Back when I was on the Hartford Union High School Board of Education, our appallingly left-wing English department added two books to the “approved” reading list. “Evicted” a book about how landlords are to blame because tenants are addicted to crack and don’t pay the rent. And other one was “The Other Wes Moore”. Written by the now governor of Maryland, Wes Moore. The book is about a relationship that the governor had with another gentleman named Wes Moore, who is serving a life sentence for his involvement in the murder of a Baltimore police officer. I’ve decided to pick it up and read it, since there’s some distant rumblings that Wes Moore could very well be the Democrat nominee for president in 2028. Although he says in his preface that everyone is responsible for their own behavior, it appears to me the book is filled with innuendo’s, deflecting any responsibility of the inner-city community for their present situation. When you combine a culture of victimhood and entitlement with 50 years of liberal policies, you get what we have now. Lots and lots and lots of other Wes Moore’s. In the book “The Other Wes Moore”, both Wes Moore’s tell their story. Let’s take a look.
Wes Moore (the author) – Graduated from Johns Hopkins University and received a master’s degree from Wolfson College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar. After several years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve (obtaining the rank of Captain), he became an investment banker in New York. Between 2010 and 2015. Elected Governor of Maryland in 2022.
The Role of Fathers in the Home.
In the opening chapters of the book, Wes Moore the author, outlines the family circumstances that each man grew up with. Wes Moore’s (the author and Roades Scholar) father died when he was young, but he knew his father as a hard-working respected member of the community. The “other” Wes Moore’s father was an irresponsible alcoholic.
NOTE: To fully understand the importance of a father’s role as a role model, the WCD suggests reading the following study. The study we suggest is the 100 Billion Dollar Man by Steven L. Nock and Christopher J. Einolf. I imagine the $100 Billion price tag has gone up exponentially in the last decade or so.
NOTE: To access the link, go to WCDigest.com
The Other Hartford
Wes Moore, the author, in the first two chapters talks about the negative impact that certain neighborhoods have on children growing up, which no one would disagree with. The question throughout the analysis of the book is why is Hartford, WI (my Hartford) so much better than Hartford, CT? A quick google of Hartford comparing my Hartford with Hartford, CT shows the following AI (artificial intelligence) message – Hartford, WI, is generally considered a safe place to live with a lower crime rate compared to both the state and national averages. While there are occasional incidents, the community feels secure. In contrast, Hartford, CT has a significantly higher crime rate, particularly for violent crimes, and is considered one of the most dangerous cities in Connecticut.
AI comparing Milwaukee to Hartford, WI suggests a similar analysis. Of course, everyone knows that cities are significantly less safe than smaller towns. The question is why? Let’s start with expectations.
In Hartford WI during a school day kids are at school. There is no other option. Every 13-year-old is getting up to go to school. There is no option B. Hartford Union High School has an attendance rate of 98%. There is no drug house, gang hang-out or street corner that they can go to. They go to school. In Milwaukee, there are options, too many options. The attendance rate is under 50%! Drug houses, street corners, and gangs rule the day. The question on the floor is – Who is responsible for these trends? Speaker Vos? Donald Trump? Why do the kids go to school in some cities and not others? The first thing that comes to mind is fathers, families, and the expectations of the community. How about locking up criminals and eliminating all the options other than option “A” which is of course, going to school? There are way too many excuses and it’s getting old.
Baltimore MD is no better. Gov. Wes Moore has only been in office for a few years but what steps has he taken to address the crime and schools? This article is from June of this year. Let’s keep an eye on how this works out. “Governor Moore Announces Additional Action to Close Maryland’s Racial Wealth Gap by Promoting Just Community Investment and Expanding Cannabis Pardons”. Let’s give Captain Moore some wiggle room here, after all “Smoke em if you got em” is a military term. Maybe he can reward kids who show up for school for all five school days with a nickel bag for the weekend. From googles AI – In Baltimore City, the chronic absenteeism rate for the 2021-2022 school year was 58%, with high schoolers, particularly freshmen, having the highest rate at about 69%. However, this number has been declining, with an estimated rate of 45% for the 2023-2024 school year. Despite this improvement, over half of Baltimore City school students are still considered chronically absent, meaning they miss more than 10% of school days.
Crime is a Huge Problem: Caused Entirely by Woke Politicians
I imagine that for most people, myself included, the prospect of going to jail is quite a deterrent. It doesn’t seem like those who grew up in the inner city have the same concerns. It shouldn’t be surprising if people who grew up in blighted neighborhoods didn’t put the same value on life as we do. There’s also an expectation component. No one in my Hartford would be proud of a kid who went to prison for stealing cars. In the other Hartford, it’s not so shameful. As a matter of fact, in many circles it’s a status symbol. There’s also not the same level of consequences. The DA ‘s in red counties need to be tough to get re-elected but in blue cites, the softer the better. And why people tolerate the crime is something of a mystery to us all. Crime has come to be expected in major metropolitan areas. Jason Aldean took some heat for his song “Don’t try that in a small town” and the heat came from the fact that no truer words were ever written.
Housing in the “other Hartford”
The other Wes Moore reports living in blighted apartments (government subsidized housing projects) that were dilapidated and ladened with graffiti and gang activity. Hmm. Again, does that happen with a bunch of fathers in the building? Or plenty of law enforcement patrolling the area?
NOTE: In order for law enforcement to be effective you will need the backing of the community, including the local officials and the general population. Heather McDonald’s “The War on Cops” explains how in today’s environment (in the cities like Wes Moore’s Baltimore, Milwaukee and the “other Hartford”) law enforcement is hesitant to engage criminals. It’s simply not clear whose side the city leaders are on. In Milwaukee with the death of Police Officer Kendell Corder at the hands of known criminal Tremaine Jones, who the DA has repeatedly declined to prosecute, Mayor Cavilar Johnson is calling for – get ready for this – more gun control. Yes, the Mayor that took the $300 million that the state provided Milwaukee with the last shared revenue bill, gave himself a raise and didn’t hire one extra police officer now wants “gun control”. How about this for a new law. Criminals can’t buy or possess guns. Oh yeah, I forgot, that’s already a law. In my Hartford, police are considered heroes who at times put their lives at risk. Guess which city has more crime.
Back to Housing
We once again will need to ask ourselves why some neighborhoods are flourishing while others have vacant lots, shuttered up store fronts and streets littered with trash and debris. Why are the windows of the homes in some neighborhoods boarded up while other neighborhoods have lawns with flowers and grass? The one answer that comes to mind, again, is expectations. Business owners do business in communities where young people who rob them go to jail. Of course, the communities that put criminals in jail don’t have criminals to put in jail. My Hartford as opposed to the “other Hartford” certainly comes to mind. In Milwaukee, 90% of the crime is done by 10% of the population but the city refuses to incarcerate them. Business leave, money dries up, and the housing becomes blighted. Wes Moore, the author, certainly outlines the problems in the inner city extremely well, after all he lived there. It’s the solutions he falls short on. Let’s see what chapters three and four have in store.
NOTE: In 2008 State Representative Don Pridemore participated in Gov Jim Doyle’s Commission on Racial Disparities in the Wisconsin Justice System. As you might expect, the liberals looked for “racism everywhere” while the conservatives touted personal responsibility. Read the final report here.
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