So, an organization formed to oppose violence in the black community is now turning into another appendage of the Democratic party machine. By design, they will be working to increase the turnout of black voters, who will vote 95% for Obama. I wonder what sort of reception the media would give if somebody formed a group in St. Charles or Arnold, with the explicit aim of getting more white voters out on election day.

It is a long, long way from registering to vote to becoming part of the machinery of either party. This is a great effort. Maybe if some of the disaffected kids and young adults drowning in poverty and hopelessness can learn that it is possible to change your destiny because a man of color can work hard and become anything he sets his mind to becoming in this nation, the goal of reduced violence will be more attainable. The media gave a fine reception to the dog and pony show at the T.R. Hughes ballpark in St. Charles a few weeks back.

What does getting people out to vote, have to do with violence among young males?.

Oh, Penelope, you reverse racist, you. You’re so adorable!!

Voter registration is fine, but what happened to the purpose for which the group was formed? The homicide rate is on pace to break that of the early 90’s. Where is the follow through on their plan walking neighborhoods, gathering at the scene of the crime, workshops, community educaion. EVERYONE has the right to vote and should do so to vote their issues or candidates. I do believe the right wing of the Republican Party does that consistently on their issues i.e. abortion, gay marriage, immigration, & the 2nd Amendment.

The black leadership in this city and country is a JOKE. The only reason Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are “successful” is because they thrive on promoting racism of whites towards blacks. They do absolutely nothing for the black community. What did Obama do for HIS communities in Chicago? Did HE make a difference? Doubtful.

To be upfront here, I was shot by a black man during an armed robbery in my restaurant outside Detroit, so I have little sympathy for the plight of the young, black male. For that matter, I have little sympathy for any youth that chooses violence/thuggery over going to school and getting a job. The Democratic party has done NOTHING for black youths. Black leaders have done NOTHING for black youths. While I have no sympathy for these thugs, I do feel that there are ways to clean up what is currently a mess. Part of it is cleaning up the communities..literally. Give youths a sense of pride in where they live.

Here’s what I would do if I was a black leader in a community:

-Create a headquarters at a church and make this church a “safe haven” for youths.
-In this headquarters, on a board, map out all the problem areas in the community.
-Find some former military men/women who know tactics.
-Plan on “going to war” on drugs and violence and plan the “attack”
-Blanket the first “sector” by cleaning up all vacant lots, boarding up all vacant homes, clean out weeds and debris from all areas/curbs/closed businesses, etc.
-Once these “sectors” are cleaned up, figure out a way to keep them on “the good side”. Perhaps it’s community policing. Perhaps it’s a foot cop or two..on bikes or a “golf cart”. Either way, that “sector” has to stay with the good guys.
-Create a large network of informants who informed on the drug dealers and gang members
-Use the MOTHERS for much of the work. Mothers and women are highly respected in the black community. Older black women would work the best. Put them in the schools and in the “sectors”. Heck, buy them one of the homes and create a safe haven at that home. Many of the homes have been foreclosed on anyway so they could be bought or donated cheaply and furnished cheaply.

Bring ROTC back to all the schools and provide incentives for boys and girls to join.

Dress codes would be required in all schools.

Hold parents accountable by requiring them to perform community service for any child that they have that gets bad grades or is a delinquent.

Require ALL homes to conform to some type of a standard: No weeds, fresh paint, no garbage in the yard, no cars on blocks, etc.

All schools would have city police patrolling the halls, bathrooms, lockerrooms (gender specific obviously).

Each “sector” would become secured, cleaned, safe. Once this is accomplished, move on.

The Governor would appoint the black leaders…not the mayor or mayoral board, since the Governor should be a little more removed from the city politics. The black leader would be paid and given a bonus based on the successful transition of each sector.

Once each sector is secured, cleaned, safe…the environment will be much easier for children to grow up in and focus on studying as opposed to surviving.

Now that I have solved the problems of the black community, I am available to solve the problems of the world. Thank you and I’ll be here all day.

One other comment. Last year, our school played Normandy in football. While it was a bit nerve wracking to get to the school, once there, we were struck by how polite everyone was on the school grounds, the police presence, and how respectful folks of all ages/races seemed. Perhaps it was a fluke but many of us were surprised. And yes, most of were white…but, much to Penelope’s chagrin, none of us were wearing white hoods.

Will this lead to the end of the “NO SNITCH” epidemic infecting some communities?

thank you moderator for removing Penelope’s racist comment.

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BobZ, I think if there was a way to pay for information, the NO SNITCH mentality may ebb a bit. Right now, though, the community does not seem to trust the police and it’s not in their best interest to snitch when there is no trust. However, snitching might not be necessary if there were more cops walking the beat..walking down the alleys, through the parks, etc. They would be able to get a better handle on what is going on in the neighborhoods. I would much rather my tax dollars be spent on many, many more cops in the neighborhood than my tax dollars going to socialized healthcare.

Stop the McCain/Palin violence against the Truth!

http://www.mccainpedia.org/index.php/Count_the_Lies

Vote Obama/Biden!

It must be the paucity of the Republican message that makes Nick Kaskoff equate voter registration to Democratic machines. I’m with Rick James that all people have the right to organize to register to vote and to vote for candidates that they best represents them. Christian conservatives have long since equated their moral and religious efforts with direct efforts to take over the Republican party and through them various functions of governments.

As for LogicPrevails, clearly it doesn’t your case. The broad brush stroke talking about Jackson and Sharpton–who have little to do with actual local organizing–obscures the fact that many local churches are doing what you claim that you would do.

Perhaps if white leadership wasn’t such a joke we wouldn’t have this crisis of housing foreclosures, bad loans, economic downturns, rising unemployment and increasing fiscal insolvency of the national government.

United, you obviously blame everyone but the individuals who bought homes they couldn’t afford for the problem. Your comments, then, make sense..everyone else is to blame. I used Jesse Jackson and Sharpton as an example of lousy black leadership. Here in St. Louis, perhaps the lousy leadership is Lacy Clay. Perhaps it’s all the other black aldermen. Not sure which one is to blame for poor leadership. Ultimately, it goes to individual responsibility..something that is loathed by liberal Democrats.

As for local churches doing the job, you failed to read my comments thoroughly..I was not saying churches should take the lead, but they should be used as the headquarters for leadership groups. I understand that churches are doing some of the work. In fact, there is a Catholic Church (drawing a blank on the name) down the street past the Fox that has done a tremendous job, cleaning up the area and seeding the neighborhood..but it will take more than just a church and one priest/pastor to do it.

So far, the Democratic party has done little for the black community..but their candidates continue to be voted into office. Tell me what our black President Clinton did for blacks? Christian conservatives, ironically, represent much of what the black community is all about: pro-church, pro-life, pro-family. I would say that Sarah Palin better represents blacks than Joe Biden does.

Do you think it is just a coincidence that the cities with the highest crime rates, highest poverty rates and worst schools all have democrats running them, and have for the last 40 years?

African Americans have been voting for dems forty years, what has it gotten them? Instead of voting for “Change”, what they need is a change in voting.

An Anti-Violence campaign shifting to voter registration is nothing new. We did this in the 1960’s as well. Voter registration drives sponsored by groups supporting Non-Violence are not party specific.

To those who are trying to disparage this drive as somehow only benefiting the Democratic Party — help register people to vote yourself.

As to why we need this type of non-partisan drive, read Harper Barnes’ book “Never Been A Time”.

So Penelope, if somebody in St. Charles formed an organization aimed at “getting white Americans to the ballot box” that would be ok? Or is racially oriented electioneering only acceptable when it is a black or Hispanic group doing it?

RHarnack — are you STILL commenting on American society? Why don’t you first work on the mess you left for the Vietnamese people.

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