Mr. President:
First, let me say congratulations on becoming the 44th President of The United States and also the first African-American elected to the most powerful office in the world. You have proved, finally, that America is not a racist nation. Maybe now we can put that to rest as we move ahead.
With the honor that the American people have bestowed upon you, and as an African-American, you have the unprecented chance to spur the African-American youth to finally lift themselves out of mediocrity and become part of a society that welcomes success over failure.
You have the bully pulpit to tell young black men to pick up their pants, stop listening to gangsta rap, calling their women hos, being responsible for fathering children and to get an education. Getting good grades should not be considered “acting white” and denigrated. It should be considered acting smart and applauded.
Young black women need to know that getting pregnant at 14 is not acceptable behavior, and getting an abortion is not an acceptable alternative to not getting pregnant in the first place. They need to respect themselves before anyone else will.
In my job I see many African-American children of young ages. These children are bright, talented and loving. They don’t start life being drug addicts and criminals. They don’t start life being resentful and hating those who are more successful than they are. They learn those kinds of behaviors because their families and our government have failed them.
Their families fail them because many come from a home with no father. Many mothers have children by multiple fathers. There is no guidance and no value system. They live in government-subsidized housing and their role models are drug dealers and street thugs. They come from families who for generations have been given government handouts that only help them to exist instead of succeed. Government’s job is not to provide eternal care for anyone. That is nothing more than slavery redux.
Our public school system has failed them because they are forced to go to failing schools that don’t teach; they indoctrinate. While that may be good for unscrupulous politicians, it does nothing to enlighten the young minds that will one day be asked to solve the problems the future will bring.
I urge you to use that “bully pulpit” to speak directly and often to the youth that is our future. Not for you, but for them.
God Save America.
