http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/good_...ide%27-remarks
Mayor Explains 'Black Genocide' Remarks
Nutter Focusing On Job Creation, Education In 2010
During Monday's swearing-in ceremony, Nutter used the phrase "black genocide," which he has said before, to describe the disproportionate number of African-American males – 732 in the past three years – being killed in the city of Philadelphia.
Crime numbers are going down overall, including in that demographic group, "but the numbers are still too high," Nutter said.
"Well, I think we all bring our personal and maybe somewhat unique perspectives on the particular issue," Nutter said. "The facts are the facts as discouraging and distressing as they are."
Part of his point Monday, he said, was to bring greater attention to the fact that these issues are still taking place.
"None of us are completely satisfied," Nutter said. "We appreciate the downward trend, but there's a particular focus and attention when you see such an anomaly in terms of the rest of the population. And I think it goes back to some pretty complicated issues but things that we can do. … It's education, it's health, and it's employment, jobs."
That's why these will continue to be target areas for the mayor's administration in 2010.
"Before the recession, during the recession, after the recession getting people employed is a major component of how you have a safer city in the first place," Nutter said. "It's why I've focused on re-entry programs to deal with ex-offenders. If people don't see any sense of hope, unfortunately they'll go right back to doing the same things that they were doing before."


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