By M. Aaron Santa Monica
I don’t need a history lesson from John H. Whitehead regarding our nations violent past (”Why Is America So Violent These Days,” May 30, page 5). America’s history is just that: Our history. It is neither to be forgotten nor continually apologized for. Name one country that successfully forged itself into a unified body without bloodshed. That country doesn’t exist. The pink elephant in Whitehead’s room is why are America’s minorities, particularly blacks and Mexicans so violent? In every FBI national crime statistics report I’ve read, in every state report and yes, even in Los Angeles, blacks and Mexicans are hugely over-represented in practically every violent crime category imaginable. Why is that? Poverty? How do you explain poor whites and poor Asians being under-represented in these categories? I am a 17 year veteran LAUSD teacher and I have my theories. Nevertheless, this experience has given me a birds-eye view of how these young thugs (male and a surprisingly high number of females), scare and intimidate and B.S. their way through the system. I resent the “we” the author refers to throughout his article, as if mainstream American’s value system is to blame for the criminality of this segment of the minority population. If John H. Whitehead and the mainstream media want to express collective guilt, that’s their problem. My momma did-n’t raise me that way.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 4, 2007. Read the original PDF.