A.D.D.

It appears that black children in Seattle public schools are 2.6 times more likely to be expelled or suspended than white students. This, of course, is being blamed on racism. Some people have evidently gotten so used to the herd of elephants in the room that they no longer even notice them. I am going to go out on a limb and say there is a problem with black culture in today's society. The problem is in no way limited to the black community, but it seems to me that it is quite rampant, at least among the poorer black communities. How many young black boys have grown up without a father, and sought role models in street gangs. How many young black girls allow themselves to be used by men, just as their mothers have, only to raise young girls of their own who will undoubtedly fall into the same trap. Some call it poverty, and blame it on the Bush administration. It is poverty, indeed, but it is not going to be alleviated by any administration. This type of poverty isn't cured by cash. Take gansta rappers for examples. Pull them off the street, give them more cash than they can imagine, and their old problems are only amplified by their wealth. More women to take advantage of, more drugs, more of an excess in whatever vice they can indulge themselves in. Remember Biggie Smalls, Tupac Shakur, and others killed in the east/west coast gangsta rap rivalries? Dysfunction isn't caused by a lack of money. Economic poverty is not at the root of the problem. In truth it is more of a side effect. If you can get to the root of the problem, then poverty will soon be history. But as long as young men go through their early years, looking up to their celebrity rap star idols and gang leaders who only perpetuate the type of mindset that binds them to a life outside of lawfulness, decency and virtue, they will continue to face more run-ins with disciplanarians on their school campus. Maybe it's time to stop being so colorblind, and start addressing issues as a society that are long overdue for discussion. Then we can finally come up with answers, help our fellow Americans out of a bind, and stave off an infection that is spreading throughout every community in America. But, maybe I'm just a racist Conservative for thinking these kinds of things through.