Larry Elder: Family Breakdown Is At The Root Of Black America's Ills

The brilliant Larry Elder offers us the gut-wrenching results of the Democrat Party's "War on Poverty":

...census reports from 1890 to 1940 show that blacks were actually slightly more likely to marry than whites — therefore their children were slightly more likely than whites to be born into a nuclear, intact family.

Enter President Lyndon Johnson's "war on poverty." Johnson established "neighborhood centers," whose workers went door to door, apprising people of their welfare "rights and benefits." Welfare rolls exploded — increasing 110% during one three-year period in the '60s.

...Years ago, the late liberal Sen. William Proxmire, D-Wis., held hearings on the impact of federal government anti-poverty programs known as "urban renewal."

One resident after another testified about government waste, indifference, corrupt politics, overtaxation and the negative consequences of bulldozing old neighborhoods to make way for what became public housing.

An exasperated Proxmire finally said to one witness, "You would probably have better neighborhoods today if there had been no federal programs at all!"

Elder's book is a must-read.

Once I started I could not put the book down so read it in one evening. Without giving too much away, all I can say is that this is not just a book about a strict father and a son who grew up hating him. This is a story for ANYONE, MALE OR FEMALE who was raised by very strict parents. I identfied with many of the situations such as having my father come after us girls with a belt and me running away from home to escape from him.....But this book is more than just this. This book is incredible in that once we find out why Mr. Elder's father was so angry all the time, we come to understand him, sympathize with him and grow to love him for the enormous pains and sacrifices he made and the conditions he was forced to live with as a child growing up in a very ugly time in America. To me, this is a story about redemption, of understanding, of misconceptions due to lack of knowing one's circumstances they had to endure as a child, etc. It's a fabulous read and made me examine my own life and my relationship with my own father. Luckily, as with Larry Elder, I too, found out how much my father loved me and had many many years of a good relationship with him before he passed away.

If you have the time, it's worth a serious read. And a pass-around.


And don't miss: "How we lost the 'War on Poverty'."