Dismissing the Deadbeat Rhetoric:

Reclaiming a Legacy

President Barak Obama stated during the 2009 election campaign that "black men must begin to take better care of their children." What I enjoyed most about President Obama's suggestion as he mentioned such an intense issue was the fact that there was no condescension in his tone. It is unfortunate that black men have collectively "dropped the ball" over the past several decades, but I want to focus on the question "what must be done so that we collectively begin to reclaim the legacy we abandoned?" I believe that our President is more concerned with reversing the egregious downward slop present in black communities, opting for solutions to the problem, not regurgitations of the "old arguments" that keep us polarized (nevertheless I would like to take the opportunity to extend a devout appreciation to all black women for staying the course with our children; we wouldn't be here without your dedication). With that said I would like to pose three measures that I believe will reverse the underdevelopment black men experiencing, so that we may collectively reclaim our legacy.

I believe that the greatest problem African-American people have suffered from as a collective (an issue that has driven many black men from their families) has been our financial insecurity. As a result there are an inexplicable nunber of single parent homes within the black community; many in which are living on minimal resources generated by one source of income. In order to produce a qualitative change of condition within the black community I believe the government must redevelop the welfare/relief system (for blacks specifically) for a designated period of time, to ensure positive development. This part of the plan may fly directly in the face of conservative ideology, but the times are dire, and to allow the "scapegoat thinking" employed by the Nazis in mid-20th century can only lead to violence and disaster. Providing single black parents benefits to be consistent until the child or children turn 18 will eliminate much of the financial burden on these courageous parents (but they must also be able to work, go to school, or even marry without thier benefits being interrupted).

Racial Profiling has been practiced throughout many police agencies throughout America, leading to an imbalanced number of black men having their driving privileges stripped away. Black people who have lost their driver's license should be exonerated of all charges and be reinstated. In this society all people need to be able to transport themselves if and when they can afford it, and should never have that right stripped from them. The only thing that should affect an American's driving freedom should be some for of substance abuse that places them and others at risk.

Finally, black American's should be granted as much assistance as possible to have access to higher froms of education. I believe this not only increases the competence of blacks, but of all Americans. This will increase the security of Americans so as to increase the desire of employers to hire the best man for the job. A healthier populace may reduce our preoccupation with digging through "background checks" that end up holding people accountable for things that happened in their past.

I believe that African-American people can begin to develop over the course of the next two decades if we were to invest in these areas; helping ultimately to reduce the number of "Deadbeat Parents" and lead the African-American male towards reclaiming the legacy we have collectively abandoned. What better way to help the President change the dynamic of American society, rebuilding this economy and social order.

Written by Bee Quiet
BeeQuiet35@yahoo.com