What Happened to the Inner-City Man

             First i would like to praise and thank all the single mothers in the world. Everyday accepting the total responsibility that comes with raising and caring for a family. This is most definitely the duty of two, or maybe more people. Yet many women are managing these households single handed. Some even raising successful young men and women. So once again my heart goes out to these special woman and once again, Thank You. What would this world be without you?

               In urban neighborhoods of the United States of America, we suffer:

• Everyday violence
• high drug dependency rate
• high %  AIDS infected populations
• high risk lifestyles

            The four facts I just listed can be attributed to the lack of social conscience. I’d like to disagree.

           It stems from the Men in this setting coming under constant assault. Generation after generation. Joblessness,drug addiction,ambitious police, Judges,probation /parole officers. They never stood a chance. Many of these men just aren’t mentally fit enough to handle these attacks. Many turn to crime to afford just the basic necessities of life. Only to end up overwhelmed by the trappings of street life.

• Just trying to earn a name or be somebody.
• He meant to be a father for his child/children.
• He didn’t mean for popularity to lead to cheating.
• The fast money to lead to jail.
• The recreational use of drugs to take the edge off ,to turn into a full blown addiction

 An addiction would not allow him to mature one that  would cause him to neglect, abandon, even steal from his own family ,his pride and joy , and his bloodline. A man lives for the day he can say,”this is my wife and my successful children. Paying his bills, being the one who molded his family through dedication caring and hard work sometimes keeping up with the Jones’s,which really isn’t an issue. Just being the warm touch for his wife, a teacher,and security for his family. When a man feels less than a man. this man is desparite to prove his worth to not just the  world, but himself. This despairation leads to hopelessness and high risk decisions. He looks at his struggling wife and hungry children.He makes his mind up to go hunting for food. Not in the innercity.What is there to hunt, rats, pigeons and squirels. No he’s going to have to be craftier than that. He’ll Have to beg. He’ll have to borrow. Might decide to rob and steal or peddle drugs. Next time you look up, all the fathers and husbands, are locked up or addicted to the same drug they was trying to feed their family with.