The trouble with American politics

[Jackbass]

The city of Worcester is a "perfect" Microcosm of the issues we currently see in all aspects of American politics. It is disturbing.

Worcester has seen a significant rise in violence on all levels this year. We have seen students teachers and administrators attacked in school. To the point where one high school had over half the student population sit out on strike to protest the fact they do not feel safe. We have had 20 shootings this year. Probably twenty since the beginning of summer. Some fatal some drive by. In the past week there have been two shootings into parks where children were playing. Tonight a 2yr old and his mother caught stray bullets. (I have heard 1 2 and 3 on the age of the child)

Meanwhile our mayor paraded other Mass. Mayors around a neighbor hood in transition while being applauded for the cities efforts(the neighbor hood was shot up within 48 hrs of the tour). Similarly the "canal district" was toured by none other than Jim McGovern which then was shot up by idiots in cars shooting at each other. Interestingly the tours received press coverage by the local paper. It is an election year.

Now there has been a black lives matter protest blocking streets similar to Boston. There have been protests at council meetings due to "systemic racism" in the city. we have had the DOJ in town to investigate, through a series of town hall workshops, "institutional racism". All of the race talks have been perpetuated by one group of individuals. This group of people are the center pieces of Black lives matter, communities United collective and mosaic cultural complex. These groups exist at the will of the city and via funds and space donated by the city. Odd thing is not a single group has 501C3 status and the group receiving the checks was not even a legal organization for a year and a half due to their inability to file articles of incorporation to the AG's office.

We have on one side two city councillors looking to fund additional police officers on the street, and Place cameras and a police officer in the schools to try and maintain a level of peace. The other councillors and mayor brought in the DOJ to investigate racism and provide the city with a report as to how to deal with it.

These groups of roughly 15 people scream loudly in the city managers ear, the school committees ear and make sure their mantra is heard all over major publications wether direct or indirect. So rather than be called racists or insensitive our fine council chooses to instead bow to their wishes ignoring public safety, education of those who choose to be educated and taxpayer well being. This is our world. One small faction drives the system to their favor placing fear in those with the ability to enact real change. I haven't even brought up the public housing situation.

[CTSurfrat]

It sounds like what is happening in other cities-NY, Chicago, Baltimore etc. I wonder what Worcester has in common with other cities going through the same out of control spiral??😏
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[Jackbass]

I don't know what the solution is. But having civic leaders with zero backbone to say this is nuts doesn't help
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Jackbass

I don't know what the solution is. But having civic leaders with zero backbone to say this is nuts doesn't help
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"I don't know what the solution is"

Unfortunately, you cannot legislate individual behavior. I can tell what the solution is not...it isn't Black Lives Matter.

"having civic leaders with zero backbone to say this is nuts doesn't help "

Correct again. Gov O'Malley was mobbed by Black Lives Matter, he initially said the right thing, "all lives matter", and later, he actually apologized for saying that. The man is runing for president, and apologized for saying "all lives matter". He should have told those anarchists to get the hell off the stage or he'd have them hauled off.

We live in an age where many liberals are offended by saying "all lives matter". How did that become a controversial thing to say? What the heck happened to our moral compass?

[CTSurfrat]

Our moral compass lost its way when we allowed political correctness to dominate our world view. How can you have much of a moral compass when almost everything is embraced as being ok?
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by CTSurfrat

Our moral compass lost its way when we allowed political correctness to dominate our world view. How can you have much of a moral compass when almost everything is embraced as being ok?
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Correct. There is an old expression, "to believe in everything, is to believe in nothing". Not every single human impulse needs to be celebrated. Some things are bad, and it's OK to say that.

Funny, you astutely say "almost everything" is OK. One of the few things that is not embraced as OK, is going to church, and tragically, that's one thing that could really, genuinely help us climb out of this moral abyss. In my opinion.

[Sea Dangles]

Yup,church will cure what ails you. They always say the right things there.
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

Yup,church will cure what ails you. They always say the right things there.
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I never said anything is perfect. But by and large, it works, as long as the religion is based on love. The decline in our culture can be accurately measured, I believe, by looking at the decline in the % of Americans who go to Church on Sunday. It's really easy to hurl insults. Why not volunteer for an hour at a Catholic soup kitchen or homeless shelter, and see if the people there are as deranged as you probably think they are. You might be surprised.

[Sea Dangles]

Why do you assume I don't,and I am wondering what you perceived as an insult?
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

Why do you assume I don't,and I am wondering what you perceived as an insult?
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I perceived your post to be sarcastic. If that was incorrect, I apologize. Easy to misinterpret tone in this format. But either you think that churches always say the right hting, or you were being sarcastic.

[Sea Dangles]

"Do as I say,not as I do" was more the message I was trying to convey.
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

"Do as I say,not as I do" was more the message I was trying to convey.
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Fair enough. We are all far from perfect. But the rulebook of any love-based religion, is a pretty good formula for a content, productive, meaningful, impactful, life. Obviously, not everyone needs religion to achieve these things. But it's a pretty good insurance policy against not being dysfunctional. And the further away the liberal wing of the democrat party gets from Judeo-Christian values, the more deranged it gets.

[Sea Dangles]

The world needs more Lee Bright and his values I suppose.
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

The world needs more Lee Bright and his values I suppose.
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And he speaks for all Christians? How about holding up the Pope or Mother Theresa as an example, aren't they a tiny bit more representative?

Sea Dangles, every large group has terrible people. What defines a group isn't a couple of wackos, it's what they are doing by and large. For example, my Church is the Roman Catholic church. Every single night, our neighbors get free healthcare, housing, food, and adoption services , courtesy of the church. That says nothing about the spiritual benefits provided to those who choose to believe.

To you, those things may mean no more than a Bach piano movement means to an ape. I say that because you seem to be very derisive about religion, despite your earlier denials. But those things mean a lot to a lot of people. And study after study shows that people of faith are more charitable, and identify themselves as happier, than those who are secular.

[Sea Dangles]

That is not what father Porter portrayed.
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

That is not what father Porter portrayed.
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How about the 95% of priests who are selfless heroes, Sea Dangles? Does their service count for anything to you? Is a shred of intellectual honesty rally too much to ask? Apparently.

[scottw]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

How about the 95% of priests who are selfless heroes, Sea Dangles? Does their service count for anything to you? Is a shred of intellectual honesty rally too much to ask? Apparently.

I think there's a legitimate argument that the problem(s) was not handled properly(systemic rather than just individual) resulting in far more suffering than there ever should have been and so many involved and aware have never been held accountable