And my conversation is about how AA doesn't work the way it was intended. Read what I wrote in a previous post about taking a child out of a depressed area with not much hope. That would be a much better allocation of AA than puting a minority at the front of line, as I have seen MANY times. A minority that had every, or more oppurtunity than alot of white males.

I have seen very very very few minorities that came from an poor family, rose up, had to pay their way, and grunt it out to get a job at a major. Yeah, I'm sure they are out there, but saying that every minority needs "a hand up" is crap.

Sorry

 

I agree with you. I NEVER said EVERY minority needed a hand up. I said that people as a whole who have been disadvantaged need a hand up. Unfotunantly in this country that is mostly minorities. BTW in case you didnt know ( and I am sure you didnt) when OBAP had its first summer flight academy a young white kid was one of the first to get a scholorship to the program.

 

Good for you for exposing underprivileged kids to a world of possibilities in aviation, and please do keep up that good work! The only problem though with your above argument is, "how do you explain the educational and professional success of people who come to this country with nothing, who not only can't read the language, but can't speak it as well, and their kids end up matriculating at UC Berkeley and making millions in Silicon Valley?" I'm thinking of the Asian population in this country at the moment, but the same could be said for German Jews and other past waves of immigrants. Believe me, I know a lot of white kids around here with greater than 4.0 GPA's that couldn't get into UC Berkeley. I think that the greatest tragedy any race can make (and this includes poor white kids and white kids who are slackers) is to feed into that "woe is me, I'm a victim" mentality. Not that I think getting into Berkeley or Stanford is the key to great success and happiness, but I had to remind a few of my sons friends that perhaps the Asian kids were studying a bit harder while they were at the Fillmore watching the latest rock band play...LOL...

 

I have no idea what happened when I wrapped the last post in text to quote!

Ok, I fixed it - hit the wrong button!

 

Skygirl,

Thats a good question. People from other countrues that come over here with nothing first of all have hope that they can and will become successful. Secondly, I dont know if you knew this or not but the Federal Gov't gives business grants to foreiners that we as Americans cant get.

Kids from the hood come from a vicious cycle of negativity thats past down from generation to generation. It never occuerd to these kids that they could be pilots or doctors or lawyers. All they see all day are drug dealers and poloice arresting their friends and relatives. SO because this is their reality of life they adapt to it and feel like the only future for them is a minimum wage job at McDonalds or husseling on the streets. Thats their reality. Their parents dont encourage them because they have no hope either. Like I said its a cycle effect and somewhere sometime we have to break that cycle..

Its not that they feel like woe is me I am a minority and peole wll hate me" They honestly beleive that their lives are limited. I had one boy tell me he wasnt sure he would live past 25. Tragic isnt it some of us who have never been inthat kind of situation could never even phathom that Iknow.

I dont jst teach underpriviledged kids. Ther eare a lot of middle class kids out ther ethat dont know heir potential either. Hope Ianswered your question

 

American society will continue to reward those who work hard and contribute. Those who don't will continue down a road of limited opportunity and a life of doing without. This applies to ALL races and genders. Understanding this concept is the first step in successfully achieving what you want in life.

 

I agree and it would be ok if we didn't have to live with these people that don't try to do anything with thier lives. But in reality, they will be the same ones wasting our tax dollars, robbing, stealing, and killing. Maybe if we do something to change that, we can better our country because it's going down hill right now.

 

What is your solution? It is difficult to invision a society that would reward underachievers and those content with letting others pull the load. Our overall society is not that liberal despite small geographical examples to the contrary.

 

You dont reward underachievers. You give them a reason to achieve. Again in my examples some people may not know the opportunities that exist. I know thats a hard concept for you to grasp becaus eyou prbably had a good life where you grew up in a world wher eyou knew you could accomplish anything you wanted if you worked hard for it. Guess what? Everybody didnt grow up like that. SOme people dont have hope for a future which is why "some" turn to crime. Its not that they are bad people they just dont know any better. So as christians, its our duty to educate them and tell them the alternatives they have. Thats all I am saying. Again, a hand up not a hand out. There is a difference. I was blessed to have two parents and my dad was in the Air Force. Not everyone has that though and I realize that. So instead of condemming these folks why not try and help them. Its a concept I learned in the Army Its called TEAMWORK

 

I am going to be completely open minded here and ask you to be specific. What would you propose that you and me do for someone of any race that steals, robs and kills with respect to their future? You suggest they don't know any better? Should we offer scholarships to those in prison for a free ride to flight school? law school? medical school? I am not being a smart a$$, I really would like to know what we as a society should do with this group of people you are so anxious to help. Perhaps you can enlighten those of us who have participated in this thread? Please be specific as to what we can and should do. By the way, my father worked in the coal mines and brought home $275 every two weeks. Would you like to compare your standard of living to mine growing up? Neither of my parents were high school graduates and I was the first and only in a large family to attend college despite being entitled to every excuse not to. Would you care to make any other incorrect generalizations about all the benefits and luxuries afforded to me as a youngster growing up? Would you be surprised to learn I am black? You have assumed all along that I am just a part of the big bad white man's repressive ways.

But back to the subject, please tell us specifically in your ideal world, what our society should do to solve this problem. How do we provide everybody with a reason to achieve other than the obvious one of bettering one's life?