From: charlie
Date: 10/20/03
Time: 9:09:13 AM
Remote Name: 209.240.198.62
Jasper, I can understand your frustration in the situation that happened when you went to the school.
But we can't be defeated. Send more people in. With more examples.
For one thing, many of these kids can't foresee great success in the first place. It is not the norm--no matter what the race. The majority of people just have regular jobs and making a middle class living.
I have mentioned several times now about Eastern Kentucky and the problems there. You know what the biggest problem is? It is that they refuse to leave the area to find work. There isn't much work there because a company doesn't want to go there. Not enough people to work. Recently a "ham" plant went to Grayson, Ky. They couldn't get enough workers---so the place is packed with Hispanics...and no real idea if they are even legal.
My Dad --who worked in that area at times--couldn't get people to work. He offered a "basic" salary (a base) and then a commission for sales for every RC product sold on their route. They took a look at the base and declared that they could make more money on welfare than the base and turned down employment.
However, there are people who grew up there--and left and have made successes of themselves.
My Dad left his hometown (Columbus, Ga) to go to work for RC Cola (home office in Columbus).
That is the problem in many cases---people won't get out the situation. They would rather stay there and fail than move elsewhere where they have a chance to succeed.
And it isn't assured that every person will be successful...in their career. And it isn't all a matter of race. Some things are but not all.
My group of college friends for the most part are teachers. There is such a wide variety of what kind of pay we each ended up getting. I made more than the ones who taught in other counties in the state. One friend made much more than all of us because she went to Falls Church, Va. and their state even paid for her to get her Master's Degree. Kentucky requires it but doesn't pay for it. Another friend lives in Jackson, Tenn. and has always taught at the private Catholic school. That pay is much lower. Catholic schools tend to pay less.
WE all make choices. Where we live. What career we go after. Or even if we don't even try.
Hells bells! The drug dealer pimp probably made more money than I did too but that didn't mean I was not going to even try. Or that I would chose that lifestyle.
I don't mean to downplay your experience but as to showing the kids what is possible--versus life in the ghetto or projects---maybe some ordinary people with ordinary jobs could come in and show and tell---about their life, about what kind of house they have, how much safer their neighborhood is, how much happier they are, how much better their health is or healthcare is with insurance rather than Medicade. How they take vacations--not to Europe surely--but vacations none the less.
And how much FREER they are as their OWN person.
charlie