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Politics : Al Gore vs George Bush: the moderate's perspective -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: pezz who wrote (2180)	10/11/2000 4:40:10 PM
From: Cage Rattler	Respond to of 10042

10X -- to keep things in line with the new thread theme.

To: pezz who wrote (2180)	10/11/2000 6:52:40 PM
From: cosmicforce	Respond to of 10042

Well, see that wasn't so bad. ;) pezz, In most things, blame is distributed. I break my leg, well it's part my fault and part the fault of the circumstances. To prevent recurrence, ideally, I should go after both parts, that which is mine AND that which isn't. Sometimes you can't go after the part that isn't yours. Your society has an illness. That is my premise. Follow this notion, please, through your points. Point 1. Black leaders, IMO, have not stepped up to the plate. You're right. They are quick to pass the blame to someone else and not keep it in their community. I don't like demagogues who make excuses and tell people what they want to hear. Counterpoint 1. I don't want to wait for JJ to take the ball. We suffer while they suffer. Your business gets robbed, they get on drugs and go to prison, you end up being a victim as well, even if only indirectly by having to pay $60k/year to warehouse them. I can whine about how THEIR community should do something, or I can take action. There are more of US than THEM; we should be able to do 20% as much and accomplish the same effect as they get at 100%. Point 2. Yes, some felons turn their life around. Great. Counterpoint 2. This is a loaded game. I wouldn't take the odds and I doubt you would. Expecting the cons to take on the reform job is not very realistic if we don't pay them to do it. I can't even imagine what that program would look like. The thing that usually gets these guys out of crime is age. You get over 45 and you just don't want to act like a criminal anymore. Point 3. Your profile said you were a contractor. Appropriate education. Well, that's a tough one. Your union carpenter is doing quite well. Good for him/her. They have worked hard to get there. Counterpoint 3. I think you know that non-union migrant labor is putting downward pressure on day-laboror rates. When the economy dries up, as sure as sht it will, these guys go back on the streets to compete for what little work remains, with narrow skill sets. I think the guy from the mountains of Mexico is willing to do stuff they wouldn't do for the same bucks. Without some other skills (like SOME quality education) they will slip back into the old conditions. Why should you and I care? Quite frankly if a black youth goes on drugs and goes to jail, it is no skin off my nose (directly). I don't live near where he lives so I'm relatively unaffected except by a gradual erosion of my government resources. However, as the cores of poverty increase, they become self reinforcing systems, and cost more. Really, JJ doesn't live in their community either. He gets paid to stir sht up. That's his job and he's made a good living doing it. I doubt that will change. If racial equality was here today, he'd be out of work. I've never liked him and I believe he is a slicker version of Al Sharpton. At least old Al isn't pretending to be someone he's not. I think JJ is. But this is only my opinion. I look at this like a weed problem. I can complain that the weeds come from my neighbors lot and that it isn't my problem. But it is. If you and I start doing some weed-free gardening, it doesn't get as good as if JJ does his part but it is better than it was. If you have doubts, ask yourself, would you trade circumstance with them? I wouldn't and I don't think you would either. Is it my job to fix their life? No, unless I want the problems their life causes to go away. In a real sense you are doing this for YOURSELF and not them at all. If it helps you to look at it that way, you should.