IT'S BIGGER THAN YOU THINK....

Baltimore…..embodies the whole mess….from the Pacific Coast to the Statue of Liberty…..

Racism, it’s there---Police brutality, poverty, helplessness, hopelessness, anger, apathy, isolation….we got lots of that….

I am trying to see the biggest picture I can….I have yet to see racism as being directly attributed to any of these policing excesses. Where is the evidence of that? It now appears that the incident in Baltimore that sparked these riots may have nothing to do with police brutality, or racism. There may have been a proverbial “rush to judgment”. Baltimore burned by it’s own.....on a ”rush”. It’s pathetic...very! I’ve seen a lot of these tragic oversteppings. The death of Eric Garner was so very unnecessary….was it racism…? No evidence of that…

Is bad policing what is keeping these impoverished communities from flourishing? That is barely the tip of the iceberg. It’s bigger than you think...

The death of that little boy in Cleveland who was playing on a deserted street with a fake gun was gutwrenching, and again, unnecessary….that could have been handled much differently…that made me angry..and defeated…was it racism? No proof of that…at all.

The shooting of a black man in south carolina who was exiting his car to get gas….after he was asked to get his wallet….that almost made me cry…this man was totally compliant in every way…he did nothing at all..pulled over because of a seat belt violation…yet he had just taken off his seatbelt to get out of the car….shot 3 or 4 times….he did exactly what he was asked….Goddammit!

The beating of that black man recently where cocaine was allegedly planted in the front seat of his car is police misconduct in the highest order….that man was treated like a subhuman because he was driving a cadillac in an area that is known for drug deals….was there evidence of racism involved…No evidence of that….none whatsoever that I have seen. Yet, it was humiliating, degrading, wrong, excessive. A total violation of this man’s civil rights. That cop should be going to jail.

This happens in white communities, Hispanic communities, and all over America……the police sometimes make very bad decisions, sometimes criminal decisions…is there racism in the police force?…I am sure there is some of that….there is definitely racial profiling…..I don’t think there is any doubt that there is way more crime in impoverished communities…..communities that are disproportionately black.

I feel sorry for the police…so many of these public servants are good, well intentioned, people. They are doing some pretty risky work, everyday dealing with people that are hostile, physically combative, often armed, desperate. Who wants that job everyday? It is stressful to be sure…and it doesn’t pay in the 6 figures..check it out….it is not a ticket to the land of milk and honey and money….

These guys are being made the scapegoats for all of America’s ills…..how is that fair? Aren’t there much bigger problems that we are not seeing? A perfectly behaving police force will not make everything beautiful in these communities, not even close. This is a tiny tree in a forest of sadness.

The much bigger problem that I am observing is repressed anger and a feeling of having no hope…for being on the margins of America’s “promise”. I can empathize with that…..the black community is being discarded..they are floundering (in general). The education system, of which this country is responsible in my opinion, is a total disaster….how does a black child come out of those neighborhoods and ascend in society….the chances are slim…drugs, violence, seem like the only option for many ……

Barack Obama is President…the Jackie Robinson of American politics….in my opinion, a highly dignified and graceful man. All politics aside, this guy is highly honorable, the temperament of a Buddha. ….scandal free…a great family man. I couldn’t design anyone who is a better example for the youth of America, black or white….yet, black America is not being lifted by his Presidency, and leadership….not by the economic indicators that I have seen. They are being left off the train…..It is not Obama’s fault…he doesn’t have a magic wand.

Are you sitting down? Hold your breath for this.......74% of all black children born are coming into this world without a father….are you kidding me? Think about that for a second! There is NO statistic predicting civic decay that is more important than that….74%!!! I don’t think we can comprehend how poisonous that number is….THIS is the problem as much as anything else….total destruction of the family structure…..that is the organic mess…you can’t build a solid structure if your foundation is made of paperclips and tape and sticks….you can put all the paint you want on the outside of the structure…it won’t fix the foundation….an Oprah police force won’t fix that....

There is lots and lots of unprotected and casual, irresponsible, sex going in these communities and it is wreaking devastating havoc…on everyone, the mothers, the children, the community at large……

Nothing will change until this changes…..you can throw millions and billions at the problem……and NOTHING will change without that changing…those are my opinions.

What is the answer to that……?

I feel for these communities….I want everyone to feel like they have a chance at prosperity…a window, at least. Everyone has to be able to see light at the end of that tunnel. If they work hard and act responsibly they can climb in society….they can lead a dignified life…..whites, blacks, hispanics, etc..

We are all responsible for this….we are trying to have a civilization...let’s not rest till everyone is a part of it.

P.S. How much better would this world be with less testosterone…we would have much much less of this: aggression, violent behavior, less wars, less poverty, less irresponsible sexual behavior, much less violence against women, less unplanned pregnancies……do the math....it’s in the hormones, too much of it is in the hormones.

“One thing’s sure and nothing’s surer---the rich get richer, and the poor, get children” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Food for thought....on a heavy heart.