Is Everything Fair?

[konceptjones]

the the

I agree with your point..kinda. far as the ability to make choices. However, when I was finishing up my Bachelor's. I had to do a report on the effect of poverty on mental health. Research showed that children who grow up in poverty are more likely to struggle w mental health issues. Which can lead to drug/alcohol use as coping mechanisms. So now you have some one with mental health issues, who is struggling with a substance use disorder. There is alotta potential for bad life choices right there. Is a MUCH deeper convo, but I'll just leave it there.
Far as the question asked. No is not fair, because the kid growing up in poverty is going to have to work twice as hard to get the opportunities that the middle class kid will have. He will have to overcome obstacles that the other kid wont even know exist. The potential for the poor kid to give up or lose hope is much greater.

See the bolded? That's the key here: What you outlined is possible, and has happened, but it's not the norm. There are kids that come out fucked up and kids that come out well adjusted. Some will use, some won't. Some will follow their parents footsteps, some will make sure they're nothing like their parents.

To the second statement: The kid that came from poverty can function better when things are lean as opposed to the kid that had it easier because he/she doesn't know how to maintain when there are times of struggle.

How many niggas from the hood have you ever seen kill their wife and kids 'cause he lost his job? How many dudes from middle class to upper middle class backgrounds have done it? Pretty much all of them that have been either arrested for it or who was discovered dead after the murder-suicide went through. The cat used to the struggle ain't sweatin' it, but the dude that ain't used to unemployment and food stamps is losing his mind. So there's value in coming from an impoverished background and there's disadvantages coming from a more well-to-do upbringing. Seems like a balance to me.

 

[5 Grand]

the the


See the bolded? That's the key here: What you outlined is possible, and has happened, but it's not the norm. There are kids that come out fucked up and kids that come out well adjusted. Some will use, some won't. Some will follow their parents footsteps, some will make sure they're nothing like their parents.

To the second statement: The kid that came from poverty can function better when things are lean as opposed to the kid that had it easier because he/she doesn't know how to maintain when there are times of struggle.

How many niggas from the hood have you ever seen kill their wife and kids 'cause he lost his job? How many dudes from middle class to upper middle class backgrounds have done it? Pretty much all of them that have been either arrested for it or who was discovered dead after the murder-suicide went through. The cat used to the struggle ain't sweatin' it, but the dude that ain't used to unemployment and food stamps is losing his mind. So there's value in coming from an impoverished background and there's disadvantages coming from a more well-to-do upbringing. Seems like a balance to me.

Cosign

Just to add on, the media always makes it seem like the gang violence in the inner city is out of control and young Blacks and Latinos are inherently violent, in part because of their environment.

But it's the White kids from the suburbs that shoot up schools.

It seems like everything balances out.

Everything is fair.

 

[TrainReq13]

I'm still upset I lived in the same community and side of town as the majority of my middle school, yet I didnt get free lunch. My mother never bought me Jordan's and the most expensive clothes I got were Fleece's fron Old Navy. Yet these muthaf*class who had free or reduced lunch had the original J's and fresh outfits. And they always had candy and Hot Cheetos. That shit wasnt fair at all...I don't give a damn what you guys say.

 

[5 Grand]

I'm still upset I lived in the same community and side of town as the majority of my middle school, yet I didnt get free lunch. My mother never bought me Jordan's and the most expensive clothes I got were Fleece's fron Old Navy. Yet these muthaf*class who had free or reduced lunch had the original J's and fresh outfits. And they always had candy and Hot Cheetos. That shit wasnt fair at all...I don't give a damn what you guys say.

You were blessed to see your parents get up and go to work everyday.

I bet the kids that got free or reduced lunch didn't have parents that worked, or if they did work it was menial jobs.

You get your work ethic from seeing your parents get up every day and going to work. A lot of people don't see that growing up and when they reach adulthood they don't want to take orders from anybody. In life you have to take orders. And if you navigate your way through the bullshit when you get older you'll be the one giving orders to younger people. That's how it's supposed to work. A lot of people want to skip being a private and be a captain, or a general. But you can't be a captain or a general without taking the steps from private to sergeant to lieutenant to captain to major to colonel before you get to general.

 

[TrainReq13]

You were blessed to see your parents get up and go to work everyday.

I bet the kids that got free or reduced lunch didn't have parents that worked, or if they did work it was menial jobs.

You get your work ethic from seeing your parents get up every day and going to work. A lot of people don't see that growing up and when they reach adulthood they don't want to take orders from anybody. In life you have to take orders. And if you navigate your way through the bullshit when you get older you'll be the one giving orders to younger people. That's how it's supposed to work. A lot of people want to skip being a private and be a captain, or a general. But you can't be a captain or a general without taking the steps from private to sergeant to lieutenant to captain to major to colonel before you get to general.

Nicely worded and some truth to it. But there's something you're missing. We stayed in the same area and were subject to some of the same socio-economic issues. If they money for nice outfits and Jordan's, they had $1.25 for lunch. Food is a necessity. Me having the potential to grow up to be a well rounded individual should have no effect on of I had to pay. Those who paid should have actually gotten more or something extra

 

[Allah_U_Akbar]

but you chose to follow their examples.

Eh...

If you grow up in a dysfunctional household where there is drug use and/or violence, sometimes you become a “product of your environment“.

If your parents are hard core gang members and they indoctrinate you into that lifestyle, do you REALLY have a choice? That lifestyle is all you know.
Some people can make the “ right” choices in that situation, but everybody ain’t that strong.

 

[CeLLar-DooR]

To be honest I seriously can't believe after 100+ years of modern society its still niggas singin' this "its your choice" bs.

It goes against all statistics from every country, it goes against all observation and it goes against good old fashioned common sense.

Yes yes no one forces you to pick up a gun a rob a shop but surely there's a reason poor people 'choose' to do that and rich people don't.

Students who go to better schools just happen to make the right choices while most kids from trash schools just happen to make the wrong choices? Over and over again? In every country? For a hundred plus years?

Come on man that's ridiculous.

Like I said in my first post if your argument is that unfairness is fair, that's fair.

But this all is fair as it is stuff is some 20th century crap

 

[TrainReq13]

Eh...

If you grow up in a dysfunctional household where there is drug use and/or violence, sometimes you become a “product of your environment“.

If your parents are hard core gang members and they indoctrinate you into that lifestyle, do you REALLY have a choice? That lifestyle is all you know.
Some people can make the “ right” choices in that situation, but everybody ain’t that strong.

I saw you use the word "sometimes" but that's gotta be a choice there too. My parents grew up in households of smoking, drinking, and cursing and didn't pick up either habit. Two different households in different states. . My grandmother taught her daughters to go find a n*gga to take care of them... instead my mother moved to Atlanta (started the trend for these n*ggas today) and found her a n*gga while she was in school. You got everything you need to to break the cycle and that's just a conscious thought.

Parents in gang culture know the troubles that come in to play and if they are about anything, they'd want a better life for their kids.

Atleast this all makes sense to me. I can"t speak too much for dysfunctional people

 

[konceptjones]

Eh...

If you grow up in a dysfunctional household where there is drug use and/or violence, sometimes you become a “product of your environment“.

If your parents are hard core gang members and they indoctrinate you into that lifestyle, do you REALLY have a choice? That lifestyle is all you know.
Some people can make the “ right” choices in that situation, but everybody ain’t that strong.

"Sometimes" is the point.

Sometimes you follow their lead, sometimes you don't.

My pops and uncle (his little brother) were both raging alcoholics. Both of their fathers AND mother (RIP) were alcoholics. I'm nowhere near an alcoholic.
At the same time, both my father and the same uncle were heavy weed heads. My little brother smokes, my baby sister doesn't. My stepbrother does it on occasion. I've smoked socially at random in college, but haven't had so much as a puff in 23-24 years.
My mother's father and grandfather on his side were both terrible alcoholics. My moms might have a single glass of champagne on NYE every year.

Some people will watch their parents and family and become what they see. Some will see it and make the conscious decision NOT to be like them if that person believes it's destructive and wants better for themselves.

Either way, it's a choice. You can choose to be like them, you can choose to be different from them, but it's still a CHOICE no matter what.