24 – Equal Happiness?
Where are we as a nation in overcoming social factors that hinder many black citizens from realizing their personal potential so as to be satisfied, productive citizens?
First, let us think about basics. Do the following words describe our American goal for all citizens today? “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all women and men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness.”
Is it reasonable to say that black Americans, as a group, experience the least level of happiness in the United States today? Do social factors hinder black Americans from realizing their personal potential? What factors might indicate this is the case?
For example, black Americans make up about 12 percent of our population but more than twice that number receive SNAP income for foods. https://www.theglobalstatistics.com/us-welfare-statistics-by-race/.
Also, the potential for a black person to be murdered is seven times higher than a white or 29.4 per 100,000 compared to 4.2 per 100,000. The potential for a black person being a murderer is eight times higher than a white or 32.1 per 100,000 compared to 4 per 100,000. Ninety three percent of black citizens are murdered by another black citizen. (https://www.theglobalstatistics.com/murder-rate-by-race/)
These hidden, veiled realities are not covered by the mainstream media and represent multiple unaddressed tragedies for our nation. Consider a few. One, clearly these types of results cannot be seen as desired outcomes of Johnson’s wars on inequality and poverty. Two, a dead victim cannot realize personal potential as a satisfied, productive citizen. Three, a convicted murderer, in prison for decades, is unlikely the realize personal potential as a satisfied, productive citizen. Four, with research only based on color of skin, no efforts are made to identify the differences between the many black citizens of good character and those of bad character who overpopulate our prisons. Five, black citizens of good character are discriminated against based on traditional thinking that they are all alike and cannot be distinguished apart.
I recently reread Samuel Walker’s eighth edition of Sense and Nonsense about Crime, Drugs, and Communities. Those expecting that conservative or liberal approaches will eventually work to overcome our social negatives will be disappointed. Walker, a well-respected criminology researcher, finds no support that either set of approaches will work. And, although he proposes slightly different community-based approaches, he does not indicate confidence that they will work either.
So…What next? It would be foolish for anyone to propose a simple, sure-to-accomplish formula for changing our society away from our current negative conditions to the kind of desired society that many dream about. But I might be able to provide a few possible insights for Americans to think about and act upon.
Mark Laita has led the way in bringing before the American public the “invisible people” that are the resulting victims of our broken social system. The issues he highlights through his interview questions involve physical, social, abstract, psychological issues. A “healthy” social system provides opportunities for a large percentage of citizens to satisfy their basic needs both physical and psychological.
A large percentage of the people interviewed report not being provided positive physical, psychological, parental support needed for balanced childhood development. Parenting actions are harmful and hurtful in place of the kind of loving, helpful support every little child needs. Such parents have been broken themselves as children and are the adult representatives of our broken social system.
Current improvement efforts focus on “fixing” already broken people instead of identify how they were damaged. What social change actions resulted in our currently broken system that continues to produce far too many sad, unhappy people? The people shown in Mark’s videos should be helped as much as possible, but assisting them does not bring about change in the system that caused them to be in such great need.
I have confidence that Americans can think differently about ways to enhance our social world and progress toward realizing our ideal. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all women and men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness.”
Again, our broken social system continues to damage black Americans the greatest. Additional messages will attempt to highlight challenges and possible improvement opportunities for their benefit. Like them, we are all lessened from our current unhealthy social system. “Happiness” is not so much related to physical things but satisfaction felt through personal accomplishments.
Joseph L. Bass 11/28/2025