Thank you Rosebrook for you comments. I understand what you mean by the thin line. The human being, in order to survive psychologically, becomes desensitized to the plight of others far faster than we are willing to admit--which in the end just worsens the situation.

Barry, the lyrics you wrote are truly heart-rending. I'm glad you made it out.

The solution to the ghetto problem, as far as I can see, is to reinstate the family unit as the basic unit of society. This can only be done by individual fathers (especially) and mothers accepting the responsibility for rearing their offspring. How to implement that solution is beyond me, I'm afraid.

Jon W.