Re: Social Engineering (was: Different patriarchy Model)

Gerold Firl (geroldf@sdd.hp.com)
4 Jan 1995 13:18:36 -0800

In article <rfoyD1G7E7.CCw@netcom.com> rfoy@netcom.com (Richard Foy) writes:

>You are also assuming that the dissolution of black culture is worse
>than it is for whites in the same social/economic class. I am not
>sure there is a significant difference.

I have heard some amazing statistics on the rate of incarceration for black
males; I( don't recall exactly what they were, but I think it was something
like 1/3 of all black males do time (?!) Anyone with better data? This
seems incredibly high, and I may be mistaken, but I do recall being very
surprised at the figures.

I think that the incarceration rate disparity between blacks and other
races in america is a good indication that black culture has been less
successful at socialising individuals than other american racial
subcultures. Of course, apologists will try to claim that this is due to
raciual prejudice on the part of the police and the courts, but I think
that any observer who is knowledgable about the vagaries of culture will
recognise that american black culture has less internal safeguards against
the adoption of the criminal lifestyle than others. For example, the
congressional black caucus came out against the "three strikes" provisions
in the 1994 crime bill, on the grounds that "there is already a crisis in
the black family due to a shortage of father-figures". In other words,
these black leaders see three-time convicted felons as valuable role-models
which black culture can not afford to lose. This is an amazing point of
view which I can not imagine existing in any other american subculture.
This difference is significant.

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