"Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/...055148,00.html
Quote:
· Political correctness not helping, says PM
· Community leaders react angrily to comments
Patrick Wintour and Vikram Dodd
Thursday April 12, 2007
Guardian
Tony Blair yesterday claimed the spate of knife and gun murders in London was not being caused by poverty, but a distinctive black culture. His remarks angered community leaders, who accused him of ignorance and failing to provide support for black-led efforts to tackle the problem.
One accused him of misunderstanding the advice he had been given on the issue at a Downing Street summit.
Black community leaders reacted after Mr Blair said the recent violence should not be treated as part of a general crime wave, but as specific to black youth. He said people had to drop their political correctness and recognise that the violence would not be stopped "by pretending it is not young black kids doing it".
It needed to be addressed by a tailored counter-attack in the same way as football hooliganism was reined in by producing measures aimed at the specific problem, rather than general lawlessness.
Mr Blair's remarks are at odds with those of the Home Office minister Lady Scotland, who told the home affairs select committee last month that the disproportionate number of black youths in the criminal justice system was a function of their disproportionate poverty, and not to do with a distinctive black culture.
Giving the Callaghan lecture in Cardiff, the prime minister admitted he had been "lurching into total frankness" in the final weeks of his premiership. He called on black people to lead the fight against knife crime. He said that "the black community - the vast majority of whom in these communities are decent, law abiding people horrified at what is happening - need to be mobilised in denunciation of this gang culture that is killing innocent young black kids".
Mr Blair said he had been moved to make his controversial remarks after speaking to a black pastor of a London church at a Downing Street knife crime summit, who said: "When are we going to start saying this is a problem amongst a section of the black community and not, for reasons of political correctness, pretend that this is nothing to do with it?" Mr Blair said there needed to be an "intense police focus" on the minority of young black Britons behind the gun and knife attacks. The laws on knife and gun gangs needed to be toughened and the ringleaders "taken out of circulation".
Last night, British African-Caribbean figures leading the fight against gang culture condemned Mr Blair's speech. The Rev Nims Obunge, chief executive of the Peace Alliance, one of the main organisations working against gang crime, denounced the prime minister.
Mr Obunge, who attended the Downing Street summit chaired by Mr Blair in February, said he had been cited by the prime minister: "He makes it look like I said it's the black community doing it. What I said is it's making the black community more vulnerable and they need more support and funding for the work they're doing. ... He has taken what I said out of context. We came for support and he has failed and has come back with more police powers to use against our black children."
Keith Jarrett, chair of the National Black Police Association, whose members work with vulnerable youngsters, said: "Social deprivation and delinquency go hand in hand and we need to tackle both. It is curious that the prime minister does not mention deprivation in his speech."
Lee Jasper, adviser on policing to London's mayor, said: "For years we have said this is an issue the black community has to deal with. The PM is spectacularly ill-informed if he thinks otherwise.
"Every home secretary from [David] Blunkett onwards has been pressed on tackling the growing phenomenon of gun and gang crime in deprived black communities, and government has failed to respond to what has been a clear demand for additional resources to tackle youth alienation and disaffection".
The Home Office has already announced it is looking at the possibility of banning membership of gangs, tougher enforcement of the supposed mandatory five-year sentences for possession of illegal firearms, and lowering the age from 21 to 18 for this mandatory sentence.
Answering questions later Mr Blair said: "Economic inequality is a factor and we should deal with that, but I don't think it's the thing that is producing the most violent expression of this social alienation.
"I think that is to do with the fact that particular youngsters are being brought up in a setting that has no rules, no discipline, no proper framework around them."
Some people working with children knew at the age of five whether they were going to be in "real trouble" later, he said.
Mr Blair is known to believe the tendency for many black boys to be raised in families without a father leads to a lack of appropriate role models.
He said: "We need to stop thinking of this as a society that has gone wrong - it has not - but of specific groups that for specific reasons have gone outside of the proper lines of respect and good conduct towards others and need by specific measures to be brought back into the fold."
The Commission for Racial Equality broadly backed Mr Blair, saying people "shouldn't be afraid to talk about this issue for fear of sounding prejudiced".
Mr Blair spoke out as a second teenager was due to appear in court charged with the murder of 14-year-old Paul Erhahon, stabbed to death in east London on Friday. He was the seventh Londoner under 16 to be murdered since the end of January, and his 15-year-old friend, who was also stabbed, remains in hospital.
So what do you think? Is Blair simply a racist? or does he have a valid point?
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
If said in America, he'd have a point.
He'd also be lynched while 50 mediocre rap stars churn out mediocre or paltry prose lamenting another wrong-doing of the white man.
It could be political suicide, as I'm sure he could find some way to say the exact same thing without saying 'Black' every other sentence. Sure, he's practically spot on, but it matters little since he's opened the door to calls of racist.
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
Wow he is lucky he is not in America. Even when a black man called out modern black culture (Bill Cosby) a crusade was called against him. I can not ven imagine the how quickly Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would rise up and start calling for heads if not just a white man, but the leader of our country said that. Good thing Brits are more level headed than us, I don't see anything becoming of this.
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sher Khan
If said in America, he'd have a point.
He'd also be lynched while 50 mediocre rap stars churn out mediocre or paltry prose lamenting another wrong-doing of the white man.
It could be political suicide, as I'm sure he could find some way to say the exact same thing without saying 'Black' every other sentence. Sure, he's practically spot on, but it matters little since he's opened the door to calls of racist.
Tony Blair is not a racist and not even his bitterest opponent would accuse him of that. He would find it hard to make a comment about black on black killings without actually mentioning the word black.
If you read the article, he makes his comments after meeting with a black pastor who advises him to speak out regardless of political correctness on an issue that has drawn a lot of attention lately after a spate of high profile killings of young black men by other young black men.
Political suicide for Blair, no, he's being replaced by Brown soon as everyone knows, so he's really no future to protect.
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
Ouch. Bush would be lynched had he said that. Maybe it sounds less offensive with a finely tuned British accent.
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Originally Posted by
Yorkshireman
Tony Blair is not a racist and not even his bitterest opponent would accuse him of that. He would find it hard to make a comment about black on black killings without actually mentioning the word black.
If you read the article, he makes his comments after meeting with a black pastor who advises him to speak out regardless of political correctness on an issue that has drawn a lot of attention lately after a spate of high profile killings of young black men by other young black men.
Political suicide for Blair, no, he's being replaced by Brown soon as everyone knows, so he's really no future to protect.
Thank you for putting it all in perspective. Facts like those are why I voted B.
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
I never thought I'd say this but, SPOT ON TONY BLAIR!!!
wow that feels odd.
You'd have to be a blind fool to call Blair's comments 'racist'. Black Culture does indeed promote the use of violence to solve problems. Glorifies shooting and stabbing people to death for 'fronting' or whatever the hell they say. Blair does not say that all black people are murderers, or that being black makes you a criminal, he;s simply bringing to light a fact that cannot be disputed. Currect black popular culture is one of senseless violence being thought of as cool. It's not White Britons putting a stereotype on black people or anything evil and racist. Thats the way it is, and if black people think its unfair, maybe they should speak up instead of letting their culture be hijacked by a bunch of uneducated gutter scum criminals whose only goal in life is to get rich and kill police. Real clever, when will this fad end already? I can only put up with so much 'gangsterism'.
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
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Originally Posted by
Fianóglach
...when will this fad end already? I can only put up with so much 'gangsterism'.
I can only speak from a USA standpoint (but considering the garbage originated here maybe it will be an indicator for other areas such as Europe).
Ganster rap is finally considered, by the majority of the African-American community, as negative. To be sure, Al Sharpton said (today) that he is going to use the Don Imus inncident to call attention to everyone who denegrades women, etc. Including the corporations who promote ganster rap and the artists themselves.
Whether or not he lives up to those bold statements only time will tell. Personally, I'm not holding my breath as (as much as I genuinely do like him as a personality) I feel Al Sharpton is full of hot air.
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
Yeeeeeah....black culture promotes all the ills of society. Everything is black cultures fault.
Damn that Jim Kelly, he should have never taught a generation of young black males the secrets of Kung Fu! He has unleashed a plague on us all!
POR QUE?!?! POR QUUUEEEE JIM KELLY!!!!
P.S. so called "black culture"(which btw is actually hip hop culture) doesnt promote anything you dont see on T.V. so there goes the entire argument.
p.p.s. Bill Cosby was partially right
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
Is Black Culture is seen to be identical with crimes in Britain also just like in USA? I thought British Blacks have it better there. Then I was probably wrong.
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
Now we wait, and latter on the news al-sharpton starts blabbering about how, now Blair should step down as prime minister:doh:
Though, Gangsta Rap, does, but not always, supports violence, with all the slur words etc, just my opinion of course.
-For the Emproer
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
There is a problem especially prevalent within the Black community in Britain with gang violence that is quite obviously related to a cultural phenomenon.
He's just telling the truth, the sooner people realise that the sooner something can be done to stop it.
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
Yeah...if gangsta rap is to blame for gang violence, then why not mafia movies? Why not just blame grand theft auto, the gay teletubby and satan while you're at it.
Mafia movies have every element gangsta rap has. gang violence, drug trade, misogyny. But Too many people like mafia movies to say anything about that, now the scapegoat is rap. How convenient...
Y'know what? rock n' roll turned a generation of kids into whores and drug users, drop outs and space outs.
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
I am just saying, besides, in most associations, though i dont have any proof at this time, some gangster rap has been a promotion of violence, so has other games, however, they havent greatly contributed widely enough for now, or hasnt had enough of an impact on the youth, yet.
there are many contributiuons to violence, what i am saying is gangster rap, is too, a contributer, i am not saying it is the sole reason for violence.
-FOR THE EMPORER:thumbsup2
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
Blaming movies or video games or music for violence is like blaming the mosquito that bites the stressed out postal worker which causes him to flip out and shoot up the post office.
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
well they do, you kill somebody etc, you may not kill anyone in the future, but some people take it too seriosuly, and they eventually do that kind of an action.
Ait'e, nite yall.
-FOR THE EMPORER
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
Well some people take what their dog says to them too seriously, and end up killing a few people over it. Should dogs be reprimanded now?
Damn that doggy culture
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
Huh, i assume their is some reference too pitbulls?
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
Yes but the mass of Mafia movies is not correlated with a mass of assassinations and car bombs. The gangster culture is quite correlated to armed robbery and carjacking.
Re: "Blair blames spate of murders on black culture"
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Originally Posted by
Space Wolves
Huh, i assume their is some reference too pitbulls?
no to Son of Sam, who killed people because his dog told him to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Harbringerxv8
Yes but the mass of Mafia movies is not correlated with a mass of assassinations and car bombs. The gangster culture is quite correlated to armed robbery and carjacking.
I'm sorry but the mafia has affected america for the worst far more than gangsta rap has. Gangs were around before gangsta rap, remember that, rap doesnt cause any crime. The crime was there before rap.
And gangsta rap is very largely influenced BY these mafia movies, theres a very prominent southern rapper named Scarface, who was very influential amongst the southern rap scene and rap scene in general. Big L from new york called himself Don Corleone, rappers constantly reference tony montana and all these mob movies.
The fact that rappers like mob movies is just a testament to how much americans in general love mob movies, to reprimand hip hop for mirroring what we see in these mob movies is a bit hypocritical. The problem isnt movies, or video games or music lets just put it that way...Lets think realistically here, the problem most likely boils down to where you were born and what family you were born into.
Its not raps fault that you were born to a crack addicted mother, in a place where business is conducted with a gun and territory is divided into turfs.