tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613544107902766451.post2186729599915896842..comments2023-09-22T03:18:54.327-04:00Comments on What's race got to do with it?: murder, mayhem, guns, cops - another day in the urban coreAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10334588887222997585noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613544107902766451.post-62809813608993053872009-08-18T19:34:17.701-04:002009-08-18T19:34:17.701-04:00This was an awesome and informative post - you don...This was an awesome and informative post - you don't frequently hear about race riots starting in frigid temperatures, right? The anger bubble bursts when people are hot, miserable and feeling hopeless.Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804157867322580387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613544107902766451.post-37247172536990758062009-08-12T19:30:59.078-04:002009-08-12T19:30:59.078-04:00An incredible amount of criminal activity in the u...An incredible amount of criminal activity in the urban core revolves around drugs, and I often wonder if what the cops are doing, what the drug counselors are doing, what the schoolteachers or any of us as concerned citizens are doing is making any real difference at all.<br /><br />I remember Frank Fulbrook came in as a guest to one of my undergrad urban studies classes to give a lecture about the American history of drug prohibition, how it informs racism in American society, how the criminalization of drug dealing and drug abuse perpetuates that racism, and finally the politics that keeps drug dealing underground as opposed to a regulated market. The takeaway was that drug dealing should be decriminalized, legalized, and taxed. In theory, this would eliminate gang activity, employ the "unemployable," make drugs safer to use, and provide tax revenue to all levels of government. The obvious arguments raised against this were that drugs are inherently bad so they should be illegal, drugs abuse causes other serious health and family issues, and our society just isn't ready to "legalize it." <br /> <br />But again, I think about all of the violence that arises from drug dealing all around the world, and sometimes I wonder what's worse- people and their families getting killed for their involvement in an underground economy, or people losing their families and livelihoods to drug abuse. Personally, I believe that you can bring someone back from a life of drug abuse, but you can't bring someone back to life once they're dead.<br /><br />Just a thought.dantarnghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02314275780767553498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613544107902766451.post-8351847591517356022009-08-10T14:36:07.955-04:002009-08-10T14:36:07.955-04:00i generally agree with everything you explained in...i generally agree with everything you explained in this post but i do take issue with your stance on drug dealers. growing up in the city of Camden, i have witnessed many of my friends become disenchanted with the public school system and frustrated by the lack of jobs offering any type of upward social mobility. many of these individuals then go on to dabble in the world of drug dealing only to find that its not only a dangerous profession, its also not very profitable. dealing drugs is not the American dream. the money is slow and sporadic at best, and although you may know your coworkers or competitors, the population that you serve is endlessly frustrating. dealing drugs is a viable career option for a lot of young black and latino men because of the comraderie it offers and the immediate satisfaction that can be gained from selling a product for cash, however more often than not this profession does not allow dealers the freedom to make any type of financial progress or substantial purchases that go along with achieving the American Dream. a particularly busy Friday afternoon may allow a dealer to purchase an expensive bottle liquor or sneakers for the next Saturday night but come Sunday morning they still wont have enough money saved up or a steady source of income to live comfortably. the image that we have of drug dealers in this society is fueled by the distort image of drug dealers turned rappers driving luxury cars and dancing with beautiful women while still recollecting on their days as a supposed King Pin. the drug dealers that I know don't live like this. i have read studies that have explained that the average drug dealer makes substantially less than what they would have made working a minimum wage job. the problem is that many of these individuals do not have the proper education or job training to even be successful at something as mundane as a grocery store cashier. a full time job is not an insult to a drug dealer. there are barriers, whether real or imaginary, that prevent them from re-entering society once they have become accustomed to life on the corner or in a jail cell. i wholeheartedly agree that the willingness to accept people instead of judging them is a major reason why many high school dropouts, ex convicts, and drug dealers remain complacent and dont seek to find a better way of life for themselves. however, it takes a very strong individual to leave the comfort of the so-called American dream as a drug-dealer to take courses at Camden County College in hopes of finding a career path. these individuals have become completely marginalized by society and i find that most dont have the courage to make an effort to improve their lives. basically, they're cowards. early signs of this are in urban classrooms where many students refuse to try hard because they are scared to fail so they intentionally goof off in class to make it appear as though they are controlling their own destiny. its an act of autonomy to reject the schooling and grade system altogether and declare that you don't have to try because you know in the end you won't succeed anyway. there is no model for success in urban classrooms or on street corners. drug dealers don't switch up professions because they don't see it happen in their everyday life. they may see another drug-dealer get arrested, sent to a prison, then to a halfway house, then back to the same neighborhood and forced to take a menial job as a janitor, but its forced assimilation. i have very little sympathy for drug dealers. very little. they put up a violent and abrasive front but are quiet as church mice in any other setting because of their perception of the world around them, which doesnt extend much farther than their corner.Khary Goldennoreply@blogger.com