Posted on 11/29/2002 11:31:28 PM PST by kattracks
Almost. Maryanne Mahaffey and Sheila Cockrel are whities. In fact, Mahaffey is Counsel President and, if Kwame should die, would become Mayor. Actually, it wasn't that long ago that the split was closer to 50/50. Dave Eberhard and Mel Ravitz left a few years ago, but were always big vote getters.
And you'd be amazed at the percentage of Detroit's teachers who are white.
I think your right that it's a problem for all kids, affluent or not no matter what color or hue. But I also believe that the "I am owed a living attitude" is more prevalent in black students because it is an implied message they have been getting loud and clear from social "leaders" for a long time.
Gee.........ya think??
I defy anyone to closely examine today's black culture and point out one aspect of it.......just one........that suggests a desire to excel, improve, educate, edify, or prosper beyond thuggism or pro sports (I know I know....little difference there any more).
Martin Luther King must be spinning in his grave.
After you found out you were the lone white guy/gal, what happened. Did it affect your life? I only ask because it seems that if your a black person there is some social requirement that you are to go through some type of evaluation of your identity as a black person. I don't mean to be forward, but I just don't understand this business of wondering what it mean to be a particular color shape or size. Are fat people supposed to evaluate what it mean to be fat, are they supposed to think and act like fat people?
Isn't that the truth.
The government encourages divisiveness. The last Gov application I saw (circa 1982) had 7 choices for the 'race'box. SEVEN !
The Cubans I worked with were quite upset at being singled out from 'white'and being lumped in 'hispanic'.
Not at all; "black culture" in and of itself is not anti-education or anti-intellectual. On the contrary, if you examine black culutre in it's purest form, and go back to the pre-1960 timeframe, when you can and will see black cuture in it's pure form, you will find that there is a huge emphasis on education and on intellectual advancement within the culture.
The contemporary problem is two-fold. First, thanks to the race warlords and poverty pimps and liberal enablers, it has become "OK" for blacks to relish within their "victim" status. The be-all, end-all for black America, thanks to the Jesse Jacksons of the world, is to play the victim. Unfortunately, this has spread to education. John McWhorter pointed this out in his book, "Losing the Race."
The second problem is tied, not to "black culture," but to popular culture. Pop culture is force-fed to the masses via television and radio; it's extended by peer pressure and culture. It's popular not to achieve - why? Because you don't see or hear of your favorite television star or favorite musician going that route. When they see blacks on television, they are more likely to watch something like "Fastlane," which glorifies violence and crime, than to turn on the Discovery Channel or PBS.
Now this does not speak for everyone by far. But it does speak for enough that are reflected by the statistical numbers.
In any event, when households are steeped in traditional values, either black or mainstream or both, the offspring of those houses prosper academically.
It also means that the parents are more likely to take an active role in their childrens' education. Even something as simple as checking over their kids' homework and helping them to understand concepts taught at school. When that happens, everyone benefits.
I don't think we can direct a whole group of people, based on skin color, to seek certain types of work. I think we need to examine what prompts a person to seek a particular career. Perhaps we might find that society (parents, educators, the media) do not shine a bright enough light on those who succeed in non-glamorous jobs. There are role models out there, and we should be helping kids of all races to see what these role models have achieved, and to formulate in their minds a healthy definition of success.
Someone on this thread mentioned Thomas Sowell. His book, A Personal Oddysey, should be required reading for all high scholl freshmen. It is inspirational to see what an intelligent, determined person can achieve against the odds.
However, we need other role models as well, for students who do not have the intellect or drive of a Thomas Sowell. Students need to hear about people who have succeeded in other walks of life, and to understand what they had to go through on the way to success.
The only ways that this disparity will ever be eliminated is:
1) genetic technology evolves so that the human genome can be manipulated.
2) education for white kids is dumbed down to the extent that both black and white kids are equally illiterate.
Manipulation of environment and culture (such as is attempted by the whole web of social welfare programs) will not solve what is essentially a nature based, not social based, phenomenon.
Because they can? Seriously, when the system rewards failure, look for people, seeking reward, to fail. To me, its that simple.
Think quality, not quantity.
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