Steve     Re: Opportunity, education, courts, culture

Jack: Geez, I had forgotten that Twinkies were invented, too. Crap! That just blows the hell out of all my assertions. I guess I’m just too dull witted to assimilate all the endarkenment photons of the last 50- 60 years.

 
The idea of equal education/equal opportunity has to send the liberal into spin city. Assuming that unequal results actually represent a problem and that inner city dwellers are not innately inferior, the liberal has no choice but to convict the society of sin and develop a policy of atonement. The Liberal Credo (which for brevity I’ll shorten to Libido) must tweak the rights/responsibilities section to say, ‘Exercising our [society’s] rights means taking responsibility for our actions, and their effects on others. [Inner city students, et. al.]’ Since interpretation of any written document can vary according to need, this spin activity brings no difficulty. (Freedom of [from] conscience) This is the same tactic used in a recent attempt to extract compensation for descendants of slaves.

His Libido ‘must respect the life choices of others’ so he cannot act or speak against the inner city subculture itself. So ‘Abracadabra’ and Poof! We need an even more comprehensive safety net to bring salvation to those who are falling through the cracks.

The character of the inner city subculture is most greatly to blame and until that changes no amount of financing, education, or opportunity will alter the outcomes. ‘...not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.’ I would go so far as to claim that some or many of the fundamentalist disciples of the Libido actually do think that the ‘downtrodden’ minorities are innately inferior and cannot work out a meaningful quality of life without the help of the libs.

 
Historically, there have been many groups/subcultures that have immigrated and lived in the depths of poverty in this country. Without any substantial government aid they raised themselves despite their lacks of education and initial opportunity. How were they successful? And how did the Asian immigrants of the past century promote themselves out of the depths?

While living near the Gulf Coast of Texas, I was able to observe the Vietnamese community successes. From destitution they lived frugally, worked extremely hard, and saved. They bought and lived on their own shrimp boats, not taking time off or giving up. The first generation required their children to achieve a quality education and language proficiency. In one generation they had vaulted to a high standard despite all the natural and societal hardships placed on them.

 
I also regularly read editorials by a writer named Newberry in the Houston Post. His theme usually involved the racist nature of our society and how blacks were shut out because of it. In one editorial he started with the same criticisms, but in the middle he recounted his conversations with Nigerian immigrants who extolled the innumerable opportunities this country held forth. Then Newberry ended his article in the same racist tone with which he began along with the obligatory demands for further government intervention. D’oh!

 
"U.S.S. Enterprise to Liberal Exploration Team."
"Aye, Captain."
"Set your phasers to STUNT."
"Been there, done that, Captain."