Black culture is being blamed by Tony Blair for murders even though Lady Scotland previously stated that it was a function of disproportionate poverty.
Blair seems to think its ok to forgo political correctness and stated that knife and gun murders were not being caused by poverty, but a distinctive black culture. He encourages a lynching type attitude towards black youth by his sweeping statements and also said there needs to be an "intense police focus" on young black Britons.
Although he did attempt to cover himself with saying "the black community - the vast majority of whom in these communities are decent, law abiding people horrified at what is happening - need to be mobilized in denunciation of this gang culture that is killing innocent young black kids". It sounds strangely similar to the common statement, "Some of my best friends are black."
Home Office minister Lady Scotland previously stated that the large number of black youths in the criminal justice system was a function of their disproportionate poverty and not black culture itself. Lady Scotland and Blair obviously differ in their opinions. Blair downplayed the poverty factor and the conclusion to his opinion to me is that he would expect anyone that comes from that specific black culture to run around murdering people whether they were poor or not.
Blair claims he came to these conclusions after speaking with a black pastor at a London church. The Rev Nims Obunge says he was cited and his statements were taken out of context. " He has taken what I said out of context. We came for support and he has failed and has come back with more police powers to use against our black children." Obunge is chief executive of the Peace Alliance and is working against gang crime.
Reference: Blair blames spate of murders on black culture, Patrick Wintour and Vikram Dodd, Thursday April 12, 2007
