Re: Racist attitudes controlled by treating it as a disease
marho@iafrica.com
Mon, 27 Jan 97 13:58:05 GMT
On 26/01/97 18:14, in message <1997012616145676046@zetnet.co.uk>, Maria Wardale
<mariaw@zetnet.co.uk> wrote:
> In message <5cfel9$i35@news.ox.ac.uk>
> stuart@elm.keble.ox.ac.uk (Stuart Adamson) writes:
> > hum, that's one way to put it. Now if anybody looked at the figures of
> > violent crimes committed by ethinic minorities as a % (percentage) of the
> > region ethic population, you would see that 'whites' commit much, much
> > less crime on average. Does this not seem to suggest that if black (or
> > other ethnic minorities) people are hated, then they have really brought
> > it on themselves.
On 26/01/97 18:14, in message <1997012616145676046@zetnet.co.uk>, Maria Wardale
<mariaw@zetnet.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
> See other post on 'causes of crime'. Blacks often live in more
> deprived areas where the 'cause' of crime is rife. Ie drugs, no
> money, feelings of despair etc etc.
> Perhaps you should compare figures between employed and unemployed
> ethnic minorities before you quote.--
> mariaw@zetnet.co.uk
It seems to be received wisdom that crime is never caused by the actual
perpetrators but by the conditions in which they live. To suggest that poverty
and deprivation do not have a bearing on the cause of crime would be
impossible. However, to suggest that such are _the causes_ is facile and will
tend to militate against rather than assist in finding the answers.
There are far too many examples of easily identifiable ethnic groups who have
settled in countries in which their cultures and appearance are at odds with
the local population and who have suffered, struggled and eventually succeeded
in making worthwhile lives for themselves and worthwhile contributions to their
new homes without criminal activity to the extent that plagues our modern
"ghetto" areas. Each wave of immigrants to the USA certainly made their own
contribution to crime but the vast majority - the overwhelming majority - made
work for themselves, struggled through two or three generations, educated their
children _in the culture of their new land_ , and were good citizens in every
sense of the word.
IMHO the difference in the experience of these immigrant groups and that of the
current occupants of "the ghetto" is that no one was coming to bail them out,
no one was passing laws that would specifically favour them and they had
absolutely no doubt that they had to stand or fall by their own efforts. The
easy "cop-out" of alcohol, if not drugs, was always there and some took it.
But, cohesive families, a strong sense of morality and the ability to make
provision for the future were the keys to success.
Perhaps current problems could be ameliorated by a lot less social welfare and
a lot more social responsibility.
Regards, Mark
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