An Enduring Crisis for the Black Family
I acquired my first pubes in West Seattle, then a lily white enclave. A prime selling point for real estate agents was that were no....ummm....Negroes thereabouts. That wasn't quite true. There was a Housing Project, predominantly black. The inhabitants stayed within, other than driving out or going to the bus stop.
In '56 four blacks from that project were bussed to West Seattle High. I befriended two of the boys, both athletes and damn nice guys, probably selected for their appeal. I had a sophomoric awareness that blacks had been getting the short end of the stick, thought this was the beginning of a change for the better. Didn't generally work out that way.
Over the years I’ve had a number of black friends. They were mostly old coots who grew up under a different set of rules, involving (imperfect) adherence to a moral code and the inclination toward self sufficiency. More recently, a couple from Jamaica and several from Africa with those qualities.
At the end of a recent ball game the commentators were nattering about what a great guy a black QB was. He was from Barbados, fixing to become a Dr.: the youngest of five siblings, all professional people and presumably successful. More importantly, happy.
Those anecdotal experiences make me amenable to the gist of your article. Also to Sowell’s observations and to what Murray had to say a while back vdare.com. American blacks, together with an ever increasing chunk of the white underclass, have been exposed to deficient incentives.
While I’m rambling, another link. It’s narrated by a guy long in need of a high colonic, but has great tunes. Plus an element of truth about establishing the tendrils of community between differing people. pbs.org
So anyway, Bill, that’s part of the reason you’re not alone at the Libertarian apex of the political quiz you posted a while back. The advice to Little Bo Peep was profound. |
