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that increase in value translates into more public services. These neighborhoods have significant history and architectural heritage that was identified as worthy of preservation by the very people who live there and who thought it was important enough to petition for designation. As a result—and due to tax incentives connected with designation—those areas are in the process of being revitalized and, importantly to remember, in such a way that allows for mixed use, a variety of incomes and a great diversity of people. Panning any of those areas as ‘gentrified’ misses the mark. They are evolving—just like areas in cities across this country… a country whose very principles were grounded on capitalism. We appreciate the article’s nod to the spirited women who saved the Davenport House, but as HSF enters its Diamond Jubilee (60th year) we should recognize that their response to a crisis in 1955 has matured into a sophisticated program known as HSF’s Revolving Fund. Every time we use the Revolving Fund to save a vacant, blighted, endangered historic property, we are creating opportunity for revitalization instead of guaranteeing weed lots and further decay. In doing so, we preserve Savannah’s unique and beautiful canvas. Daniel G. Carey, President & CEO Historic Savannah Foundation
Fifty years ago Senator Daniel Moynihan predicted this would happen. At that time over 70 percent of black households were married. When all the social programs of the Great Society took root, the marriage rate went down as the poverty rate of children went up. Now the marriage rate is around 30 percent. We took away the responsibility that parents are supposed to do—instill values, especially what a decent education can lead too. We told people to quit trying, you’re incapable of taking care of yourself, or a family. Stay home and we’ll take care of you. We told men that they have nothing to give to children and to forget about being a real father. We stopped holding people accountable and started making excuses for them. We stopped their progression and allowed them to stagnate. This not unique to one race, it’s everywhere. There have been long term studies on why children succeed or fail in school and they all prove it’s not rocket science. Two things will just about guarantee a child will finish school and be independent: at least one parent who is stable financially and instills in their child the importance of an education. You cannot build financially stable adults if we continue the poverty cycle that we created. We can’t blame our schools—we’ve poured millions into our school system. What good is a new school if no one values it? Where I work we have a diversity of peoOn ‘white privilege’ and crime ple. Talk with them and you will discover Editor, Regarding your Jan. 14 column, “To Call that they all had someone at home who was able to back them all the way. Police? Or not?” We are doing an injustice to our youth Wow, what a refreshing new version if we don’t stop this insanity and break this of white guilt regarding your piece on poverty cycle. It is not cold-hearted, indifyour reaction and thoughts when you ferent, uncaring or racist to hold everyone saw a young black man with a gun in his to the same standard, and again, this is happocket. As you ran down your checklist of possibilities to decide if the police should be pening across the racial spectrum. Of course we will help any and all who called, you might have added that this might need help and want to succeed, everyone be a good chance to maybe save another young black man’s life and stop the continu- wins when this happens. In our country you are free to go as far as your abilities can take ally high level of black on black crime. you. But you are also responsible to everyOr, perhaps the idea of helping to stop violent crime in general would have made up one else to be responsible for yourself. Until we stop dancing around the real your mind. For God’s sake, who cares what color they are? A teenager of any color with problem and finally admit that after fifty a hand gun hidden in a back pocket doesn’t years our own government caused this, and spending more money on the same prosound like the local neighborhood watch, grams will only perpetuate it, we will condoes it? Of course you call the police. tinue to have the same results. Which, as Disadvantaged youth? Social justice? you know, is a good definition of insanity. They’re the symptoms, not the cause. The By the way, please stop apologizing for real problem, and everyone knows it -- in the fact that you were born white. It’s not a the process of leveling the playing field we destroyed the one institution that is the key crime. White privilege: Does that mean you were raised by two people? to anyone’s success—the family, especially William O’Donnell black families.
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