Quote Originally Posted by Mississippi Steve
If you don't like your environment, then change it. You present so many excuses....you keep telling me what folks *can't* do, tell me what they *CAN* do.

The only thing that stands in the way of doing or being what they want is themselves. With all of the various free or low cost educational and training programs in place, there is no reason that somebody can't improve themselves, to find a better job, and improve their circumstances.

I have had to work my way up from absolutely nothing to having a decent home to live in, and food on the table, no less than 4 times. I am constantly getting more training and education to improve my skills and increase my personal marketability.

I didn't start out as a business owner with a masters degree in mechanical engineerin, with a nice home on a full acre, inside the city limits. I started out sweeping floors, cleaning commodes, and taking out trash, and worked my way up through job experience, training and education to earn my Journeyman Machinist papers. Then I enlisted in the military and again started out sweeping floors, cleaning commodes, and taking out trash, and worked my way up to having a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Environmental Science. When I retired from the military, I was the head of Public Works and Facilities Engineering for a 2200 acre military installation in South Lousianna.
A year before I retired, I ended up getting divorced, and lost everything, plus had over $19,000 in consumer debt from my ex, and had to deal with some serious legal issues that she created to keep me from seeing my kids.
I had to start all over again... when I retired after 22 years in the military, I started my business, and not being from here, it took many years and side jobs to build my company, make it profitable. I have now been in business for 11 years and make a comfortable living, and am able to put both of my daughters through college.

I know what trials I have endured, I know what can be done. I am not big on excuses, only actions..... make them positive.

FWIW, I am second generation in this country, my Father couldn't speak a word of english until he was in grade school. I don't *EVER* remember him speaking with an accent. I do remember him working as many as 3 jobs at the same time just to make ends meet. The one thing he instilled on me was "All good things come to those who work like hell, while they wait"
Thats impressive, and kudos to you sir, but your personal situation is not necessarily representative of all people living in these "projects" or who are poor. Anyway, the point of the article is not about social mobility or whatnot, its about the ridiculous fact that black people are 8 times more likely to be arrested for MJ possession than white people, even though white people are more likely to smoke it. I can see no justification for this, and even if poor and/or black people have the capability to move out of poverty, it still does not justify the grossly disproportionate number of arrests of poor and/or black people. The law is meant to be just; how can those statistics possibly be interpreted as just?