My Take On Black Lives Matter

I was asked what I thought about “Black Lives Matter” here is my response:

I have issues with the Black Lives Matter movement. The words Black Lives Matter should not be advertising to enlist funding for other causes, but focused on saving Black lives.

So what does that mean. It means African Americans have a right to the pursuit of happiness like all Americans, have a right to the same civil rights, and have a right to “life” including death from police abuse, death at the hands of criminals of every race, and protection against abortion once they are viable in the womb…

Simply said all black lives matter and it is important not to dismiss those black lives lost every year that should not have been. I do not support ignoring the lives lost in wrong police cases, but likewise I do not support ignoring the others.

So in 2019 something like 250 African Americans were killed by police officers in confrontations with police. A small percentage of those deaths were wrongful deaths and the police officers involved should face criminal charges. We need an effective tool to address issues surrounding terminating bad police officers before they kill someone. The police officer that killed George Floyd had numerous cases of inappropriate use of force prior to killing Floyd. He should not have been a police officer when the Floyd murder occurred.

On average more than 20 African Americans per 100,000 are killed every year. That is three times higher than any other race and even though 94% of those homicides are committed by Africa Americans, it does not mean that is not a serious crisis. You simply cannot embrace black lives matter without addressing this statistic. We simply cannot allow this to happen.

African American babies constitute 27.6% of all abortions. Whether you are for abortion or against them, this is wrong. Something is wrong when so many babies die without a chance at life. Why so many abortions in a day when birth control is relatively easy?

Let’s be honest for a second… how can it be wrong that African Americans disproportionately die with regard to police involved shootings and not be wrong when they disproportionately die by homicide and abortion. Is the life of a one year old girl killed in a drive by shooting less precious than the life of an adult killed by a police officer in a wrongful death? Both lives matter…

Time for a church led movement that promises Black Lives Matter focused on reducing deaths among African Americans from both homicides and abortions.

I have five African American grandchildren. Fortunately, they need not fear being aborted. But they do need to fear growing up and it is time we as a country have an honest conversation about what we can do to reduce homicides among African Americans.

I was then asked what I would do to reduce the homicide rate for African Americans…

Here is my plan to reduce homicides and improve the future prospects of young African Americans growing up in violent inner city areas (where most the homicides occur), it isn’t cheap… but doing things half ass, never works.

1) Convert all public schools to 24 hour a day, 7 days a week community centers that teach school five days a week during certain hours a day. The rest of the time they are available for sports in the gym, studying in the library, tutoring, computer science classes and on line education sites, child care etc. They would be the center piece of a program designed to get children off the streets and also a place for parents to bring their children when no parent is at home. Like inner city schools today metal detectors at entrances plus security guards on site will insure schools are the safest place in the community.

Children need not attend the public school classes to participate and enjoy the benefits of the community center. In fact, this expanded use of the public school means they are less dependent on funding based on children attending school allowing children expanded educational opportunities without undermining the fiscal stability of the school, whose physical plant is funded under programs unrelated to school. Some children may choose to enroll in on line schooling at the public school taking classes at night where a proctor sits in the room to insure safety or to help children with questions they might have.

This has several benefits. Expanded work options for parents who now have free and instant childcare available at the community center. A safe place for children to grow and learn that separates them from the more violent children on the streets. Opportunities for children to have fun and be children. Children in inner cities grow up to be urban soldiers… we need them to grow up to be productive citizens.

2) Dramatically increase the presence of law enforcement in high crime areas. Bret showed he could reduce crime dramatically by increasing law enforcement. It is time to take the streets back from the gangs and give it back to the citizens of the community. As part of this increased law enforcement presence we need improved law enforcement training in how to resolve conflict without force. But with fewer children on the streets, fewer members in gangs, and more law enforcement presence combined with what I hope would be church or other organization affiliated crime watch groups we could make committing violent crimes tougher. Overlaying that would be increased video coverage… if needed drones could be deployed to monitor street crime and track it.

3) Economic opportunity zones located in inner cities. The increased law enforcement presence combined with various other incentives and ideally job training centers would begin to expand economic opportunities. The number one cause of poverty is no jobs. To create jobs combine tax incentives, training, safety, and available workers and you begin the economic and social miracle.

4) Big Brother. This is the one I get most push back on. People found guilty of a violent crime cannot move into a neighborhood targeted for these dramatic investments unless they are prepared to wear an ankle bracelet that tracks their activities. They will also be subjected to search and frisk and surprise home searches if they choose to live in these neighborhoods. Study after study says an incredibly disproportionate number of homicides are from felons who have committed previous violent crimes. So you have to start by not allowing the one group most likely to commit a violent crime (people who already have) back into the neighborhood without implementing what some might consider extreme measures.

These kind of programs will cost a lot of money and are only worth doing if we commit to them for a whole generation. Once violent crime levels drop to normal suburban crime levels the community will be deemed safe and some of the programs curtailed. By that time, the hope is that the schools have produced a whole generation of educated and skilled children to fill the expanding jobs that no longer come because of the economic incentives but rather for the human talent. At that point these communities start to pay back the investment made into them. My biggest concern with this proposal is how do you keep the middle class families from wanting in… to these better and safer inner city neighborhoods and pushing those for whom the program is intended out?