The real Trayvan Martin

[Col. Bo Cowshut]

What this case really tells the community at large is "don't mess with a black man!" We will drag you through the mud. It is all about intimidation, not right or wrong.

[stage director]

Hmmm, I don't know about all that, because the fact is a black man has much higher odds of being rousted for no good reason than a white man. I think what really happens is that outrage towards acts of prejudice bleeds into other situations that are not necessarily the same thing, and persons/groups with their own agendas take advantage of it by stirring the pot.

[Col. Bo Cowshut]

Hmmm, I don't know about all that, because the fact is a black man has much higher odds of being rousted for no good reason than a white man. I think what really happens is that outrage towards acts of prejudice bleeds into other situations that are not necessarily the same thing, and persons/groups with their own agendas take advantage of it by stirring the pot.

Why not protest black on black crime? Black on white crime? Numbers published in the McLatchy (SP?) newspapers in the past six months:

1. You are 10 times more likely to be the victim of a violent crime in the black neighborhood than in a white neighborhood.
2. 72% of blacks are born to single parents.
3. 9 out of 10 black children live on food stamps/welfare compared to 1 in 5 white children.
4. 95% of blacks live in taxpayer paid for housing.
5. Washington DC was known as the murder capital of the world. It also had the largest black population until Katrina. Today, New Orleans has a larger black population. New Orleans has the highest murder rate now. It is so bad, NO mayor has called on Jindal to send the National Guard to patrol the streets of NO.

Those numbers were taken from various reports by the federal government. They will not say how many blacks are high school dropouts. Nor will they publish the number of black males 15 to 45 who are convicted felons. If I were protesting those numbers would be a good start.

Think Bloods/Crips for a moment. Now name a white gang that compares to either.

[stage director]

Think Bloods/Crips for a moment. Now name a white gang that compares to either.

Hell's Angels

[Col. Bo Cowshut]

Hell's Angels

No. The Hell's Angels, to start with, is a mixed group. Bloods/Crips are black only. The Hell's Angels do not pray on their community. You should study gangs a little bit.

[stage director]

Great post, Ba2. :-)

[stage director]

Don't even start. Just because I don't have all the prejudices you do don't start flaming me. Further, I have no problem whatsoever verbally condemning a mindset of a group like the New Black Panthers as rabid racism (because it is!), or that the current sense of entitlement America is experiencing is damaging us (because it is!), but I'm not getting ready to stereotype all blacks as parasites (which is what you're really saying) just because you need someone to pin the blame on for the financial woes of America. Your stats are out of proportion. Deal with it. You know, you're really not all that different from Malcolm X before he had an epiphany and figured out that it wasn't all about race. You think there's too many blacks living off the government? Goooood. Feel free to get up off your butt, and start mentoring black youths towards a better goal in life.

[stage director]

4. 95% of blacks live in taxpayer paid for housing.

I know this is bogus. I know many, many blacks, and I can't think of many whose housing is paid for by taxpayers apart from social security or veteran's benefits.

You are aware that DC is one big ghetto with no industry to speak of and few jobs, right? Do you imagine a poor person with kids can just load the kids up, cash in their 401k or something, and relocate to someplace new? Poverty is a vicious cycle that the government has perpetrated for decades via its handouts and social programs. Where there is not enough to go around there is going to be more crime, and more so in an urban area with readily accessible bad influences. Now add the failing War on Drugs. States that have enacted a program of Work for Benefits have improved the poverty/crime situation to a degree, but not nearly to the degree it could be because the jobs are being outsourced to places elsewhere.

You know what a very perceptive black person once told me? He said that welfare has helped to destroy the black community. He said that where once upon a time a black woman needed the man to support her children and would therefor strive to keep her family together.. welfare, accompanied by the feminist message, made it easy for a woman to tell a man, "I don't need you. I can get my own money." To the detriment of the black family, which already had hurdles to overcome with unequal employment, etc.. And this happened in an era where the majority of women were stay at home mothers, so most women, black or white, lacked the skills to support a family without government assistance or her man.

[Col. Bo Cowshut]

Do you imagine a poor person with kids can just load the kids up, cash in their 401k or something, and relocate to someplace new?

Under the Carter presidency, Florida did just that. Anyone on welfare could move any place they chose. Florida would pay for move, security deposits and rent for six months. you were not allowed to return to Florida for one year. Nor could you apply for Florida welfare again for three years. Carter cut off all funding to Florida until they relented.

Poverty? Please define that word for me. Poverty, in my book, would be my own mammy. She raised six youngins on $80 a month as a nurse at the Charity Hospital. We didn't get rent money, food stamps, medicaid, or any other government handout. Having someone else pay your food bill, rent, utilities, health care, school lunches, babysitters, etc. is living the life of riley. I know of no black living in poverty. The 95% number is accurate. The government has closed most "slums" or "gettos." We now pay the rent at apartment complexes all over the country. Just down the street from me is a subdivision with over three hundred houses. All are being rented by the feds. What was the girl's name? She won the gold medal in gym at the Olympias several years ago. She was from West Virginia. Anyway, she is the owner of several rent subsidized housing complexes.

Three of my mammy's youngins graduated from college by working their way through. None have been in prison or convicted of a crime. Five are still alive. Two have earned over a million bucks in their working lives. Three gave time to the military. One is chef at a major university. None of us have taken a dime in welfare. There is a difference in poverty and living the life of riley. I might suggest a book title, "From plantation slave to getto slave."

[stage director]

I know plenty of people, black included, who came from humble beginnings and went on to live productive lives. But let me ask you a question.. Were you raised in a poor overcrowded urban area with high unemployment and inadequate schools while surrounded by gangs and drugs? It goes without saying that poverty is not an excuse for being a criminal. But the reality is that it often makes turning to crime much more likely, and an understanding of the causes of crime (be they valid, or not), along with viable solutions, is needed to combat it.. even though we'll never iradicate it. But the truth of the matter is that were the poorest urban areas predominantly filled with white folks under the same economic restraints, we'd be talking about the problem with white on white crime.

[Col. Bo Cowshut]

I know plenty of people, black included, who came from humble beginnings and went on to live productive lives. But let me ask you a question.. Were you raised in a poor overcrowded urban area with high unemployment and inadequate schools while surrounded by gangs and drugs? It goes without saying that poverty is not an excuse for being a criminal. But the reality is that it often makes turning to crime much more likely, and an understanding of the causes of crime (be they valid, or not), along with viable solutions, is needed to combat it.. even though we'll never iradicate it. But the truth of the matter is that were the poorest urban areas predominantly filled with white folks under the same economic restraints, we'd be talking about the problem with white on white crime.

Actually, the school we attend is still in use in a white community. The original one room log portion is used for kindergarden. The new portion of the building was built by the WPA in the thirties as I recall. We built the gym in '57 (we the AGR class). The text books I used were thirty-years-old with the covers replaced by brown paper bags. We did not make excuses for being poor. Now let us look at facts.

I have a first cousin on welfare. Let us use him as an example. the Feds define poverty as a family making less than $22000 a year. You can look up the exact numbers. Let us call him George. George was kicked out of school at fifteen because his was drunk. By sixteen, he had permanently lost his license due to DUI. He is married with four children. In 1992, I offered him a job making a good wage for the time. He refused.

1. He, his wife and each of four children receive a check for over a thousand a month (remember we are talking about 1992).
2. He received $700 a month in food stamps (1992).
3. He received WIC for the two youngest children ($100 a month??).
4. All four children receive both breakfast and lunch at school for free (in our community today, we also pay for supper).
5. His rent is paid $750 a month.
6. Each year his children receive a check for $250 for school cloths (1992).
7. The two youngest children spend everyday in Daycare at our expense (you price).
8. We, the taxpayer, pays three months of utilities a year plus all heating bills.
9. He lives tax free compared to you or I (no income taxes, no taxes on food, no property taxes, etc.). Today, he would also receive an earned income tax check.
10. I can not even imagine the cost of a luxury health (medical/dental) insurance policy.

Using dollar values from 1992, still exceeds current poverty levels. That is the life of riley, not poverty. The number one advantage to socialism, is the necessity to blame someone else for all your own failures. Blaming poverty for crime is simply socialism in action.

[Col. Bo Cowshut]

I know plenty of people, black included, who came from humble beginnings and went on to live productive lives. But let me ask you a question.. Were you raised in a poor overcrowded urban area with high unemployment and inadequate schools while surrounded by gangs and drugs? It goes without saying that poverty is not an excuse for being a criminal. But the reality is that it often makes turning to crime much more likely, and an understanding of the causes of crime (be they valid, or not), along with viable solutions, is needed to combat it.. even though we'll never iradicate it. But the truth of the matter is that were the poorest urban areas predominantly filled with white folks under the same economic restraints, we'd be talking about the problem with white on white crime.

Are you suggesting that I am complicit to black crime? Does that make me a taxpaying don or the bill paying godfather?

[stage director]

The Hell's Angels do not pray on their community.

You're right. They're just into drug distribution (read: any community), prostitution, money laundering, extortion, racketeering, etc. That's so much less criminal in nature.

[Col. Bo Cowshut]

You're right. They're just into drug distribution (read: any community), prostitution, money laundering, extortion, racketeering, etc. That's so much less criminal in nature.

I like your sarcasm. You can go to tyhe front of the class.

[stage director]

I like your sarcasm. You can go to tyhe front of the class.

lol Sorry. I couldn't find the roll your eyes emoticon. (snicker) ;->

[stage director]

I have a first cousin on welfare. Let us use him as an example. the Feds define poverty as a family making less than $22000 a year. You can look up the exact numbers. Let us call him George. George was kicked out of school at fifteen because his was drunk. By sixteen, he had permanently lost his license due to DUI. He is married with four children. In 1992, I offered him a job making a good wage for the time. He refused.

1. He, his wife and each of four children receive a check for over a thousand a month (remember we are talking about 1992).
2. He received $700 a month in food stamps (1992).
3. He received WIC for the two youngest children ($100 a month??).
4. All four children receive both breakfast and lunch at school for free (in our community today, we also pay for supper).
5. His rent is paid $750 a month.
6. Each year his children receive a check for $250 for school cloths (1992).
7. The two youngest children spend everyday in Daycare at our expense (you price).
8. We, the taxpayer, pays three months of utilities a year plus all heating bills.
9. He lives tax free compared to you or I (no income taxes, no taxes on food, no property taxes, etc.). Today, he would also receive an earned income tax check.
10. I can not even imagine the cost of a luxury health (medical/dental) insurance policy.

Good grief, I'm in the wrong state!

I don't have a problem with WIC or free lunch, or with needy children being given medical care. I believe it's the only way many kids will get adequate food and nutrition. I definitely don't believe your cousin should have been allowed all of those benefits if a job was available to him, assuming he was able to work. Why were the children in a daycare if he didn't work?

[easeltine]

4.95% of blacks live in taxpayer paid for housing

Blacks get most Section 8 housing in Los Angeles. This is probably a correct National figure taking that into account.

[stage director]

Oh brother... In 2010 the black (non-Hispanic) population of the city of LA was a little under 400,000. There were approx 7,500 public housing units and 45,000 Section 8 housing units, so about 52,500 units all together. Those must have been some really huge black families if 95% of all those blacks were in public housing. And even at 10 members per family, there wouldn't have been any units at all with whites, hispanics or asians.

Btw..

Nationally: 15% of public housing is to seniors (62+) and 8% of Section 8 housing is to seniors. 33% of public housing includes someone disabled, and 35% of Section 8 housing includes someone diabled. The primary source of income for 34% of people in public housing is wages, and the primary source of income for 25% of people in Section 8 housing is wages.

My sources are HUD, City of LA Housing, and demographics compiled from data from the Census Bureau

[Col. Bo Cowshut]

Oh brother... In 2010 the black (non-Hispanic) population of the city of LA was a little under 400,000. There were approx 7,500 public housing units and 45,000 Section 8 housing units, so about 52,500 units all together. Those must have been some really huge black families if 95% of all those blacks were in public housing. And even at 10 members per family, there wouldn't have been any units at all with whites, hispanics or asians.

400,000 people divided into 52,500 housing units equals 7.6 people per housing unit. Is there any chance you studied math? The 95% number is nationwide. It came from HUD.

Nationally: 15% of public housing is to seniors (62+) and 8% of Section 8 housing is to seniors. 33% of public housing includes someone disabled, and 35% of Section 8 housing includes someone diabled. The primary source of income for 34% of people in public housing is wages, and the primary source of income for 25% of people in Section 8 housing is wages.

15% of public housing is to seniors . . . Are you suggesting there are no black seniors, only crackers, hispanics, Asians?
8% of Section 8 housing is to seniors . . . ditto?
33% of public housing/35% of Section 8 Housing is to diabled . . . same question from above?
the primary source of income for 25% of people in Section 8 housing is from wages . . . same question from above?

I am beginning to believe from your postings that you are a RACIST. The claim that no black is earning wages/disabled/senior is stupid at best, racist at worst.

[stage director]

Me: Those must have been some really huge black families if 95% of all those blacks were in public housing. And even at 10 members per family, there wouldn't have been any units at all with whites, hispanics or asians.

You: 400,000 people divided into 52,500 housing units equals 7.6 people per housing unit. Is there any chance you studied math?

I wasn't dividing 400,000 blacks by the number of units. With only 52,500 units, your statement would border on ludicrous if we assume an average size family resides in each one. My point is that it won't work even if we assume there were ten persons. Not unless we want to believe that no one from LA's huge Hispanic population, and substancial Asian population, live in public housing.

The 95% number is nationwide.

I don't believe it. Per the Census Bureau, in 2010 44.2% of black households in the US lived in owner-occupied homes. You just can't define all the blacks in the US by those who live in the poorest urban areas.