Pioneer1

Mel That's why my original statement was "I'm still convinced that no one can really KNOW the future except God." I didn't say I KNEW this as a fact, I just strongly believe it.....and will continue to believe it until convinced otherwise. However on the flip side of that, do YOU know or have you met people who know the future? I'm not talking about people with itchy knees claiming they know an earthquake is coming or people dreaming about hawks that fly backwards and that predicted 9/11....I'm talking about bonifide verified cases that YOU know of from your own interactions with them?

Troy Again, Pioneer do you think he is the right person to be talking about maintaining healthy marriages? The greatness of a leader isn't necessarily in the example he gives in his personal life, but what he inspires OTHERS to do in their own lives. Because he is charismatic enough to motivate and educate Black people into making better choices....yes.....I think he is. Andrew Carnegie didn't know the first thing about chemistry or the making of steel, but he built a fortune inspiring OTHERS to make it for him.

Mel Have you test God in this respect? No How could one test One who is superior to him? Can a little baby test her parents to find out if she really came from them? Can a kitty cat test it's owner to find out how much they know? Imagine a cat prancing up to you and if it could talk asking you to prove that you can read a clock and tell what time it is.....lol. No, God I haven't tested. But that man sitting overthere with his legs folded and a towel wrapped around his head claiming he knows so much about the future but keeps up the premium on his Blue Cross insurance......I HAVE tested him....and he's failed.

To me God is the Supreme Being. Meaning, the most powerful Being in existence and omniscient As far as only God KNOWING the future...... I actually was taught this AND I arrived at this conclusion....not intuitively...but simple because I have yet to meet anyone who has proven their ability to KNOW what was going to happen in the future. Many people can guess or predict or look at patterns...like I do....and estimate the end result, but as far as KNOWING and then PROVING what you know by a series of recorded declarations detailing everything that will occur as well as the time and having them take place exactly as you said...I've met no human being who was able to do this.

Mel Life experience should be immaterial when it comes to interpreting some images and perceiving some things. You KNOW when someone is trying to clown on you or make a fool out of you. If I give a speech at an event and I see it on televison or in the news paper the next day and from a 2 hour long speech the ONLY image they managed to capture of me is one where my eyes are squinted up and my finger is in my ear where I may have briefly dug in my ear subconsciously....then you know it's a hit job. Like we talk about intuition.....some things you intuitively know. Human beings and especially Black human beings usually have a special gift that allows us to not only look at the action but the INTENT BEHIND the action. We intuitively know that Time could have used a much better looking, more natural, and more pleasant (less shocking) looking picture of Viola.

Troy Not exactly sure what behavior of his you're referring to. I know you mentioned that he was unmarried. I also believe there was some controversy about him and his past relationship with an exotic dancer. Other than that, he seems like a well educated and structured professional Black man who hasn't personally chosen marriage for himself. But you may have to fill in your question with a little more context.

Perhaps Intuition is one of my greatest psychic strengths. I believe God has blessed me with a gift of strong insight and being able to discern and see patterns in human thought and behavior. Despite dreams, visions, and precognitions......all of which offer some validity. I'm still convinced that no one can really KNOW the future except God.

Delano Perhaps you and Pioneer are making sexist statements. Not racial ones. So the problem is that for you and Pioneer your patriarchal mibd is oveeriding the racial one. It reminds me how some white people can't see their own racism. You and Pioneer are judging Viola to be unattractive and are attributing it to racism. I can't speak for Troy but...... Although I wouldn't call that particular picture of Viola "unattractive" I would say it is the LEAST attractive picture that I've seen of her so far and the fact that a White magazine skilled at photography and marketing just happened to put the LEAST attractive picture of her on the cover of their magazine is a bit suspcious to me.

This entire story seems to go right down sexual lines with the women on one side, the men on the other....and Delano playing his usual role as female instigator, lol. I'm curious as to what @CDBurns has to say about the issue. Hadn't seen him in this neighborhood in a good while. 　 Troy Well first of all, I don't know about those stats about Blacks voting for Donald Trump. I don't know ONE Black man who told me he was voting for Trump.....not one. But this thread illustrates the macrocosm of the Black community and how so many fail to perceive racism unless it's blatant and vulgar. Unless they're being called a nigger or come to work and find a noose laying across their desk....everything is cool beans. What makes it even worse, when you try to point out racism to those who aren't as perceptive they'll often turn on you and fight you over being too sensative or looking for problems where none exist. Sometimes when you're dealing with people who aren't perceptive enough to recognize subtle racism (and I have to admit that this...in my opinion....IS very subtle), the best thing to do is wait until it IS systemic and happens so often that you now have a pattern you can point to and atleast use that as proof of your accusations. Like drugs. It took a lot of Black people nearly a decade to realize that drugs were being brought into the Black community on purpose and that our community was being TARGETED. They just didn't want to believe it and didn't see a connection.

Ah man.....Dr Umar Johnson is my boy! I see him as one of the greatest Black leaders in America today. His knowledge and charisma puts him on the level of a modern Malcolm. I agree with most of what Dr Johnson has listed, but I agree with what Troy said that the BIGGEST reason for failure in Black marriages today is CULTURE. Modern American culture and especially AfroAmerican culture promotes individualism, sexual freedom, and doesn't punish or ostracize people for being single or even single with children today like it did in the past so people are free to live their lives however they want. We're not as religious as we used to be which was also a major part in why we got married. Plus, most Black men just want to have fun rather than take on the responsibilities of marriage that many intuitively know they aren't qualified for in this society. The truth be told, I think the only reason most White men still get married is so that they can dominate someone and have authority over them. They'll go all the way over to Thailand or Indonesia and pay hundreds of thousands of dollars with a promised monthly payment to the family of thousands MORE just to get ONE skinny little woman he can call his "own" to bring back to America and rule her around. *If I ever had to leave the country and pay money for a wife, I'm gonna get SEVERAL while I'm there....lol. Which reminds me of another reason so many Black men are reluctant to get married......this society forces monogamy both legally and socially. Most Black men tend to be polygamous by nature and because this society was founded by White men from northern Europe where monogamy and celibacy was the norm....it was imposed upon them. Once we got the freedom to get out form under that structure, most of us abandoned it and because that was the ONLY type of marriage allowed in this society...unfortunately many of us abandoned marriage all together. Honestly, I don't think MOST human beings were meant to be married. I think it's an artificial social institution that was developed as a way to: 1. Keep men from killing eachother over women so much by 2. Because women were considered property for so much of the world, wives were a sign of wealth and status. I think the NEW way of families in the NEW world will be GROUP FAMILIES. Instead of the typical nuclear family with one man with one wife having children, it will be several men and several women in one household raising all of their children together as a small village like structure but inside an urban environment.

Sure there's something for you to gain! You can learn to be more humble and honest. Infact, you can probably start by admitting you CAN'T access the Akashic Records. ....instead of asking all types of questions and then PRETENDING to be insulted as an excuse to duck out and leave the scene. Imagine someone going to a doctor with problem....... But when that doctor realizes that he doesn't have the ability to solve that problem, instead of ADMITTING it and refering that patient to a specialist who CAN solve it....they accuse the patient of being rude because he didn't take his hat off before coming into the office and then kicks him out for it. He knew he couldn't help the man anyway and was looking for ANY excuse to conceal his inabilities.

　 　 Mel The amount of Black women with White man is increasing in the United States for the same reasons the amount of ASIAN WOMEN with White men are increasing.....most of the men with money and willing to settle down to be husbands today are primarily White men. Historically in the United States White men held power and money but this situation was severely reversing itself in the 60s and 70s because of 2 main reasons: 1. Women's liberation which allowed women to become independant, work for a decent wage/salary, and make their OWN money. 2. The Civil Rights movement along with the Black Power movement which brought better jobs and better living conditions to both Black men AND women....but also caused many newly independant White women to start eyeing Black men with good jobs as potential mates. When White women started making their own money....they started leaving White men in droves, so the powers that be had to figure out a way to give White males thier "edge" back. They began to de-industrialize the inner cities and take the jobs away from Black men so they wouldn't be considered so much of a "competition" and started jobs that demanded higher and higher education for the more "high tech" careers. Millions of White men lost these jobs as well and THEIR marriages also broke up and fell apart but poor White men were more likely to use violence and domestic abuse to keep control over their wives and girlfriends to keep them from leaving. Besides this, there were enough smart "brainy" and "nerdy" White men who could go to school and get these good jobs and THESE are the ones you see primarily scoring wives among Black and Asian women today. While there are some exceptions and most men will try to make the "family life" work........... The fact is the average man Black OR White is really too poor to "afford" a wife; primarily it's these nerds and "brains" you mostly see who are married to these women of all races and pushing strollers around playing Mr. Dad. Look at most of them. Most of them are nerdy, wiry, and goofy....but they have good jobs and make good money and are usually "faithful". I've never experienced an "overseer" so I may be to liberal in my use of the definition -but this feels like you believe in doing the work of those who seek to oppress. What people choose to wear is their choice. That's not necessarily true. Especially if subliminal messages are being aimed at them to influence them. Look at how so many Black youth are "choosing" to wear they pants baggy and sagging down past thier underwear. If it's a "choice" totally up to them.....why weren't men wearing their pants that way 50 years ago? If it's a choice, why do most women wear make up and most men do not? It's more than a personal choice, it's subliminal messaging and marketing along with peer pressure. If someone chooses to make a caricature of someone's style - that ignorance is THEIRS and theirs alone.. not the person wearing the style. I'm glad those young women are ignorant (as in unaware) of the caricature of Aunt Jemina - at least they aren't tainted by self-hate and it won't take up room in their head. Either that...or their ignorance makes them easier to manipulate since their enemies don't have to waste time coming up with NEW ideas to disgrace them.....just keep repeating the same old ones every other generation because they won't recognize the old tricks. God gave us a memory for a REASON. When you don't know your past, you can't strategize for the present let alone the future. Remember the old saying...... Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. Del Why does she have to be attractive or not atttactive. Because it's a PICTURE on the cover of a MAGAZINE. Attractive looks sell magazines. Attractive voices sell music. Attractive smells selll fragrances. This is just common sense. The only time someone wants to look at an unattractive picture is in ridicule or to make themselves feel better about how THEY look. Troy We have also heard the rap artists explain away and justify depicting Black women in an objectified, misogynistic manner. I always viewed this as a racist treatment of our people, but I was always an outlier on this issue. Ofcourse it's racist. Especially when you have White executives who purposely exclude positive Black rappers and sign on the most negative demeaning embrarassment they can find with little or no talent. I'm the type of person who always looks for a MOTIVE in anything someone does. When you examine and speculate on the MOTIVE, then seemingly "senseless" behavior becomes much clearer and makes much more sense. Just like a White magazine will take an unflattering picture of a Black woman when there are much better ones...... When a White executive at a record label takes an untalented rapper who raps about negativity and disrespecting women and sign him and promotes him while excluding one who is clearly talented and raps about positive experiences...... You'll have to ASSUME it's for racist purposes in order to disrespect, discredit, and humiliate. But like I said earlier....our people have to be "sharp" enough to recognize this. If not, they'll continue to be ridiculed and taken advantage of.

Well number one, I'm requesting assistance from those QUALIFIED to assist. But I have to find out if you're qualified and know what the hell you're doing first. If you can't even do THAT, why should I trust that you can help me or even yourself? If you're sick, you don't just let ANY fool with a gold tooth in his mouth claiming to know about medicine practice on you. You go to someone with a reputation for healing people and has PROVEN his/her skills. Why should somebody trust you if you can't prove that you even know what you're talking about? If you're looking for BLIND FAITH....look elsewhere.

Cynique My 3 sons use Mother's Day and may even depend on it as an occasion to make up for their ongoing lapses, and i appreciate that That was the original point I was making. These particular days have historically been used to placate women and give them a sense of "Well atleast someone's finally thinking of me, how sweet.", in order to compensate for the discrimination practiced against them through out the rest of the year. ......as opposed to treating them equally in the first place and showing mothers respect all year round so that there would be no need to make up a special day. But judging by your anecdotal response, I see you have little problem with that. ((shruggs shoulders)) OK.......

Preachers are human beings and they're going to do what other human beings do. Once I realized that, I stopped expecting perfection or some divine aura from them. Some are good, others are bad. MLK was a good one DESPITE his smoking, drinking, and the accusations of him cheating on his wife because his GOOD deeds out weighs his bad deeds. I don't look for perfection in any human being, I look to see if they were successful at helping more people than they harmed in judging (because unlike some people I actually DO judge) whether they were "good" or "bad".

Mel As for the rest of your argument, not sure if you read completely through what I've written but I did address the rest of your assumptions. I rest my case. If your argument was that laws existed to protect both the individual from harming himself as well as harming others BUT the only laws that are actually enforced are those which prevent others from being harmed, then again: Seat belts laws are ENFORCED.....even if you're the only person in the car and would be the only person to get hurt. Helmet laws are ENFORCED.....even if you're the only one who stands to get hurt on a motorcycle If somone attempts suicide they are LOCKED UP....even though they showed no evidence of wanting to harm anyone else.

Mel Is that how you fight someone who oppresses you? By subjugating someone who is willing to fight along side you? Sometimes the fight isn't with the OPPRESSOR Sometimes the fight is with IGNORANCE. Women who wear those handkerchiefs tied around their heads aren't fighting along side of me. Infact they aren't fighting PERIOD. It's a style many of them picked up on in IGNORANCE. Most of them are too young to know who Aunt Jemimah is or what she represents, they just see a few other women wearing it and they begin to imitate it....especially on "bad hair" days. If they were better educated with a knowledge of history and the historical images OF racism then they probably wouldn't wear rags tied around their heads like that. It's the same with young Black men who wear their pants so low that they have to shuffle and wobble from side to side when they walk. If they had a better knowledge of history and how Black men were often FORCED to walk in the manner that they are CHOOSING to walk now.....they probably would change their ways.

Mel @Pioneer1 you've presented a False analogy ... We're speaking about consenting adults not children who we, as society, have agreed to be still developing mentally, physically and emotionally. Mental ability is not a gift, it's an ability we all possess. Aptitude may vary but mental ability is inherent unless there's some type of mental damage. Therefore, adults assume the rights to think and choose for themselves. When they are denied that right, it means some institution has deemed them unfit to participate in society. Period. There are no such things as "false analogies". An analogy is like a metaphore or hypothetical...the onus is on the THEME not it's reality. Also, we're talking about SOCIETY IN GENERAL...not just normal adults, consenting adults, emotional stable adults, or any other "perfect image" you may wish to use an an example to illustrate why everyone should be granted the freedom to do whatever the like. And when we're talking about the general society we MUST include not only children, but mentally incompetent adults, mentally unstable adults, socially immature, handicapped, ect.... Everyone must be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not certain laws should be allowed on the books or whether or not we need a particular service. I know some people who say we should get rid of all bus, train, and public transportation service.....because they have cars and are able bodied. They could care less about the person too poor to afford a vehicle, or a person too handicapped to operate one and must rely on public transportation. We can't just look at society from our own person (and often gifted or priveledged) point of view, but from a WHOLISTIC and COMPREHENSIVE view that encompasses the "least of these". Currently the only enforced restrictions that we have, in this society, are to prevent us from infringing on other people's right to pursue life and liberty... as I said "our laws have nothing to do with our safety." But I should be clearer. Speed limits are such laws - they're not enforced so you won't kill yourself, it's enforced so you won't kill others. What about laws that force you to wear a helmet when riding a motor cycle? What about laws that prevent you from not only selling but USING cocaine and heroin? Why are people arrested and hospitalized after attempting suicide? Even in prison people are put on "suicide watch". Ofcourse there's a lot of bullshit laws that need to be taken off the books, but IN THEORY laws were made to maintain social stability in general whether it's to protect one neighbor from being abused by another or harming their own bodies. But I do agree with you that IN THEORY government is in our hands and the more power we have the more benefits we stand to gain.....so we shouldn't give away that power. However as a SOCIETY (not just as a government) we have decided to protect those who can't protect themselves....whether that be from physical or mental/emotional reasons. Pioneer1, there goes that "Hate Speech" sneaking in again.... still, I'll overlook the comparison. According to some Nigerians, and stats that support that claim they're the most educated nationality in the United States among all cultures - including Asians. The jury is out as to why this is the case. Well, Looks like the jury is finished deliberating and just came back with their verdict....lol. It seems that the Nigerians students have been found guilt of NOT TAKING THE VACCINES that have been pushed on Black American children. As a result, they have a lower rate of autism and other learning disabilities and are probably much physically healthier too.

Delano Well if your asking for help or proof. Then motive is important. If you were driving along and saw a man trying to push his stalled car with his family inside out of the road would you stop and help him push his family out of danger? Or would you pull up, roll the window down, and start interrogating him and asking him what's his motive for doing so?

Mel Spiritually, it doesn't matter because connection and intimacy is different on the spiritual plane. You've visited the Akashic Records.......... Don't TELL me you've had "astral sex" too! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiillll naaaaaw.....

Mel @Pioneer1 and @Troy seem to have adopted the white man's "caricature" of black women as a standard to what they find unattractive about black women. Yes, I actually DO find that particular caricature of Black women unattractive and unappealing. Whenver I see Black women....especially young Black women...on the street with those Aunt Jemimah rags tied around their heads with the knot in the front I feel like running up to them and snatching it off.....lol. For decades we've fought to get rid of the "mammy" image and now some of our youth want to bring it right back as a sign of rebellion. It's weird too because in a way they've allowed racist white man's caricature, troll them and then rent space in their head. That caricature has seem to have effected their perception of black women's "beauty". Read what I said to Troy about males and COMPETITION and maybe it will help you make more sense out of our reaction. What I'm gonna say may be taken as sexist but the fact is......Black women SHOULD care how people see them and SHOULD do their best to beautify themselves and make themselves more attractive. In nearly every culture on this planet, it's part of a rite or custom for women to beautify themselves....that includes the hundreds of various African cultures. Men = Strength Women = Beauty Anytime a woman stops worrying about her looks and stops trying to be beautiful, it won't be long before she stops trying to be a woman PERIOD. Viola Davis IS a beautiful woman and that picture of her just doesn't give her the justice she deserves. 　 　 　 　 Delano Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Which is subject to influence by culture, politics , peers and one sex organs and perhaps sexual orientation. That may be true. However I go back to what I said earlier about heterosexual males actually being MORE qualified to judge women's looks than even women themselves. And vice versa..... Whenever I try on clothes and want to know how I look in something....I don't ask another man....I ask women. How can someone of the SAME sex judge how attractive the OPPOSITE sex will find someone? Troy Actually, without the Time cover and her name on it to context the image, I wouldn't have even KNOWN it was Viola Davis because the image looks so "nothing like her". Other than that, I probably wouldn't be AS shocked because not knowing who it was....I wouldn't have other MUCH BETTER pictures with which to compare her to.

Troy While there ARE exceptions like Mzuri and some females I know in real life who found that particular picture of Viola unflattering, another factor I think may be contributing to the division of opinion along sexual lines is the male drive for COMPETITION. When I read the posts from the ladies I hear more of a "do your thing" "be yourself" " who cares what other people think of you" attitude being pushed. They could care less about what other people outside of themselves think. But with men, we constantly want to BE THE BEST and HAVE THE BEST. We're COMPETING. Whether it's with money, power, or even women. We want to match the Black woman up against the White woman and compete them over who looks the best. So any attempt to make her look bad or even mediocre....is NOTICED MORE or atleast PERCEIVED MORE. And seen as an insult or slight to derail our status in the competition. Do you understand what I'm saying? The competitive spirit where we want to be the strongest and want our women to look the best may be very subtle, almost subconscious...but I believe t's there. And it's what drives us as men to notice the slights and unflattering portrayals more than women who may not even bee looking for them. And because women don't tend to be AS competitive on a larger scale, they don't see what the big deal is or what's at stake for however she's being portrayed. My only concern is that people will view the survey as sexist. Anytime you ask others to make judgements about a woman's particular look...whether it be her natural body or how she's made up or dressed......you might as well assume that atleast SOME people are going to perceive it as atleast slighly sexist because of historical reasons. 　 　 Cynique What keeps sticking in my craw about this debate is that there are millions of black women who look like that picture of Viola Davis. Her flawless complexion is dark brown, she has a very good set of teeth, she wears red lipstick and her hair is in a style that sistas have been wearing for at least 75 years, dating back to the days when they hot-combed their hair and put it up in curlers. Why do y'all think that this is a picture that blacks should be offended by and that to picture a black woman in this pose is racist. Well allow me to pull out some of what's sticking in your craw.........lol. For the UMPTEENTH TIME: It's NOT her hair style that's the problem. It's NOT her dark skin that's the problem. It's NOT her dress that's the problem. It's NOT her being happy that's the problem. My focus is on 2 THINGS: 1. Her lips being curled back and asymetrical like she's some vampire bearing her fangs. 2. Her wearing bright red lip stick that clearly CLASHES with her rich dark complexion No woman smiles with her upper lip curled all the way back showing nearly all of her upper gums. If a woman sat next to you like that in public you'd jump up and run away. It's simply not a normal or natural expression....and the photographers KNEW that. And again, a woman with dark chocolate skin shouldn't wear bright red lipstick because not only does it brings back memories of the racist caricature "mammy"; but it also gives the subconcious impression that she has a bright red vagina which is unhealthy. 　 　 Mzuri They deliberately chose an image that depicted this lady as some sort of clownish jigaboo, for whatever reason. Well said. I'm glad another lady was able to see the same thing we're seeing and co-sign. We can debate the REASONS all day long, but first let's acknowledge the fact that this picture is an unflattering misrepresentation.

Troy Saying happy mothers day, or buying some flowers, is not like going into debt to spend three month's salary on a wedding band.. choose your battles. True, but I just don't like the fact that so many people are led around like sheep without thinking or even questioning why they're forced to do certain things on certain days even though this is called a FREE and SECULAR society. I even challenge financial institutions as to why nearly all of them are closed on Sundays and Christmas.....lol. I tell them keep the institutions open! Let devout Christians have these days off if they choose and make everyone else work. Most people aren't worshipping on Sundays or even on Christmas. Too often they're someone in a bar getting drunk or at home getting drunk and high watching sports. Cynique Now Cynique, be honest with yourself........ Ask yourself, if I were a WOMAN and made that very SAME post about Mother's Day and Valentines Day would you have had the same reaction? If a woman came to you and said that these days are highly commercialized attempts by an otherwise partriarchal society to TRY and compensate and placate women for the ordinarily sexist and discriminatory treatement they routinely through out the rest of the year...would you have disagreed?

In my opinion, I don't think she said what she said out of bitterness or even as an attempt to humiliate Troy; I think it was more of reactionary type of "back talk" out of a perceived injustice. The average man gets told the same thing from time to time by his own wife....lol. "You just think you know SO DAMN MUCH don't you?" To be honest, if Troy or any moderator were to ban someone or use their powers to control or intimidate posters who may OCCASIONALLY (I'm not talking about on-going trolling) hurl petty accusations or minor insults at them.....I would have less respect for them. When I think of the sites I'm on or have been on, the actual ADMINISTRATORS or owners of the site were without exception always ABOVE pettiness. Like the leader of a major organization or corporation, they didn't have time to tussle with fools on the street who wanted to stand on the sidewalk arguing with them. However what I have noticed was that sometimes the part time or lesser moderators that the Admin would choose to HELP moderate were often reactionary and abused their powers. I remember one dude on a hiphop site......... The Admin made him a moderator and he WENT CRAZY. He already loved to argue with people on the site, but we all thought he was cool and a fair fighter until he started just eliminating people's post or going back and erasing what he said earlier just to keep from LOSING ARGUMENTS!!!! I was much younger then but it gave me a good sense of what happens when some people get a little TASTE of power.....how easy they will abuse it without any sense of guilt or shame.

You're well read and a high achiever because you were gifted with the high intelligence to LEARN and PROCESS what you've read and put things into action. Not everyone has that ability and it's for this reason they shouldn't be allowed to make ANY decision they want. It may sound arrogant...but it's the TRUTH. You wouldn't give a 3 year old toddler the right to own and operate a handgun would you? What about an 11 year old? What about a 30 year old with the maturity or intelligence level of an 8 year old? Obviously there are SOME standards and boundaries that shouldn't be crossed. It's the same with society in general, some people don't have the knowledge or intelligence make correct decisions so you must have others to ensure THEIR safety for them as well as the safety of the public. I know corruption exists in all levels of government. They say power tends to corrupt....and "they" weren't lying. But some decisions have to be taken from the individual for the good of the society because if everyone were allowed to do whatever they wanted to do without interference....there wouldn't BE a society left...lol. Outside of the safety aspect............. I think it's a good idea for MOST youth to be guided and somewhat directed at an early age so that their lives can remain safe and stable enough for them to make wise decisions later on as they grow into adulthood. Look at how high achieving most Africans are when they come here, and look at most Black Americans. One of the only differences is DISCIPLINE. Africans come from a society where the youth are FAR MORE disciplined with rules and social customs than our youth and it shows in their educational and occupational performance. Sometimes too much "freedom" can cause you to destroy yourself. That's why when people ask me am I for a free society, I say I'm for a "less restricted" society...lol. A society that is open enough for you to express your creativity and genius, but restricted enough to ensure your safety. Going back to the topic of this thread: Why do Black men cheat? Because they have the FREEDOM to make that choice and choose it.