Darkness in the eternal ghetto

The ghetto is not a fun or endearing place to live. As you might imagine it is not exactly filled with folks who want you to feel good or give you hugs.

Well, they may want you to feel good, but for a cost - and their substance of choice rhymes with 'hugs' but happens to be illegal.

The darkness and bleakness of daily life here is constant and monotonous. That is, until the guns start blaring and bodies start dropping.

The poverty of material wealth, of morals, of spirit is ever present here. A random drive through the neighborhood will show you everything you need to see. Burned out buildings, burned out cars, burned out people...everything reduced to a shell of its former self.

This is why 'respectable' people stay as far as possible from the degeneracy.

This is why Black culture has historically produced such great music. Blues, funk, soul, R&B - like all great art, it is born of suffering, and it was born of the ghetto.

The residents of the ghetto, it is said, are prone to depression and emotional breakdown at a higher rate than non-ghetto residents.

I can believe it. Just look at the surroundings. Would you feel enthused and joyful living among the ruins?