understand your perspective, but I respectfully disagree.
Alan Jennings stated:
"There is no excuse for the looting. It defies reason that they are looting the best assets in their neighborhood.
And focusing on the looting when there are hundreds of people peacefully pointing out that we have very real problems seems almost like it is designed to let ourselves off the hook."
Yes, it would be so easy to focus on the lawlessness and let ourselves off the hook.
You state, "there is a growing segment of that neighborhood that is too busy working and bettering themselves, for such self-defeating rationalizations." Perhaps that is true for some, and THAT should be applauded. But there are neighborhoods where poverty, violence, racism and hatred are so pervasive that there is little room for hope. This is not an excuse/apology--it is reality.
Racism exists. Hate exists.
Look, there are no easy answers, but we, as a
society, as human beings, need to do better.
We need to do better.
@10:38, just as jennings stated that looting took place, i state that racism is very real. however, it shouldn't be used as an excuse for not participating in our society in a purposeful way. in reality, the career path for hard working and studying blacks is quite good. protests will not affect racism, and certainly not riots. i think that who has to do better is those who participated in the rioting.
ReplyDeleteTry this Ezra Kline article from the Washington Post:
ReplyDeleteHow dangerous is Baltimore?
One answer is very, very dangerous:
Baltimore is, statistically, the second-deadliest city in the USA; only in Detroit are you more likely to be murdered. Last year there were 234 homicides in the city, which has a population of 650,000. It was a 20-year-low, but still meant that one in every 2,700 people was murdered. In Britain, that figure is about one in 85,000.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/11/how_dangerous_is_baltimore.html
They spend over $17,000 yr/pupil - 2nd highest in the country. 16% of the 8th graders can read at grade level.
In 1950 the 'hot' word was communism. Today the 'hot' word is racism. A truly meaningless term. Once a ton of money has been spent, many, many failed government programs they pull out the term racism - to avoid putting the responsibility where it belongs: the people who are acting up / not contributing / not raising their children / breeding indiscriminately.
Actually, us tax payers have paid for the destruction of the black family. It all started with 'The Great Society' - where we paid to have the father replaced by an entitlement program.
Racism? Yeah, I'm here in Mpls, and I'm a racist, cause I have nothing better to do, and I'm keeping those folks in Baltimore from succeeding. See how mindless the racism argument really is.
Each and every one of us has the power to change our destinies.
ReplyDeleteBigot’s & racist’s cannot stop anyone:
- from appreciating the billions we spend on education and devoting themselves to learning
- from pursuing a trade or skill and working
- from voting and wisely choosing those who will serve us
- from caring for our neighborhoods and being a good neighbor
- from following the law even if we disagreed with a particular law
- from being good fathers and mothers – husbands and wives
- from building a family
Many Americans - Martin Luther King, Jr., Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Ben Carson - and millions more have overcome all sorts of challenges to be the people they are. It may take years of study, years of work, years of commitment but the only one standing in our way is ourselves.
I don't in any way condone the violence, looting, etc. going on in Baltimore.
ReplyDeleteOur president doesn't condone this behavior. Freddie Gray's family does not condone this behavior.
However, you must be blind to not recognize that pockets of discrimination and mistreatment of minorities by a segment of the nation's police is a problem.
Much like all priests aren't pedophiles and all lawyer's aren't crooks....all cops aren't racist. I'm sure that most are good an honest men who got into the profession to help and serve.
Lastly, the fact that our country is becoming cognizant of this mistreatment and most of us wholly and publicly reject it is a good thing.