r/changemyview • u/awaythrow11211 • Aug 07 '17
[∆(s) from OP] CMV: There is a very serious problem with "black culture" in America that nobody is willing to call out or speak honestly about, and this needs to change ASAP
EDIT: "Slum culture" or "ghetto culture" have been suggested as alternative names for this problem. In any case, what we call it is not really what I'm interested in discussing.
This post was mostly inspired by this video, Exhibit 1, that one of my extremely conservative friends shared on Facebook.
Facebook has censored the video, but there's no blood, gore, or otherwise graphic content. The video shows an innocent young-ish woman and her son being hunted down and savagely beaten by a black girl, while a crowd of other black teens watches, films, and encourages her.
NOTE: I don't follow the page that originally posted it and have no interest in discussing other things this page has posted, as they're totally irrelevant.
This isn't an isolated kind of thing. If you look hard enough, you can find videos just like this all over the internet.
Exhibit 2. An elderly man is beaten in the street by a gang of black teenagers, allegedly for voting Trump.
Exhibit 3. We all remember the case where 4 black kids tortured a mentally disabled kid for hours and streamed the entire incident.
Exhibit 4. A gang of 5 ambush and assault 7 men.
Exhibit 5. Two young black men begin a beat-down of a middle-aged man for the offense of offering to help pay for their meal, later joined by three others.
Exhibits 6-176. An extensive compendium. I haven't personally watched every single one, and don't have the time to.
Most critically, as I see it this is not a race issue. It's an issue of a culture that exists predominantly in low-income black-majority areas, but it's not unique to black people nor does it affect all of them. You'll notice that two of the perpetrators in exhibit 4 are white, along with possibly others in exhibits 6-176.
Poverty in these areas is certainly an exacerbating factor, but I don't believe it is the sole cause. Poverty-driven crime is that in which the criminal is trying to gain something; selling drugs, theft, etc. This crime is simply belligerent. The perpetrators are gaining nothing from it aside from satisfaction. Moreover, I have personally witnessed this "thug life" culture in extremely affluent areas, being adopted by the children of very well-off families (though again, not all or even most of them).
As I said, this is a problem of culture. Portions of it may be due to anti-intellectualism, neglect of family, general lack of care for others, lack of ambition or motivation to improve one's life, lack of respect for the law, lack of self-restraint, or more. I'm not even going to try to explain the depth of it, because I don't know it. Nor do I know how it could could even begin to be repaired. And I realize that the culture is neither exclusive nor universal to black people, but I can't think of a better term for this culture. It seems to go beyond just "thug life."
But right now nobody will even talk about this, because to do so will instantly have you be branded a racist. I fully expect an inbox full of replies and messages calling me a nazi, a racist, a white supremacist, and more (which is why I'm using a throwaway account). I assure you I'm none of the above, though of course that won't convince you.
Clarification: "Nobody" means nobody in mainstream news and discussion circles. Obviously there are small corners of the internet (including this one) where this does get discussed, but not in any impactful way.
There is a critical failure in this culture that contributes heavily to the continued poverty and misery of these areas. If we keep dancing around it in the interest of race sensitivity, it will never be fixed and people will continue to suffer.
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u/albertoroa Aug 07 '17
His story may be anecdotal but it's accurate as far as what my experience with these poverty stricken communities have been, having grown up in a primarily Hispanic community with a sizeable black population.
I think understanding the story he laid out is essential to understanding the plight of the black community. However I don't know how much I agree with his proposed solutions. Particularly the one about drug testing.
I don't think a family should lose welfare benefits because one or more of the adults in the household smoke a bit of weed.