The Race Gap - Why Do Achievement Levels Vary?

I saw this article on CBS, which had lots of stuff I know to be so obvious.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/14/national/main2179601.shtml Apparently,
The stuff is not so obvious and the comments I saw on there had me a little agitated. So I wrote my own, and now u have the pleasure of being able to read it all right here on my page, in full.

One person wanted to know why Asians do so well, and another pointed out that its no fault of any other race. While yet another pointed out that blacks are far better off in America than anywhere in Africa. May I point out that despite having the highest incomes, Asians, still have higher poverty levels - why is that? Racism, because when any non white group does poorly, they are not going to have the help extended to whites. Blacks do poorly in America because of racism - historical as well as present - you can scream from the top of any building, but that is the truth, and I can understand somehow some whites not wanting to not face up to the guilt of their actions, but racism is the evil that causes black people in the US to do as poorly as they do. The most amazing thing in the US is not that blacks lag behind, but rather, that Africans have done so well and come so far. As far as blacks in America doing better than blacks in Africa, I will have you know that all African countries are under African rule, and everywhere there are positive examples to look at. Keeping African Americans believing that they come from a much worse place is a great tool for keeping African Americans satisfied and feel that they are somehow being done a favor by getting the scraps off America's table. Of course America is the world's number one economy, not to mention at the forefront of media activity and so anyone doing well here, is going to be highlighted more. So of course everyone knows Oprah and Michael Jordan for example.

The reality is that while for Jews, the clear perpetrator of hate crimes is an easily identifiable group known as Nazis, the perpetrators of crimes against African humanity in many cases has just been normal white people and otherwise respectable. And no different than a child and an abusive parent for example having to somehow co-exist, Africans and the perpetrators of African genocide have to co-exist. Just like an abusive parent blaming an abused child who then grows up to have problems, so will the whole of the west continue to deny their responsibility in the damage caused by the racism, xenophobia and genocide they have subjected Africans to.

No one race has ever had to endure what Africans have at the hands of Caucasians and no other race has had to come from so far behind. So in many ways, the mere fact that Africans – both at home in Africa and in the Diaspora have had to learn new languages and new ways of doing everything from education to systems of government is actually testament to our resilience and ability.

The part I agree with Bill Cosby however, is not so much about blame – because, absolutely racism is at fault, and we should not ignore it, nor forget it – we have to acknowledge it, realize that there are reasons why blacks lag behind in America, and not what the other would have us believe, which is that we are somehow inferior. However, just like an abused child cannot rely on their abuser to fix them up, we have to take responsibility for our own recovery, because that is the only thing we can have control over.

Furthermore, how convenient it is to ignore the fact that white people have had advantage in this country proffered to them from the beginning, so that when measures to try and somehow give Africans some sort of a push to some kind of a level playing field, it is called handouts. The likes of George Bush went to Yale because of what? Intelligence, high SATs? No! White affirmative action by other names - privilege - the fact that daddy went there! And that is common practice. The fact that Africans in this country have never had any inheritance to talk of makes a huge difference. Whites inherited land, money, property, privilege and prestige as well as family values and child rearing skills. Blacks were reared like cattle in slave quarters, families separated, and then all of a sudden are expected to have family values and pass them on to their kids? What are we, super men and women? In many ways, we are because we do still have great values, which is why we have survived the constant assaults upon us, but many of us are only human and they lag behind, and it is up to those of us who have had better opportunities to help our fellows. It sure won't come from the same group that would have us in chains working on their plantations, with no right to vote or get educated! Only a few years ago, these were the laws of this great country, and now all of a sudden, education is the most important thing that will get blacks out of their hole, and why won't blacks get it?! Because it was denied many of our forebears, who would have passed it on to us! The fact that so many of us do still pursue it is the amazing part, not the reverse - not the fact that there are some who don't!