Inner City Renaissance

This is an issue that always bothered me because I do know where I come from and I'm damned proud of it. But at the same time it saddens me when I hear about the senseless violence that happens in my hometown.

Drugs are running around recklessly as well as those who sell and buy them.

What Middle America needs to know what is really the problem in our Inner Cities across the nation. The problem isn't that there are a ton of bad ass kids that just doesn't care about the well being of others. The problem simply is; there are a lack of jobs. People on the outside do seem to have the attitude that people from the neighborhood are lazy, good for nothing, drug addicts that are stealing their money via Welfare.

The question should be how do we get those people off the streets and having normal everyday lives. The fact of the matter is that the lack of jobs creates hopelessness that things will not get better and people turn to alcohol, tobacco, and ultimately drugs. And those that want a quick buck turn to the business side of drugs, and that's where violence comes into play.

While I was reading this article I thought of an idea to give drug dealers and former drug dealers small business loans. I know what some of you from Middle America are already thinking. Look at it from this note, drug dealers are some of the most shrewd businessmen in the United States. You really think that they are going to let their legit business fail. They know how to work books. They may need education to do a legit book, but you're not going to notice shady business at play IE cooking books to get out of paying taxes etc.

These small business loans are going to pay for themselves via tax revenue. You're also creating accounting jobs, as well as stocking jobs in a shoe or clothing store.

I've heard some naysayers say that legalizing drugs will cause the streets to have more drugs on the streets. I disagree for one big reason. If you're giving these people legit jobs that they can be proud of, you create a positive vibe for these down. And drug usage will go down.

With less people consuming drugs and no competitors for the distribution of these drugs, crime rates will also go down. Now I would be kidding myself if I think there was totally no violence at all. Anything can happen from every corner in America.

I completely agree that we need to end the War on Drugs. Its a waste of taxpayer money and we're building more and more prisons instead of creating more and more jobs to prevent people from going to the wrong side of the law. Let State Governments regulate and tax these drugs and find a way to rehabilitate those that are addicted to them.

This should not be a Right or Left Wing issue. This is an a common sense issue to clean up the streets of senselessness. And finding a better way of life. America was the country that Europeans, since the 1800's, came to to look for a better life. And sadly it just isn't a great place to be in our Inner Cities. We need to fix this now or we're going to have another lost generation. And it just breaks my heart to think about more kids dieing in the future when there are viable solutions to rectify this problem.