The one thing I always liked about Biden is that he speaks his mind, though often times to his detriment. The one thing I respect very much about him is that I know who he is. He's not this polished, well-handled, politican. He's says it like it is, the way it is as it appears to him and I believe he is genuine. Though I disagree with almost all of his politics, I can respect and admire someone who puts it out there like that.
Regarding his comments on education, the sad fact is, some of what he's saying is right. I sit on an oversight board for our county and there is no doubt, absolutely no denying, that the predominantly white schools are achieiving better grades and success. It's not just solely a matter of economics because even some of the miniority classes of students attending the predominantly white schools also score lower.
It's not a question of capability or that white kids are just smarter or genetically superiior or anything stupid like that. That's just dumb and stats prove that to be false anyway. It really stems from the home environment. Its the same reason that Asians are uniformly higher achievers than white students. Typically, or at least in the recent past, their home life has a far sticter regimen in the home with far lesser instances of divorce or out of wedlock children then whites.. so the trend and the results continue in the same pattern.
Black children and Hispanic children who come from solid, well functioning homes do just as well as their white counterparts. My daughter who is in the International Bachleorate program has several black friends in her program and they are all succeeding just fine in arguably the most difficult educational program a high school student can be a part of. Two of them are our friends in our neighborhood and I know that they spend a lot of time each day making sure homework and study time is done. TV and computer is limited and almost every other day they have what's callled "family hour" where the TV, the blackberry's and the phones are turned off and they sit together and talk about whatever they feel like... but they do it together. That's why their children are succeeding.
Children just can't do it alone. Whether they are white or black doesn't matter. They have to have the support outside the school to succeed. The cold hard stats, not the opinions or idle observations bear these truths out.
So many of our society's ills, the things that I'm ashamed of because they even exist, are the result of larger, broader based cultural or societal issues that are too often glossed over because of the uncomfortable nature of the conversation that needs to take place. I like to see strong individuals like Bill Cosby and others who speak plainly about some of the issues that minorities need to address. I also think that liberal politicians like to create a culture of victims and that alone becomes a very difficult cycle to break. I believe, in general, in mass, that people will rise to a challenge. And I mean all people... black, white, hispanic, whomever.
I don't think Biden is racist, not for one minute. I think he often speaks from the heart as opposed to his head. In a lot of ways, it's what's made me like him over the years. Again, I disagree with him politically.. but i do respect the man.
