Carter far from soft on blacks
October 15, 2012 12:48PM
Carter
THE FIRST AMENDMENT
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Lake
Updated: November 17, 2012 6:08AM
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter delivered an impassioned speech recently about the relentless pattern of violence in the black community.
Carter’s candor was refreshing, coming from a political creature, after all. And it was courageous. Carter, who is black, blamed the crisis squarely on the black community, saying most politicians shy away from the declaration for fear of being labeled racist.
The Lake County Democrat praised an unlikely politician — GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan — for criticizing the lack of personal responsibility by young black men that leads to crime and a breakdown of families. Carter said Ryan’s comments during the vice presidential debate were not racist, they were “reality.”
Carter said while blacks make up 24 percent of Lake County’s population, they account for 70 percent of all violent criminal offenders.
“Why are my people, African-Americans, so violent?” Carter asked.
Like Ryan, Carter says it’s about personal responsibility, not economics. Carter said residents in a low-crime neighborhood wouldn’t tolerate a drug dealer moving in next door. That’s not the case in high-crime areas like Gary, East Chicago and Hammond, he said.
Carter’s remarks should kick off a serious dialogue within the black community, not a condemnation. This is a man who sees the parade of young black men brought into jail and into the court system daily. It’s his job to convict them. Although it gnaws at Carter like a raw, open wound, it should be a challenge to us all.
