[Link],[Link],ZackaryJ.

Smiley
SOC460CommissionReport
[Link]
10December2014

Introduction

Thescourgeofviolenceinminoritycommunitiesiscommonlymisconceivedbythe
[Link]
mysterious,darkpathologyexiststhatcreatesthedesireforpeopletocommitsenseless
actsofviolenceagainsttheirneighborsmakestheworldaneasierplacetounderstand,but
[Link],fantasticalideas
mustbeexpelledfromoursocietyinordertobringaboutamoreequitableandprofitable
[Link],governmentagenciesmustbethefirsttounderstandtwo
keyideas:First,violenceisnotinandofitselftheproblem,butrathera
symptom
ofgreater
societalissuesandforcesatplayandviolenceisanextremelycomplexissuewithwhichto
[Link]
communities,itdoestakeabrief,compellingoverviewoftheevidencesurroundingissuesof
violenceandprovidesaspecificpolicyrecommendationthatthecommissionbelieveshasthe
potentialtoreducetheviolenteffectsofconcentratedpovertyinimpoverishedminority
communities.

TheReachesofSymptomaticViolenceandFalseConceptions

Oneresourcethecommissionfoundtobeextensivelyhelpfulincompilingand
understandingtheevidencepertainingtomicrosociologicalissuesinfluencingviolenceisDr.
RandallCollinsbook
Violence:AMicroSociologicalTheory
.Acommonmisconception

[Link]
saysthefollowing:
...youngmen,poorpeople,blackpeople,orchildrenofdivorce
donotbecomemurderers,rapists,batterers,orarmedrobber
andthereareacertainnumberofaffluentpersons,whitepeople,
orproductsofconventionalfamilies[whobecomeviolent].
Similarly...pastvictimsofchildabuseaccountsforonlyaminority
ofthecases
[Link]
theviolentamongusareinaconstantstateofrageoraggressionthisissimplyphysically
[Link]:
evenpeoplethatwethinkofasveryviolentbecausethey
havebeenviolentinmorethanonesituation,orspectacularly
violentonsomeoccasionareviolentonlyin
veryparticular
situations

[Link]
giventochildrenareimportant,butshouldnotbeusedasperfect(orevenlikely)predictorsof
[Link]
childrearingissimplynotshowntobewelldescriptiveofwhetherornotachildwillbecome
[Link]:
forthem[thosewhodisagreewiththisidea],violencenaturallyfalls
intohermeticallysealedsections,andbadsocialconditionsshouldbe
responsibleforbadviolencewhereasgoodviolencewhichisnot

seenasviolenceatall,whenitiscarriedoutbyauthorizedstate
agentsisnotsubjecttoanalysissinceitispartofnormalsocialorder
Thereseemtobefactorsextendingbeyondchildhoodandfamilybackgroundthat
[Link]
attherootoftheproblemiskeytocreatinganypolicywithhopeofefficacyinreducing
violenceinminoritycommunities.

TraumaticExperiencesandtheImportanceofRelationship

[Link]
WrongPlace,WrongTime
,apoignantworkonthelasting
effectsoftraumainthehumanmindandbody,offersauniqueopportunitytounderstandthe
[Link],thereisa
wealthofevidencethatearlylifetraumasareapowerfulpredictoroffuturelifedifficulties,
andfurther,theexpectationthattheseyoungpeoplecanandwilljustdealwithitisnaive.
Afterspendingtimewithseveralindividualswhohadexperiencedalifethreateningtrauma,
hisconclusionispointedandinformed:
ifwewanttomakeourselvessafe,ifwewanttoendthehighlevelsofviolence
affectingyoungblackmen,wemustfocusontheirsafety:theverypeoplewe
[Link]
[Link],[Link]
up,brutalizingtheminthehomeswheretheylive,inthestreetswherethey
walk,inhospitalswheretheyseekcare,willmakeussafer,wearesorely
[Link],
thenwewillfightthefreeflowoffirearms,opposemorebrutalpolicing,advocate

forgreateropportunitiesformeaningfulwork,andengagethemasfullpartners
inbothunderstandingandaddressingtheproblemsthatgripthecommunitiesin
whichtheylive.
Theideathatthesethingscanbefixedquickly,orwithoutdirectrelationalcontactisa
productofourconsumerist,[Link]
points,statistics,andhardnumbers,butwemusttaketimetounderstandtheintricateand
complicateddetailsthatassailtheindividualexperienceofeverymemberofoursociety.
Richsentireprojectwasbaseduponarealizationthathehimselfviewedtheseyoungmenas
justnumberswithinaset,peopleplacedwithinastigmatizedstereotypedboxandtreatedas
[Link],WhenIwasmost
honestwithmyself,Icouldfindinmyselftracesofthesamestereotypesandimplicitbiases
[Link]
[Link],No
matterhowmenacingyoungpeoplemighthaveseemedfromthevividdescriptionsonthe
ambulancetripsheetormedicalchart,eachtimethatIsatfacetofacewiththem,whetherin
theirhomesorinacaronaRoxburystreetorinthevisitingroomatamediumsecurityprison,
IwasremindedthattheyweremorelikemethanIwouldeverhavedaredtoadmit.
Itisvitallyimportanttoourpointthatitwasnotuntil
hetookthetimetositwiththem
thathewasabletoboosthimselfoutofhispreconceivednotionsofthecausesofviolent
[Link]
relationshipthathewasabletocultivateandcontinuewiththeseyoungmen,hewouldhave
undoubtedlynotfeltcompelledtowriteaworkontrauma,norwouldhehaveanyroomto
[Link]
asitis,hisaccountissureandformedandshouldstronglycompelustoseektobuild

[Link]
whenwearetransformedtoembracethehumanityanddefendthedignityoftheseyoung
menwhetherwearephysiciansornursesorpoliceofficersordistrictattorneysor
teachersthatwewillengagethemasfullpartnersinoureffortstobringabouthealing,hope,
andchange.

ItstheEconomy,Stupid:InequalityMakesaBadProblemWorse

Governmenthandoutsarenotaveryattractivepropositioninthemindsofmany
[Link]
risewhendiscussinganyformofgovernmentsubsidyorprogramtoimprovethelivesofthe
poorinsocietythereseemstobeanideathatanygainsmadewiththeassistanceof
[Link],
thesubsidiesthatare

offeredbyourgovernmenttoeverypersoninsocietymortgage
financing,incometaxpolicy,highwayinfrastructure,andotherthingsthatoftengo
unquestionedorevenunnoticedskewdramaticallytowardcreatingabetterlifefor
middleclassAmericansthanforpoor,[Link]
greatlytowardtheaccumulationandpreservationoffamilyandhouseholdwealth,which
createsaneverbroadeninggapofinequalitybetweenthepoorinAmericaandthewelloff.
OnethingpointedoutbyprofessorDavidTrouttin
ThePriceofParadise:TheCostsof
InequalityandaVisionForaMoreEquitableAmerica
istheexacerbationofnegative
circumstancesthatoccurswheninequalityispresent.
Giventheunevennatureofsocietysplayingfieldandmanypreexistingsocietal
prejudicesagainstpeopleofcolorintheUnitedStates,theremustbenewpolicyintroduced

thatdoeseverythingitcantocreate
new
opportunityforthosewhocurrentlyfindthemselves
[Link],suchapolicymusttake
intoaccounttheprecedingissuespresentedbythiscommission,synthesizethemwithone
another,[Link]
causesviolencemustberevisited,replacingunfoundedstereotypeswithadiversified,
wellroundedacknowledgmentofthecomplexitysurroundingviolenceinminoritycommunities
andthecontributionoftrauma,circumstance,andinequalitytotheconditionsthat
cause
[Link],wemustgobeyondtheviolenceitselfandaddressthe
issuesthatactuallycauseit.

ASolution:TheRelationalPartnersinBusinessInitiative

LongTermInvestmentPlan
Aswehaveshowntheimmensevalueofrelationalcontactinrestoringthemanydeepand
insetbreachesbetweensegmentsofourcommunity,itseemsvitalthattherebeputinplacea
policythatplacesbusinessownersfromthemiddleandupperclassindirecthumancontact
[Link]
cannotbeaccomplishedwithoutameasureofcompulsion,giventhehistoryofbusiness
relationshipsinAmerica,[Link]
ordertobreachthisgap,itseemsprudenttoinstituteaprogramthatwouldprovidesizabletax
breaksformiddleandupperclassbusinessownerswhoarewillingtospendapredetermined
[Link]
willassistintheupstartandconstructionofthenewbusiness,andwillguidethenew

businessownerthroughtheprocessofbeginningabusiness,aswellasprovidingsupport
duringthestartingperiod.

Rationale
ThehistoryofbusinessrelationsinAmerica,alongwiththetypicalcomportmentoflarge
corporationsillustratesaveryclearandpointedvalueparadigm:[Link]
this,anyactionthatcannotbeseenasfinanciallybeneficialtothecompanyasawhole
[Link],fraternizationoranysortofpartnership
withsmallorfailingbusinessespresentsitselftobenonviableinthebusinessworldof
America.
Asthisisthesituation,ourpolicyisgearedtopromoterelationalcontactbetweenbusinesses
inawaythatprovidesfinancialincentiveattheoutsetinordertobringhumanalongside
[Link],[Link],allowfortheopeningof
horizonsbetweenindividualssuchthattheupperandmiddleclassbusinesspartnerswillbe
joltedintoamoreauthenticunderstandingofthesituationsthatcontrolbusinesswithin
minoritycommunities,andallowforamoreauthenticconversationbetweenpeople.

Stipulations
Itisvitalthatthepartnersagreetomeetfacetofacewithoneanotherasetamountoftimes
asperthearrangementthatwillbearticulatedpresently.
ItisvitalthatthemeetingstakeplaceonthepremisesofBOTHbusinesses.
Itisvitalthatthecontractualobligationbecarriedthroughtocompletionortherewillbea
levyingofseverefinancialpenalty.

Financialcompensation
Theparticipantsinthispartnershipprogramwillreceiveataxbreakaccordingtoasumthatis
commensuratewiththeamountoftimeandresourcedoutlayedduringthecontractualperiod.
Theremaybegradationsofinvolvementspanning110years.
Meetingsbetweenpartnerswilltakeplacenolessthanonceperweek,andshallnotexceed5
timesperweek.
Thespecificamountofcompensationwillbearticulatedinthecontract,andwillbedoledout
everyyear,providedthepartnerhascompliedwithallthestipulations,untiltheterminationof
thecontract.
Dependingonthesizeofacorporation,itmaymaintainupto8partnershipsatonetime,but
isrequiredtodesignateatleastonestaffmemberperpartnershipforthedurationofthe
contract.

Applicationandinterviews
Partnerswithinminorityandimpoverishedcommunitieswillbechosenthroughanapplication
[Link],reputation,andhistory.
Theapplicantswillbereviewedbyaboardofgovernmentofficialsandlocalleaders.
Itisvitalthatthelocalleadersareentrenchedwithinthecommunitytosuchanextentthat
theyareabletorightlydiscernthebestplacementforthenewbusiness,anddecidefairly
whichapplicantbestfitstheneedsofthesurroundingcommunity.
Localleadersmaybepublicorganizers,recognizedbusinessowners,officials,etc.
Theapplicantmusthavegrownupandlivecurrentlyintheneighborhoodwherethebusiness
willoperate.

Theapplicantmustappearbeforetheselectionboardinpersoninordertorepresenthimor
herself.
Theapplicantmustsignacontractdesignatinginvolvementintheinitiativeforaminimumof5
years,butmaysignupforupto15years.

Conclusion

Thecomplicationsthatconstrictandconstitutethedividebetweenbusinessownersin
Americaaremany,multifaceted,[Link],norwithout
theaidofmanywillingindividualswhoarecommittedtoworkingwithotherhumansinaway
[Link]
systemicinjusticeintheworkplaceforalltime,butitmaybeawaytoinsertanewsenseof
[Link]
toconnectpeoplewithpeopleinanonthreatening,mutuallybeneficialenvironmentovera
[Link]
effectivethisplanwillbetowarditsstatedend,itisclearthattheventurewillineluctablyaffect
thelivesofthoseinvolved,[Link]
thatovertime,thisinitiativemayproducemorelivelyandeffectiveavenuesfor
communicationbetweensocietalsubgroups,andmayallowsimultaneouslyforthecultivation
ofeffectiveandhealthybusinessesinimpoverishedandminoritycommunities.