Ignorance on whose part?

Post by **_Sam Harris** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:44 pm

Today on a talk show that my co-workers listen to, the topic was drug dealers helping out the community with financial contributions. The debate was hot. Of course, some people have to turn this into a black/white situation (this talk show was on an R&B station), and I think that's rediculous. But there were some people who thought it was ok for people who were struggling financially to accept monetary donations from drug dealers, because they had that money. I disagreed, and in my primarily black office, I was seen as a bigot. It didn't help that I'm light-skinned and speak proper english. This automatically means my life is effortless and I have a silver spoon stuck up my a**. And yet black people complain about discriminiation, they discriminate against their own. Straddling the fence in this regard is not easy.

Anyways, people were telling me that I needed to read Angela Davis' autobiography, that I "just didn't understand", and that it was overall ok for people who had made bad choices to get them on public assistance to accept money from people who sold drugs to the community.

I personally feel that for every family a drug dealer may feed, he's ruined at least 10 others. So I feel that if you want to contribute to the community, STOP SELLING DRUGS! Stop complaining about what the White Man is doing to you, get off your lazy a** and work like everyone else!

Few people know the type of life that I've lived. I have had plenty of opportunities to drown my sorrow in illegal activity...I've had plenty of chances to get pregnant. I've had plenty of chances to give up on my dream of a college education. My whole family has done the above, I was exposed to the same problems they had, I just made different choices.

Why is it so hard to understand that in this world you will only be as successful in an honest way as you make yourself out to be? What am I missing?

_Yoda · Post by **_Yoda** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:51 pm

What am I missing?

You aren't missing anything. You are exactly right. And there is plenty of evidence of successful individuals from all walks of life who substantiate your argument. Here are a few:

Bill Cosby
Oprah Winfrey
Whoopi Goldberg
Bill Gates
Fantasia Berrino

There are many more people out there...but that's a good start.

:)

Post by **_Sam Harris** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:10 pm

LOL, with some of thse folks will get mad no matter what. Some people are mad because Oprah took her money and opened a school in South Africa. Um, that's her money! She ain't the US government, if you have a problem with the poverty in our country, take yo ass to capitol hill!

Post by **_Quantumwave** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:13 pm

OK GIMR, I agree with some of your argument.

I don't like the behavior of people who commit armed robberies, burglarize homes or sell drugs. They need to GET A LIFE!

But if they make contributions to the community, using whatever money they have, what's wrong with that!

Post by **_silentkid** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:19 pm

I don't know if you watch the Wire (it's a realistic police drama set in Baltimore and airs on HBO), but they had an episode this season that confronts this issue. One of the drug dealers gives money to some junior high kids and tells them to go buy some clothes for the new school year. Most of the kids accept the money willingly, but one says no. He understands that if he accepts the money he is essentially in the pocket of the local drug dealer. I think that may be the case with those who accept money from drug dealers. They are less likely to snitch and more willing to accept the drug trafficking that goes on in their neighborhoods. Their reward is monetary but the result is degradation of their neighborhoods. This is a complex issue. Who knows how far the money makes its way up the local governing channels? To dismiss this simply as a race issue is ridiculous.

Post by **_Jersey Girl** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:24 pm

GIMR,

I think the issue here is that you think that accepting money from drug dealers, validates their behavior.

Jersey Girl

Post by **_guy sajer** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:27 pm

Quantumwave wrote:OK GIMR, I agree with some of your argument.

I don't like the behavior of people who commit armed robberies, burglarize homes or sell drugs. They need to GET A LIFE!

But if they make contributions to the community, using whatever money they have, what's wrong with that!

Because it's blood money, and it is distributed with the cynical purpose of buying legitimacy and creating cover for further misdeeds. By accepting the money and thus granting cover, it empowers and emboldens crooks, muderers, thugs, socio-paths, and the like, establishes their power base, and enables them to wage war on civil society.

It is a form of bribery that destabilizes society, fuels crime, and ruins lives in its wake.

It is a similar principle for corrupt government officials who buy political cover for misdeeds by doling out goodies for the poor (most of whom the corrupt officials would step over if they lay dying in the street), a la Juan Peron or a host of other populist demogogues, tyrants, and megalomaniacs.

If society stood up to these thugs, rather than accept their blood money for turning the other way, arguably society would be much better off in the long run, as somebody, somewhere down the line must pay for the ruin they leave in their train.

Post by **_Quantumwave** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:29 pm

I have to agree that if the recipient personally gets the donation from the drug dealer, that creates a bad situation. The only way the donation could be OK is if it is given annonymously, and I doubt if the mind set of drug dealers would allow that anyway, so my argument is moot.

Post by **_Bond...James Bond** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:09 pm

It's a self fulfilling circle where drugs create a problem, then try to help solve it. Rather than having to start the cycle at all, eliminate the drugs and no problem (or one less problem) is created.

No, I don't feel its justifiable for drug dealers to sell drugs and pay some back to the community. Destroying the community and then trying to help rebuild it is hypocritical. Any charitable actions on the part of someone who causes destruction isn't enough to pay for the original destruction because those drug dealers are still keeping enough to keep themselves in a much more comfortable situation than the people they exploit.

Post by **_gramps** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:24 pm

Is it a problem if someone sells alcohol, makes money off it, and then gives some of that money to the community? What about the tobacco companies? Should a community refuse to accept any donations to their community if it is a tobacco company, or?

Or are alcohol and tobacco, not drugs? And what about the pharmaceutical companies? Are all those new drugs they keep pumping out into the society beneficial to people?

Or is it just that some are legal and some are not?

And to tell you the truth: I wish people would get a little clearer about just what they mean when they say drugs.

I smoke pot, but don't grow my own. I have to buy it somewhere. I don't look down on the person I buy it from as some low-life scum who ought to get a job. Oh wait! He does have a "real" job, as well.

Legalize the whole lot of them and get rid of the criminality. Then, you will have plenty of money to fix up the communities. Keep it illegal and you invite the scum, low-life element selling crack and meth to the kids. Smart move, don'tcha think?