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The View From Here will conclude on Friday, October 1, our third year anniversary. We would like to spend this month thanking all of our readers, followers, haters, visitors, family, friends, and fans for your continued support, encouragement, and comments over these past few years. Thanks y'all!
-The Five Spot

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

be the right statistic

A stone’s throw from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, you have black school children running amok. And no ladies and gentlemen, there was not a track meet, football or basketball game being played. We have black high school students who don’t understand their ass is supposed to be gettin’ an education. Allegedly these petty mofos don’t like each other so a brawl ensued. “"People don't like each other, so they start fighting," said ninth-grader Tianna Taylor. ”It's wild. Crazy. Indescribable. . . . People fighting everywhere you look."” Ladies we have got to do better. "All indications are it might have occurred over something as minor as somebody pulling somebody's hair” on Monday. Next thing you know, "a large group of females engaging in just a big fight" in the lunchroom.

So of course police came and locked the school down. I wish I was a fly on the wall in the homes of these mofos because part of me wonders what they’re parents told them last night? I wonder if today their homeroom teachers might share this article by Courtland Milloy, Education is Still the Pathway to Freedom. Dammit, fools get an education. “And so it is today. With more than 40 percent of blacks failing to graduate from some of the nation's largest urban school systems…” Somebody tell these kids don’t be that statistic. Be this one: “Yet, if you really want to cut black unemployment, who better to look at than those of us who have jobs? What you'll see is a strong correlation between work and education…Of the 6.8 million black men who are employed, the vast majority have at least a high school diploma. Many have college degrees or diplomas from technical schools. The same is true for the 8.4 million working black women… Now, give them each a professional degree -- and the unemployment rate all but disappears.”

If you make it out of high school and you can’t read, write, or count – no one gives a fcuk. You’ll be another statistic and folks will just pity the fool. Damn, how many times do I have to reiterate the point!

cheers,

Bellini

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I realize you get the point, but I doubt those that need to get it do... And I am almost certain that most of those students' parents told them nothing the night before.

I agree with Milloy's assertion that education combats unemployment (among a litany of other things). But I think schools like this one in DC aren't able to teach their students how to effectively leave their baggage at the door upon arrival to school so that they may concentrate their efforts on actually learning throughout the day.

A lot of these kids have to do whatever it takes to survive in the streets. Then when they get to school, they're expected to leave the street mentality at the door... as if its that easy to shut it on & off.

This scenario reminds me of the movie Lean On Me. Mr. Clark (the Principal) asked all the repeat offenders & troublemakers stand up during an assembly. And then he told them to get the hell out because they were only getting in the way of those who came to learn.

I would do the same.