SNAP Blog Page
 

statueman's Blog

by statueman from Los Angeles

Last Post 109 days, 3 hours Ago


Attacking Residual Racism with Political Correctness

How can we make St Louis a better place to live? How about taking a good hard look at residual racism and political correctness. I think it’s time for some standard operational procedures to be changed so that St Louis can start avoiding the appearance of racism. It’s time for some folks in power to know that there is a wide spread problem of perception that cannot be ignored. We can and should project the substance of racial harmony, understanding and change. We can and should call for accountability but we first have to invoke a spirit of brotherhood and community concern that leads to the establishment of media and mission.
In John Pertzborns Blog, ST. LOUIS RANKED #1 IN CRIME USA I posted.

Well, let's take a look at Downtown first. You got a casino boat... a lot of bars... excellent new loft apartments going up and everywhere and little posters showing the wonderful new renovations up and coming. This all looked really good to me at first back in 2004 when I lived in downtown St Louis for a month or so. But there was also a very large number of homeless folks and hustlers in the downtown area. Everything from Cardinals ticket scalpers to drug dealers apparently have substantial investments in the downtown area. There is a lot of "in your face” vice in the downtown area. There were also quite a few bar fights in the evenings.
One day when I was looking to rent one of those nifty lofts and I noticed a small park full of homeless men, women and children. This I know, you cannot renovate a downtown area without getting the homeless off the street and dealing with drug dealing, irresponsible Bars, event ticket scalpers and perhaps even considering losing the casino...
St. Louisan’s can start making the city safer by 1. Supporting local missions and holding them accountable for integrity and results! Get some of that faith based initiative money for either established missions or brand new ones. Consider if the present missions are helping or hindering. 2. Local mass media and citizens should do more investigative reporting on local police forces and make sure that training, personnel and pay are more than adequate. And 3. Do not ignore the issues of homelessness, alcoholism and drug addiction. I strongly encourage folks to look for the many professionals out there who want to help with entrepreneurial pursuits that will improve the plight of the less fortunate. San Diego California did it! I used to love it in their downtown area. One way to change Saint Louis Missouri is for all of us to stop judging and start caring. Support local missions, media and police while also making them accountable for results… it may be time to trim the barren branches.

It’s 2006 and St Louis seems to have and almost 1950’s mentality. I hear conversations about race and racism here that I hardly ever hear anymore in other parts of the country. I grew up in Alton, and there seems to be no real change in this area when I know there really is. We just need to act on it. To me racism is not the real issue anymore, but understanding is. We cannot allow ourselves to be like the politically incorrect like we’re living in some Hollywood movie in St Louis. It’s time to get sensitive to the fact that there are still racist policies in effect in this area. It seems to me that long after people in general stop being racial that institutions remain so. This causes many folks who are not racist to be labeled that way. So start looking at standard operational procedures and make changes to avoid even the appearance of racism. Be politically correct until there the perception of racism disappears and then we can start looking at good ole’ personal accountability.
15 Comments |  Add a Comment

Member Comments Total Comments: 15
Page 1 of 1
da_opposition read my blog view my photos
Oct 30, 2006 | 6:19 PM

Every major city has one thing in common that they all have shared over the past 10 yrs. I believe what I'm about decrib has direct effect on increased crime rates in all of the united states major cities. The backlash is now but how long will it last...

10 yrs ago President Clinton came with a plan to downsize public housing across the nation. This plan ment evicting resisdents who broke the law, mainly possession of illegal drugs or weapons. Understandable... during the 90s this was an easy task, just about anyone a cop would walk up too would be in possession. The eviction didn't require prosection only the arrest record.

Part II:

Public housing had to become self-sufficent: Understandable... But this ment tearing down 33,000 + units and replacing them with 10,000 and 8500 of these unit being market rate. So ruffly 33,000 apartments became 1500. These ment close to 100,000 people wre put on the housing market in the STL area, some got vouchers to live wentzville, some O'fallon, but many migrated to South City and North County. These resident only paid a few dollars rent and tax dollars paid the rest. Now they haf to pay real rent with $5.75 per hour jobs and increased cost in everything and I mean everything. This is real poverty and from real poverty comes real crime. This happened in every major city across the US. There are some programs out there to help like "welfare to work", but the work pays the same or less than welfare.

Part III
?

statueman read my blog view my photos
Oct 30, 2006 | 8:34 PM

Part III?

You write part three. What is the solution in practical terms?

Who could best lead St Louis and the surrounding areas to water?

Opinion_Guy read my blog view my photos
Oct 31, 2006 | 5:45 AM

Politicians who vote thier own raises and multi-million dollar private pensions really don't have time to deal with silly issues amongst the people on or near the bottom of the food chain. When will society realize this and vote for more taxes. The politicians are coming close to another cost of wasting increase which should occur shortly after the votes are tallied and they know the winners of the new raise and increased benefits for themselves.

DontBeFooled read my blog
Oct 31, 2006 | 5:53 AM

"We cannot allow ourselves to be like the politically incorrect like we’re living in some Hollywood movie in St Louis."

Huh? It's Hollywood who IS politically CORRECT, not incorrect.

" Be politically correct until there the perception of racism disappears and then we can start looking at good ole’ personal accountability."

Again, HUH? We've BEEN politically correct, which is why this country is chin deep in ka-ka. We need to be politically "INcorrect", then maybe things will begin to shape up. I think you've got it backwards.

I notice in your list of how to make St. Louis better you didn't mention at all having zero tolerance for criminal action. Stop coddling the bad guy and hold the LAW accountable should have been somewhere near the top of your list, don't you think?

statueman read my blog view my photos
Oct 31, 2006 | 6:06 AM

Politicians? I didn't mention politicians but people. Is there a politician out there who will vote to raise taxes and lower their salaries a the same time? It'd take Rev Ike to be their campainge manager.

Aren't you glad there aren't any true philanthropics in Government? DC tends to eat those kind for breakfast. Mr Jimmy Stewart taught me that in with Mr Smith… “aww, pork chop money“ oops I‘m sorry Jimmy said that line in “Who Shot Liberty Valence”. But both movies seem to make the same point.

All I'm saying is you have those folks in St. Louis quietly doing alot of good. Those programs or missions or communal back to independent living resources perhaps need expansion? Improvement? Hmmmm Places tailor made for alternative sentencing? I‘m not asking politicians to do that but rather small accountable independent citizens groups. (spelling mistakes not withstanding…)

So where’s the solution? I think the “let us save St Louis from within”… But lets do it quietly, mercifully and quickly yet with regard for our own personal safety. Did I say ‘with‘? I meant with or without… a choice in the measure of the true missionary.

statueman read my blog view my photos
Oct 31, 2006 | 6:22 AM

Don't be fooled?

I wrote up top...
2. Local mass media and citizens should do more investigative reporting on local police forces and make sure that training, personnel and pay are more than adequate.

Support the troops... I was am in my heart will always be a part of the troops. Troops who swear to protect and enforce the laws of our constitution and the ideals of our Bill of Rights. God save the King! And thank God we don't have one...and Amen.

anaconda-dan read my blog view my photos
Oct 31, 2006 | 6:51 AM

DBF typed what I was thinking.
Being politically correct is tantamount to buring your head in the sand. People need to wake up and say what's really on their mind. For the most part, what I see as racist are leaders in the ethnic communities, crying "racism" for their own political gains. They perpetuate the stereotypes. Thanks Al and Jessie. Want to eliminate the "Appearance of racism"? It starts at home. Grass roots efforts at combating crime, undereducation, joblessness. Bring on "work for welfare" programs. Stop the entitlement mentality. Quit creating your own stereotypes under the guise of "cultural diversity".

statueman read my blog view my photos
Oct 31, 2006 | 6:57 AM

Yes sir... anaconda dan. Yes 'and I know you probably work for a living' Sir.

and... That was spoken in a very politicly correct way. In our political incorrectness, let us make sure that we haven't made new traditions whilst fighting the old.

After all, how can you be politicly incorrect without appearing to be at least trying to be correct in a relative/spiritual/cultura/religious of scientific sense?

anaconda-dan read my blog view my photos
Oct 31, 2006 | 7:24 AM

Unfortunately we've become a society where the most important part of conversational content is to not hurt anyone's feelings. This has permeated every facet of our lives. Sometimes people are just plain wrong. THey need to be told that. Not everyone is a "winner".
The world needs ditch-diggers too" - Judge Smails
I know, I was one at one time.
People are not being held responsible for their personal choices, in fact many times they are rewarded for it.
Saying society is racist becomes a convenient excuse to shirk personal resonsibility. People generally put themselves in thier own situations. "I'd rather have a new set of wheels for my car than provide for my family." "I'd rather hang out with my friends than make sure my kids are doing ok in school." Racist comments? No. Observeable behaviour. Does everyone in a specific racial or socioeconomic group behave the same way. Of course not.
The 'sir' thing was very cute.
Yes. I DO work for a living. I always have. I was raised in a poor section in near south St. Louis. But I was raised in a community that had good values. People looked out for one another. There was little crime, and what there was came from people outside of our neighborhood. People looked after each other.
Maybe we should try to bring back some of those values?
Rather than being politically correct?
Just a thought....

DontBeFooled read my blog
Oct 31, 2006 | 7:48 AM

Ok, who are you and what did you do with anaconda-dan?

You're scaring me Dan...it's like I don't know you anymore.

anaconda-dan read my blog view my photos
Oct 31, 2006 | 7:49 AM

We may not be so different after all...
:-)

statueman read my blog view my photos
Oct 31, 2006 | 7:56 AM

When I left Illinois and lived in so Cal for about 15 years I met many a working class conservative that sounded many a working class liberal back home.

No, we are too much alike to label ourselves aren't we? I'm a liberal-conservative middle wing positronic electron with no nucleus...

But I'll settle for a bowl of soup at the local soup kitchen.

anaconda-dan read my blog view my photos
Oct 31, 2006 | 8:52 AM

I belive I may have alluded to the solution without actually spelling it out. The solution needs to come from within. Responsibility. I'm not really an advocate of MadBear's vigilanteism, but I do take an active role in what takes place in my neck of the woods. I would not hesitate to assist a LEO if he or she needed help in a situation. Pehaps that's an issue that needs to be addressed also. The "look the other way, it's not my problem attitude"?
I think the probems have been identified many times over. Political correctness keeps us from actually DOING anything about it.
It's certainly much easier to put the bliders on and hope "someone else" solves the problem.
THe "miracle workers" can only accomplish so much. Soup kitchens and missions are a terrific thing when they are put to use for their intended purpose. When they become tools for enablement, they become the problem, not the solution.

statueman read my blog view my photos
Oct 31, 2006 | 9:26 AM

Enablement! Yes! Can we save one or one hundred? That's the question and how! Not just missions but rejuvanised program style work initiatives that promote a coming togther to save the least of men form the worst of men. (Women too :)

God Save King Bill (of rights)!!!! And God Bless alternative sentencing programs be they incorporated or not. Bless those who don't blow trumpets...

Opinion_Guy read my blog view my photos
Oct 31, 2006 | 2:06 PM

When laws are altered by political correctness the law has no effectiveness. Profiling is a great example, valuable resources are spent checking people who would be the least suspected. I toured a very effective program in Calif, it saved the taxpayers over 7 Million a year, cost 2 million to run with a 72% success rate at a local prison. A 5 million savings to the county. They refused to fund the program a third year? Politics. Just ridding the system of the political correct approach would decrease crime drastically. Hard core repeat offenders can be sorted out and dealt with easily without politcal correctness. Some can be saved or rehabillitated but what is happening to prevent crime from reaching the point of dealing with a prisoner after the crime and not before the crime is committed. Criminals view punishment as a joke, hardly a deterent and more a reward. A guy in Calif who cross dresses is in jail, he won a case regarding his right to dress as a female. Taxpayers now pay for him to order from "Victoria Secrets" panties and gowns as his prison jammies, Go figure?

Page 1 of 1


Write your comment below:




statueman

I'm a retired vet who loves to come up with donut shop solutions through soup kitchen prophecies. My goal is to encourage the growth of alternative sentencing through "habilitation" programs. These quiet unsung organizations need our quiet unsung support. (Edit May 24, 2008, Of course since then I've been getting into more interesting material.) _________________________
I don't delete comments in my blogs as I don't like it when folks delete mine. (Edit June 11, 2008 - I have and will delete posts arguing about interpretation of scripture.)(Edit August 18, 2008 - I've decided too delete the comments of folks who continually use offensive name calling.) _________________________
OK... all predictions deleted since Mccain didn't win. Brook White didn't win Idol and Hillary didn't drop out of the election. Congratulations to us all on a new President. The first President to be only half white as far as we all know. But it's ok the separatist have been predicting an invasion of mongrel hordes and let's hope they took their can openers to their caves. After all... this really is a free country.

Member Since: 10/30/2006