Well As Long As White People Aren't to Blame

According to Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan and Alderman Joe Dudzik "we are reaping what we've sown".

I agree that we are reaping the harvest that we've sown- only what they don't understand is that the "we" doesn't refer to African Americans like they intended but to white America.

Society is reaping the harvest that white America has sown. Years of racist policy and practice that has undereducated, underemployed, over-incarcerated and completely marginalized generations of young African Americans has brought us to this point.

Here is their statement
(along with my commentary in red)

We’re Reaping the Harvest We’ve Sown
Statement of Alderman Bob Donovan and Alderman Joe Dudzik August 5, 2011
As elected officials, we are shocked and concerned about the senseless violence displayed by the large mob outside State Fair Park last night. On behalf of our city, we apologize to the victims and good patrons who endured or witnessed such horrific behavior.
Sadly, what transpired near State Fair Park last night is only the most recent mob riot spawned by a culture of violence that has been brewing in Milwaukee for some time.
And let’s face it, it also has much to do with a deteriorating African American culture in our city.
Are large groups of Hispanics or Hmong going out in large mobs and viciously attacking whites?
No.
We are reaping the harvest that we’ve sown.
How so?
There are repercussions for the staggering illegitimacy rate in our African American community.
(and yet research shows that the defining feature of a successful family is not marriage of the parents)
There are repercussions for having little to no positive male involvement in the lives of African American children.
(yet we jail African American males at a substantially higher rate than whites convicted of the same or worse crimes)
There are repercussions for single-parent homes where children aren’t properly supervised, and where they aren’t held responsible for their actions.
(and yet it's hard to know what your kids are doing if you are working 2nd or 3rd shift- try to find day care at that time- also the belief that children aren't properly supervised is on the whole, inaccurate)
There are repercussions for a staggering, decades-long near 50% unemployment rate for African American males in our city.
(and yet we continue to send manufacturing jobs overseas and have made no new investment in steady, blue collar living wage jobs)
There are repercussions for having a failing public school system,
((and yet we slash education funding and do not fund universal preschool)
and an outdated juvenile justice system.
(and yet we ignore what works and continue to do what doesn't)
There are repercussions for having one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the U.S., and for having kids raising kids.
(and yet we cut Planned Parenthood and continue to demand abstinence only teaching in many schools)
The community was shocked when the violent mob of African American youths attacked white people in Kilbourn Reservoir Park on July 3. Then, a few eyebrows were raised at the F-bombs and shocking disregard and disrespect for Milwaukee police officers shown by a large and unruly group of African Americans at N. Richards St. and W. North Ave. last Saturday night.
And now this horrific mob violence near State Fair Park.
But for those who live in some city neighborhoods, this violence has been like a steady rain for far too many years now. And the reality is this summer it seems we have five or six shootings each and every weekend!
(and yet we resist any type of gun control no matter how minor)
Unfortunately, this behavior is now all too common in some parts of the Milwaukee community.
Our hearts go out to the older generation of African Americans in this city who remember when their community had one of the HIGHEST marriage rates in the city.
(and yet being married makes accessing needed services, like day care assistance or WIC much harder)
Sadly, many of these same residents are now scared of their own children and grandchildren.
(and yet- well I think they just made this one up)
Although we hope our law enforcement agencies are able to bring some of the thugs who were involved in these attacks to justice, no amount of millions of dollars in government spending or resources is going to truly address this problem.
We can no longer wish this violence would just go away, and we cannot ignore it; we must see it for what it truly is.
(systemic and enduring institutional racism)
We cannot begin to address the underlying causes of the violence without change.
(no kidding)
We believe that change must come from within the African American community, where new seeds must be sown.
(of course you do- because if you place the blame squarely at the feet of the African American community you don't have to take the responsibility for the part that you need to play in order to make changes)

Solutions require change on many fronts, including those within the African American communities. But to place the blame on the "failure" of the African American community, grossly misrepresents the complexities of the issues and completely ignores the role of institutional racism.
African Americans did not create the system that marginalizes them but as long as we put the blame squarely and solely on their reluctance to "change" then once again White America can sleep easy knowing that it's not "our" problem.
We can once again be justified in our neglect and apathy since clearly "they" don't want to change.