One feels the need to explain this, but Bill Maher is not a conservative, though this segment on his show Real Time will certainly gin up accusations that he is not a proud liberal. For years, Maher has been in his own oasis, advocating his position on issues he feels passionate about, devoid of the left-wing lurch he correctly sees as illiberal. On matters like radical Islamic terrorism and freedom of speech, Maher is very much more in-line with conservatives since we know the threats posed by al-Qaeda and others and the dangers that come from curbing free speech. Maher knows the latter all too well; he’s a comedian by trade. We all know it takes just one issue for the Left to brand you a traitor: Maher and J.K. Rowling, the latter of which is more leftist, are the poster children for this tendency within liberal circles.
Though the segment was a long time coming, one that should’ve aired years ago, crime, specifically firearm-related homicides, has plagued Chicago. Maher pointed out some facts that liberals recoil from, like how young black men are killing each other en masse in the Windy City.
“Why are you killing each other?” the HBO host asked. It’s a question that will surely trigger those on Maher’s side of the aisle (via Fox News):
"Real Time" host Bill Maher called out the lack of attention to high Black-on-Black crime rates in cities such as Chicago during his show on Friday.
Hosting a panel with Brown University economist Glenn Loury and international relations scholar Daniel Bessner, Maher questioned the rise in crime in major cities and why it has not been addressed.
"Like Chicago, most of the shootings are young Black men killing other young Black men. Is that not correct?" Maher asked.
After Loury confirmed it was true, Maher continued, "OK, much more than what the cops do. Why doesn't anybody talk about that? Why aren't there a hundred giant Black celebrities, who would have the respect of those people, saying, ‘What are you doing to yourselves? Why are you killing each other?’"
[…]
Maher went on to criticize suggestions that more financial investment in the city would fix the issue.
"One in 3 children in America cannot read at a basic level of comprehension. Eight-five percent of Black students lack proficiency in reading skills," he said. "We already spent a lot of money on schools. So, are you going to keep telling me that more money will fix this because I feel like this is much more connected to the problems of people who can't read. Yes, they're going to have problems with gainful employment, and it seems like, you know, a lot of times the solutions that come from the left seem symbolic. They don't seem like we're addressing what really needs to be done, which is get kids learning, get them reading, get them to have a job."
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You could view this issue from multiple angles, not least the Left’s inability to comprehend crime policy in a way that doesn’t get other people killed. Public safety isn’t an issue where pseudo-intellectual theories about how America is evil should be tested. Also, it’s fine to be critical of these dire societal elements that appear to be impacting the black community and any demographic in urban America. We know education is the silver bullet to a better life; when one in three children cannot, that’s a problem. When that educational gap is especially prevalent in the black community, it’s a problem. It’s not racist to point that out; just another item on the checklist for our leaders and representatives to figure out, though one could argue that Democrats have controlled Chicago for generations—look at how they’ve managed the store.
Give Maher credit; he once again asked a tough question that’s really directed at his side: they’re the ones in positions of power in the areas most impacted by these ills.
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