Culture

I have mentioned Mary Wright Edelman in regards to her upbringing as a black lady from South Carolina and how her book seemed to be two separate books in one. In the first half she talks about how family and church were the foundation of their way of life but in the second half she talks about how government has to do more for the poor. Here is a list of 25 points she passed on to her children. Note how any modern day conservative would agree with her. 1. There is no free lunch. Don't feel entitled to anything you don't sweat and struggle for. 2. Set goals and work quietly and systematically toward them. 3. Assign yourself. 4. Never work for just money or for power. They won't save your soul or build a decent family or help you sleep at night. 5. Don't be afraid of taking risks or of being criticized. 6. Take parenting and family life seriously and insist that those you work for and who represent you do. 7. Remember that your wife/husband is not your mother/father or servant, but your partner and friend. 8. Forming families is serious business. 9. Be honest. 10. Remember and help America remember that the fellowship of human beings is more important that the fellowship of race and class and gender in a democratic society. 11. Sell the shadow for the substance. 12. Never give up! 13. Be confident that you can make a difference. 14. Don't ever stop learning and improving your mind. 15. Don't be afraid of hard work or teaching your childen to work. 16. "Slow down and live." 17. Choose your friends carefully. 18. Be a can-do, will-try person. 19. Try to live in the present. 20. Use your political and economic power for the community. 21. Listen for "the sound of the genuine" within yourself and others. 22. You are in charge of your own attitude. 23. Remember your roots, your history, and the forebears' shoulder on which you stand. 24. Be reliable. Be faithful. Finish what you start. 25. Always remember that you are never alone. In the first half of her book she concentrates on all of these but in the second half it is all about number 20 which she concludes means government support. I am mindful of how many modern day liberals view the constitution in much the same manner in that they concentrate on the general welfare clause using their interpretation of that to involve government in the everyday lives of people. What they often overlook is that the bill of rights were added to the constitution to emphasis the importance of keeping government out of the lives of people. Today it is considered politically incorrect to talk about how family and church guided the lives of these people because those words define the culture and if anyone talks about the culture in the black community they are branded as racist. The reason is that culture infers that the people are responsible for their lot in life and it is up to them to make changes. That conflicts with the idea that the government is responsible for making the changes because the people have been victimized and cannot improve their situation without government interference. The government though the war on poverty has been helping these people for 50 years and it seems this war has been lost. Maybe it is time to try a new approach.