“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Most know that famous line from the end of the movie Gone With the Wind. But it also seems to describe the way lots of young people in America, particularly minorities, feel today. Why do so many just not “give a damn?”
We really shouldn’t be all that surprised. Leftists and their allies in the media mob continually tell us that America is systemically racist. Consider that word “systemic.” That’s very different than acknowledging that a tiny fraction of the population harbors racist views. When the whole system is racist, there is no hope.
The Left tells us it’s the police. The courts. The economy. Corporations. Schools. Retail stores. Banks. Even roads are racist according to comments made numerous times by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. When everything is viewed through a negative and despairing lens of race, pessimism and gloom result.
Imagine being told you cannot get a job, an education, or a loan or receive equitable treatment from practically any major institution in the United States? That sense of hopelessness does not inspire confidence, entrepreneurship, bettering oneself, hard work, or anything positive.
Instead, it fosters a “why bother trying” sentiment. Small wonder then that so many young people turn to drugs and crime. Retail theft is glorified now. Forget the days of criminals past who dared not even go near a place with a camera. Today’s youth brazenly film lootings and post them on social media.
The consequences? There aren’t many, as long as you keep your theft under certain dollar amounts which vary by locale. The result is more crime. It’s a revolving door. Nearly a third of all shoplifting arrests in New York City last year involved just 327 people, according to the police there. And don’t forget the inconvenience to society as a whole. Toothpaste, deodorant, razors, and scores of other items are now under lock and key. Some retailers have left urban environments altogether.
After crime there are the increases in youth anxiety and depression. Suicide rates are up four percent. Sure, Covid lockdowns hastened a great deal of this, but the pandemic is squarely in the rear view mirror.
If only The Left had taken Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman’s advice. Freeman, who is black and despises the term African-American, has been a civil rights crusader for several decades. Way back in 2005 he stated very clearly to Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes, “The only way to help stop racism is to stop talking about it.” In 2007 Chief Justice John Roberts wrote this in a case on racial set asides: “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”
The election of Barack Obama, this country’s first black president, followed one year later. Then he was handily reelected in 2012. One’s politics aside, it was a significant achievement in America. But it may have been the greatest of missed opportunities ever, as Obama failed to make the most of his immensely powerful platform to uplift and promote self-improvement. President Joe Biden continues a failure to instill hope and optimism with talk of “Jim Crow 2.0” and the like.
Just imagine how refreshing it would be if politicians and talking heads on The Left instilled confidence in our youth. While success is never guaranteed, research gives us more than a hint at what works: dressing properly, speaking grammatically correct English over colloquialisms, working hard, staying in school, saving your money, waiting to have children until financially stable, and having manners, are just a few suggestions.
Of course any talk of “work” or “individual responsibility” can easily smack of—you guessed it—racism. When Republicans last week suggested promoting some light work as a condition for the able-bodied to receive food stamps, Democrats pounced, quite predictably, with their favorite word—racism. It’s apparently better to encourage government dependence. After all, it makes Democrats relevant and thus all the more necessary. But if today’s lowest unemployment rate in American history is not the ripe time to promote work, when would be?
Here we are in 2023 still talking about race holding everyone back. Racial quotas are here again and have been in vogue for years. You better have the right racial makeup in your company’s workplace or on a Hollywood movie set, or else watch out! It’s all about “checking a box” (on race of course) rather than celebrating an accomplishment. Vice President Kamala Harris is proof of that. And then there’s the newest buzzword—DEI. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In sum, we must resist talk of systemic racism, as it is holding our young people hostage from a better life. Let’s speak openly and forcefully about optimism, so that our youth will indeed “give a damn.”
Jeff Szymanski has a master’s degree in political science. He works in political communications for AMAC Action and previously taught high school economics, history, psychology, and sociology.
you started your “why does everyone think everything is racist” crying with a racist movie.
sounds about white lol
America’s system is NOT racist. Whoever insists America is – reveals that we should not trust another opinion from this source.
Systemaic Racisim began with Dems & slavery then & Civil rights of 60s
Blame Dems for
Racism is well fed and taken care of by those who profit from it and we all know who they are It is a very profitable enterprise
The left has too much control and we stood silent for far too many decades. The left went full bore in 2016 and it’s gotten worse since. Phrases like disparate treatment, institutional racism, racial injustice, white privilege, micro-aggressions and white fragility. These are words from the left to destroy our nation by changing the narrative to usher in Marxism and a one party system. The left, the Democratic Party, college professors and mainstream media are pushing the ideals and lies of Marxism.
Racism is just a reason not to work hard and succeed. We all face difficulties in life of one kind or another.
Those who claim the USA is full of systemic racism are falsely and destructively presenting our truly wonderful country in an extremely negative light. Biden and those who believe that our country goes out of its way to hold minorities back are dividing the American people into those who are privileged and those who are oppressed. This dark fantasy of lies and propaganda is literally tearing us apart. Many people who are not doing for themselves what they need to do to prosper are being brainwashed into believing that the whites and rich folk need to do more to make life in America more equitable. Since, in reality, we already have a wonderful country of equality, equity is pure poison. The concept of equity, equal outcomes, demeans anybody who works hard and strives to do
his/her best. Equity robs individuals of the discipline and satisfaction of having a good work ethic, because the government arbitrarily decides who are the winners and the losers of society. This leads to an increasingly dysfunctional population full of those who feel guilty for their good fortune and those who feel resentment if their lives are not as good as they would want them to be.
The youth maybe lost for now, but they strive and look for something better, such as the Ashbury Revival, and a timely movie “The Jesus Revolution.” This weekend a stadium in Oklahoma will be full of youth looking for direction and a better way of life. God is moving because of our daily prayers. Only God is able to make a perfect heart – one by one. Watch the news media ignore the entire event.
Very important article Jeff , it is good that you made some suggestions for instilling confidence in youth that included speaking grammatically correct English, and having manners.
These are two fundamental matters, at the foundation of so many other things.
Using correct grammar instead of colloquialisms , at least refraining from the use of language that includes crude, obscene, vulgar words and expressions, will be a huge improvement. The importance of clear, intelligent communication, is vital to doing anything properly. And having manners, which is all about respect, understanding that good character is formed by a combination of positive
thoughts and actions , much to do with respect for oneself and respect for others.
Keeping in mind the will of God, and realizing this not , and never has been a perfect world, we can contribute a great deal to helping make life better with regard for truth, developing a high level of intelligence, having a clean sense of humor, being resourceful, and being responsible.
Excellent article.
Systemic Racism is the same as the Global Warming lie…A SCAM for political purposes only.
This article is curious for two reasons. First, because if fails to acknowledge that the United States government acts in systemically racist ways. In asserting this, I use Chief Justice Roberts’ definition: “discrimination on the basis of race”. For nearly two generations, preferred access to education, employment and economic support has been granted on the basis of race. As anyone who has tried to do business with the government, applied to attend university or sought employment at a major corporation knows, success in any of these endeavors is considerably more likely if the applicant is black or brown. This is the result of legislation enacted in the belief that a little “reverse discrimination” would undo the effects of generations of real racism and make everybody feel better. How’s that working out?
Second, because AMAC employs the arguments of “systemic racism” in making some of its own policy decisions! I have been in correspondence with Mr. Szymanski about the rationale behind AMAC’s fervent opposition to ranked-choice voting (RCV). His response to my query was to provide a link to a report from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota which condemned RCV on the grounds that it failed to: 1) reduce polarization, 2) increase the diversity of elected government officials, 3) increase voter turnout and engagement of voters of color, and 4) decrease negative campaigning. I responded by pointing out that these were straw-man “systemic racism” arguments and that no responsible advocate of RCV would make such claims, since it is trivially obvious that these metrics are not affected in any way by the manner in which votes are collected. At that point, Mr. Szymanski terminated the conversation. Crickets.
Why would AMAC want to walk on both sides of this street? It’s enough to give this member pause to wonder about the wisdom of continued support. A little transparency on this issue would be appreciated, Rebecca!
… I disagree. This is what our grandparents once referred to as, a negro problem. The greater their propensity to play the race card, the more they alienate themselves. Over-reliance on the systematic racism argument weakens and isolates no one else, but the black community. Never in your generation, your parents’ generation, nor your grandparents’ was this sentence ever uttered: “… gee, wouldn’t it be nice living in a black neighborhood? –
When will people understand that racism is a spiritual battle that rages in the human heart. Racism is a sin problem, not a skin problem. If one is a disciple (follower) of Christ, then they are commanded to love others, not based on the color of their skin, but because they realize that God loves everything and everyone. Systemic racism is a human construct.