John Edwards: Young Black Males Will Be Gone Soon.

I don't want to be accused of defending Edwards, but yes his statement is extreme and it's called hyperbole.

Hyperbole (pronounced /haɪˈpɝbəli/ or "hy-PER-buh-lee"; "HY-per-bowl" is a mispronunciation) is a figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, and is not meant to be taken literally.

Hyperbole is used to create emphasis. It is often used in poetry and is a literary device as well as a referendum.

en.wikipedia.org...

Of course, nothing like that could happen because we just can't build enough prison space to house the entire black male population.

But, in theory, given the current rate of incarceration and other contributing factors, one might expect that to happen.

Edwards, being a lawyer, should be able to choose his words better, but anyone with an IQ of 85 should be able to understand what he meant.

That is that given the current trend, something must be done.

[edit on 2007/9/30 by GradyPhilpott]

the prison system provides how many jobs? the prison system was built based on projections of violent crime decades ago that never materialized. now they have to fill the cells with drug user's and many people selling to their friends, as well as of course, the big players.

and yes i see it as hyperbole plain and simple. careful what you wish for edwards.

when i said kids are having kids i didnt say it was a positive contribution to society so i dont know why that was even brought up as an argument against what i said....all i said was i dont see blacks being breed out of existance because they are having a lot of babies. whereas the avg. white american family is having 1 child according to the latest stats. now as far as the prison thing...obviously having alot of kids has nothing to do with that. my comment was merely concerning the part where edwards said they would be "breed" out. one african american poster verified that abortion is on the rise in that community and im not sure what percentage of teen pregancies in the black community end up being abortions.
imhop i just dont see that (breeding out) happening and i think john edwards is a shmuck. and the reason why good old mr sharpton and mr jackson arent saying anything is because this statement HELPS them. anything to make race more of an issue. i dont understand why color continues to be an issue with activists like jackson or edwards. we're all people....lets move on from this archaic way of thinking. we should care equally for every citizen, and highlight the issues and plights of all people. and they shouldnt be put on the agenda as important just because a color is attatched to it. it should be important because it is a Human problem.

kind regards,
digitalgrl

[edit on 10/01/2004 by DigitalGrl]

oh and maybe if edwards was less concerned about his hair he would actually have the sense to focus on more profound issues. such as the structure of the prison system, or screwed up justice system, and oh yes the war in iraq.

Originally posted by DigitalGrl
oh and maybe if edwards was less concerned about his hair he would actually have the sense to focus on more profound issues. such as the structure of the prison system, or screwed up justice system, and oh yes the war in iraq.

Yes, I checked his website and there's no mention of any of those issues. He only mentions his hair and gives styling tips. You've really got his number, huh Digitalgrl.

in line with a number of you above, edwards was simply making a point. That being that the sub-culture many young black men live within is very violent and this group of americans could use a hand in changing that. His second point is that young black men are targets for law enforcement, and are incarcerated at an unbelievable rate. I cant agree more. I can walk to corner of my street, sit on a wall and watch young black men get harrassed and arrested all night. Plus, once you are arrested, you become an even larger target. Police drive around all day profiling license plates and their resgistered owner. Find one with past drug charges and find a reason to pull him over. In 33 years of life, I had NEVER been searched. I got lots of tickets, but that's where it ended. at 33 i was arrested on a posession charge. That was in 2003. The charges were ultimately all dropped. Since then, i've been pulled over 3 times - registration, speeding (i was), and a bent license plate... And ive been searched (illegally i add) all three times. sorry, had to vent. anyway... the man was making an important point by over exaggeration of an element of the issue. Im kinda suprised anyone bothered to take offense.
-v

The young black culture is one where violence and drugs are promoted, and seen as just another route to the top. Yes, it shows in any race in any poor community, because they all want the same thing. Money and success, and the only way for them to get that while maintaining the respect of their peers is through drugs or violence.

Any one of them given half a care for themselves or their family could stay in school and do it the American way, but no, their friends wouldn't respect them for that...

There is no answer for a culture that seeks above all else to destroy itself.