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I am amazed at people. Why? Well… the ignorance.

Let me clarify what I’m talking about. I live in Baltimore County, Maryland. I haven’t always lived here. I grew up in the area, but I grew up in Anne Arundel County. People are not nice here. They aren’t. I don’t mean that they are simply not friendly. I mean that they are downright rude.

I have no idea what it is about this area but I have a few ideas. When I lived in NYC, I laughed whenever anyone who wasn’t from the city would come and comment on how rude New Yorkers were. I had to explain to them that it only seems like they are rude but they really aren’t. It’s the language they speak. New Yorkers understand each other even if outsiders don’t.

But I don’t know how to explain Baltimorons. I’m not an outsider here. But I find myself increasingly frustrated by ignorant people.

Speaking of ignorant, let me tell you what I think the real problem is. I’m sure I’ll get blasted and labelled. That’s just the way people are when the truth hits home. No one likes to be called out.

I never had this problem living in Anne Arundel county. The demographics are a mostly white, middle-to-upper class people group. In western Baltimore County, quite frankly, it’s low-income and black. But it’s not that it’s black as much as a stigma in this portion of the black community. The mentality of this region is that of victimization. All you have to do is go into your local gas station, as I did yesterday, and hear it in the voices. The government is taking from me because I’m black. The white man sucks. Etc. If you ask any of these folks, they are not racist. But if you look, they are. They are racist toward the white man in the most obvious sense of the word. But they are racist towards themselves proclaiming in how they speak to each other that they will never amount to anything because of the color of their skin.

What ends up happening? You end up with a community of self-preservationists. They don’t care about anyone except themself because in society, they feel they have to cover their own asses at the expense of anyone else that might be in their way. They become more concerned with getting their booty than they are about raising children to behave right and be respectful of others.

And this isn’t just an white man ranting an opinion, folks. The empirical evidence demonstrates what I am talking about.

• In 2002, the average SAT score in Maryland for Black students was 848 (source). Folks that doesn’t even get you near college. Maybe community college. Forget University of Maryland.
• Here’s a factsheet document that is sure to leave your head spinning. 20% Of Baltimore’s population functions at the lowest literacy rate.
• One statistic I heard last year (unfortunately cannot find documented at this time) reports that 50% of Baltimore’s workforce cannot read!

Okay so why am I citing these statistics. It’s really simple. People need to stop blaming the white man (and likewise, the white man needs to stop blaming the government) for the situation they have created for themselves.

The reason why “you” are so “oppressed” is not because I want to keep you down or put your back against the wall. The reason why I am in the position I am, having money, having things, having a career, having a family, is because I applied myself and made myself who I am. I don’t have a college degree. But I have worked hard to teach myself new things. I have scratched and fought to get ahead so I could be where I am today. You, my friend, have not. You decided to hit the streets when you should have been hitting the books. You decided to knock that girl up and now you are paying child support to a woman you don’t care about and a kid you wish you didn’t have. It ain’t the governments fault, man. It’s not “The Man”. You did it to yourself. Stop being a victim. Be a man. Suck it up. Make yourself into something. You’re not written off by society so make the most of your opportunities. Don’t expect me to do it for you, though. You need to mature a little bit and do it yourself, but I have faith in you.

This region I live in is a region that is dominated by victims. Not real victims. Self-made victims. And I’m tired of having to deal with them. I think I’ll move back to Anne Arundel county where, yes the demographics are white, but they work for their money, they work for their boats, they get up and go to the pipe making warehouse and put in their 12 hours. They get up every morning and haul ass to Washington so they can make the money that allows them to live comfortable lives in neighborhoods mostly absent of crime and where their 8 year old kid can safely play outside. That sounds like the kind of place I want to live.

These places are only 20 minutes apart. And a whole demographic away. Call me racist. I’m not. I’m a realist. And I refuse to be politically correct so as not to offend someone.

Think about it!

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Written by Aaron Brazell on July 24, 2005

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