Don't Shoot the Messenger

There is an elephant in the room, and no one wants to admit it. In fact, people in power are content to ignore its existence, hoping that it will simply go away.

Well, it won’t… not without bold and coordinated action. And so, let me be the Guinea pig - or more appropriately, the sacrificial lamb - who says what everyone else is thinking, but no one has the courage to say.

However, before putting my neck on the line, here are my bona fides: 36 years of ministering to hundreds of thousands of mostly minority inmates and at-risk youth across North America and Africa, three non-white in-laws, and six biracial grandchildren.

Now buckle up, because here we go…

Like most Americans, I have watched in horror at the scenes of mass looting, smash and grab robberies, and unprovoked attacks on innocent bystanders that have dominated our news broadcasts over the past several years. The uncontrolled mayhem and the complete disregard for other people’s lives and property have made me sick… and very, very angry.

Whatever happened to common decency? And when – and more importantly, why – has anarchy replaced a collective respect for authority? Just as importantly, what are the common threads linking these heinous crimes together?

OK, here is where I get into trouble because from what I have seen, most of these crimes are being committed by young people in their late teens and early twenties. And yes, the vast majority of the culprits also appear to be minorities, especially black Americans.

It is said that liars lie, but facts never do. And so, let me share some facts with you. Black Americans comprise about 12% of our population, and roughly half of them are men. And yet, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, those 6% are responsible for 63% of all violent crimes in America.

Please know that I am not pointing fingers, casting blame, or demonizing a racial or ethnic group en masse. I wouldn’t have poured my life’s blood into ministering in more than 400 prisons on two continents if I didn’t care about minorities. I am simply stating facts… and seeking a solution to America’s crime crisis and the moral breakdown of our society as a whole.

The question that needs to be asked and answered is this: why does such a small percentage of our population act in such a violent, destructive, and anti-social way? From my decades of prison ministry experience, I believe it boils down to one primary factor, which is the breakdown of the nuclear family. More specifically, absentee dads and the near total lack of positive male role models.

Before Lyndon Johnson introduced his ill-conceived Great Society and instituted the modern-day welfare system, only 25% of black Americans were born out of wedlock. Today, thanks to Uncle Sam paying benefits to single moms for each additional child they have, the out-of-wedlock birthrate in the black community is above 70%... compared to 52% for Hispanics, 28% for whites, and just 12% for Asian Americans.

Why is that a problem? Because 60 years of comprehensive studies show that out-of-wedlock birth is the leading predicter of future incarceration and lifelong poverty. And so, it is no surprise that, without a father in the home, black teenage boys are far more likely to get into trouble with the law than their white, Asian, or Latino counterparts.

Folks, if we really care about these young men, we will cast aside all fear of being called every name in the book and do something about it. Stop Band-Aiding the problem and start addressing it head-on. That is the only way we can turn this ship around before it crashes onto the rocks and splinters into a thousand unsalvageable pieces.

One in four black men between ages 18 and 25 is either in prison, on probation, or parole… and that number increases to more than 40% in cities like Baltimore and Washington D.C. So, don’t tell me that there’s not a problem. Instead, let’s work together to find a solution.

We can begin by eliminating welfare programs or at least scaling them way back, and using those monies to support non-profit organizations that are on the front lines such as Teen Challenge and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. We can also incentivize marriage and offer a tax-break for stay-at-home moms (see more about this proposal in tomorrow’s post). And maybe we should consider requiring a year or two of national service – either in the military, the National Park Service, or AmeriCorps – upon high school graduation. Not only do such programs provide much-needed discipline, but it's hard to father an out-of-wedlock child if you are living in a war zone or the middle of a forest.

I am convinced that we can win this battle and reclaim these young lives from the abyss. After all, their God-given potential is virtually limitless. However, it will require political courage and intestinal fortitude, both of which are rare commodities in Washington DC and state capitals across America.

Ideally, naysayers would resist the urge to play the race card against people who are simply acknowledging a problem and trying to solve it. But rest assured that some critics will resort to demonizing those offering to help, thereby sacrificing yet another lost generation of young black men – Jesse Jackson coined that phrase, not me – to advance their own selfish and short-sighted political agendas.

In the meantime, people who are willing to take up the fight should grow a thick skin and put on the whole armor of God. Something tells me we are going to need both.