Michelle Alexander: White Men Get Rich from Legal Pot, Black Men Stay in Prison

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't think your conclusion is correct. If you look to the family you will see more than 70% of all black children in the US are born into single family homes. This makes it very difficult for the young children from a sociological perspective because they are missing that vital role model.

Let's try again, are you contending that there is a correlation between being in a single parent family and the chance of ending up in jail? If so, please can you produce some evidence for that theory beyond there are lots of black people in jail and there are lots of black single parent families. You might find this chart useful if you are doing your own research on the topic and this is simply your preliminary hypothesis that has yet to be supported with evidence.

http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/tables/107-children-in-single-parent-families-by#detailed/1/any/false/868,867,133,38,35/10,168,9,12,1,13,185,11|/432,431

Of course, you may already have a case study that you have referenced?

[LibCampFireClub 635]

Let's try again, are you contending that there is a correlation between being in a single parent family and the chance of ending up in jail? If so, please can you produce some evidence for that theory beyond there are lots of black people in jail and there are lots of black single parent families.

It's not hard to find this information as the disparity of black single parent homes and it's effect upon the child is well-documented.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/the-number-of-children-living-in-single-parent-homes-has-nearly-doubled-in

http://atlantablackstar.com/2012/12/23/72-percent-of-african-american-children-are-raised-in-single-parent-homes/

http://singleparentwealth.com/single-parent-news/72-of-black-kids-raised-by-a-single-parent-25-overall-in-u-s/

http://fatherhood.about.com/od/fathersrights/a/fatherless_children.htm

Edited March 15, 2014 by ExExpat

[Peikko 1,575]

It's not hard to find this information as the disparity of black single family homes and it's effect upon the child is well-documented.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/the-number-of-children-living-in-single-parent-homes-has-nearly-doubled-in

http://atlantablackstar.com/2012/12/23/72-percent-of-african-american-children-are-raised-in-single-parent-homes/

That's not what I asked. Try again. Where is your proof that criminality is a result of how many parent's bring you up? You have claimed that the way to deal with the numbers of black people in prison is to address the fact that disproportionate numbers of black children grow up in single parent families. You need to prove a correlation between the numbers for that claim to have some validity. Just 'feeling' that this must be true does not make it a fact. Are you seriously saying that most prisoners in jail today come from single parent families? Or, are you saying that only black single parent families cause criminality? Please can you produce some facts not just speculation.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

That's not what I asked. Try again. Where is your proof that criminality is a result of how many parent's bring you up? You have claimed that the way to deal with the numbers of black people in prison is to address the fact that disproportionate numbers of black children grow up in single parent families. You need to prove a correlation between the numbers for that claim to have some validity. Just 'feeling' that this must be true does not make it a fact. Are you seriously saying that most prisoners in jail today come from single parent families? Or, are you saying that only black single parent families cause criminality? Please can you produce some facts not just speculation.

Suicide. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (Source: What Can the Federal Government Do To Decrease Crime and Revitalize Communities? - see link below)

Behavioral Disorders. 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes (Source: What Can the Federal Government Do To Decrease Crime and Revitalize Communities? - see link below)

High School Dropouts. 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes (Source: What Can the Federal Government Do To Decrease Crime and Revitalize Communities? - see link below)

Educational Attainment. Kids living in single-parent homes or in step-families report lower educational expectations on the part of their parents, less parental monitoring of school work, and less overall social supervision than children from intact families. (N.M. Astore and S. McLanahan,American Sociological Review, No. 56 (1991)

Juvenile Detention Rates. 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes (Source: What Can the Federal Government Do To Decrease Crime and Revitalize Communities? - see link below)

Confused Identities. Boys who grow up in father-absent homes are more likely that those in father-present homes to have trouble establishing appropriate sex roles and gender identity.(P.L. Adams, J.R. Milner, and N.A. Schrepf, Fatherless Children, New York, Wiley Press, 1984).

Aggression. In a longitudinal study of 1,197 fourth-grade students, researchers observed "greater levels of aggression in boys from mother-only households than from boys in mother-father households." (N. Vaden-Kierman, N. Ialongo, J. Pearson, and S. Kellam, "Household Family Structure and Children's Aggressive Behavior: A Longitudinal Study of Urban Elementary School Children," Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 23, no. 5 (1995).

Achievement. Children from low-income, two-parent families outperform students from high-income, single-parent homes. Almost twice as many high achievers come from two-parent homes as one-parent homes. (One-Parent Families and Their Children, Charles F. Kettering Foundation, 1990).

Delinquency. Only 13 percent of juvenile delinquents come from families in which the biological mother and father are married to each other. By contract, 33 percent have parents who are either divorced or separated and 44 percent have parents who were never married. (Wisconsin Dept. of Health and Social Services, April 1994).

Criminal Activity. The likelihood that a young male will engage in criminal activity doubles if he is raised without a father and triples if he lives in a neighborhood with a high concentration of single-parent families. Source: A. Anne Hill, June O'Neill, Underclass Behaviors in the United States, CUNY, Baruch College. 1993

[Peikko 1,575]

So the answer is no, you have no proof at all, you are just throwing statistics around in the hope that something will stick. That's not very useful.

How about you address the most simple question, how many prisoners incarcerated today are from single parent homes?

[LibCampFireClub 635]

So the answer is no, you have no proof at all, you are just throwing statistics around in the hope that something will stick. That's not very useful.

How about you address the most simple question, how many prisoners incarcerated today are from single parent homes?

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. If you were truly interested in learning the reasons for the problem, then you should start with a basic education in sociology. People are willing to help those in need, when they are willing to accept responsibility. If you just want to argue, then you can continue carrying on.

Edited March 15, 2014 by ExExpat

[Peikko 1,575]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. If you were truly interested in learning the reasons for the problem, then you should start with a basic education in sociology. People are willing to help those in need, when they are willing to accept responsibility. If you just want to argue, then you can continue carrying on.

It's a simple question but you can't answer it. There is nothing at all wrong in addressing issues that may be the result of being in a single parent family but you are saying that the sole solution to the issue of high numbers of black people in prison is the disproportionately high number of single parent families in the black community but you haven't produced one single piece of evidence that the criminals in prison are from single parent families. That doesn't mean it's not true, it means that either there are no studies out there, or that you don't know if there are studies out there. You made the claim, back it up or expect to have it challenged for what it is, an opinion with not a jot of evidence.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

It's a simple question but you can't answer it. There is nothing at all wrong in addressing issues that may be the result of being in a single parent family but you are saying that the sole solution to the issue of high numbers of black people in prison is the disproportionately high number of single parent families in the black community but you haven't produced one single piece of evidence that the criminals in prison are from single parent families. That doesn't mean it's not true, it means that either there are no studies out there, or that you don't know if there are studies out there. You made the claim, back it up or expect to have it challenged for what it is, an opinion with not a jot of evidence.

Why do you think blacks dominate the prison demographic?

[Peikko 1,575]

Why do you think blacks dominate the prison demographic?

Systemic poverty. The majority of people in jails are from the lowest income brackets. They are more likely to end up in prison not just because they are more likely to break laws but because they are less likely to be able to find the means to prevent themselves from ending up in prison after they have been charged with a crime. If we really wanted to address the problem of criminality we would in fact address this issue and try to find a better way to prevent poverty leading to jail time. However as a society we are not that interested in the poor.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

Systemic poverty. The majority of people in jails are from the lowest income brackets. They are more likely to end up in prison not just because they are more likely to break laws but because they are less likely to be able to find the means to prevent themselves from ending up in prison after they have been charged with a crime. If we really wanted to address the problem of criminality we would in fact address this issue and try to find a better way to prevent poverty leading to jail time. However as a society we are not that interested in the poor.

If we consider your claim to be the root of the problem, then what's the best way to fix it?

[lostinblue 1,989]

Systemic poverty. The majority of people in jails are from the lowest income brackets. They are more likely to end up in prison not just because they are more likely to break laws but because they are less likely to be able to find the means to prevent themselves from ending up in prison after they have been charged with a crime. If we really wanted to address the problem of criminality we would in fact address this issue and try to find a better way to prevent poverty leading to jail time. However as a society we are not that interested in the poor.

Poor has Nothing to do with it. Go to some parts of Kentucky and see what poor really is, no one is killing people on a daily basis there. Deflection from the real truth will not solve the problem..

[Peikko 1,575]

There isn't a single, simple solution. However, I definitely favour changing the emphasis on criminality from heavily punishing relatively small financial delinquency to focusing more on anti-social behaviours. Clearly murderers, thugs organised criminals need to be treated differently than the old woman who steals handkerchiefs from the local store. That there are people in prison for petty crime is simply ridiculous, they are not a danger to society and their behaviours can be treated if people care to bother.

Poor has Nothing to do with it. Go to some parts of Kentucky and see what poor really is, no one is killing people on a daily basis there. Deflection from the real truth will not solve the problem..

You seem to fail to grasp a simply fact. Poverty doesn't lead to criminality but most incarcerated are poor. Go figure that out.

Edited March 15, 2014 by The Truth™

[Janelle2002 3,865]

Whew. It has been a long time for me.

First, let me applaud Michelle Alexander for stepping up and saying what needs to be said. People aways make mistakes so no one is saying the black race is completely flawless. This single parent home problem has more to do with the war on drugs. Many of black men are locked up for non violent drug offences. Now you say a black man needs to take care of his family but no one is willing to give him a job. If he sell drugs to take care of his family you lock him up and now let the already well off class of people become rich while you still keep the bla c k boys and men behind bars for doing this very same thing? Absurd!

People can live together and have a child and not be married for the rest of their life. It is their choice. However, people vilify blacks for having kids out of wedlock because of Christianity but continue to be racist, hateful, jugdmental, etc some traits and characteristics the bible says Christians should not display. All have problems. He without sin caste the first stone.

I have a daughter which I have not told VJ before. She is beautiful, tall, smart and everthing I could have dreamed of. She is outbeating the class averages by 10-15% on each assignment. She is first viola chair at her school and has only been playing for two years. And you know what? Regardless of the black people like us, my family and many other good black try to do, we will continue to go unnoticed, stereotyped, discriminated against and hated because of the one thing we will never ever be able to change, we are black.

So Exexpat, if it helps you to sleep at night pretending there are not extreme factors prohibiting blacks from succeeding, more power to you. I always pray to God he is real so people who have made a living off of massly hurting and hindering other human beings can reap what they sow. I do not care if never happens on earth.

[Peikko 1,575]

Hmmm

Edited March 15, 2014 by The Truth™

[LibCampFireClub 635]

You seem to fail to grasp a simply fact. Poverty doesn't lead to criminality but most of the incarcerated are poor. Go figure that out.

As I mentioned in my previous posts, there is something that can be addressed right now. There is empirical evidence that children who grow up in single parent homes will face a litany of social problems, including low income, and low achievement. This is especially true where the father is absent and the mother cares for the children by herself. When the black community accepts this, they can begin to address it.

So Exexpat, if it helps you to sleep at night pretending there are not extreme factors prohibiting blacks from succeeding, more power to you. I always pray to God he is real so people who have made a living off of massly hurting and hindering other human beings can reap what they sow. I do not care if never happens on earth.

Let me ask a question of you Janelle. What do you think is the best thing for black parents to do to help their children be successful in life?