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Two very valid points of view, Troy and Chris, which substantiate my contention that the black experience varies from person to person. I fully concur that bad decisions are a great hindrance to black progress. So many of the setbacks in the ghetto stem from young girls choosing to burdening themselves with the baggage of children fathered by multiple baby daddies who are not present in the home, all of which sets the stage for their offspring to grow up to be trifling lay-abouts like their parents. Bottom line is you give yourself a better chance in life, once you decide to not saddle yourselves with a bunch of kids you can't take care of, or felony charges that result from committing crimes. People do make it out of the 'hood. Today's black middleclass was yesterday's inner city dweller. Yes, racism can be a factor in the commission of crimes, but it would be a stretch to say it is the cause of a young people from the underclasses embracing the idea that "making a baby" is a rite of passage. Another way of making things easier on yourself is to forget the pie in the sky myopia and view with new eyes the American dream of having a job that will make it possible to own a home with a 2-car garage, a manicured lawn, a patio and backyard pool located in a suburb where schools are great and the soccer team boosters are "stay-at-home moms" who chauffeur their children around to their dance and Karate classes. The notion that all these symbols of success guarantee happiness is a myth. These enclaves are made up of zanex poppin' helicopter parents hovering over the children who are steeped in a sense of entitlement and sapped by their dysfunctions of anxorexia, drugs, suicide and impulses to shoot up the classrooms that are the source of social media bullying. Along with all that, are the problems that rose when these towns sprung up and displaced coyotes, cougars, deer, skunks and other critters who are now returning to claim their turf and make nuisances and menaces of themselves. In addition, these dwellings filled in all the open spaces where tornadoes once touched down without doing harm. Not anymore.Twisters now ravage whole towns. These housing developments also occupy the run-off plains that used to prevent the flooding that now reeks havoc any time there's heavy rain fall. All of these nuclear families thinking they'd escape the dangers of the big cities, ended up inheriting a whole new set of problems. This is the Chicagoland scenario Racism continues to exist because to eliminate it would call for America to fall back and re-group, something it is not going to do. It's easy to identify and blame racism for black woes but that doesn't dispel it. It just frustrates those who recognize how ubiquitous it is. Unfortunately Blacks have few viable options but to try to co-exist with racism, especially since they, themselves, are full of prejudices. Pragmatism, however, is one way to counter racism. In the 21st century, lifestyles and what contitutes a family have morphed into a new paradigm. So should the American Dream since it aint' all it's cracked up to be. There's something to be said for the "git in where you fit in" route. In this capitalistic pseudo democracy, money is the closest thing to being the great equalizer. Acquire enough of it to be in charge of your own little personal world. Fulfill your racial obligations by making yourself an inspiration to others who aspire to control their private universe. Or - cling to your idealism. And cope with your disillusionment.

Thanks Troy. Salena I inboxed you to kind of apologize... but not really, lol. Glad to see you're back and feel free to ask questions. Troy has an article for writers that you need to read: http://aalbc.com/blog/index.php/2013/07/28/5-things-writers-must-do/ Start there and that will help you a ton!!!

Troy, I most definitely don't mind. Trust me when I say I can give it as good as I get it. http://thefabwordsofsalenaraye.blogspot.com is my link. My apologies and thank you.

Actually CD Burns, and Troy, I have been swamped with other things. It is not that I just "dropped the post and disappeared". I haven't been able to get back to every post I receive until now. Please do not feel that way. I only have a blog, not a website, as I am new to all of this and am just getting my feet wet. I am learning as I go. The links are active CD Burns. It would be much appreciated if instead of insulting a bit, you'd encourage or instruct me on how to do this the right way, because I am not always sure. Thank you all for the concern and interest. Be blessed.