A Transition from the U.S. Constitution to Government Dependence

 I’ve contemplated long & hard how to begin this piece & I’ve come up with only one way, which I’m sure the race-baiters will love…The inauguration & new Presidency of Barack Obama has taught me many things & I’m sure there will be many more to come. But America has become so intrigued by fruitless rhetoric that I realized—in light of Ms. Garofolo’s comments about Tax Day Tea Party protestors being “racists,” only “hating a Black man in Office,” & informing “people of color” who participated that we were suffering from Stockholm’s Syndrome—how much farther that we, as a Nation, must come to make Dr. King’s Dream a reality. His dream encompassed many aspects of life that are often drowned out & dialed down by the obvious—color of the skin. Many of us voted our belief system this past election based on issues & still others voted based on the “historical” nature of it & little else. And whether many wish to acknowledge the negatives of that or not, we will again begin to see its repercussions in the structure of our society. America is a young nation with many strong foundational principles & values, but many of her people seem to have lost sight of those values & their antithesis now runs rampant through our communities & ultimately, our children.

History has shown us those people who devote themselves to helping others, to bettering their countries—work to improve them, even when what’s necessary isn’t popular & particularly when in front of other leaders whose values are different. It’s called “leading by example.” Those who don’t hold strong to their principles aren’t true “leaders;” they are self-serving, egotistical individuals & their desire to be accepted by all, regardless of morals & values, has brought our “leaders” to a most shameful place & is teaching our children that “selling out” in the name of popularity is acceptable. President Obama’s view of not only our country, but also the rest of the world is fundamentally misguided & it will cause us many more problems during his term, be that 4 or 8 years.

And as American leadership has withered away so has the Civil Rights Movement in America which transitioned from liberation & independence to victimhood & government dependence. It would be irresponsible to say this problem lies completely at the feet of politicians, whatever side they lean towards, but this attitude of dependence & ripping America apart at her seams is cyclic in the urban communities & for those politicians who claim to know the plight of the “disadvantaged” and really be representing the “little people”—well we’ll just say the fruits of their labor have yet to be seen.  

Take, for example, the “State of Black America” report issued by the National Urban League… 700 pages of information & ways to improve Black America all of which strictly rely on government. Many believe it “takes a village to raise a child”—if that’s the case, then it’s no wonder children grow up to be adults that believe they’re entitled to everything—this entitlement mentality has replaced strong work ethic & ultimately, pride. Statistics reported are said to be snapshots of “poverty & disadvantage” within urban America, and yet few “leaders” seem to be eager to examine why so many of these situations are so precarious…

“…For White workers, the March (2009) unemployment rate was 7.9% while it reached 11.4% for Latinos & 13.3% for Blacks…” (NCLR News Release, April 3 2009)

 “Blacks are twice as likely as Whites to be unemployed, three times more likely to live in poverty, & upwards of six times more likely to be incarcerated…” (“State of Black America”, 2009)

Just two examples of information presented recently & what were the solutions to these problems according to the reports, you ask?

“…The current recession is clearly demonstrating just how precarious the economic situation is for many minorities...but President Obama is starting to put in place the policies necessary to create good jobs & higher wages, laying the foundation for long-term, broadly shared economic growth…” (NCLR News Release, April 3 2009)

“…Broadly shared economic growth?” Does that even make sense?! What happened to being unique & standing out in the crowd? What makes going through life “equally” as “disadvantaged” as someone else so attractive? What should be infuriating for more minorities—rather than just the select few who are called “traitors” to their race—are the following statistics:

1. Blacks are less than 12% of the population & yet they account for: 50% of all new AIDS cases per year, close to 40% of ALL abortions, & 70% of Black babies are born to unwed mothers, growing up in single-parent homes. Each year since 1973 data indicates that Black women’s share of abortions is consistently twice that of their share of live births…In 2007, Blacks made up 17% of all live births across our nation—they accounted for 39.6% of all abortions…

2. Hispanics make up only 15% of the population of America—in 2004, 28 of every 1,000 Hispanic women aborted their children. Hispanics also account for 22% of all new AIDS cases each year. There are many in the U.S. illegally, causing them to live without many of the freedoms that we enjoy daily, but for those who are legal 25.9% live in poverty, and 32.8% lack adequate health insurance.

3. Even though there is so small a percentage of Native Americans/Alaskan Natives in the U.S. today, they are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS…It is the 8^th leading cause of death for men in the Native community from 35-44—they have a 40% higher rate of AIDS as the White population as a whole. Close to 30% of the Native American/ Alaskan Native population, according to the Census, live below the poverty line. And 26.8% lack sufficient health insurance, in spite of receiving government-funded a.k.a. “affordable” health care.

Where is the outrage about these obvious effects of the breakdown in family values & morals? Where is the outrage about the 1-sided fact “reporting...?” Why is it that the NUL & NCLR fail to mention that Black & Hispanic households with 2 married parents are not living in poverty? Or that poverty in all communities (Black/White/Hispanic/Native) is directly linked to single-parent homes?

And why is it that so many accept the so-called “facts” that young minority girls are to blame for the elevated abortion rates in America today? If you actually choose to read & research the statistics compiled in these reports, you would notice that they are percentages of abortions from all ethnic groups! That’s right! White, Black, Hispanic, Native, Asian, & Undisclosed…And they are all equally disgusting! The truth—girls (15 & under) from all  communities (White/Black/Hispanic/Native) account for less than 1.2% of all abortions yearly, teens (15-20) account for less than 20%, and 32% are obtained by 20-24 year-olds. In other words, those that consider themselves adults—who, even in their “adulthood” make some of the poorest choices possible for “social reasons,” refuse to accept responsibility for their actions & abortion is the only “light at the end of the tunnel.”

My point is this…an examination of the actual facts in communities, including those that are predominately comprised of minorities, would show that poor choices are found at the source of these problems. Everything from not finishing high school to having unprotected sex with multiple partners, to parents & other caregivers striving to be the adolescent’s friend, & those who would rather focus on their own lives…And yet leaders across the nation claim that poor education, low skill sets, & insufficient English skills are the sole barricades between access to high-quality jobs & these “disadvantaged” people.

The reality is that if barriers do exist, which I believe they do, it is the breakdown in family values & individuality—the replacement of those values with the proliferating dependence on government hand-outs—that has destroyed our communities. The fault lies within us & it must be pointed out & not left to the government to be fixed. You must CHOOSE to not be “disadvantaged.” And instead, we pride ourselves on our faith-based communities & yet we fail to abide by the Gospel—unless you practice Black Liberation Theology or a derivation thereof—extortion of the “rich” & the rest of the working class will never be the solutions to the problems within our communities.

And for those who believe that slums & poverty only exist because our “oppressors”—(white men/rich men/etc.)—wish to keep us subservient to them…grow up! Wake up & realize you cannot “change” anyone but you! And until you show progress & consistently demonstrate a stronger work ethic—you are no more worthy of anything than the drunk or the drug addict on the street corner, regardless of being Black, White, Hispanic, Native, Asian, or mixed.

There are many influential people whose thoughts formed historic, poignant speeches, but I do believe MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech would be most accurate in describing the plight of Americans today as a whole, not just those of darker colors…

“Again & again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force…the marvelous new militancy…must not lead us to a distrust of all White people, for many of our White brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone…Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends…”

Our lives are comprised of thousands upon thousands of choices—we must stop blaming others for problems that we create. We must teach our children that all actions come with consequences—both good & bad—& that in order to be a productive, successful person, they must accept responsibility for their actions. And also that those mistakes they have made in the past need to be used to better their futures, not to hinder & hold them back. We, as citizens from all communities of America, must return to the once strong belief that strength as individuals must come first, because without strength as individuals, our strength as a nation will be limited & ultimately restricted by our own anger & resentment for others who have already “made it.”

Both success & failure lie within us and the choice is ours.