What Do We Do About the Parents - Incarceration - Especially Blacks

Every time we hear right wing analysis about societal problems, whether it comes from Mark Belling or his protege, Charlie Sykes, the rant is about the parents. The not so unsubtle message is that drug addled, unwed inner city residents, authority dissin' and probably black, are incapable of rearing their children.

Some of that was mimicked yesterday when I posted Government Falls to Right Wing Cynics - Quality of Life Declines.

The problem is because of a cynical shift in taxation and revenue policies implemented by a right-wing Republican legislature and a few Democrats.

To which Terry replied:

More money for education won't replace the lack of support from absentee parents. Raising a child is hard, demanding work and most parents do a great or at least reasonable job. Those who don't should be held accountable, but they aren't - not by the school system, not by local governments, not by politicians, not by pundits. The children of these absentee parents deserve our support, but what they really need is the support of their parents. Even more money doesn't make up for the lack of parental support and guidance.

Interesting sentiments. The problem is their right wing talking point about the parents identifies a problem with no specific solution other than a lot of hand wringing and a cry to "be held accountable."

Here are some very specific things that were done to get parents more involved in their children's education.

• The Madison Metropolitan School District funded outreach programs that got parents more involved in their children's education. It ranged from transportation on parent-teacher nights to time spent explaining classwork to the adults. It was cut among the spending limits and the hue and cry about 'bloated bureaucracy' and too many administrators.
• A non-profit, Family Enhancement, was located at Harmabee providing direct services focused on parenting skills for households with infants and toddlers. Funding cuts and a rent increase forced the non-governmental agency to leave.
• In talking to everyone from police officers to educators, health officials to building inspectors, there is a consistent refrain that what would really make a difference would be more case workers. In any budget crunch, some of the first casualties are the case workers.

That leaves us with too many struggling parents who do not have the skills to make sure their children are completive in an every increasing technological world.

Some suggestions:

• If a parent is caught with drugs, immediate incarceration and the children go off to the orphanage. Very expensive but effective.
• If the children are up past midnight and cutting school, immediate incarceration and the children go off to the orphanage.
• If the mother has another child, immediate incarceration, yes, incarceration.

Terry suggested that we on the left have no solutions. Readers of Waxing America know that I have written dozens of posts about how to break the cycle of poverty. The solutions need the will to act and money.

Meantime, the right wing rants about the parents, while they offer no realistic solution other than their moral indignation, which is as valuable as their outrage.

To bring about change there must be a shift in community standards. That cannot be imposed from the outside, it must come from the neighborhood. The parents with the high standards must be supported so that their values become the dominant culture. They are essential to bring about change. But they cannot do it alone. They need support from public and private institutions.

It means more than law enforcement. It means spending money on education, health, and even some of the most effective social programs available - simple and logical - after school and summer recreation.

Comments

[John]

Great response to a simplistic "shift the blame" ideologue.