Thursday, August 30, 2012

Excellant Letter To Black Americans

From Philly On Line:
DEAR BLACK PEOPLE:
I'm writing you because I am worried. Around the country, our people are dying at a disturbing rate. Last weekend in Chicago, nine people were killed and 37 injured in an unconscionable but not uncommon bout of violence. Here in Philadelphia, the numbers aren't much better. Nearly every night, we witness acts of violence in our most vulnerable communities.
But it's not just violence. Every year, we receive reports that our children are dropping out of school at alarming rates. On top of that, suicide, HIV infection, drug addiction, joblessness and homelessness continue to undermine our life chances.
It's time we take responsibility.
Relax, I'm not becoming a Republican. In fact, that type of thinking is part of the problem. No political party, but especially not the Republican Party, has the market cornered on taking responsibility. And we certainly don't have to buy into right-wing notions of responsibility, which require us to take full blame for the hell we've caught in America. That's not what I'm talking about.
Responsibility is not the same as blame.
Despite the dominant narratives of our people, most of us aren't lazy, irresponsible or bad people. Most of us are simply trying to respond to a variety of factors that create social misery, like unchecked capitalism, structural racism, deeply ingrained sexism and a national culture of violence.  http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/marc_lamont_hill/20120829_Marc_Lamont_Hill__Black_America_needs_to_take_responsibility.html?cmpid=124488469
I don't agree with every thing he says but he is right, black and not just blacks, but Hispanics, whtes asians and others need to take responsibility.
Meanwhile, there are too many murders in the black community and the no snitching rule is still in effect.  In Las Vegas, there is still an unsolved murder case, Betty Pinkney, that people who know who killed her, are still refusing to talk to the cops about the case.
So, maybe those in the community, in all communities, take responsibility for their actions.

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