Category: Social Commentary (Page 2 of 3)

The criminal mentality does not find its place of abode in just one or two specific groups. Every race, ethnicity, tribe, caste, religion, and nationality has its fair share of lawbreakers. Historical circumstances and other socio-economic factors can foster statistically larger percentages of crimes to be committed by one group or the other.

There can hardly be justification for wanton murder, acts of terror, brutality and other heinous crimes – but one must never categorize and hold culpable entire groups for the acts of members within those groups. Neither should one fall victim to the unfounded cries of racism by criminals who go that route when all else fails.

It is good citizenship to be concerned about one’s political environment and to scrutinize candidates’ agendas to see how they might impact one and the larger society. Be wary though to never become so intoxicated by the rhetoric of political campaigns that you get caught up in a whirlwind imagining that all the ills that beset you as an individual will evaporate should your candidate or party gain office.

The sometimes somber, sometimes joyful reality of human civilization is that there have been monumental changes in the status quo from its inception to the present. There are, of course, basic needs and aspirations that remain the same , or that ought to remain the same – the need for food, clothing, shelter, sexual and other bodily functioning, and the higher-level need to be the best one can be in the journey of life.

However, if one looks at the concept of “race,” one surely can see that there have been changes in identity as groups moved, voluntarily or involuntarily, from one land mass or region to another. Groups often conquered others, or were themselves conquered. Often, movements occurred as a result of natural or man-made factors.

There is obviously a glaring inequity in value placed on many professions by the marketplace.

Unfortunately, the workings of supply and demand do not always bring about equity and fair play. To be sure, they sometimes result in unfavorable allocation of resources or morally unethical consequences. It is, in my opinion, a scar on our collective psyche as Americans, that we place such a hefty premium on being entertained that we do not mind as a society that our ballplayers, movie stars, other entertainers earn bizarre sums while those who strive professionally to make the world a better place earn pittances.

Teachers, doctors, paramedics, a host of workers in assorted fields from health care to home care to education – many with high academic credentials – are in the front lines, sometimes even the “battlefields,” working to heal, educate, uplift us for abysmally low compensation when compared to the professional athlete or entertainer – a majority of whom, by all accounts, lack the rigors of an extensive, sometimes even a rudimentary educational background. Many also lack charisma, decorum, moral and professional values, making their spot in the limelight as role models for our young even more bewildering and incredible.

It is a sad commentary on all of us that we continue to participate as consumers in the processes that result in the flow of millions to athletes while many public school teachers tell daily of the horror stories they experience at pitifully low compensation – venturing in front of classrooms across the country trying to mould young minds while risking their own.

Yes, there is no applause from fans at the end of the day, just a lonely ride home sometimes through dangerous neighborhoods for a well-earned respite, while the off-season athlete who can barely spell his own name heads off to the islands for more fun and splendor.

There is a price, unfortunately, that we all pay for the economic and political freedoms that we enjoy as Americans. This is but one item on that price tag.

As much as I abhor it, I am willing – and I believe that most of us also are so inclined – to pay that price to keep our way of life, our freedoms to work, to choose our presidents and our professions, and to entertain and be entertained by athletes and other highly paid entertainers.

In America, we’ll take the bad with the good.

The world, we have been taught and have come to believe, was created by God Almighty. Human labor exists wherever there is habitable land mass. Natural resources are not evenly distributed among countries and regions. Colonialism was not generally premised on a flow of development in two directions. Europe was largely the beneficiary of the goodies secured from exploited new territories. Natives and transplanted, sometimes coerced labor, were exploited so that resources could be tapped.

When the conscience of humankind was finally roused enough to demand the end of slavery, genocide against natives, and other forms of injustices by foreign entities, the power structures changed around the globe. But when the smoke cleared and the dust settled, nations and individuals were left in economic and political disarray.

The uneven distribution of natural resources, the one way flow of goods and services secured by outside interlopers using coerced labor, the forced movements of entire cultures and peoples away from their traditional lands and hunting grounds and agrarian lifestyles – all these events have resulted in imbalances in the world economy. People will do what is necessary to feed themselves and their families and thus will gravitate toward regions and countries that offer opportunities for survival or for better lives.

To be sure, even in God’s Good Earth, countries do need to safeguard their borders, their citizens’ jobs, and their economies. But in this era of global economics, exportation of jobs, free trade, and other geo-political activity, the historical movements of people in search of livelihoods will continue. It must be remembered that many great nations, including America, have been founded by immigrants, or in many cases, forcibly acquired from others.

People uprooting and transplanting do not do so whimsically for there are often substantial adverse cultural, familial, and personal consequences. Understanding that human civilization did not occur in neat, orderly, equitable patterns – and that many areas of the world, and millions of people, were displaced as a price of progress by others – will better serve us when we examine immigration issues. When contemporary geo-political factors are considered also, one can have a better perspective on this sometimes volatile issue.

People around the world often wonder why it is that defendants in the most heinous crimes are guaranteed legal representation here in the USA – regardless of economic status or financial ability and/or the nature of the crime. There is a book, “Gideon’s Trumpet,” by a renowned author which discusses the struggles of a poor Florida defendant decades ago to garner the benefit of legal counsel.

America has not always had a level playing field. Historically, there have been many injustices perpetrated against individuals and groups by the status quo – and some might argue that even today, some injustices continue. The amazing thing though about America, is that its principles of justice and equality enshrined in its Constitution have stood the test of time. Those lofty principles may not always have been practiced, but with the passage of each dispensation, as the years go by, there has been a natural progression toward their application to broader elements within society.

“They say that diversity is a good thing. I often hear poets sing praises of the variety of flora and fauna and compare such spectacle to the cosmopolitan human race.

“Yet each day, I wake up, each night I go to bed to the same sounds of dissonance across the globe. Sometimes, I even lose track of who’s hating whom and for what reason today. Is it religion? Country? Tribe? Race? Region? Caste? Sect? Who knows what it’ll be like tomorrow.

History sure has been unkind to peoples in different settings all over the world.

I often think of America and what a great country she is, and how blessed I am to enjoy her magnificence. But I also think of those who, from the inception, contributed to her present-day status. Europeans, African slaves, indigenous peoples, all participated, voluntarily, or involuntarily, in the formation and development of the United States of America. The blood, sweat, and tears of millions have left a trail and legacy in the history books.

Some have argued that it was a “Manifest Destiny,” a design by God, that Europeans should settle this great expanse and  exploit its natural resources, and in the process create the greatest superpower in human history. Yet, though founded on the principles of equality and disregard for class, race, or religion, the nation took a few hundred years to live up to its professed doctrines.

One reflects on a history that also includes lands taken from Native Americans and enslaved labor brought to work those lands. Crimes against groups of peoples were part and parcel of the process. Somehow, it’s hard to look back with a Machiavellian perspective, and give a standing ovation on the basis of the philosophy that the end justifies the means.

Make no mistake, millions of Americans – born and naturalized – stand in awe of this great land. They are thankful to be a part of a country that affords everyone the opportunity to pursue their maximum potential – and to do so in a society that does not bow down to royalty or require social class or religion as a prerequisite to achieving the best in life.

I do wonder though why so many innocents had to be destroyed for a great country to emerge. Was it just another example of Darwin’s theory of the survival of the fittest? Was there really a “Manifest Destiny”? Was there no other way for such a magnificent country to emerge?

Perhaps the writer’s imagination in me rises too often and rouses my sentimentalities and consciousness to events of yesterday best left alone. Perhaps, one needs to focus absolutely on the status quo and the future. In my journey through life as a writer I often seek answers…and I am often bewildered at the sacrifice of untold millions throughout human history in all parts of the world.

Indeed history seems to have been unkind to many. Somehow, some events of the past six thousand years, and of today, in America and in different parts of the world, seem to counter the concept of a Divine Being. Maybe God has stepped aside to let us do our own thing? Maybe the metamorphoses that nations, societies, peoples, groups, individuals undergo are a constant struggle for superiority – without the intervention of a God?

What I do concede is that America’s history does have its blemishes – but so does the history of every civilization. Maybe the day will come when we no longer have to claim that it was divine destiny that some be sacrificed so that others could prosper.

Possibly, the answer is to accept the mistakes of the past without reference or need for divine justification. Perhaps, we all need to acknowledge that  casualties are inevitable as history evolves…and that, as modern societies, we must learn to adapt, to minimize suffering, and try to enforce equity…and to continue our march forward, without looking back too much at the past…and without seeking divine justification for the acts of man.

The issues involved in the salvaging of neighborhoods and rehabilitating them so that they become livable and part of the mainstream of the city are complex and highly emotional. It seems sometimes that one’s perspectives are premised on one’s moral, religious, social, economic, and philosophical sentiments.

I do not pretend to know the answers to the complexities arising from the process. However, as a longtime NYC resident and average Joe who loves the Big Apple in its entirety – all five boroughs – I am concerned about how best to make every borough, every corner, every neighborhood of NYC a viable, livable place to be.

When neighborhoods decay through drugs, crime, poor and inadequate housing, lack of social services, we all suffer collectively. One can’t stick one’s head in the sand and say, “It doesn’t affect me, I don’t live in that part of town anyway.” Whatever happens in Bedford Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, South Jamaica, Mott Haven, Harlem affects us all. Decay tends to spread to other parts of town via spillover of criminals, lack of tax revenue, disgruntled citizenry, etc.

So here are some questions to ponder:

1. Do we gentrify neighborhoods by giving a green light to any developer who risks his/her capital and moves in to revitalize the community?

2. How do we deal with the issues of existing residents when the smoke clears, the dust settles, and we now have an abundance of hi-risers, businesses, good quality restaurants, movie theaters, entertainment and social infrastructure? Who picks up the tab? Should we expect older residents to pay more to enjoy the increased level of services and accoutrements? How much more? Market rates? What about if they can’t afford market? Subsidies? Or should longtime residents fall victim to the unbridled workings of free enterprise and be required to pick up and leave town? Where do they head out?

3. Does NYC in general have a moral responsibility to have as its residents all segments of society or should it be first come with the big bucks, first served? If market rate should be the new status quo, do we dismantle public housing, Section 8, rent control, rent stabilization? Is it okay for NYC to be the playground of the wealthy from within the state and country and from overseas – many of whom can afford pied-a-terres here – while others struggle to afford a roof over their heads in the place of their birth or where they’ve spent most of their lives?

4. Does morality or being my brother’s keeper belong in the discussion anyway? Shouldn’t housing and the right to housing be like with any other product on the market where demand and supply interact to determine price?

These questions are raised because I myself do not know all the answers. I struggle to come to terms with the grim reality of housing in NYC and sometimes there’s a conflict between my innate beliefs premised on ethical considerations and the concept of free enterprise and economic betterment. The whole theory behind our economic system is that the workings of the market result in the greatest good for the greatest number of individuals. Somehow, my conscience tells me that the basic needs of people for food, clothing, shelter cannot be left entirely to market forces.

No one race, religion, ethnicity, tribe, or human being is endowed with a natural intellectual superiority.

Historical opportunities, as well as atrocities, may have caused one group to enjoy privileges which appear to make that group have a natural proclivity or lack thereof.