ProfD

It's all good bro, disagreement can lead to constructive dialog instead of an argument. It will take a whole lot for AfroAmericans to dictate how federal funds are spent especially when we make up a small percentage of the population. The 1st thing we'd have to do is convince middle-and working cllass and poor white folks that whatever we propose to do is within their best interests too. Considering the love some of fhose white folks have for the GOP and their European ancestry and believing they are better off than Black folks...getting through to them will be a tough hill to climb.

Agreed. That's along the lines of a contingency plan I was referring to above. Regardless of the financial or physical situation of the citizens, America can afford to provide the infrastructure for transportation and safe harbor and care under any circumstance whether it's a natural disaster or an attack or a war. Unfortunately, the real America is motivated by money: It's really the responsibility of government to get these types of things done. Instead, they leave it up to capitalists.

Florida governor threatened to send illegal alligators up north if FEMA didn't come down.

Yep. I was referring to the lazy and denial folks who are going to ride it out until alligators and snakes are swimming around outside. There should be a contingency plan in place to evacuate those who cannot afford to leave for whatever reason. One idea would be to build more shelters capable of withstanding hurricane force winds. The talking heads are more concerned about the eroded beach and destroyed property (houses, piers, docks, yachts, etc.). The wealthy people could afford to leave and they have enough money and insurance to weather natural disasters and rebuild. Of course, there's little to no incentive to take care of the less fortunate. However, they're doing a much better job with Floridians than they did with the folks in New Orleans and Puerto Rico.

Therein lie the paradox of faith and prayer; fate and reality. The real question is why people choose to stick around when they've been told to evacuate. No shortage of Darwinian candidates. @Troy, thankful that you're safe and sound.

We cannot claim the political system is broken structurally and therefore the electorate cannot hold politicians accountable. The system works the way it was designed. Folks who meet a criteria can run for office. Eligible citizens have a right to vote. The bottom line is that people have to stay engaged politically well beyond casting their vote. Sit in on town hall meetings. Write letters and/or call their elected officials to find out how what they're doing to solve problems. Today's politicians are allowed to do nothing because too many people lose interest shortly after casting their vote. The bigger problem is that Americans are divided on every issue. There appears to be no consensus among us on anything.

Well, it cannot go both ways. There has to be accountability across the board from the voters to the politicians they elect. Voters need to know for whom they're voting and what that person plans to do in solving problems they have identified. I'm not suggesting elected officials are incapable of comprehending problems. They should not have to guess the priority in which to tackle them.

My 1st question is why are Black folks voting for these people who seemingly do nothing for them. My 2nd question is have Black folks provided the candidate/nominee/elected official with a list of priorities to which they can be held accountable. Even in the absence of being able to provide a financial incentive, the least Black folks can proactively do is codify their needs/priorities. Make the politicians do their job. Black folks in America had common problems at one point in time. So, it was easier for a Black politician to recognize and try to tackle them. Times have changed. Osmosis and assumption don't work. Very few elected officials and people in general are capable of satisfying needs/priorities that haven't been defined.

Yeah. I hope @Troy and everyone else in FL is staying safe. Hurricane Ian is not BSing. Cat 4 and potential 16 feet storm surge. Yikes.

That's where I agree with your position on dumb azz n8gglets. We've always had n8gglets who would ride with the *wrong* side to the detriment of their best interests. It's like poor white folks who vote GOP. No media manipulation or propaganda required. Just dumb and stupid for no good reason. Either genetically compromised or maybe they got a hold of them chemicals you talking about as embryos.

Correct. Black folks should not assume that Black elected officials have our best interests in their hearts or minds. Black skin alone does not equate to loyalty. That's why it's even more important that Black folks properly vet these people before they vote. Find out who they truly intend to serve once elected.

Most elected officials cater to the special interests that put them in office. That includes the Black politicians too. Before the people cast a vote, most politicians have already been bought through campaign contributions. Mayor Eric Adams is responsible for the administration of a city with a population of almost 9 million people. That's a huge responsibility. BTW, only 41% of NYC is people of color. Rikers Island could save $1.8 billion dollars by reducing its prison population to the 3,300 inmates it can reasonably accommodate. Instead, the detention center could have as many as 10,000 inmates on any given day. The 1st question is who's benefitting from that $1.8 billion dollars. I suspect that a whole lot of people are living well on that much money. Beyond the prison staff collecting their salaries and overtime, there are contractors and other service providers getting paid too. Riker Island is a microcosm of the *businesses* the mayor has to insure remain a well-oiled operation. Also, Mayor Adams is a retired law enforcement officer...the same folks who send people to Rikers Island. I could imagine he has some loyalties to the industry that made him. Often times, politics is a dirty business filled with greed and corruption. Black elected officials aren't immune to it. Besides, the Black community hasn't come up with any special interests and/or an agenda to hold any politicians accountable. Maybe the Black and Brown folks in NYC could get together as a special interest group and demand that Rikers Island be shut down or reformed.

The GOP is getting behind the most ridiculous candidates. There's a certain amount of arrogance in not even putting up the best qualified. If the people vote for an ignorant or stupid candidate and that person wins, the citizens will get the representation they deserve. Herschel Walker has zero business being on a campaign flyer let alone a ballot. He definitely shouldn't be on a debate stage. My inner comedian would enjoy sitting through his debate preparation.

@Pioneer1, society normalizes dysfunctional behaviors. The media has always been willing to exploit it. Case in point....that's why we're seeing more LBGTQIA+ images on TV and in movies. DC was the murder capital of the US before we knew anything about the west coast. We thought they were corny azz n8gglets with jheri curls. Also, Chicago was a hotbed of gang activity and killings before those movies were released too. IOW, the movies and music usually come after the dysfunction has already started. For instance, the female warriors in "The Woman King" were supposedly in Africa before white folks knew how to make movies. Otherwise, white supremacists enjoy making money from dysfunction under the guise of entertainment. Again, Black folks are more than happy to be complicit in allowing others to clown us. As NF Jr might say...Black folks will show off in trying to out-do white supremacists in making fun of us. That's how we end up with Black folks making music and movies and TV programs that are trashy. Man, you think folks can become sexually dysfunctional in the same way they catch a cold or flu. That's hilarious. Of course, there's more to vetting a woman than I wrote. The kind I'd trust with my money and steel don't come a dime a dozen either. I understand your concerns in how the media is being utilized to subliminally seduce Black folks. Again, my point is that folks are predisposed to dysfunction. I don't believe the media pushes those folks over the edge in as much as letting them know as Jay-Z said...it's all right.

Understood. I am an AfroAmerican. I was born and raised in the United States of America (USA). The USA is the only *home* I know. There is no other country on the planet that I'd rather go and become a citizen. Despite its warts and flaws, IMO, the USA is still the best country on the planet as a beacon of hope, freedom and opportunity. There's a reason people leave their home countries and seek citizenship in the USA. Otherwise, they would roll up to Canada or down to Argentina. Most importantly, the USA will forever be indebted to AfroAmericans. Regardless of whether or not the USA makes good on its debt (promissory note), AfroAmericans have every right to thrive and survive in their birthplace. Today, AfroAmericans are not where they should be whether it's fully enjoying the freedoms and protections of citizenship to sharing in the wealth of this great nation. But, that should not stop us from striving for it. This discussion forum is a microcosm of the conversations AfroAmericans should be having in order to make the USA a more perfect union. I know that AfroAmericans are having similar discussions in other outlets too. Non-AfroAmerican Black folks have a different history, experience and perspective when it comes to the USA. I get it. To each their own. But, as an AfroAmerican man, I can only do my part and use my voice to make the USA a better place for my fellow man. The USA may not change in my lifetime but to co-opt 50 Cent...that won't stop me from trying to enrich AfroAmericans.