Racism

Let me say, as a Mid-Western white boy, I cannot profess to be an expert on the topic of race, but while I'm outlining my perceptions of American politics, it would be a huge oversight to skip this topic. I am, however, very proud to live in the home state of what may be the first (half) African American president. Now, onto the topic of race:

Racism isn't a problem that can be tackled easily or quickly, but it is a problem that needs to be addressed immediately. There needs to be widespread social and political reforms as well as changes on the part of individuals. Single-parent families are, by far, more common in African American and Hispanic families than in White families. For stats:

http://youthviolence.edschool.virginia.edu/prevention/parent-statistics.html

It would be easy to ignore the socio-political aspects of things and simply tell minority fathers to quit being deadbeats. While personal accountability is a factor that needs to be addressed, and I do think there are benefits to changing how minority fathers define their masculinity so that it incorporates being a good father, I don't think that that is the whole story. I may be an optimist, but it seems to me that most men, if they had the choice, would want to be there for their children. So we have to ask, "Why?" Why are these fathers not sticking around?

Raising a child is a huge responsibility financially, emotionally, and physically. Perhaps these men do not feel that they have the income to support a child, and because it is easier and they can, they pretend the child was never born. In this case, we need to revamp our educational system to provide these fathers with an opportunity to make enough money to support their children. Maybe it is the case that it is MORE economical for the father to NOT be around. If a father does not have a good-paying job, then maybe the mother can get more money through social programs than if he was around. This means we need to revamp our social programs to provide adequate financial help to single and dual-parent households. Maybe the minority fathers are not emotionally prepared for fatherhood. Then we need to revamp our sexual education programs so that people do not have children until they are mature enough to have them. We could also try to change the way minority men are socialized through childhood so that they are emotionally prepared to deal with the consequences of their actions. Maybe the fathers are not physically prepared for all of the extra work that is involved in child raising. In this case, we need to provide these families with adequate day-care and after school programs. We need to educate these fathers at a young age the value of hard work. We need to help these parents get through their day to day lives.

Only through a massive overhaul of social, political, and individual doctrines can we bring an end to the racial divide in America. The things I stated above only address one problem, and, as I said, I cannot proclaim to be an expert on the topic of race relations. I won't go into the topic of discrimination, AIDS, or so many other things because I really can't think of anything to say on those topics. Discrimination is bad. We need to legislate and enforce that legislation.

I do want to address affirmative action. While I do see the benefit of affirmative action from a race relations standpoint (I also see the drawbacks, like assuming minorities need affirmative action to be considered equal to Whites), I think the program would be far more effective if it was a class-based initiative rather than a race-based initiative. Let's consider a case where there is a middle-class African American competing for financial aid with a working class white. Who needs the financial aid more? The poorer of the two. Furthermore, I believe that a race-based affirmative action breeds racial tension between Whites and minorities. Whites feel cheated by affirmative action while minorities feel cheated when affirmative action is taken away. By making affirmative action a class-based initiative, we help those who need help, regardless of race (Which still disproportionately helps minorities). It gives us the opportunity to maintain a system that helps minorities end the cycle of poverty while preventing us from fueling racial tensions.

That's how I see the topic of race. I again want to take this moment to say: I am in no way an expert on race issues, and I am open to discussion and grievances on this issue. With good evidence and a compelling argument, I could change my mind.

-Please Heed the Call