A new initiative! “My Brother’s Keeper”

[Dave007inVegas]

WASHINGTON — For much of Barack Obama’s presidency, he has sought to avoid being defined by his race or gender, often emphasizing that he is the leader of all Americans. On Thursday, Mr. Obama will use the power of his office to focus on helping young black men succeed.

Stymied by Congress on many of the economic policies he considers central to the lives of blacks, Mr. Obama is seeking to prod nonprofit foundations, business groups and civic leaders to provide more opportunities for a struggling part of the American family.

His new “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative is aimed at finding ways in which business and civic leaders can intervene at just the right moment to keep young black men and other men of color on a successful course.

More…

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/28/u...itiative-to-empower-young-black-men.html?_r=0

“My Brother’s Keeper” sounds a lot like, “It takes a village” and “No child left behind” both of which history has shown to have failed.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[res]

Paragraph from the article you cited:

"Together, White House officials said, the foundations are pledging $200 million over the next five years in a search for solutions to the most intractable economic and social problems that confront young black men. The issues include early-childhood development, educational opportunities, school readiness and discipline, parenting, and the criminal justice system."


Some things you can watch for over the next few years:

early-childhood development & school readiness -- The State is going to start mandating earlier and earlier mandatory attendance into these programs, not only for Black children, but for all children.

How many of you know the starting age for compulsory school attendance is 6, 7 or 8 years old in 41 states? Yet, the vast majority of kids start school at 3 or 4 years of age. And, in a majority of the states, you only have to attend until your 16th birthday.


parenting & criminal justice system -- more and more children are going to become wards of the State thru court actions. This trend has already begun and it isn't restricted to kids from "disadvantaged" homes.

 

[SheriffJoe]

“My Brother’s Keeper” sounds a lot like, “It takes a village” and “No child left behind” both of which history has shown to have failed.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

C'mon Dave, we're all in this together.

What the hell, let's give it one more shot!

Okay, maybe not...

 

[Dave007inVegas]

Paragraph from the article you cited:

"Together, White House officials said, the foundations are pledging $200 million over the next five years in a search for solutions to the most intractable economic and social problems that confront young black men. The issues include early-childhood development, educational opportunities, school readiness and discipline, parenting, and the criminal justice system."


Some things you can watch for over the next few years:

early-childhood development & school readiness -- The State is going to start mandating earlier and earlier mandatory attendance into these programs, not only for Black children, but for all children.

How many of you know the starting age for compulsory school attendance is 6, 7 or 8 years old in 41 states? Yet, the vast majority of kids start school at 3 or 4 years of age. And, in a majority of the states, you only have to attend until your 16th birthday.


parenting & criminal justice system -- more and more children are going to become wards of the State thru court actions. This trend has already begun and it isn't restricted to kids from "disadvantaged" homes.

I have no doubt your predictions will come to fruition. It's all part of the grand dependency scheme.

 

[SheriffJoe]

I have no doubt your predictions will come to fruition. It's all part of the grand dependency scheme.

 

[Dave007inVegas]

C'mon Dave, we're all in this together.

What the hell, let's give it one more shot!

Sure, why not? If the Lord and Savior says it will work, that's good enough for me!

:monsters-

 

[JDeuce]

Well, if his track record is anything to go on...he did a bang-up job 'keeping' his own brother!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...irobi-shanty-town-U-S-Presidents-BROTHER.html

Obama's slumdog brother: Meet the hopeless drunk from a Nairobi shanty town who is the U.S. President's BROTHER

• Whilst the President inhabits the luxurious surroundings of the Oval Office and flies aboard Air Force One, his half-brother George Obama lives in a notorious African slum

 

[SheriffJoe]

Apparently Barry loves his political base as much as his half brother George back home in Kenya.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Black People Will Have Lost Ground in Every Single Economic Indicator' Under Obama

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-s...st-ground-every-single-economic#ixzz2uZ4BGTd2

hno:

 

[Acebb]

Why does this idiot blather on about "early childhood development" as if the federal government should have anything to do with it?

Head Start is a failure.

 

[ScottL]

Love seeing a US gov't program that might fail equated with nazi attrocities. Thanks again Joe.

 

[Willie99]

"I'm president for all Americans"

never has that expression been less true, never before has a President had such disregard for a whole segment or the population, never before has a president worked so hard to divide the country on racial and economic and political matters

he is simply a vile POS

 

[NFLTrends]

African-Americans make their own choices, and they put themselves into the position they are in year after year.

No one forces them to drop out of school. No one forces them to have unprotected sex and make fatherless babies. No one forces them to do anything, they have their own mind and can make any choice they want themselves.

Why isn't there a presidential initiative for Asian kids? There are countless stories of Asian families who come here, and don't speak a work of English, who came here with barely anything but the clothes they carried. Yet, they somehow succeeded, with little education and broken English.

This is a personal story. My girl and her family are from Cambodia. Her sisters and herself came here in the early 80's, barely spoke English, and had less then $1,000 between them all she calls it "Came with empty hand". Now every one in her family has flourished. Her sister owns a steakhouse in Kentucky, her other sister works for a government contractor in Texas, her brother owns to cleaning businesses in California.

So how come it seems everyone can succeed but African-American males? They have a lot more opportunities then those who come here "lost" from overseas. Is there really "The Man" who gives them subliminal messages daily to make the choices they make? Why is it cool to drop out of school? What makes it a good thing to have "4 baby daddies". Why is the #1 goal in the inner city to become a "rapper" and make millions, drives escalades, fuck bitches, and smoke weed? When its not that, its to become a professional athlete.....

It seems to me, that those in the inner-city want the easy way out, and everything handed to them. Why go to school and study hard to make a career as a lawyer, or doctor, or businessman... when you can drop out of school and write rap? Or coast thru school, and hope you are athletic enough to sign a multi-million dollar contract to play sports.

Its simple.... there is no sense of pride in the inner-cities anymore. Why work hard to bring yourself up, when hopefully you can hit the lottery with instant millions. There is also the "cool factor" that comes along with living in the inner city. If a black student decides to go to school, work hard to better himself and his family, doesn't wear his pants saggy below his ass... what happens to him? The others in his neighborhood call him an "uncle tom" or lambast him for not fitting into their stereotype. Its a BAD thing in the inner cities if you don't fall into the trap they set, and if you don't fall into it, you aren't right.

Sad state we live in now days... and nothing can change it, its so ingrained now, its a hopeless cause. Build a work center and within a year, it will be burglarized, vandalized, and stolen from. Build headstart schools, and they will be used as daycare drop offs, while the mothers go get their hair and nails done, or sit at home and watch Maury on TV, instead of looking for work, or going to school themselves.

Nothing can be done now, its too late.

 

[The Guesser]

I can't believe what I'm reading. Well, actually I can, and it's dumb of me to not expect hypocricy from the usual bunch. The same guys that decry Obama for not pointing out black on black crime, lack of father figures in the Black Community, etc.
So here he is, trying to get Private Business, Non Profits, with little to no Gov't involvement, to do something about these problems, is acknowledging the problems, and trying to get Blacks away from making excuses about these problems:
He also challenged black men to do better themselves, and said they must not make excuses for their failures or blame society for the poor decisions they have already made.

“You will have to reject the cynicism that says the circumstances of your birth or society’s lingering injustices necessarily define you and your future,” Mr. Obama said.
“It will take courage, but you will have to tune out the naysayers who say if the deck is stacked against you, you might as well just give up or settle into the stereotype.”

And he's getting blasted because????....... He's Barrack Obama, and they blast him, simply because of that, even when he's doing something they've asked him to continuously do.

 

[NFLTrends]

I never blasted Obama on any of that. I am blaming the community he is trying to help. No matter what you do, or how much money you throw at it, nothing is going to change.

Lets do a hypothetical experiment, and what do you think the outcome would be.

Lets give $1,000,000 to every African-American who is currently living off the government (welfare, food stamps, etc) between the ages of 18-40.
and lets give $1,000,000 to every Asian immigrant who just "got off the boat", that speaks broken English, and has less then $1000 to their name.

In 8 years..... who would be successful and have prospered..... and who would be back to the position they were in when they were given the $1,000,000.

 

[SheriffJoe]

African-Americans make their own choices, and they put themselves into the position they are in year after year.

No one forces them to drop out of school. No one forces them to have unprotected sex and make fatherless babies. No one forces them to do anything, they have their own mind and can make any choice they want themselves.

Why isn't there a presidential initiative for Asian kids? There are countless stories of Asian families who come here, and don't speak a work of English, who came here with barely anything but the clothes they carried. Yet, they somehow succeeded, with little education and broken English.

This is a personal story. My girl and her family are from Cambodia. Her sisters and herself came here in the early 80's, barely spoke English, and had less then $1,000 between them all she calls it "Came with empty hand". Now every one in her family has flourished. Her sister owns a steakhouse in Kentucky, her other sister works for a government contractor in Texas, her brother owns to cleaning businesses in California.

So how come it seems everyone can succeed but African-American males? They have a lot more opportunities then those who come here "lost" from overseas. Is there really "The Man" who gives them subliminal messages daily to make the choices they make? Why is it cool to drop out of school? What makes it a good thing to have "4 baby daddies". Why is the #1 goal in the inner city to become a "rapper" and make millions, drives escalades, fuck bitches, and smoke weed? When its not that, its to become a professional athlete.....

It seems to me, that those in the inner-city want the easy way out, and everything handed to them. Why go to school and study hard to make a career as a lawyer, or doctor, or businessman... when you can drop out of school and write rap? Or coast thru school, and hope you are athletic enough to sign a multi-million dollar contract to play sports.

Its simple.... there is no sense of pride in the inner-cities anymore. Why work hard to bring yourself up, when hopefully you can hit the lottery with instant millions. There is also the "cool factor" that comes along with living in the inner city. If a black student decides to go to school, work hard to better himself and his family, doesn't wear his pants saggy below his ass... what happens to him? The others in his neighborhood call him an "uncle tom" or lambast him for not fitting into their stereotype. Its a BAD thing in the inner cities if you don't fall into the trap they set, and if you don't fall into it, you aren't right.

Sad state we live in now days... and nothing can change it, its so ingrained now, its a hopeless cause. Build a work center and within a year, it will be burglarized, vandalized, and stolen from. Build headstart schools, and they will be used as daycare drop offs, while the mothers go get their hair and nails done, or sit at home and watch Maury on TV, instead of looking for work, or going to school themselves.

Nothing can be done now, its too late.

You can thank LBJ's "Great Society" for that.

 

[The Guesser]

I never blasted Obama on any of that. I am blaming the community he is trying to help. No matter what you do, or how much money you throw at it, nothing is going to change.

Lets do a hypothetical experiment, and what do you think the outcome would be.

Lets give $1,000,000 to every African-American who is currently living off the government (welfare, food stamps, etc) between the ages of 18-40.
and lets give $1,000,000 to every Asian immigrant who just "got off the boat", that speaks broken English, and has less then $1000 to their name.

In 8 years..... who would be successful and have prospered..... and who would be back to the position they were in when they were given the $1,000,000.

You are not one of the hypocrites I am referring to NFL. Far from it.
One of the hypocrites in this thread started a thread about this very problem a year or so ago, and decried Obama for ignoring it. So here he is, recognizing it, trying to help it, and that hypocrite blasts him for it. face)(*^%
I disagree with your attitude of nothing can be done, it's too late, etc. That's giving up. That's not what America is about. There's a definite problem, and not trying to solve it is not acceptable.
Here is an example where Obama isn't trying to just throw Gov't money at it to fix it. You'd think he'd receive pretty much universal universal praise for it, but the irrational Obama hate is so crazy, he gets knocked for doing exactly what his detractors want, and it's hardly the 1st time.
A for your hypothetical, I believe in the Trading Places model. There is nothing racially inherent in success or failure. It's Cultural, and trying to end the culture of failure, and not allowing those imbedded in it to use it as an excuse, is a good thing, no?

 

[NFLTrends]

You are not one of the hypocrites I am referring to NFL. Far from it.
One of the hypocrites in this thread started a thread about this very problem a year or so ago, and decried Obama for ignoring it. So here he is, recognizing it, trying to help it, and that hypocrite blasts him for it. face)(*^%
I disagree with your attitude of nothing can be done, it's too late, etc. That's giving up. That's not what America is about. There's a definite problem, and not trying to solve it is not acceptable.
Here is an example where Obama isn't trying to just throw Gov't money at it to fix it. You'd think he'd receive pretty much universal universal praise for it, but the irrational Obama hate is so crazy, he gets knocked for doing exactly what his detractors want, and it's hardly the 1st time.
A for your hypothetical, I believe in the Trading Places model. There is nothing racially inherent in success or failure. It's Cultural, and trying to end the culture of failure, and not allowing those imbedded in it to use it as an excuse, is a good thing, no?

It would be a good thing if it succeeded, but do you actually think it will? If they wanted to change, they would have done it already. How is one person telling them its time to change, going to do that? The culture they live in now rewards them for doing nothing and making bad decisions. Want to sit at home and watch TV - Here is some food, power, section 8 housing and welfare cash...... Want to have unprotected sex and have more then 1 child by several different men? - Heres even more welfare cash, higher food stamp allowance and such.

Our way of doing things for the past 20+ years isn't helping to shrink the problem, its making it grow. No one is being held responsible for their actions. There should be consequences for making bad decisions and not rewards or pity.

But how do we change the mentality of people or a culture when it becomes worse and worse with every generation? There is no easy fix, I don't have an answer, and I don't think anyone does. We already went to far with what we have done, and now people are so dependent on the government they don't know how to survive without it.

 

[The Guesser]

It would be a good thing if it succeeded, but do you actually think it will? If they wanted to change, they would have done it already. How is one person telling them its time to change, going to do that? The culture they live in now rewards them for doing nothing and making bad decisions. Want to sit at home and watch TV - Here is some food, power, section 8 housing and welfare cash...... Want to have unprotected sex and have more then 1 child by several different men? - Heres even more welfare cash, higher food stamp allowance and such.

Our way of doing things for the past 20+ years isn't helping to shrink the problem, its making it grow. No one is being held responsible for their actions. There should be consequences for making bad decisions and not rewards or pity.

But how do we change the mentality of people or a culture when it becomes worse and worse with every generation? There is no easy fix, I don't have an answer, and I don't think anyone does. We already went to far with what we have done, and now people are so dependent on the government they don't know how to survive without it.

I don't know if it will succeed, but I do know doing nothing won't change anything. The 1st Black President "May" have more effect than just some random Black guy saying it. Bill Cosby has tried, other Black leaders have tried. The President lending his voice and recognizing the problem, and not just simply allowing people to excuse their despair on other factors, only can help. Trying to get non Gov't Solutions can only help. Will these work? It's a long standing problem, started way before 20 years or 50 years that has caused this situation. Turning it around will take a very long time, but you can't begin to turn it around without a start. I applaud the start. Everyone should.

 

[NFLTrends]

Take what happened a few months ago, when there was a food stamp glitch (EBT card), when all cards were showing limitless balances. Did they do the right thing and stay home, even when they knew their cards actually had nothing on it (well 1 lady caught had $0.49 cents). Nope.... instead they loaded up cart after cart full of food and stampeded to the checkouts. They didn't just get a few things, we are talking about 2-3 carts FULL ($700+ dollars worth) of food!

When they announced over the loudspeaker that the cards were fixed and showing the correct balances, did those people still bring their carts to the checkout and pay for the items? NO!!! Instead they just left the carts in the middle of the isles and walked out. They KNEW what they were doing was wrong, and took advantage of it.

No one was punished at all, no one faced any charges what-so-ever. Wal-Mart had to pay for everything those people knowingly stole.

YET... if my bank somehow lets me withdrawl $700 cash when I have $0.49cents on my card, and they know there is an error going on, but still allow people to withdrawal money... guess what, I HAVE TO PAY IT BACK! Its theft plain and simple, I know what my balance is, and I chose to take the $$ anyways. No punishment at all for those working the system, instead people will excuses for them, reward them and feel pity.

http://www.ksla.com/story/23679489/walmart-shelves-in-springhill-mansfield-cleared-in-ebt-glitch

MANSFIELD, LA (KSLA) -
Shelves in Walmart stores in Springhill and Mansfield, LA were reportedly cleared Saturday night, when the stores allowed purchases on EBT cards even though they were not showing limits.

EBT cards: The great debate

Not all EBT card users joined in on "limitless" Walmart shopping spree

The chaos that followed ultimately required intervention from local police, and left behind numerous carts filled to overflowing, apparently abandoned when the glitch-spurred shopping frenzy ended.

Springhill Police Chief Will Lynd confirms they were called in to help the employees at Walmart because there were so many people clearing off the shelves. He says Walmart was so packed, "It was worse than any black Friday" that he's ever seen.

Lynd explained the cards weren't showing limits and they called corporate Walmart, whose spokesman said to let the people use the cards anyway. From 7 to 9 p.m., people were loading up their carts, but when the cards began showing limits again around 9, one woman was detained because she rang up a bill of $700.00 and only had .49 on her card. She was held by police until corporate Walmart said they wouldn't press charges if she left the food.

Lynd says at 9 p.m., when the cards came back online and it was announced over the loud speaker, people just left their carts full of food in the aisles and left.

"Just about everything is gone, I've never seen it in that condition," said Mansfield Walmart customer Anthony Fuller.


Walmart employees could still be seen putting food from the carts away as late as Sunday afternoon. "I was just thinking, I'm so glad my mom doesn't work here [Walmart] anymore, that's the only thing I could think about, those employees working, that would have to restock all that stuff," said O.J Evans who took cell phone video of the overflowing shopping carts at the Mansfield Walmart.

Evans believes it was natural human reaction that led people to fill up their carts during the glitch, but Walmart shoppers Stan and Judy Garcia feel very differently. "That's plain theft, that's stealing that's all I got to say about it," said Garcia.

Lynd says contrary to rumors, nobody was unruly or arrested and they were mainly there to help prevent shoplifting and theft.

A dispatcher for Mansfield police also confirms officers were called in for crowd control at the Mansfield Walmart. She said the shelves were cleared out, forcing Walmart to stop selling food at 9 p.m. There were no arrests.

There was, however, a huge mess left behind. Pictures and videos obtained by KSLA News 12 show aisles packed with shoppers emptying the shelves in Springhill. Another video shows what appear to be at least dozens of overflowing carts left abandoned in the aisles at the Mansfield store, against the backdrop of emptied shelves in the meat department.

It all happened at the end of a day in which the EBT system went down in several states, including Louisiana. Xerox, a vendor for the EBT system, experienced a power outage while conducting a routine backup test in one of the company's locations. While the system was back up Saturday night, it appears that it was not functioning entirely properly in some areas.


Kayla Whaling, a spokesperson for Walmart, tells KSLA News 12 that the company was "fully engaged and monitoring the situation and transactions during the outage."

"We did make the decision to continue to accept EBT cards (and purchases on WIC and SNAP) during the outage so that they could get food for their families."

Asked whether Walmart would be taking the loss on any food purchased on the cards that did not show limits, or on the perishable food left behind in carts, Whaling would only say that "we monitored transactions during the outage."

A spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services says they take all allegations of potential fraud seriously, they are aware of the reports and they will be investigating.

 

[NFLTrends]

I don't know if it will succeed, but I do know doing nothing won't change anything. The 1st Black President "May" have more effect than just some random Black guy saying it. Bill Cosby has tried, other Black leaders have tried. The President lending his voice and recognizing the problem, and not just simply allowing people to excuse their despair on other factors, only can help. Trying to get non Gov't Solutions can only help. Will these work? It's a long standing problem, started way before 20 years or 50 years that has caused this situation. Turning it around will take a very long time, but you can't begin to turn it around without a start. I applaud the start. Everyone should.

Why don't they want to help themselves? Why does it take someone prodding them to do something to make them want to change. I don't see any changes coming at all, its so ingrained and dependent on the government, its comfortable for them. And like I said before, the people who actually WANT to change, to better themselves and their family, get looked down upon because they wont stay down on the level those on the system are.

The only idea I can come up with is simply do something drastic. Make it a 12 month maximum for benefits, must apply for at least 5 jobs per week (that's only 1 per day), then if you are able-bodied, you must donate 20 hours per week doing city work in your own neighborhood (cleaning up the highways, cleaning public restrooms, cleaning graffiti, donating time to local food bank, etc). This will force people to look for work, clean up and respect their own neighborhoods, and help their own community. Within that 12 month period, they would have applied to almost 250 jobs (odds are you will get hired by one of them), you will have cleaned up your neighborhood (and gained respect for it, not trash it or vandalize it since you worked on it) and you gained some JOB SKILLS!

What about those with children?? Well that's simple, kids 4-18 have school, headstart and such, so the parents can do their volunteer work and look for employment. for those with children under 4 years of age, there is already government daycare assistance (free in every state) for you to use while you are looking for employment or if you are receiving assistance. So there is no excuse.

So why wouldn't my plan work??? For some reason, It would be racist.....