Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Toxic Culture

I think anyone who reads this blog knows that I'm a huge Steve Czaban fan. His is the only sport-talk radio program worth listening to. He's just a fun but commonsensical kind of guy who doesn't take himself too seriously.

Not long ago, the Washington Redskins paid tribute to their former strong safety, Sean Taylor, who was senselessly murdered during a home invasion burglary just over a year ago. Czabe took the occasion to opine on the root cause of the tragedy: the toxic culture that created the three thugs who took Taylor's life.

Because this poisonous lifestyle being peddled as entertainment, is not a white problem. It’s a black problem. Yes. White kids listen to rap. Yes, white kids commit crimes.

But by and large, the glorification of the lifestyle, and the destruction of lives it brings, hits overwhelmingly on the inner city, and black youths.
Bulls eye.

Here's the thing. There is undeniably a toxic culture afoot in our land - what some call the 'hip hop' culture, but what I call the 'ghetto' culture, because one who lives it can only count on ending up in one of three places: the ghetto, prison, or dead.

Hollywood and the music industry shamelessly promote this toxin as 'hip', 'cool', 'with it'. But generation after generation of young black men are ruining their lives chasing this nonsense when they should be pursuing an education or a trade - a LEGITIMATE way out of the inner city horror they currently live in.

I can't tell you whether this acid eating away at the core of the black community is part of an intentional effort to destroy black America, or if it's just greed driving the creation and promotion of movies, "music" (if you can call it that), and videos that glorify thuggery and paint women as objects to be used and discarded. But the Klan can't be upset with the results. More and more young black men are forever ruining their lives. It's beyond a tragedy. It's a crime.

One last thing: it's not racist to point out the obvious, that the 'ghetto' culture is destroying black America. It's racist to bury your head in the sand and pretend it's okay.

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