Thursday, October 16, 2014

REVIEW: Please Stop Helping Us by Jason L. Riley

When I first tried to get my paws on this book it was on backorder. That gave me a clue that it was more popular than I imagined. The little I heard about it was interesting, but after reading it, I totally underestimated its significance.

This is the book all blacks should read and the book most blacks will hate.

The book reminds me of a saying my first boss liked to use. “Don’t confuse me with the facts, I’ve made up my mind.” Other sayings that apply are, “Figures lie and liars figure”, “You are entitled to your opinions, but not your facts”, and “You can’t handle the truth.”

In a nutshell, what ‘Please Stop Helping Us’ describes are many of the practices and policies that keep black people behind. Some of them are obvious like single parent households and inner city schools. But when Riley goes in on affirmative action, black politics, criminal justice, war on poverty, Booker T. Washington versus W.E.B. Dubois, civil rights, and acting white, he brings a perspective rarely articulated with plenty of supporting documentation. As Arsenio Hall says, it’s full of  ‘Things that make you say, hummm!”

One of my current challenges is understanding why so many young adult blacks with much potential have so little ambition. I have gained a valuable awaking to what is causing much of this condition from reading this book.

If you’re looking for an engaging read that will stir your emotions, read ‘Please Stop Helping Us.’






3 comments:

  1. I have placed this book on my "Bucket List".

    LW

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  2. Sounds like a good book to read, form the little that you posted Mr Riley holds a lot of the same views as I. Which is why I'm not a registered Democrat, They think there helping when in reality there keeping you dependent on them and your not able to do for self. The same could be said of a lot of the older black organizations such as the NAACP. Also I not a Republican, in the black community if you don't regurgitate everything the Democrats say, people try to put you in the conservative republican category.

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    Replies
    1. Sounds like you understand the book's premise. Yes, Riley does mention the NAACP. It's the book everyone should read just to obtain a baseline of objective insight. Then, you can go back to doing whatever you do, believing whatever you believe.
      Politically, Riley confirms that the Republicans don't involve themselves with blacks because they know they're not going to influence them to vote 'R'. However, when surveyed, blacks align much more closely to conservative values than liberal ones.

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