HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
I don't disagree. But in a discussion with a very good black friend who grew up in inner city, gang and drug and violent prevalent area of Miami....he agreed its a huge problem that needs to be part if the narrative and discussion.... however, he asked me why I thought black on black crime, gangs, drugs,xetc was so bad in inner cities of Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, STL, LA, NYC, etc?
Caught me a little off guard but I said I would guess it's likely combination socioeconomic hardship, single parent dynamics, lack of education, lack if options etc.
He agreed, then he asked why those things have come to be so prevalent? How'd it get to that point?
We kept going...
He is awesome(crazy educated, successful, and ine of the hardest working humans I've ever known, he 100% believes in individual responsibility). With all of that he emphatically states luck and fortune also played a role in him getting where he is, and that with miniscule changes, it could have been wildly different outcome. He's been shot, in a gang, arrested. Ironically, he credits an old, retiring, racist Irish police officer as his saving grace, who he became great friend with. Its a story for Hollywood its so surreal
He helped me understand, well...as much as a white, middle aged, straight, upper middle income, male, who grew up in rural Iowa with both parents, in a lower income family, and has only lived in small towns or the suburbs of a mid sized city...can possibly understand....
In the end, unless you subscribe to the idea that black folks are simply somehow genetically predisposed to violence, crime, laziness, etc.... (which would be the definition of racist)..... You ultimately will come to the conclusion that the plight of inner city black communities was not solely their own doing.
Your final paragraph absolutely nails it!