The American Spectator : Liberal Enablers

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Liberal Enablers

Inner-city gang violence hits home.

Los Angeles Laker star Metta World Peace (the athlete formerly known as Ron Artest) was once criticized (a very dangerous thing to do) by a teammate for his tendency to brawl with players and fans. “I’m still ghetto,” said Artest. “That’s not going to change. I’m never going to change my culture.… I don’t think [Yao Ming’s] ever played with a black player that really represents his culture as much as I represent my culture…. If you go back to the brawl, that’s a culture issue right there. Somebody was disrespecting me…”

Artest’s “ghetto culture” was very much in evidence last Friday in my neighborhood. According to the local paper, two groups of teens were engaged in an argument. No one is quite sure what about. Likely someone was “dating” someone else’s “baby momma.” Or else someone called someone else a “punk” behind his back. This insult was reported to the offended party. A call to arms was issued. Weapons were secured. A drive-by was initiated.

In the subsequent melee, which occurred at nearby Gravois Park before dozens of witnesses, two teenage girls were murdered. Three teenage boys were wounded with gunshots to the leg. It is unclear if any of these kids were gang members, though here in St. Louis, one in 35 residents is in a gang. In the neighborhood where I live I suspect the percentage is more like one in 17.

Newspaper accounts portrayed the girls as innocent bystanders: “Family members said [Ronisha] Jackson was the mother of a 1-year-old girl and was interested in modeling. She loved Facebook and texting friends. Jackson graduated from Sumner High School.… She was supposed to get her first apartment Friday.” The article didn’t say where Jackson’s one-year-old was while her mother was being gunned down. Nor did it say whether the mother was part of a gang. Crime reporters mustn’t speak ill of the dead.

Outraged St. Louisans responded to the shooting by feverishly commenting in the comment section of an online newspaper. Commentators debated whether the incident was “racial.” Not racially motivated, mind you, since all the teens were African-Americans, but racial, as in whether black teens are more likely to be involved in violence than other racial groups. Unsurprisingly, the discussion went nowhere, and quickly devolved into senseless name-calling.

SADLY, NO ONE RAISED the issue of culture. Specifically whether inner-city violence is a consequence of our ubiquitous culture of poverty. Perhaps this is because too many of us see such problems as — literally — black and white. Few ask why there is so little gang violence in St. Louis’ middle-class black suburbs. Could it be that the black middle class is largely made up of two-parent families? Might it be that black suburbanites are more likely to hold down jobs, attend church, graduate from high school, and shun illegal drugs?

One commentator predicted that she would be called a racist for speaking her mind, then suggested the murderers lacked parenting, were likely high school dropouts, and almost certainly bore children while still in their teens. Indeed, several commentators did call her racist. But if the commentator was guilty of anything, she was guilty of the sin of cultural absolutism: one who believes that one way of living is better than other ways.

I, for one, am a proud, unabashed cultural absolutist. I believe — no, make that, I know — that some ways of living are superior to others. I know it is better not to use drugs, not to drop out of high school, and not to have children before one is married. And I know the ghetto culture is the worst of all possible cultures.

Educated middle class liberals do not celebrate ghetto culture. They prefer to say they “understand it.” They feel sorry for those who grow up in the ghetto and (supposedly) have to defend their turf and are obligated to show zero tolerance for another’s “disrespect.” We mustn’t judge, they say. It’s no one’s fault. It’s just the ghetto way of life.

For this reason liberals will never condemn ghetto culture. And as long as we refuse to condemn it, such massacres will continue.

About the Author

Christopher Orlet writes from St. Louis.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (70) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

TLP| 8.2.12 @ 7:09AM

In Jurasic Park, the Scientists assured their skeptics that these Wild Creatures could be "MANAGED" because they were all Female. There were No Males, on the Island.

In the 1960's, LBJ's Social Engineers began constructing an Experiment of their own.

They would Corral these Black Creatures, Seperate them from their Betters, Feed them, House them, and "Oversee" them, the way Previous Democrat Overseers had since they arrived here in Chains.

These former Klansmen, and Jim Crowe adherents, as well as the George Wallaces, and the Robert Byrds, would would care for them, like any MASTER cares for a Slave. They would supply JUST ENOUGH to survive, and in return, the MALE in the Herd, would be separated from its Mate and Offsping, as he used to be on those First Plantations.

Once again, the White Plantation Owner was the MASSA.

Jump forward to now, and we find that the "Experiment" has gone off the rails.

There is no Culture in the Cesspool, that is - The Black Community. There's only Hoes and Bitches, who become Baby Mommas, until they end up in Prison or Dead. There's only Bangers, Pimps and Hustlers, until they end up in Prison or Dead.

They live in Squalor. They live in Fear of their Lives. They live in a place where the #1 Cause of Death, for their Sons, is HOMICIDE.

And, they couldn't care less.

TLP| 8.2.12 @ 7:30AM

Every Election, they hear the bell, and in their best Pavlovian impersonation, they line up, AROUND THE BLOCK, to cast their Votes for the Very Same People, who Orchestrated their Lot in Life, in the 1st place. Like Lambs to the Slaughter, they line up.

But, now the Experiment has gone awry. They are no longer confined by the Ghetto that they're in. For now, The Ghetto is inside of THEM, and they see this 1st Black Street Hustling Pimp of a President, as a Green Light for what they do every day, anyway.

They know, from the Black Panther Case, that this African President, has GOT THEIR BACKS.

They know from Him, and his Gun Running, Blacks Only, African Attorney General, that "You do what ya gotta do. No matter what." They know from Charlie Rangel, that RULES and LAWS, are for Chumps, and White People.

They see the way he Bitchslaps that Jew - Netanyahu - in favour of his African Arab Brothers. The ones KILLING EVERYBODY.

Green Light.

Go to the Movies this weekend.

Go see BATMAN, and tell me that, what happens in GOTHAM, isn't what's going on RIGHT NOW, in America's Minority Majority Cities. And what President Green Light has in store for every other City and Town, as well.

THE TRUTH is never Racist, George.

It's simply THE TRUTH.

Pecos Pete| 8.2.12 @ 8:41AM

Tim: Well said!

TLP| 8.2.12 @ 9:24AM

And, here I thought we weren't Buds, anymore.

Glad at have ya back.

Von Mises Jr| 8.2.12 @ 9:07AM

If liberal elitist did not have an underclass problem, they would have no justification to take the earnings of the wealthy and the middle class. It is the source of their power.

They are so full of themselves that they must pursue the "Noble Savage" concept of deprogramming society and reprogramming it according to their superior intellect. This is the basic problem between socialist (liberals and progressives) and free market (conservatives and libertarians). They believe in their superior wisdom while we believe in G-d, morals, ethics and tradition.

KennesawJack| 8.2.12 @ 9:44AM

TLP on fire again this morning. Well done!

Bob Grant| 8.2.12 @ 9:57AM

Spot on...and NO, your comments aren't racist.

They are the truth!!

...and when the truth runs counter to one's contrived, comfortable, neat-little view of the World, it's a cold Bitch Slap to the face.

And so let the "You are a racist, TLP" rants begin in 5...4...3...2...1

scotchieguy| 8.2.12 @ 10:33AM

It is amazing what happens when you remove the male from society. The most fear I have ever had when I was growing up was, "wait 'til your father gets home."

Liberal politicians, in the name of compassion, must in their elitist minds "do something." That has always been the problem--they just end up causing more problems by their boneheaded policies. The more they try, the more they screw things up.

The War on Poverty has been probably the biggest and most wasteful failure of a program in the past 100 years.

The most ironic thing is these poor saps in the hood keep voting for the dem. frauds who keep them dependent on govt by continuing to toss them little crumbs. How sad.

Bob Grant| 8.2.12 @ 10:51AM

Scotchie,

Their intentions are alot more malevolent than what you describe.

It's not that they want to DO something for the purposes of good, it's a way to gain power...and gain financially....under the guise of "good deeds".

Like TLP stated, it's a twenty first century form of slavery. They are Neo Plantation Owners.

fmm| 8.2.12 @ 12:10PM

The progressive experiment with the blacks has been mostly successful in two ways.
They have achieved their goal of keeping the blacks on the plantation and using them as a voting block to cement their power base. Additionally, they have learned how to get the other races to follow. Just read up on the statistics of unwed mothers in all segments of todays USA to get a clue.

Bob Grant| 8.2.12 @ 11:09AM

cont....because lifetime politicians like Harry Reid, Anthony Weiner, Chuck Schumer, Carl Levin, Henry Waxman would never achieve success in the real World.

At best they'd be hack junior partners at some hack law firm, shaking down corporations of their hard earned money.

In Anthony Weiner's case, even this would exceed his reach. He MIGHT get a job as a social science teacher at some inner-city junior high school.

No, this is their definition of achieving the American Dream. As sick and destructive as that is to most Americans.

Bill8472| 8.2.12 @ 6:00PM

There's one other corollary that you've missed, scotchieguy: we now live in Girly World, where the woman rule the society and the culture, and where they dominate the upbringing of children in the places where the social dysfunction comes from.

Now, I doubt that women intended that birth control, abortion, AFDC, Medicaid, no-fault divorce, and social toleration of single-parent households would bring about the world that they have created, but anybody with a modicum of sense could have seen it. In fact, it WAS seen, mostly by men, whose perceptions and predictions were immediately characterized as sexist and shouted down.

What did men do as their response? Gave up and abdicated their responsibility to lead. Women took over and now we have the world we live in.

MK48| 8.2.12 @ 7:59PM

TLP.....as Iv'e said before you are the Paul Harvey of TAS.

Goodday !

TLP| 8.3.12 @ 6:46PM

And I Love ya, for it.

nathan| 8.2.12 @ 7:45AM

In the early 60's the black illegitimacy rate in DC was 28 percent. Today it's in the high 70's. The crime and murder rate in the inner city have gone up commensurately. Anacostia 5o years ago was far safer today, when racism was far more prevalent than it is today. Bill Cosby says this all the time, the problems in the inner city have nothing to do with racism, it has everything to do with individual actions, with, as the writer of this article says, teenage parents, lack of two parent households, with kids who actually do study and try to get ahead being criticized by their peers for "acting white". And he's right, you have two black communities, the one where there are two parents, the families go to church, the values are there. That community has substantially lower crime rates than the inner city community where the values aren't there.

Which goes back to what I said in a post yesterday. If we as Christians want to make a difference we need to do what Christ told us, "go into the world and preach the gospel". If we want to make a difference NOW then we have to reach those kids NOW. That's where our focus needs to be.

Fast and Curious| 8.2.12 @ 8:17AM

What else can you say? Poor folks of all races used to be believers in God, true Christians. Now they believe in government checks as the all powerful. Should we be shocked that it's a mess?

scotchieguy| 8.2.12 @ 10:36AM

Now they believe in Hope and Change. Fools.

MK48| 8.2.12 @ 8:06PM

F & C.......a "true" Christian will always believe in God he needs Him to get through the day. It's the "religous" Christians that will fall from GRACE.

CJW| 8.2.12 @ 1:49PM

Senator Pat Moynihan predicted the destruction of the black, and now white, families back in the 1960's by looking at the increase in out of wedlock births. It was 20% for blacks and 5% for whites, it is now 70% for blacks and 25% for whites.
The divorce rate was actually lower before 1960 for black families than whites.

jaytrain| 8.2.12 @ 8:38AM

So put out some teddy bears and candles . Life is cheap in the ghetto culture .

Appleby| 8.2.12 @ 8:54AM

If you look at those marching on Martin Luther King's Birthday in Atlanta, you will see t-shirts reading "It's a Black Thing -- You Wouldn't Understand" and t-shirts depicting a Black man with a machine gun and the words "By Any Means Necessary."

I doubt if either of these sentiments, or the current state of the Black-tenanted slums (they are not ghettos, which are places disfavoured peoples are forced by the government to live), were anywhere on Dr. King's radar.

And the flip side of that coin is the White folks shrug of the shoulders and, "As long as they're only killing each other..."

TLP| 8.2.12 @ 5:01PM

He died for NOTHING.

THKrupp| 8.2.12 @ 8:57AM

I once read somewhere (I dont remember what it was) that poor black culture is basically imitating poor white culture. In my area you see much of the same behavior but there are very few black people here. Poor people have poor ways, as my father used to say, which is often why they are poor. Its not really any different than poor Arabs that are willing to strap on suicide vests or soccer toughs from England beating each other to a pulp. They simply have nothing to lose. What they dont understand is that its completely within their power to change their lot in life.

Von Mises Jr| 8.2.12 @ 9:16AM

My friend, THKrupp. I believe that the book you cite is by Dr. Thomas Sowell titled "Black Rednecks and White Liberals."
He speaks of the "Crackers Culture" (p. 6, 7) whereby the people from Britain that settled in the South displayed the same behavior in England. It was a long time ago when I read this book, but his "black Rednecks" are a reference to these "White Redneck" traits traceable back to England and arrived with their slave masters.

THKrupp| 8.2.12 @ 9:49AM

Thats it! Thanks for reminding me. Your memory is much better than mine.

Von Mises Jr| 8.2.12 @ 10:36AM

I love Dr. Sowell. I have about two-dozen of his books and just two remain unread. "Basic Economics" was half price and I added to my library that also contains similar tomes from Mises, Rothbard and Jesus Huerta de Soto. The other is one I want to get to that I overlooked reading called "Knowledge and Decisions."
Too many great books and too little time.

scotchieguy| 8.2.12 @ 10:41AM

"Black Rednecks" is outstanding. I think I may buy a copy for my liberal sister for Christmas. The expression on her face as she opened it would be priceless!

Von Mises Jr| 8.2.12 @ 10:50AM

It is well researched and reasoned history and economics. I am sure she would not understand it.

CJW| 8.2.12 @ 1:46PM

It is an excellent book. I did not know about the language patterns and differences in the English settlers. There is a book by Sen Jim Webb "Born Fighting," about the Scoth-Irish settlements in Appalachia, Western Pa, and the South that is interesting and related.

Bill8472| 8.2.12 @ 6:03PM

That's an interesting claim, but the recent book by Charles Murray indicates that poor white culture has lagged behind black ghetto culture until a couple of decades ago.

nathan| 8.2.12 @ 9:38AM

Actually a USA Today article from around three years ago said that when you analyze murders in the major cities, both shooters and the victims what they found was well over 70 percent of the shooters had prior criminal records. No shock there. What really stunned everyone was that well over half the victims had prior criminal records. What the studies showed is the vast majority of shooting deaths in this country is probably gang related or just bad guys going after bad guys. One person stated if Americans fully understood that fact, they would simply say, let them kill each other. The fact is, Aurora and Virginia Tech aside, and they are true rarities, if you don't have a criminal record, your chances of being a murder victim in this country, especially in one of the major cities like Washington, NYC, Detroit and elsewhere, are very low.

Again, it doesn't mean we ignore the problem. It does mean we ignore people like Jackson and Sharpton who point to racism as the primary issue and focus instead, as Cosby does on dealing with reforming the culture. And I know I sound like a broken record, but for the Christians here we have a real role to play in that. Passing laws will not make that much of a difference, playing evangelist will.

John Navratil| 8.2.12 @ 10:36AM

nathan,

Yours is a reasonable prescription, but it is not in the nature of political conservatives to be evangelists. If one wishes to be left alone, one will typically leave others alone. This is described in these pages as being indifferent so long as they are only shooting themselves. I've said that so long as one doesn't have an affair with another's spouse, become involved in the drug trade, or close the bars in the bad part of town, one's chances of being a murder victim are vanishingly small. In short, it's not, directly, my problem.

The unfortunate effect of this dynamic is that activists with their nostrums and programs are the only ones who will attempt the change this behaviour with disastrous results. It seems that less would, indeed, be more.

Interestingly, a college friend of mine with a Poli.Sci. degree, ex-military decided to teach English in Houston inner-city public schools under alternate certification. He ran into a political buzz saw (teacher's union) and was denied certification after teaching for a year. The principal of the school would side with misbehaving students against him when he called the children down - he was just another old white guy. What can one do? Can one be seriously chastised for throwing up one's hands?

Von Mises Jr| 8.2.12 @ 12:01PM

John, CJW speculated that Perp was multiple trolls before the increased security and administration at TAS. I recall when Perp responded to you as "Jefferson."
I had Margie accept an conditional apology that perhaps she was not a troll and it accepted as Tim. I wonder about the plumbing???

If you read this, perhaps you can confirm our discovery for my friend CJW? Thanks John.

CJW| 8.2.12 @ 1:51PM

Von
Purp was also posting as Purpleguy.

John Navratil| 8.2.12 @ 2:07PM

Von Mises Jr,

Happy to confirm. Before the login, one could more easily change IDs, now one has to go through the extra step of logout. It seems to have reduced the number of individual troll IDs in each thread but it doesn't appear to have done much for the total number of troll posts. Perversely, this login system will make what seems quite obvious to be somewhat less overt. One positive result is the spambot ads seem to have largely disappeared.

What I don't understand is their persistence. One argues a position of principle and should conter-facts be presented they seem to be cherry-picked or not apropos. For example, Purp's triumphalism in Sowell's column on Tuesday when we trumpeted a five-year old study reported by the Economist (which was once a fine mag) last year along with the obligatory ad hominem. Most often there isn't a fact to be found, just aspirational hooey. A cogent argument in support of liberalism would be a relief.

On the other hand the trolls do expose the thinking, if it can be called that, of the left. It's the same reason I sometimes listen to NPR and the Beeb.

CJW| 8.2.12 @ 4:49PM

Thanks, Von and John. It appears the troll uses Purp, Purpleguy, Jefferson, and probably a few more. The message is always the same. Mindless, misleading, untrue "facts" mixed with blind adoration of Obama.

Von Mises Jr| 8.2.12 @ 7:51PM

CJW and John,
Let's hope the scum bums can only vote once.
I'll be watching.
Poll Watcher

John Navratil| 8.2.12 @ 11:48PM

Von Mises Jr,

Bless you for watching! You will be needed! After seeing a presentation from TrueTheVote, I appreciate the need and plan to volunteer.

Cobalt| 8.2.12 @ 10:11AM

"The Negro Family: The Case For National Action"

By Daniel Patrick Moynihan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T.....nal_Action

TLP| 8.2.12 @ 4:56PM

Exactly.

Anthony| 8.2.12 @ 10:15AM

"Ghetto Culture". A new Spike Lee movie coming to theatre near you. It's not only in 3D, it has subtitles for those who don't speak Ebonics.
No wonder why this midget has a court side seat at Knick games, he gets to towel off all those warriors. What a turn on for lit'le Spikie.

Zexufang| 8.2.12 @ 10:28AM

As to -
"I believe -- no, make that, I know -- that some ways of living are superior to others. I know it is better not to use drugs, not to drop out of high school, and not to have children before one is married. And I know the ghetto culture is the worst of all possible cultures."

Correct; and I might add that this fact is also "color-blind".

And would add -
unchecked adolescent criminal behavior to that list.

Drunken Sailor| 8.2.12 @ 11:03AM

Excellent article!!

Who Knows?| 8.2.12 @ 11:29AM

“When you ain’t got nothin’, you ain’t got nothin’ to lose.”

Ain’t got nothin’?

CW takes this to mean you are materially poor---lacking in “things”. No THINGS.

However, what’s missing is NOT material!

It’s the culture.

Oh, how smart AND dumb society can be, at once!

Back to basics.

There are stages to human life. First, until around 7 is the physical. Second, around 14 the emotional-sexual stage is supposed to be mastered. Third, approximately 21 is when the lower mental stage should come to fruition.

In the dominant West of scientific materialism and religious provincialism, that’s about it. In fact, there are two higher stages, which only a tiny fraction of “fringe” weirdoes might even taste, let alone engage and master—how many God Realizers in the west?

Ghetto life is ruled by masters of the physical. Think of the NBA & NFL. Practically all blacks come from places that honor physical prowess, and eschew emotional-sexual AND mental realms. Lots of fighters with many bastard children, who look down on reading and writing, and thinking in general.

It’s BLACK flight that is the only answer.

George S| 8.2.12 @ 11:35AM

It's not a "ghetto culture" but the absence of respect for private property. The very foundation of a civil society is the respect of the private property of others, which is congruent with respect of human life. Those who are raised in a culture of entitlement believe government is the source of their sustenance and therefore see others and their property as communal -- why should someone be bequeathed more?

The ownership society is the only cure for the ghetto culture. Children have to be taught that they alone are responsible for their fate and have to work (i.e., find a way to be valuable to others) to pursue happiness. But this requires faith and investment in their own abilities which, by definition, means shunning government as the source of their sustenance.

That's why the ownership society is discouraged by governments run by Democrats. The slavery of these people means votes, which means power and money for themselves and their influences.

Every time there is an inner city shooting, overdose or arrest, a Democrat politician get his wings.

Occam's Tool| 8.2.12 @ 11:47AM

No, the Sharia Culture is the worst of all possible cultures. The Ghetto Culture is the worst American subculture at this time.

TLP is, as usual, correct. The tragedy of this is that these same people vote for those who keep them in this culture. Artest needed a smash to the kneecap and some months off work to appreciate why he shouldn't act like a thug. There's no place for "ghetto culture" in a multi billion dollar corporation.

TLP| 8.2.12 @ 5:00PM

Like Lambs to the Slaughter.

Your affirmations of my comments, make it all worth while.

Thank You, my friend.

Who Knows?| 8.2.12 @ 11:48AM

Ah, humans are STILL a lot like animals.

Saw a wonderful PBS Nature program, while watching the Olympics, about white wolves, white owls and white falcons in Alaska, as they made babies and brought them up.

Now, ALL humans have the capacity to observe, understand, and transcend ANYTHING. Whether they use it is another question, but there will always be a spectrum, with some who do quickly, some slowly, and some rarely, etc.

So, consider all the infamous pockets of cultural poverty, called ghettoes. We all can relate, I’m sure, to local areas, as well as national ones. I knew enough to stay away from the Jefferson High part of Portland, and when living in the Bay area, only rarely went into Oakland, even the downtown.

Over time, the most sensitive and alert blacks still living in ghettoes will get the message---move out, change MY act and place of being!

To boot, intermarriage will “pick off” the wisest.

I can see a map of the US, changing “color”, as time passes, with the dark “black” spots shrinking, on their way to miniscule dots. In 100 years, say, MAYBE even an Oakland will have collectively matured, enough to at least become more responsible beyond just physicality.

Then, where will we get the 2012 ghetto blasters, like Ron Artest?

A dying breed.

Houdini| 8.2.12 @ 11:55AM

Most of us growing up in the fifties and sixties before Dr. Spock eliminated "spare the rod and spoil the child" from the culture, dreaded the phrase "wait till your father gets home" as you knew your *ss was in for a "whippin". (Something inner city minorities will rarely hear) It wasn't the actual punishment that hurt as much as the anticipation of a Marine Corps belt across your posterior delivered by someone that never threatened, just promised. IMHO, most of us learned right from wrong from our fathers with the belt as a motivational tool. In a small town where I grew up, you also had to be careful what you did even out of your parents sight, as apparently they had enlisted most of the adult population in their enforcement brigade. Fast forward, anything goes, fathers are not that important, and God forbid you use any form or corporal punishment. And everyone wonders why the culture has eroded.

Appleby| 8.2.12 @ 3:23PM

I was discussing this with a work colleague this morning. One thing I have noticed is the decline of The Mom Look -- that expression that you could feel through the back of your head, and see from 2,000 miles away on a dark night in the forest, that said "Stop that right this minute" and no messing around about it. Ancillary to this was The Mom Voice; the speaking of your name (often your full name) in that voice meant "Freeze, Mister" and most of us did. I have cultivated The Mom Look and it still works on the misbehaving children of strangers, even when the children are tots. Barbara Bush can do it. I've seen her use that Look on her husband.

Houdini| 8.2.12 @ 5:15PM

I remember the" Mom Look" very well indeed. It was usually successful as my brothers and me knew she had a 200lb Marine Corps Sgt Major as back up. When she was really ticked she could swing a pretty mean switch herself...then follow it up with "wait until your father gets home". Double jeopardy!

scotchieguy| 8.3.12 @ 10:42AM

It was especially affective against their husbands. It is simply "the look," and can make a grown man shake in his booties.

Bill8472| 8.2.12 @ 6:10PM

Those of us who grew up in that environment also grew up knowing about the Society of The Men, who instilled in us as fathers their devotion to doing the right thing, getting up every morning and doing your duty, giving your country its share of your life, loving their families, having standards and moral principles, and, in short, being REAL men.

They formed the cadre of people whose ranks we boys wanted to join in the worst way. We understood that we had certain rites of passage, such as getting jobs to aid us in making our ways through life, joining the service, doing our duty in other ways, being Scouts, obeying our moms (or pay the price), and so on. When we did that stuff, and reached some commonly-recognized age of maturity, we could apprentice in the Society of Men and maybe (probably) succeed in being part of it.

Some time ago, I mentioned how my town was filled with REAL men, and some woman friend interpreted that as meaning "macho men." I told her couldn't be further from the truth, and she simply didn't understand what I was saying. No doubt her father was a REAL man too, but girls just never got that part of things.

Bill8472| 8.2.12 @ 6:16PM

There was a downside to being a REAL man, too: you NEVER called in sick unless you were struck down, you NEVER cried or showed too much emotion (although you could get mad), you took your medicine without complaining, and you swallowed the stresses of life until you got ulcers. That's why you died two years after you retired. But you died as a MAN, and lots of people respected that.

MK48| 8.2.12 @ 8:44PM

Magic Man.........you forgot the schools roll in this, back in the day 1960-1964 in high school we had a boys & girls VP. When you stepped out of line you got a summons to the VP's office. It usually came when you were in class so the teacher gave you a hall pass with the room # on it so that any teacher or administrator that caught you roaming around knew where you were headed by the pink slip and hall pass.

In my case it was leaving campus in my car to go to Bob's Big Boy for lunch and caught returning to parking lot.

As I walked in the VP's office Mr. Green greeted me with a smile and a large wood paddle. He said "son take the book on my desk bend over and place it against the wall with your head. Make sure you don't use you hands to hold it. Remember if you flinch and drop the book you get one more".

Because I was on the varsity swim team.....ya you guess it the coach had a paddle too.....Mr. Green and the coach must of talked.

No problem with the swats just don't send a note home to my DAD.......

Seek| 8.2.12 @ 12:25PM

Bringing up race is not "senseless" name-calling; it's the essence of the issue. And as for blacks in St. Louis suburbs behaving better than the "bruthas" in the city, I take issue with that . I grew up in suburban St. Louis (University City). Black high school classmates there were as predatory as they were in St. Louis City. I knew plenty of kids who went to Webster Groves, Kirkwood, Normandy, Ritenour and McCluer who told me of similar experiences with blacks.

It's the same all over America. Because more than any other factor, it's about race.

cowgirl| 8.2.12 @ 12:31PM

There is a reason why Charles Murry's "Coming Apart - The State of White America 1960-2010" is been on the best sellers list for months. That is because he has identified - in white America - a cultural difference between the poor and the rich.
The poor drop out of school, get pregnant and have children in their teens - most of the time the children are from different fathers, never marry and live off entitlements and hand outs.
The rich finish high school, go to college and get degrees in fields WHERE YOU CAN FIND A HIGH PAYING JOB like in science, technology, engineering and math, they graduate, find a good paying job, find a mate with the same values as they have, get married, buy a house, car and start to invest your money and then have children. Their children all from the same mother and father. They attend church and voluteer/work in their community. They focus their lives on raising children who will not grow up to be the next Charley Manson.
We are talking "WHITE" America here not black, hispanic etc.
It is all about cultural and beliefs. Mitt Romney is right about Culture!!

THKrupp| 8.2.12 @ 1:16PM

It doesnt matter what race you are from or culture, the recipie for success is the same for the most part.
Get an education, work hard, get married and never divorce. Spend less money than you make. Thats not a culture thats just good sense. I question buying a house. It depends on other factors. Buying a house can often be the worst thing a person can do. Attending church and volunteering is optional. Children are optional, cars can be optional. Getting married is optional as well, but if you dont plan on getting married you shouldnt be dating either or having kids. Marriage reduces the risk of financial upsets or at least the worst effects of a financial upset.

John Navratil| 8.2.12 @ 2:17PM

THKrupp,

In the main, I agree, but to pick on a single point... Children, collectively, are not optional. Without a next generation one may ask "What's the point?", but more importantly look to Europe and Russia for the effect of a population decline. China will, one day, rue it's one-child policy.

See: http://www.china-europe-usa.co.....011_7a.htm

China's working age population is already in decline and the number of non-working elderly is increasing. It's why Steyn says that China will get old before it gets rich.

THKrupp| 8.2.12 @ 3:24PM

Well thats a different goal entirely. To have a successful life one does not need to have children.

John Navratil| 8.2.12 @ 3:32PM

THKrupp,

My son came home from college once and said "Dad, you need a new car." I replied that he was going to school in my new car. I had to explain it to him. Success, indeed ;)

THKrupp| 8.2.12 @ 3:48PM

LOL, my father said that his philosophy was to find out what the child wanted more than anything else in the world and then never give it to them lol...

Houdini| 8.2.12 @ 5:24PM

After turning 16 I called my Dad and asked him for help buying a car I had my eye on. He replied "sure come on up" to his dinner house, after running as fast as I could (with dreams of driving that 57 Chevy floating through my mind) where on my arrival he led me to the kitchen, introduced me to the head dishwasher, handed me an apron and helped me buy that car about a year later. Pretty crafty old man.

MK48| 8.2.12 @ 8:54PM

Magic Man........looks like we had the same dad. Pop said no car untill you can buy it outright and save a years worth of insurance. So I bagged groceries at $1.65 an hr. and saved up. Walked to work for over a year before I could afford that 56 chevy......gas was 28 cents a gal. back then.

Today it cost me $145.00 to fill my truck..... almost a house payment.

John Navratil| 8.2.12 @ 11:44PM

THKrupp, Houdini, K48,

Thanks for the recollections. Having kids is a challenge and a reward. I love 'em and I cuss 'em.

Seek| 8.2.12 @ 2:20PM

That said, the white underclass is still much better behaved than the black one. No sane white middle-class person would venture into an all-black neighborhood, even one a couple notches above lower-class, late at night unless he really had to.

THKrupp| 8.2.12 @ 3:52PM

The white underclass isnt concentrated into defined areas like poor blacks are either. although I wouldnt go strolling into certain bars in my area unless I was invited.

Marie| 8.2.12 @ 1:06PM

The baby momma with the 1 year old loved texting and Facebook. High achievement there. Another welfare queen with a computer and high dollar phone and phone plan.

Petronius| 8.2.12 @ 1:17PM

Ghetto tribalism is now a given. Everybody knows which race is committing the mayhem since there are no white adolescents left in the cities who know how to fight and the last redneck street gang here disappeared before 1980. Chris wouldn't dare write what Liberals really believe about these predators. When they kill each other they blame guns and the NRA. When they kill anybody who is White, that's fine with them because "whitey had it coming." Here, Chicago, anywhere; feral inner city youth will go on killing like they do in Mogadishu because their behavior is a cause celebre' of all who want to prohibit private ownership of firearms and desire to watch honest citizens die by their hands. I worked in neighborhoods like Gravois Park in my 20's and I witnessed the effects of the behavior of the residents who had pale complexions that were just as bad and worse. Much as I shudder to credit the Chicoms with anything good, they don't allow such lawlessness by anyone. Ditto Japan. And the amorality of those who wield the powers of state guarantees repetition, as their desire for no limits on their own behavior derives from their own Ghetto mind set. It's precisely the same. Obedience to the law is for the chumps and the under privileged unconnected plebes. We can just go on bleeding.

Craigpurcell| 8.2.12 @ 11:46PM

Not to good marketing for lvimg in St. Louis.

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