From: glovercj@duvm.ocs.drexel.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Re: Rapper Paris to President-elect Clinton
Date: 12 Jan 93 15:18:26 GMT
Organization: Drexel University

In article <ISBELL.93Jan11111938@panther.ai.mit.edu> isbell@ai.mit.edu (Charles
L Isbell) writes:

>   ALOT of people are giving Bill Clinton advice these days. Here's
>mine. 
>   Although many Americans are joyfully anticipating your inauguration,
>I see no reason to celebrate yet. In one sense, I'm glad you won.
> The black
>infant mortality rate is double the figure for whites. The unemployment
>rate for young black men has reached 40 percent, triple that of whites.
>The number of black children living in poverty now exceeds 45 percent,
>while overall 10 million African Americans are officially poor. As you
>know, there are now more black men in prison (over 600,000) than in
>college (435,000). It is a notorious fact that homicide is the No. 1 cause of
>death for young black men. It is less often noted that suicide has
>climbed to become the third leading cause of death for this group.
>Recognize that there is despair in America.
>   You need to know about these heroes of the black community because
>they are working daily to combat one of our most serious problems: a
>socialization process that teaches black youth a complete lack of regard
>for black life, a process that is reinforced by TV, movies, and music.
>In Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Total Recall" (a popular movie among young
>blacks), the only black character was a traitor with a Jheri curl and a
>gold tooth who lived on Mars. Even in outer space we are demonized. 
>   And too many of my fellow rap artists only contribute to the problem.
>Their words are taken as gospel truth, more than those of parents and
>teachers, and yet those words reinforce the same stereotypes offered by
>Hollywood: Get it for yourself regardless of the consequences. 
>   In short, we don't need lectures on "values" and "responsibilities"
>from the conservative forces in Washington responsible for the
>Iran-contra, Iraq-gate, Department of Housing and Urban Development and
>S&L scandals (or from those media liberals who failed to expose them).
>Nor do we need or want handouts. We simply want a level playing field. 
>   First, socialize health care. 
>   Secondly, address the crisis of public education.
>   Finally and most importantly, develop a comprehensive urban plan that
>addresses unemployment and job creation.
>--
>Peace.

As Paris writes these facts are horrifying, but true. This is the reality
through which African-Americans like myself see the world today.  When someone
says everything's fair, race does not fit in this situation, or pull yourself
up by the bootstrap, we actually surprised that no one sees the world like us,
but think how can anyone see the extensive problems of the African-American
except for an African-American. When people say remove yourself from the
problem, it's like saying change something that can't be changed-the color of
my skin, nor do I want it to be. When someone says overcome all the odds, it's
like asking someone who is already drowning in Kool-Aid to drink some water and
eat a sandwich. And the only way it can be done is if your head comes above the
water for a little bit of air.
	I believe Paris' solutions are great and would be excellent if implemented but
I feel that the government because of its past actions and its corruption will
not make the neccessary changes. The burden will then again be entirely on the
African-American community. I would be upset, but not surprised if the Clinton,
that I voted for, sold me out, and just forgot about me and created more
Band-Aids for an already patched system. Health, education, and employment.
Each dependent on the previous. You need health to get an education, and you
need education to get employment. It's a vicious cycle of poverty and dispair
if any of these three things fall off. I pray to God that African-Americans
wake up as do Americans and the government, before a racial war erupts.
 
                        Chad J Glover
           glovercj@duvm.ocs.drexel.edu      
       Drexel University Software Testing Lab
   If a man hasn't found something he will die for, he
                        isn't fit to live. --MLK