Inner City "Culture"
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No one will address it because they will be considered racist if they do.
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I think this is a complex issue not defined solely by one’s skin color. But, I have an opinion on that as well that I will share further on in my post.
One, I think the cycle of poverty is a legitimate thing. I have seen people stuck in this first-hand. It is a much harder thing to break out of than we think. I could dive into this further if we wanted to. But breaking out of poverty is very very difficult.
Two, studies have shown that poor white people are just as likely to commit crimes as poor black people. Nearly no difference whatsoever. (https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hpnvv0812.pdf)
These two things combined are why it doesn’t surprise me that we simply assume the inner cities have issues simply based upon “culture.” I do not believe that “black culture” is a violent culture or that a black man is inherently more violent than a white man.
Where I see the cultural difference is in the number of single-parent homes. Some of this is based off of personal experience. I will admit that. Some of this opinion is based on statistics. Black families are more likely to be of a single-parent home than any other race, by far. This is statistically a fact. And it isn’t even close to any other race in the U.S. This is the main issue facing the black community in my opinion. Until that issue is addressed internally, nothing will change.
More policing isn’t the answer. Assuming someone is violent because they’re black isn’t the answer. The issue of inner city violence goes deeper than just skin color.
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Inner city Iowa
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You could vote for Biden @HighEliteMajor . He worked closely with Strom Thurmon to incarcerate people with manditory harsh sentences for drug possession.
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Biden is trash.
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@BShark I’m not a fan.
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@approxinfinity yeah, seems like a big shill like Obama.
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@BShark I think it’ll be a Biden/Klobuchar ticket at this point, barring a meltdown by Biden. Buttigieg wont win the black vote. I don’t think Iowa matters for that reason even if Buttigieg wins it. I think Biden will pick Klobuchar to get the female vote and the Midwest, and to guarantee to the moderates that there is redundancy in his running mate. The progressives will fall in line to beat Trump.
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I just want someone in who is going to crack down on corporations.
It is two-fold. We are watching regulations get repealed right now that nobody is even talking about. Food, energy, and banking have all had major regulations repealed. This is where that part of the Constitution where it says Promote the General Welfare comes in to play. Companies are not people. They should not be treated as people. They should not have the same rights as people. And we should make them play by rules that do protect people.
They should also be taxed correctly. We should not provide yearly welfare to companies. If a company needs tax breaks in order to survive, it was never a viable company.
I’ve talked to people about this and they ask “what will happen to my 401k if you crack down on corporations?” The answer is absolutely nothing. The economy will still grow. You will still get dividends because the board and the CEO will want their money. The only thing that might happen is we watch them reduce some of their cash reserves. Which is a positive.
The current path we are on that is pushing the economy up is unsustainable. I’m so confident a regulation of some sort will be repealed by this administration that results in the next economic collapse that I’d bet my own 401K on it. “People have a choice” is not where this comes in to play. Sure, make shitty lightbulbs that cost a fortune in energy. People can have that choice and cost themselves money if they want I suppose. What I’m talking about is things like Pork regulations that are a hazard to human health with no change to package labeling. Sure if someone wants to buy shit covered pork, they should have that right. But I should know it is shit covered pork before I buy it. (This is a real thing, and it struck a cord with me as someone who smoked about a dozen pork butts a year).Or Mortgage regulations that still allow for people with terrible credit to buy houses out of their price-range and resulted in the housing collapse.
Short-term profits don’t mean anything. It’s what we tell people all the time. “Pay your dues.” We should practice it. If we were to overhaul some of our regulations, and the corporate tax code, sure we would see some slow growth for a very short period of time. It would be followed, though, by a period of long-term sustainable growth built on a foundation that doesn’t allow for huge economic swings like we’ve seen the past decade.
But we won’t make these sort of decision because we only think in 4-year periods, so I suppose I’ll just end my soapbox rant right here.
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Kcmatt7 said:
I just want someone in who is going to crack down on corporations.
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Too bad Pat Paulsen isn’t still around.
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/chicago-police-announce-arrest-after-13-shot-at-memorial-for-slain-person
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All races, all cultures, all types of people kill and maim. The worst killers in the history of the world were Hitler and Stalin.
The issue is America and the spot where there is pervasive, out of control violence. The inner cities.
There was a mass shooting in Chicago. 13 shot. If this were a restaurant in Overland Park, it would be the headline of all national news. #prayforOP, right?
But in the inner city we accept it. We refuse to blame the people who kill and maim and the culture that creates/supports it.
@Crimsonorblue22 Thanks for the link. It highlights how few incidents of that sort of stuff actually occurs in a country of 327 million people. It helps demonstrate how the nightly slaughter in our inner cities is much different than isolated violence.
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@HighEliteMajor I believe we have a moral void in this country. 3 decades ago 85% of Americans identified as Christians. Now, 65% do. This doesn’t speak to the number that actually attend church, which is probably much less.
I’m not a Christian but I believe you should love your neighbor. I believe that having common positive culture matters. Our culture is more fragmented than ever, our lives more in a bubble. Our media tailored to our needs and tailored to manipulate us more effectively at the same time.
How do we find common culture and common ground?
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approxinfinity said:
I’m not a Christian but I believe you should love your neighbor. I believe that having common positive culture matters. Our culture is more fragmented than ever, our lives more in a bubble. Our media tailored to our needs and tailored to manipulate us more effectively at the same time.
I was actually having a discussion about more or less exactly this on another forum recently-ish. The fragmentation and hyper targeted media is not good.
I don’t think the internet is helping either. I’ll share some of that discussion here.
"Once the promise of a sci-fi future, now a dystopian chaos that’s turning against us by making the transmission of stress, worries, resentment etc all over the world much more viral, faster and in a larger scale than even the old press and TV ever managed to. It’s keeping billions of people around the world in an unhealthy constant state of fear, even if there are legit reasons to worry, the weight, the ‘bandwidth’ of daily shitstorm probably passes the threshold of what we as individuals and groups of population can endure. So it’s disabling part of our intelligence and wisdom, of self-control, ability to get along and to find solutions to our problems.
TL;DR, I suspect the internet - just being there - is the main cause for many modern economical and social issues, and works as a potent amplifier at the same time. It kills jobs, and makes us angrier…‘stupider’. Maybe in the future historians will call that period the Great Internet Disruption or something like that, after realizing it was much bigger deeper than we realize now."
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@BShark I don’t think the internet is ever going away. It’s fused with our identity. It may fuel the rise of authoritarianism because the threat of death is a powerful motivator to willingly abandon the internet. Dictators are like strict nannies when freewill isn’t working out.
I would like to see more resorts and public spaces advertise as deliberately “no devices”. Turn in your connected devices at the door.
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@BShark if you like epic world building sci fi novels check out Fall of Hyperion. It’s a brilliant book (and reads as a standalone, does not require reading Hyperion first). The plot is very pertinent here.
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Mass shooting in New Orleans. First link. Did those just arrested make national news? Second link. If this was a park in a suburb Democratic candidates would be screaming for guns and Republicans would be asking for prayers.
We have to take this carnage seriously.
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And here’s the suspect arrested for the mass shooting of 13 in Chicago. National outrage or just another night in the inner city?
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approxinfinity said:
@BShark I don’t think the internet is ever going away. It’s fused with our identity. It may fuel the rise of authoritarianism because the threat of death is a powerful motivator to willingly abandon the internet. Dictators are like strict nannies when freewill isn’t working out.
I would like to see more resorts and public spaces advertise as deliberately “no devices”. Turn in your connected devices at the door.
We are having an “unplugged” wedding. No phones allowed, at least not within our site lol. We have a photographer and a Photobooth and a videographer and a DJ and an open bar. You do not need to be on your phone for any reason.
When I was abroad for a semester, I didn’t have a phone. Best time of my life. Met more people, made closer friends, had more fun. The internet is an amazing invention but it has made us far less personable.
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HighEliteMajor said:
Mass shooting in New Orleans. First link. Did those just arrested make national news? Second link. If this was a park in a suburb Democratic candidates would be screaming for guns and Republicans would be asking for prayers.
We have to take this carnage seriously.
Aren’t we at a bit of an impasse here Politically? Guns are supposed to fend off violence. At least one side says that.
The other says they create violence.
What is your solution for taking the carnage seriously? If you can’t take guns away, what is the solution? More policing hasn’t proven to be more effective after a certain point.
What’s your big idea to take it more seriously?
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@approxinfinity You are right on point.
See what Rahm Emanuel said and faced when he spoke the truth -
And then the next mayor blames the police -
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@Kcmatt7 At the core, this starts with acknowledging the problem. That’s the impasse. Until the problem is ID’d and acknowledged, you can’t attack it. The fact is it is an inner city culture of violence. Changing culture takes a long time.
First identify “inner city safety zones.”
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Public steps to involve the churches and faiths. Get people to church in these zones. The church is a huge factor in turning this around.
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Public steps to encourage and foster marriage. Inner city safety zones that reward folks for marriage and self sufficiency. But more, public efforts to discuss and call out the “baby mama” culture. This is the real enemy. 75% single mother births among blacks. Worse among inner city blacks. Much higher than other races or cultures.
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The president has to take the lead. I felt Obama missed an historic opportunity. Trump obviously can’t do it. We need another president to make this job one. The first domestic priority. The one where the most lives are lost/destroyed.
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Have special inner city safety zone courts that expedite prosecutions, warrants, and labeling of threats.
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We have hate crime legislation that leads to outrageous results. Use that logic. Huge sentences for crimes in inner city zones were the real violence is occurring. Drive by and shoot a little black child on a porch, life in prison regardless of whether there is a death. Wear a mask in a crime, 5 more years. Robbery, any kind, 40 years. Develop a ridiculously strict sentencing structure for inner city safety zones.
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Inner city gang affiliation prosecuted as RICO crimes. Increase sentences for inner city safety zones. You go to jail for being in a criminal gang. Just for affiliation.
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Stop and frisk permitted in inner city zones of all males. Horrible? Discriminatory? Yes on both counts. Too bad. Males are 95% of the problem.
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If you have a felony conviction for anything violent, or you are an ID’d gang member by the safety zone courts, inner city zone warrants automatically issued for random searches of home and auto. Inner city courts can order drug treatment without a trial. 90 day commitments.
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In inner city safety zones, curfews strictly enforced. Cars pulled over after 10:00. People off the streets. Only to and from work and a few other exceptions. Businesses close at 9:00.
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Posting of army style officers that walk a beat in these areas. In pairs. No female cops in these areas. No male cops under 200 pounds. Much higher pay. Elite training. Federal involvement in supporting/training.
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Air surveillance, like a war zone.
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Massive use of food kitchens. Free meals in all inner city safety zones. No one starves. No one steals for food. Involvement of churches is a must.
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Partnership program for schools with suburban districts. Vouchers (money) for “tuition” and transport. Partnership programs include working families so inner city kids can live with suburban families during the week and attend school there. Work with the suburban private schools too.
These are tax dollars I’m willing to pay.
Of course, this is all discriminatory. I want to discriminate IN FAVOR of protecting good inner city folks. I noticed that over 70% of Baltimore residents were in favor of police air surveillance while the ACLU says it’s discriminatory. That should tell everyone something. The majority of inner city folks aren’t part of the culture. They want safety, security, and the ability to succeed.
These thugs are the enemy. Try to change their hearts and minds, but attack the criminals is they won’t change. Culture change takes time.
This isn’t perfect. It’s a discussion point. I am just sickened by the violence and the loss of lives that no one values.
Just off the top of my head. I know, impossible. But you asked.
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@HighEliteMajor did you ever watch The Wire? If you haven’t you absolutely must. No excuses. It frames the inner city violence / drug epidemic in Baltimore from all sides. 1 season focuses on drug dealing in the projects and the police trying to crack down. 1 season focuses on foreign trafficking through the ports. 1 on the politics. 1 on the schools in the inner city. 1 on the media’s relationship. Everyone on set saw it as their duty to portray the situation as realistically as possible. Almost 100% of the cast were not trained actors. It stands alone.
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@approxinfinity I haven’t but I heard it’s great. I’ll have to make sure to do that. Have you seen the Shield? Michael Chicklis is a dirty LA detective with a squad that works with him. Really intense. Well worth the time if you can find it.
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HighEliteMajor said:
And here’s the suspect arrested for the mass shooting of 13 in Chicago. National outrage or just another night in the inner city?
I have no way of verifying this, but when I lived in Houston from 1979 - 1987, there was one hospital there (Ben Taub Hospital) that reported treating an average of 50 gunshot victims - per day. That number could be skewed from 30+ years having gone by, but it was an incredible number. Although, at the time the Metro Houston population was around 4,000,000 - so I guess that only comes out to .0000125 %. Still a lot of shooting goin on. Even for Texas.
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approxinfinity said:
@HighEliteMajor did you ever watch The Wire? If you haven’t you absolutely must. No excuses. It frames the inner city violence / drug epidemic in Baltimore from all sides. 1 season focuses on drug dealing in the projects and the police trying to crack down. 1 season focuses on foreign trafficking through the ports. 1 on the politics. 1 on the schools in the inner city. 1 on the media’s relationship. Everyone on set saw it as their duty to portray the situation as realistically as possible. Almost 100% of the cast were not trained actors. It stands alone.
Easily a top 5 tv show of all time.
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@HighEliteMajor yup! Watched all 8 (I think) seasons of The Shield. Good stuff.
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@HighEliteMajor if you watch The Wire, if you want company, let me know and I’ll watch it at the same time (for the 3rd time). Would love to discuss. So good!
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@approxinfinity ok I will.
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@HighEliteMajor I just read your list of changes you are willing to pay tax dollars for. The last few days have been chaotic so I needed a moment of down time.
I like where your heart is at. I think there are some obstacles that would be very difficult to overcome here.
Here’s a supplemental list of thoughts:
- Public perception of these things needs to change first.
- Like you said, reaching out to the Churches is key. But I’d also like to see non-denominational outreach organizations receive tax dollars to expand their outreach For example, I saw an interview with a lady who I think runs a drum and dance corps for kids that meets up before school and practices in the streets in Chicago (I think). She was awesome. Cared deeply.
- Outreach requires marketing, and I’d like to see an organized modern marketing campaign unifying these outreach programs.
- having children participate in sports is crucial as well to understand healthy competition, teamwork and sportsmanship and i would love see sports more accessible to all kids. If the public facilities and equipment to host a larger volume sports is not available it should be invested in. Participation fees and equipment costs may need to be supplemented.
- I once dreamed of buying up old buildings in the projects and converting them into a “church of music” where people congregate to play music with one another. Equipment, and room provided, in some case lessons. Meetup with other musicians playing other instruments and jam. Day or night. I think something like this could be amazing. Also recording time and possibly production and selling of music. This could be really massive.
I guess I find the case for providing compelling alternatives to gang participation and violence the most important thing. Protect, fund, and market for the right people. Good meaningful work is created too. Lift the inner city culture up from within.
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@HighEliteMajor @approxinfinity very good points. I’ve lived in two places in my life, the inner city and in the middle of nowhere. First thing I’d do is close the liquor stores that are around every corner. These folks don’t need the temptation of spending money there. Secondly we need to stop putting people in jail for non violent crimes. The system is a joke and no one gets rehabilitated, the prisons want them back to make money. Nearly 80% of inner city kids live off of single parent income. That’s a major issue itself. Jobs, lots of jobs, think if LeBron James or one of these celebs that claim they care lobbied for NIKE or someone to put a plant there instead supporting oppression in China. There will always be some people living below the poverty line unfortunately but when the stuff we brought at the store was made in this country it paid dividends. Be the change you want to see in the world.
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